There's a need to know the full facts

Cllr Jim Brooks said Arun District Council's members should not agree to take a further major step towards agreeing to the major redevelopment of the town without having the full information.

The council was still without an analysis of the 660 questionnaires which had been returned to developer St Modwen after the company's exhibition in late January.

"I would ask all councillors that you don't establish a precedent on making decisions on the basis of a partial and incomplete analysis," he stated.

He said the items on the agenda of last Wednesday's should be referred back to Arun's sub-committee which dealt with Bognor's regeneration until a full analysis of the reaction of residents to St Modwen's plans was known.

Cllr Brooks commented before the debate about the regeneration scheme.

His position of chairman of Arun Arts, which runs the Regis Centre, meant he took no part in that discussion.

Arun's councillor in charge of economic and cultural development, Norman Dingemans, said it was to be expected that the results of the consultation would take time to complete.

They would be presented to the sub-committee when ready.

"It was a very thorough consultation.

"The exhibition was not the only form of consultation. There were others going on," he stated.