Public Document Pack Arun District Council Civic Centre Maltravers Road Littlehampton West Sussex BN17 5LF
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Committee Manager Carrie O'Connor (Ext 37614) 23 January 2020
BOGNOR REGIS REGENERATION SUB-COMMITTEE
A meeting of the Bognor Regis Regeneration Sub-Committee will be held in The Dome Meeting Room at the University of Chichester, Bognor Regis Campus, Upper Bognor Road, Bognor Regis, PO21 1HR on Tuesday 4 February 2020 at 6.00 pm and you are requested to attend. Please note change in venue
For directions please click on this link: https://www.chi.ac.uk/about-us/how-find-us
Members: Councillors Stanley (Chairman), Brooks (Vice-Chair), Charles, Mrs Daniells, Dixon, English, Mrs Madeley, Mrs Stainton and Mrs Staniforth
A G E N D A
1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST Members and Officers are reminded to make any declarations of pecuniary, personal and/or prejudicial interests that they may have in relation to items on this agenda and are reminded that they should re-declare their interest before consideration of the item or as soon as the interest becomes apparent
Members and officers should make their declaration by stating : a) the item they have the interest in b) whether it is a pecuniary, personal and/or prejudicial c) the nature of the interest
3. MINUTES (Pages 1 - 4) To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 28 October 2019 (attached).
4. ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA WHICH THE CHAIRMAN OF THE MEETING IS OF THE OPINION SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS A MATTER OF URGENCY BY REASON OF SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES
5. PRESENTATION BY THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICHESTER Professor Jane Longmore, Vice Chancellor of the University, will be in attendance at the meeting to provide a brief presentation to the Subcommittee on the role the University was taking to promote regeneration in Bognor Regis.
6. BOGNOR REGIS PLACEBRANDING PRESENTATION Members will receive an update on the findings from the public survey and be presented with the draft placebranding toolkit.
7. BOGNOR REGIS BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT (BID) A verbal update on the work of the BID will be provided by Jason Passingham, Chairman of the BID Board.
8. TOURISM - SUMMARY OF SUPPORT CURRENTLY (Pages 5 - 16) PROVIDED BY ARUN DISTRICT COUNCIL Arun District Council supports tourism in many ways, with several departments working hard to keep the district attractive, clean and safe. Specific Tourism Support sits within the Economy Group and provides a range of initiatives managed by the Tourism Business Development Officer, covering many different areas of activity.
This report sets out the key activities that are either led by the Council or where it plays a significant role in their delivery.
9. BUSINESS SUPPORT AND ENTERPRISE IN ARUN (Pages 17 - 22) This report brings Members up to date with the services provided to local businesses and the progress being made with those services.
10. BOGNOR REGIS REGENERATION POSITION (Pages 23 - 28) STATEMENT To receive and note the Position Statement
Note : Reports are attached for all Members of the Sub-Committee only and the press (excluding exempt items). Copies of reports can be obtained on request from the Committee Manager.
Note : Members are reminded that if they have any detailed questions would they please inform the Chairman and/or relevant Director in advance of the meeting.
Filming, Photography and Recording at Council Meetings - The District Council supports the principles of openness and transparency in its decision making and permits filming, recording and the taking of photographs at its meetings that are open to the public. This meeting may therefore be recorded, filmed or broadcast by video or audio, by third parties. Arrangements for these activities should operate in accordance with guidelines agreed by the Council and as available via the following link – Filming Policy
This page is intentionally left blank Agenda Item 3 Subject to approval at the next Bognor Regis Regeneration Sub-Committee meeting
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Revised Minutes BOGNOR REGIS REGENERATION SUB-COMMITTEE
28 October 2019 at 6.00 pm
Present: Councillors Stanley (Chairman), Brooks (Vice-Chair), Charles, Dixon, English, Mrs Madeley and Mrs Stainton
Councillors Coster, Edwards and Mrs Warr were also in attendance for all or part of the meeting.
7. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Apologies for absence had been received from Councillors Mrs Daniells and Mrs Staniforth.
8. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
No declarations of interest were made.
9. MINUTES
The Minutes of the meeting held on 24 June 2019 were approved by the Subcommittee and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.
10. ARUN PUBLIC SPACES PROTECTION ORDER - PUBLIC CONSULTATION
In the absence of the Community Safety Manager, the Group Head of Economy presented this information report on proposed amendments to the Arun Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) and, specifically, to outline the public consultation arrangements and proposals to encourage and support maximum feedback from the local community (residents, businesses and visitors) by using the online survey available at www.arun.gov.uk The consultation had expired on Thursday 24 October 2019 but any comments made by the Subcommittee at this meeting would be fed into that exercise.
The Group Head of Economy highlighted that the current PSPO would expire at the end of March 2020 and the consultation had been undertaken to determine whether to extend the current order; amend it; or discharge or let it expire. The views of statutory agencies had been sought, e.g. Sussex Police Crime Commissioner, West Sussex County Council Highways, Sussex Police and Town Councils, with Parish Councils, business partnerships and various community groups also being invited to comments. All Members had been notified via email and letter on 24 September 2019 and asked for their views but no responses had been received. In all, 749 public responses had been received.
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Bognor Regis Regeneration Sub-Committee - 28.10.19
The proposals consulted on were as a result of feedback from businesses and residents of locations and included the banning of the consumption of alcohol in the restricted area. As explained in the report, the new proposed PSPO areas would be significantly reduced in comparison with the 2017 Order, which covered most of the District. The new areas specifically related to the town centres of Bognor Regis and Littlehampton, with the change being a result of the difficulty in enforcing dispersal powers. Consideration must be given to resources available for the enforcement of PSPO prohibitions and the management of public expectation.
It was also proposed to introduce a new PSPO for several Council owned parks and the foreshore of Bognor Regis, as listed below, which would include restrictions on alcohol when connected to anti-social behaviour and the prohibition on people occupying unauthorised structures/vehicles for camping:-
Hotham Park, Millberry Wood, Bersted Park, The Brooks, Marine Park Gardens, Steyne Gardens, Waterloo Gardens, West Park, Old Rectory Gardens and Longbrook Park.
Members participated in some debate on the matter and expressed their disappointment that they had not had the opportunity to have input into the proposal to significantly reduce the PSPO areas. Serious concerns were voiced with regard to the impact that would have and it was therefore agreed that the Subcommittee would formally respond to the consultation and request that the areas that had been removed from the existing Public Space Protection Order should be reinstated into the new Order.
The Subcommittee therefore
RECOMMEND TO FULL COUNCIL
That the formal response of the Bognor Regis Regeneration Subcommittee is that the areas that have been removed from the existing Public Space Protection Order should be reinstated into the new Order.
11. BOGNOR REGIS BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT (BID)
(In the course of discussion on this matter, Councillor Stanley declared a personal interest as a Member of Bognor Regis Town Council.)
The Subcommittee received a verbal update on the work and progress of BID (Business Improvement District) from Mr Paul Wells, Bognor Regis BID Board Director as the Chairman was unable to attend.
Mr Wells shared and discussed the BID annual report that had been presented at the BID AGM in September. He was of the view that the BID had made great progress and had had a good impact on the town in the last year, particularly regarding the introduction of the Bognor Crime Reduction Partnership (BCRP); reducing the
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Bognor Regis Regeneration Sub-Committee - 28.10.19
incidents of anti-social behaviour; and increasing the number of events and regular markets. In addition, the closure of troublesome areas and the use of the Alley Gate scheme had proved successful. Members were advised that the BID was currently focussing on the delivery of a Christmas advertising campaign and working on support for the Ice Rink event. Close working relationships with partners were being maintained.
Mr Wells was pleased to advise that a BID Co-ordinator and BID Events Co- ordinator had been recruited and Members were invited to meet them.
The Subcommittee thanked the BID team for all their hard work and commitment to the BID and town centre and passed on congratulations to Mr Jason Passingham on his appointment as Board Chairman.
In noting the verbal update, Members also participated in some discussion with regard to the success of the 2 hour free parking scheme in the town centre and it was suggested and agreed that negotiations should be undertaken to investigate the potential to have a longer agreement rather than the current annual one. Officers were therefore requested to commence negotiations between the Council and BID in respect of that matter.
The Chairman thanked Mr Wells for his attendance at the meeting.
The Subcommittee then
RECOMMEND TO FULL COUNCIL
That officers investigate a longer term (more than 1 year) agreement for the 2 hour free parking scheme between the Council and the Bognor Regis Improvement District (BID).
12. BOGNOR REGIS REGENERATION POSITION STATEMENT
The Subcommittee received the Position Statement and made particular comment on the following:-
Enterprise Bognor Regis – Members were advised that the deferred Salt Box planning application would be considered at the meeting of the Development Control Committee on 6 November 2019. A request was made for nearby Council road signs to recognise the local presence of Rolls Royce. Gardens by the Sea – the Chairman advised that Cabinet would be attending a workshop on 11 November 2019 to discuss options for the Sunken Gardens Seafront Regeneration – a request was made for screening to be introduced when the Bandstand was refurbished. University of Chichester – A question was asked regarding what provision had been made for the lorries and coaches that would be displaced when the lorry and coach park site was developed for student accommodation. The Group
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Bognor Regis Regeneration Sub-Committee - 28.10.19
Head of Economy gave a response that that would be followed up with officers working on the proposal. Butlins – A query was raised as to when Butlins would be making improvements to the northern vehicle entrance, which was a condition on the planning permission. The Group Head of Economy gave a response that she would investigate and report back. Old Town and Pier – Councillor Charles made a statement presenting facts in relation to a statement that had been made by Councillor Oppler at the Sub- Committee’s last meeting on Waterloo Place. Railway Station – A Member request was made that officers press Network Rail to get the station clock working. Placebranding and Promotion – Members were advised that logo image, application options, campaign ideas, marketing rollout plans and tool kit proposals would come to a future meeting. Gigabit West Sussex – It was suggested that the Council should consider a Planning Policy approach to fibre optic installations and ducting to new properties.
In noting the remainder of the report, the Subcommittee was also advised by the Group Head of Economy that the draft Economic Development Strategy would be circulated to all Members shortly.
(The meeting concluded at 8.15 pm)
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ARUN DISTRICT COUNCIL
REPORT TO AND DECISION OF BOGNOR REGIS REGENERATION SUB COMMITTEE ON 4 FEBRUARY 2020
SUBJECT: Summary of tourism support currently provided by Arun District Council
REPORT AUTHOR: Margaret Murphy, Tourism Business Development Officer DATE: 10th January 2020 EXTN: 37859 PORTFOLIO AREA: Economy
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Arun District Council supports tourism in many ways, with several departments working hard to keep the district attractive, clean and safe.
Specific Tourism Support sits within the Economy Group and provides a range of initiatives managed by the Tourism Business Development Officer, covering many different areas of activity.
This report sets out the key activities that are either led by the Council or that we play a significant role in delivering.
RECOMMENDATIONS: Members are requested to note the contents of the report.
1. BACKGROUND: With two famous seaside towns both benefitting from quality beaches and coastline, the world-famous historic town of Arundel plus the River Arun linking the coast to the South Downs National Park, the Tourism Sector plays an important role in the district’s economy.
The Arun district attracts approximately 4.04 million visitors per year generating a total spend of approximately £298.1 million (Source: Tourism South East, Economic Impact of Tourism Report 2018) indicating that the Arun District continues to be an attractive, thriving place in which to visit, as well as to live and work in. See Item 2 and link to full report as a Background Paper.
Arun District Council continues to support tourism in many ways, with several departments working hard to keep the district attractive, clean and safe. Specific Tourism Support sits within the Economy Group and provides a range of initiatives. There is currently one full time equivalent post working in that team, the Tourism Business Development Officer, who works with a wide range of delivery partners, both within the Council and external partners.
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2. TOURISM INITIATIVES AND PROJECTS
2.1 THE VALUE OF THE VISITOR ECONOMY TO THE DISTRICT
The Council currently commissions an annual report by the regional tourist board and industry experts Tourism South East. These reports are delivered each August / September for the previous full calendar year. The most recent edition we have is for 2018 which reports the following:
Key results for 2018:
4.04 million trips were undertaken
3.43 million day trips
0.61 million overnight visits
1.74 million nights in the area as a result of overnight trips
£120.7 million spent by tourists during their visit to the area
£10.06 million spent on average in the local economy every month
£116.1 million generated by overnight visits
£104.6 million generated from day trips
£298.1 million spent in the local area as a result of tourism (taking into account multiplier effects)
5,972 jobs supported, both for residents and from those living nearby
4,560 tourism jobs directly supported
1,412 non-tourism related jobs supported (linked to multiplier spend from tourism)
13.0% of population employed as a result of tourism in Arun District
Attention is also drawn to page 3 of the report which provides further explanation of these figures plus pages 1 and 2 which provides the regional and national figures for comparison.
The 2018 full Economic Impact report is provided as a Background Paper and also available to view online at www.sussexbythesea.com/tourism-business-centre. The 2019 figures are expected in the late summer of 2020
Since the last ‘Summary of Tourism Support’ report (June 2017), the Council’s
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Economy Group team have been working closely alongside neighbouring District Councils, in partnership with Coastal West Sussex and Experience West Sussex
This has led to many benefits including economies of scale, resources and skills for tourism marketing and projects across West Sussex. As part of this ongoing partnership, the council is considering jointly commissioning an annual Economic Impact of Tourism report with other local councils. This would replace the individual Arun report prepared by Tourism South East and generate cost efficiencies
2.2 PROMOTING THE ARUN DISTRICT TO VISITORS AND RESIDENTS
‘Sussex by the Sea’ is the tourism ‘brand’ of Arun District Council, widely recognised in printed publications, social media, lamp post banners and on search engines - it is used to promote the whole district to visitors and residents as the official source of tourist information.
Originally adopted in 1994 the brand is promoted using a suite of marketing tools to reach as wide an audience as possible and includes:
Website
Social Media
Visitor Guide
Visitor Information Points
Destination Marketing
The Tourism Business Development Officer also supports a range of other tourism related activities including:
Servicing the Visitor Information Points
Visitor Enquiry handling: received via website, email, phone and post
Working with the Council’s Event Officer– collaborating on event information.
Participating via partners in projects such as the Coastal England 2021 ‘Year of the Coast’
Continuing promotion of Quality Assurance and similar schemes for accommodation providers and attractions
Sharing information and invitations to networking, skills and training workshop events delivered by industry partners
Working with a new partner on a wider brochure fulfilment service and possible e-marketing campaigns
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Sourcing and promoting local tourism business developments and news
Working closely and creatively with marketing partners: Council departments such as Design, Communications and Property & Estates; and Town Councils in Bognor Regis, Littlehampton and Arundel on projects including: new artwork for Bognor Regis promenade notice boards joint marketing initiatives such as; sponsorship of drone filming and photography of a national and international Kite Surfing Champion in Bognor Regis; sponsoring a competition for the switch on of the Christmas Lights in Littlehampton; and advertising with the Arundel Festival.
Each of the methods and initiatives listed potentially reach different segments of our audience and markets at different times. We aim to keep up with industry trends and are open to new ideas as they present themselves.
2.3 WWW.SUSSEXBYTHESEA.COM
The Council commissioned an updated tourism specific website and database which went live in April 2013. This replaced the previous version which needed development and was expensive to maintain and upgrade.
www.sussexbythesea.com is currently hosted by Verseone Technologies along with the Content Management System (CMS) that builds and manages the Council’s tourism database which feeds the website. Both the website and CMS are currently managed by the Tourism Business Development Officer.
Verseone Technologies also provide the Council’s corporate website www.arun.gov.uk and it’s CMS and database - managed by the Communications Team.
The current site www.sussexbythesea.com is the main online marketing tool and “Virtual Visitor Information Centre” holding a wide range of useful information for visitors and residents.
The site includes many links to the Arun District Council website e.g. Beach, Car Parks, Parks and Open Spaces and currently works satisfactorily on mobile devices.
We are very aware that the Sussex by the Sea website is now once again showing its age and requires updating for several reasons. To this end we are in the process of reviewing how the online tourism presence will look and be delivered in the future, options being considered are:
Commissioning a new Sussex by the Sea website, designed to meet the latest technical, legal and customer expectations for a website and using an easier to use desktop publishing application and Content Management System.
Creating a website portal that could sit within the Council’s main website or stand alone, reducing the amount of searchable information included and relying more on linking to other local place-based websites that have been developed in recent
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years and the social media technology, blogs and podcasts.
Develop new ways of providing information, in shorter ‘sound bites’ to reflect current needs of visitors with less time or inclination to read long tracts of text e.g. new ‘Quick Links Pages’ and that are mobile friendly.
However, technology and trends are constantly changing. We are mindful of the need to continue to investigate and embrace new ways of providing information and inspiration to potential visitors and residents, in order to maintain a good share of the tourism market, but in a resource effective way.
As a Local Authority, Arun District Council’s Visitor Information still seems to be a ‘trusted’ source of information, but with the development of so much ‘FREE’ new technology the varied ways to deliver that information are more ‘fragmented’ and can in some cases be more resource and time consuming to utilise.
WEBSITE CONTENT
Visitors to the website www.sussexbythesea.com are currently able to find a wealth of information, including:
Information on each town and the district
Specific subject pages e.g. Accessibility, Beaches, Parks, Things to Do, Cycling & Walking etc
Searchable categories for individual business listings e.g. Where to Stay, Things to Do & What’s On
Descriptions and contact details for hundreds of local tourism businesses, attractions, accommodation, event organisers, food & drink, transport providers and retailers. (Each tourism business in the Arun District has a FREE website listing in their relevant search category which can be upgraded to an ‘Enhanced Listing’ or Banner advert for a fee)
An Itinerary Planner tool and Blogs
There is also a Tourism Business Centre Page which includes useful information for local businesses on a range of tourism industry subjects
With such a large amount of content managing this data is an ongoing and almost daily task to keep up to date.
As the core digital source of tourist information are used for many different aspects of Tourism Support and reference, it is estimated that on average at least 25 - 30% of any working week of the officer will be spent on the website and CMS database in one way or another.
GOOGLE ANALYTICS AND SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMISATION
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Google Analytics reports that for the full year to date there were 144,298 page views on the site, compared to 195,410 in the same period last year.
The Top 10 pages viewed are: What’s On, Bognor Regis, Littlehampton Attractions, Things to Do, Home, Where to Stay, Arundel Attractions, Arundel, Littlehampton
The most popular landing page continues to be “ What’s On”, with 14,115 views in the current year to date, compared to 18,431 in the same period last year.
These figures are, once again, down in comparison to previous years, but there may be several reasons for this. For example; the continued rise in the use of Social Media and other online media as prime sources of shared information for many people. Facebook is being used increasingly by many organisations to publicise their events and for many people it is the first and often only place they search.
There is also growing competition from other local websites promoting the individual towns of the area, and their events. Some of these sites are new and growing; for example, Experience West Sussex and Love Bognor Regis, plus other commercial tourism sites.
2.4 SOCIAL MEDIA
The popularity and use of Social Media continues to grow and is still proving to be an effective free to use and powerful communications tool. The council uses the different platforms to promote our tourism offer in several ways.
‘Sussex by the Sea’ is very active on both Facebook and Twitter and these media have developed into a major and (crucially) a relatively quick way of transmitting ‘live’ tourist information to a wide and ever-growing audience.
Social Media continues to be a growing element to the tourism role - the information discovered via this media is also used to populate and update the tourism website where relevant, particularly with events.
The Facebook account currently has nearly 1,640 followers (compared to 1200 as noted on the previous report in June 2017) and the Twitter page nearly 7348 followers compared to 6500 in June 2017.
Posts and tweets by local attractions and other tourism businesses are reposted/shared/retweeted, ‘liked’ and shared and are an increasingly efficient way to contact businesses.
Sussex by the Sea also has a presence on Instagram. This platform is very popular with users and useful for ‘User-generated content’ (UGC). However, sharing the interesting posts and images with our followers is not as straight forward as the other platforms but this is being explored further. Instagram images can now be shared via Facebook and Twitter accounts and is this is being implemented.
Tripadvisor. In some cases, this platform is a business’s only online presence and it can be a useful research tool to find new businesses and check on the quality reviews
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for information and promotion purposes.
‘Google My Business’, ‘Pinterest’ and the rising phenomena of podcasts are also media to potentially utilise and develop.
2.5 THE SUSSEX BY THE SEA VISITOR GUIDE
The Sussex by the Sea visitor guide provides “Inspiration & Information” for Arundel, Bognor Regis, Littlehampton and The South Downs and continues to be the principle printed tourism marketing tool for the whole district, designed in house by the Council’s Design Team.
The decision was made in early 2019 to change the style of the guide, make each edition valid for two years instead of an annual production and to not include advertising.
100,000 copies of the new A5 size guide (compared to 65,000 copies of the previous smaller DL size) were printed in early 2019 and are distributed in several different ways
The guide is popular with visitors, residents and local tourism businesses and is available from: Leaflet Exchanges and networking events, local tourism businesses and local Visitor Information Points (approximately 7,000 copies so far this year), plus:
Approximately 300 online requests for a paper version were received in 2019.
Just under 50,000 copies were distributed in 2019 by three main distributors throughout the UK, via a mixture of attractions, hotels, motorway service stations, supermarkets, national Tourist Information Centres (TICs) and other outlets. For example:
300 via Holiday Guide Finder via an online brochure request service
22,107 via Take 1 Media, via: National TICs, Selected South East Motorway Service Stations, Accommodation & Attractions and online individual requests
28,100 via Brochure Connect via : National TICs Accommodation & Attractions, Transport hubs, Shopping Centres, libraries and community centres throughout West Sussex & its border areas
It is recognised that some people don’t have easy access to the internet and prefer a paper copy of a publication to browse and to have with them during a visit.
Experience shows that visitors may have done their research online, but on arrival want to ask questions and have printed information to carry around for inspiration, often discovering something that they would not have thought to search for online
The guide directs readers to discover more on the Sussex by the Sea and partner
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websites and covers these themes: What’s on Highlights All about our three towns & the South Downs Inspiration & ideas for: families; outdoor pursuits; entertainment, culture & history; getting active & relaxing; Where to Eat, Shop & Stay Maps & how to find out more information
Accommodation listings which used to be part of the printed visitor guide are now available as a downloadable pdf on the website.
As we move into the second year of this guide, the costs and efficacy of this approach will be reviewed in 2020 before starting on the next two-year edition for 2021/2022.
2.6 VISITOR INFORMATION POINTS (VIPs)
The Council continues to work closely with partners to deliver a Visitor Information facility in all three district towns, each providing ‘call in and collect’ tourism leaflet facilities. Working with partners means that we can continue to offer a local customer facility alongside the online and print media.
There is currently one VIP each in Arundel & Bognor Regis and, since the closure of the Look & Sea Centre in 2018, several smaller VIPs within existing businesses and organisations in Littlehampton
ARUNDEL VISITOR INFORMATION POINT (VIP)
The Arundel Museum Society continues to host a tourism leaflet display for the town’s attractions and immediate Arun District, South Downs and Chichester area, inside the foyer of the town’s museum
Located in a prime position in the town, next to the main car / coach park and opposite the Castle entrance, local knowledge of the town’s attractions is provided by Museum Society volunteers, alongside local history museum displays, a range of museum events (including guided walks in the town) and educational facilities for school groups. The facility is open every day throughout the year except for Christmas and New Year.
Leaflet supplies are currently co-ordinated and supplied by the Council’s Tourism Development Officer from specialist suppliers. Specialist tourism knowledge and liaison on operational matters are also regularly sought and supplied to staff and volunteers at the museum.
There is no annual cost to the Council, apart from officer time and occasional small projects paid for from the tourism development budget.
BOGNOR REGIS VISITOR INFORMATION POINT (VIP)
As part of the Council’s Accommodation Review, the Visitor Information facility moved from the council owned building, previously occupied by the Observer Newspaper in
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January 2018.
The Visitor Information facility is now located within the foyer of the Regis Centre and has developed into a good partnership with management and staff of Arun Arts Ltd, bringing tourist information to a lot more people who use the Regis Centre facilities and attend the wide range of shows and entertainment. Regis Centre staff and volunteers are helpful to visitors and residents, alongside their other duties.
Leaflet supplies are co-ordinated by the Council’s Tourism Business Development Officer. Specialist tourism knowledge and liaison on operational matters are also regularly supplied.
In addition, tourism leaflets are also available in the Bognor Regis seafront Beach Office, and other locations may be added in future, subject to time resources.
Early in 2019 specialist software and a new digital display screen was purchased and located inside the centre. The content is managed remotely and displays up to date information on What’s On, tourism messages etc.
There is no direct cost to the Council for supplying the Visitor Information Facility, apart from officer time and small projects paid for from the tourism development budget as and when required, for example the Digital Screen and its annual licence.
LITTLEHAMPTON LOCAL VISITOR INFORMATION POINTS
A staffed facility at the Look & Sea Heritage Exhibition operated under a Service Level Agreement with the trust for many years until 2018. Leaflet supplies were previously co-ordinated by the Look & Sea VIC staff with some assistance from the Council’s Tourism Development Officer, along with specialist knowledge and liaison on operational matters.
With the closure of the Look & Sea VIC the decision was made to find other sites that could accommodate visitor information displays. A range of local businesses and retailers in Littlehampton now provide Information Points within their premises in the town centre, river side and seafront. This new service was fully operational this summer.
Each VIP is branded with signage and location maps to signpost to alternative information points if the businesses are closed. The new provision and locations will be reviewed and monitored for improvement.
2.7 TOURISM BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
The Tourism Business Development Officer continues to work with the district’s wide range of tourism businesses, advising on issues and queries, encouraging and advising new contacts and helping existing businesses develop skills and quality, when time allows.
Business visits, to help with marketing, social media, Quality Assurance, training and skills opportunities and other information take place as time allows, as well as email
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and telephone conversations, with some group help from local forums such as the West Sussex Attractions Group.
2.8 CUSTOMER SERVICE
Despite all the activity online, customer enquiries and visitor guide requests continue to arrive, can be around 10 - 20 per week at peak times, via the website, email, phone and occasional letter. A log is kept of the source and geography of these requests.
Enquiries can be as ‘in depth’ as working out an itinerary for first time visitors from the US and Australia, to wanting the name and contact details of a business, or vacancy details during Bank Holidays and Goodwood events etc. As much as possible and where appropriate, all enquiries are answered with links back to specific pages on the website and subject to GDPR and the Council’s Privacy Policy.
2.9 WORKING WITH TOURISM PARTNERS
A good relationship has been cultivated and continues with the tourism officers at all three town councils and ‘Visit Arundel’, collaborating and sharing information and marketing ideas and also working with the Tourism Lead Officer at The South Downs National Park Authority.
We continue to work as much as possible with other Sussex Destination Managers at destinations across West and East Sussex .
The brand ‘Love Sussex’ and its website portal, linking all Sussex authorities has recently been closed due to fewer resources across the various local authorities. The remaining individual Tourism Officers at these authorities continue to keep in touch via email to share knowledge and experience.
Arun District Council continues to be a member of the regional Tourist Board, Tourism South East and works in partnership on projects with the national Tourist Board, Visit England/ VisitBritain, Coastal West Sussex and West Sussex County Council via the partnership ”Experience West Sussex”
COASTAL WEST SUSSEX AND ‘EXPERIENCE WEST SUSSEX’ TOURISM PARTNERSHIP
The Council continue to work closely with Coastal West Sussex, neighbouring District Councils and West Sussex County Council in a partnership to encourage more visitors across the county.
Arun’s Chief Executive Officer Nigel Lynn, is the project sponsor of the Experience West Sussex Partnership on behalf of the Chief Executives Working Group.
The Experience West Sussex Partnership was established in 2018. All the district and borough council authorities across West Sussex work together with West Sussex County Council and the Coastal West Sussex Partnership to support the visitor economy. The Strategic Investment Fund (Business Rate Pool) is funding a four-year programme of work.
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Experience West Sussex is a destination partnership created to deliver collective value through leadership, inspiration and collaboration for the benefit of West Sussex’ visitor economy.
The aim of the programme is to grow the value of the West Sussex visitor economy, increase visits and stays all year round, increase recognition that West Sussex is an active, vibrant and dynamic place for residents, businesses and visitors and ensure West Sussex has stand out appeal in the competitive world of tourism destinations.
The Experience West Sussex Partnership is demonstrating its worth as a vehicle to collectively maximise value through strategy development and delivery, increased marketing reach, and by leveraging benefit for the area from strategic relationships including Visit Britain / Visit England and Gatwick Airport.
Arun District Council provide officer time to attend development meetings, networking events, plus local knowledge of the district’s tourism attractions, local images and copy, events information etc.
The public face of this project and campaign is www.experiencewestsussex.com. It includes ‘experiences’, blogs and itineraries to inspire visitors who are looking for activities and quality visits to the county, benefiting from working with a professional design and marketing agency.
More links have been created from www.sussexbythesea.com and other neighbouring West Sussex district websites to and from Experience West Sussex and social media is actively being utilised to share stories across the different partner organisations, as time permits.
2. PROPOSAL(S): None, this report is for information only 3. OPTIONS: None, this report is for information only 4. CONSULTATION: None, this report is for information only Has consultation been undertaken with: YES NO Relevant Town/Parish Council x Relevant District Ward Councillors x Other groups/persons (please specify) x 5. ARE THERE ANY IMPLICATIONS IN RELATION TO YES NO THE FOLLOWING COUNCIL POLICIES: (Explain in more detail at 6 below) Financial x Legal x Human Rights/Equality Impact Assessment x Community Safety including Section 17 of Crime & x Disorder Act
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Sustainability x Asset Management/Property/Land x Technology x Other (please explain) x 6. IMPLICATIONS: Not applicable
7. REASON FOR THE DECISION: Not applicable
8. BACKGROUND PAPERS: The Economic Impact of Tourism in the Arun District 2018 can be found at: www.sussexbythesea.com/tourism-business-centre
The previous Tourism Support Report on the 26June 2017 Item 7 Page 180. https://democracy.arun.gov.uk/Data/Bognor%20Regis%20Regeneration%20Subcom mittee/20170626/Agenda/Agenda.pdf
Page 16 Agenda Item 9
ARUN DISTRICT COUNCIL
REPORT TO AND DECISION OF BOGNOR REGIS REGENERATION SUBCOMMITTEE ON 4 FEBRUARY 2020
PART A : REPORT SUBJECT: Business Support and Enterprise in Arun
REPORT AUTHOR: Miriam Nicholls, Business Development Manager DATE: 9th January 2020 EXTN: 37845 PORTFOLIO AREA: Economy
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: This report is to bring Members up to date with the services provided to local businesses and the progress being made with those services.
RECOMMENDATIONS: Members are requested to note the contents of the report.
1. BACKGROUND: A wide range of business support and enterprise services are delivered across the district. Some are delivered in partnership whilst others are direct delivery. Many are ongoing services which have been running for some time, others are new and there are some that are being developed. A huge knowledge base of our local business community has been amassed and this is used to shape the services that are provided. This report provides a summary of each of the initiatives that are currently running and will be updated on a regular basis. 2. CURRENT PROJECTS AND SERVICES The Arun Business Partnership – this started as the Littlehampton Business Partnership, established to bring local businesses together and to encourage them to be aware of the range, depth and quality of their local business colleagues which, in turn, would mean that they could do business together. After four years of productive networking and learning, the Partnership expanded to include Bognor Regis. Each side of the Partnership met separately twice a year, with joint meetings being held every six months. In December 2006, Arundel officially joined the Partnership and the full Arun Business Partnership was born. Through the Partnership, strategic links have been made with local education providers, companies and private/public sector organisations. From training events to information dissemination, contact building to contract signing, the Business Partnership helps companies grow by encouraging them to get to know each other and to work together.
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In 2016 the decision was taken to establish The Arun Business Partnership as a Community Interest Company. This was to allow the Partnership to take advantage of opportunities that were not available to an unincorporated body such as the Partnership then was. Networking Meetings - four meetings are held each year. They are deliberately informal as businesses tell us they prefer it that way. Venues are generally provided free of charge by local companies and frequently the hosting venue takes the opportunity to showcase their offer in some way. We currently have a list of venues wishing to host meetings. On average 60 businesses attend each meeting and feedback is excellent. Businesses enjoy the relaxed style and new business people particularly enjoy the way in which the networking takes place as it provides them with an easy way to talk with others. We have, occasionally, attempted to introduce a different format but have been very clearly told by those attending that they prefer the way things are presently done. Business of the Year Awards - the Business of the Year event is held each November. Companies are nominated for 19 Awards, each of which is sponsored by a local business or organisation. The Awards are presented at an evening event when around 250 local business people gather to celebrate the achievements of their colleagues. The 2019 event was held at The Hilton Avisford Park Hotel, a new venue having held the Awards event at Butlins for many years. 250 local business people gathered together to celebrate just a fraction of the success of our local business community. The 2020 event is already booked, and sponsors will shortly be contacted to ascertain their support for this year. We already have a waiting list of businesses wishing to be involved as sponsors so may introduce extra opportunities to involve as many as possible. Monthly E-Newsletter - the e-newsletter goes out to around 3,000 businesses at the beginning of each month. Information is gathered from a range of sources including businesses themselves. Items include everything from reports on visits to local companies to opportunities for grants and awards, special offers and business events being held locally. The aim of the newsletter is to keep companies up to date with what is happening and for them to publicise their news in order that everyone is aware of the range and quality of local companies and the opportunities that are available. Web Site – www.arunbusinesspartnership.co.uk & Social Media - the Arun Business Partnership web site was refreshed in 2018 by a local company at a very small cost and works well, allowing us to promote our offer and point visitors to the site in the right direction. The Partnership also has a Linkedin Group and a Facebook page which are regularly used to pass around information and for discussions. Worklessness - the Council were the winning bidders in 2013 for a contract to work alongside the Department of Work & Employment in gaining work experience placements for 18-24 year olds. This work was carried out by the company that works alongside Arun to look after the Business Partnership, Connects Media. The DWP were delighted with our approach to the work and all our targets were
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exceeded. Unfortunately, towards the end of our contract period, the DWP changed the way in which work was contracted and moved to a Framework system. Providers were required to upload details of their services and the DWP would contact them if a need was found for their ‘offer’. Whilst The Council, due to the delivery method it employed, were able to be flexible with that delivery, this method of contracting could not be accommodated and no further contracts were undertaken. Other West Sussex District and Borough Councils were subject to the same situation and, via this Council and Horsham District Council, a bid was submitted to the Strategic Infrastructure Fund to continue the work that had been started. This bid was successful and a new project, Journey to Work, was started. A West Sussex Co-Ordinator was recruited and it is part of his role to find funding to allow the project to continue long term. This Council has, once again, employed the same delivery team and targets are being exceeded. Most work is on a one to one basis and currently over 100 clients are being assisted. Many clients, the majority of whom have been out of work for an extended period have been found paid work, voluntary work or training. Learning Events – In 2018 a bid was submitted, to the Strategic Infrastructure Fund, from all West Sussex District and Borough Councils to provide a fund for training retailers. This bid was successful, and during 2019 a programme of training took place. Topics included HR Essentials Resilience to run your business Marketing Networking Smartphone photography GDPR Selling on the phone Pricing your product or service Business Planning First Aid Whilst the training is aimed primarily at retailers to improve both their knowledge, their business and the customer experience, other businesses are encouraged to join the training events where it is appropriate and space is available. There is still a small amount of funding remaining and more events are being arranged for this coming year. Grants – two types of grant have been offered over the past year. The first, the LEAP Grant (Local Enterprise and Apprenticeship Platform) followed the successful round of grant funding that was available for the same purpose in the previous two years. £72,000 was granted with match funding in excess of £150,000. The successful Bid that was made last year was for 2 years and a new round of grant funding will commence in April.
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The second grant pot of £50,000 has been available for Shop Front Improvements. That has now been exhausted with 37 retail units Arun-wide being upgraded with grant support. A further bid, again in conjunction with all other West Sussex Economic Development Teams, has been submitted and the outcome is awaited. Business Visits – the Business Development Manager undertakes a programme of visits to companies of all sizes across the district. This allows businesses to identify a link within the Council to whom they can take any issues and for the Council to gather information about our local businesses and to know what the issues are within that community. Businesses tell us that they greatly appreciate this service and it certainly helps them to know who to approach within the Council. Weekly Networking – at the request of businesses a weekly networking group was established some 3 years ago. Business Networking Bognor Regis (BNBR) meets each Thursday morning. It is a group of invited businesses and only one of each type of business is allowed. In the time it has been established BNBR has generated over £1.8M worth of business amongst its 26 members. Following the success of this group 2 more have been established. The Littlehampton Business Circle meets each Wednesday morning. The Group has 20 regular members and has established a pattern of regular referrals and support for each other amongst those members. Again, at the request of businesses a group was also established in Chichester. The Group started well and it has now been decided that it will run aside from the Arun Business Partnership. Partnership Working – the Business Development Manager attends a range of regular meetings with partners and colleagues to make sure that the Council is aware of all opportunities for funding and support for our local business community and these are maximised. A large amount of work is carried out in Partnership with colleagues across West Sussex. The University of Chichester is due to launch a new ‘Hot House’ support package for businesses across the LEP area and Arun’s Business Support Manager will be the local authority officer representative on the Project Steering Board. General Help and Support – over the past 12 months almost 300 businesses have benefitted from a range of support provided by the Business Development Manager. 3. PROPOSAL(S): None, this report is for information only 4. OPTIONS: None, this report is for information only 5. CONSULTATION: None, this report is for information only Has consultation been undertaken with: YES NO Relevant Town/Parish Council x Relevant District Ward Councillors x
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Other groups/persons (please specify) x 5. ARE THERE ANY IMPLICATIONS IN RELATION TO YES NO THE FOLLOWING COUNCIL POLICIES: (Explain in more detail at 6 below) Financial x Legal x Human Rights/Equality Impact Assessment x Community Safety including Section 17 of Crime & x Disorder Act Sustainability x Asset Management/Property/Land x Technology x Other (please explain) 6. IMPLICATIONS:
7. REASON FOR THE DECISION: Not applicable
8. BACKGROUND PAPERS: None
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Bognor Regis Regeneration Position Statement Project/Opportunity Update January 2020
1. Enterprise Bognor Regis The site is allocated as a strategic employment Enterprise Bognor Regis site in the adopted Local Plan. (EBR) comprises a series of commercial/industrial sites co- Landowners of EBR sites are reporting good located north of Bognor Regis occupier interest. straddling the A29. The aim is to make the sites ready and Oldlands Farm site - Hanbury has been granted attractive for early change of use of their new proposed development to accelerate development from industrial to retail to allow a business and employment Lidl and The Range store. The application for the growth, and many pre-planning Lidl store has recently been submitted. studies were undertaken which has hastened development. Rolls Royce has completed Phase 2 of their There is limited greenfield warehouse and also has a temporary facility to commercial land available on accommodate sales growth of their new this scale within Coastal West “Cullinan” model. Sussex area. Saltbox site – The second hybrid planning application (BE/135/18/PL) to develop the site in two phases for employment and commercial uses was approved.
The proposed development will deliver £33.7 m of capital investment; provide approximately 30,520 square metres of new mixed use floor- space and between 500 and 1000 new private sector jobs.
This includes a Warburtons Class B8 warehouse for the storage and distribution of bread products and offices. The application also includes two drive-thrus; industrial buildings; an ALDI food store and car showrooms for the Richmond Motor Group. The full planning application also includes the provision of the site’s infrastructure comprising access roads and a new entrance from Shripney Road, on-site open space provision, landscaping, drainage works and attenuation ponds. Outline permission was granted for the remainder of the site i.e. flexible delivery of employment space primarily in the form of two warehouses with associated car parking provision and landscaping.
The Business Case for the delivery of a £7m WSCC funded Enterprise Centre on one of the
1 Page 23 sites at Enterprise Bognor Regis is being developed by WSCC.
2. Gardens by the Sea The Council has decided that work on the The Council owns two key proposed Pavilion Park on the Hothamton site be regeneration sites at the Regis ceased, and consultation on alternative options Centre and Hothamton car will be undertaken in the future. park and is seeking to develop them to obtain the maximum Work on the Regis site has also been halted until regeneration benefit for the regeneration project priorities have been agreed. town. 3. Town Centre Initiatives The BID Board is working closely with A vibrant and appealing town Community Safety and the Police to tackle crime centre offer of shops, public and anti-social behaviour. The BID is now a fully realm and events is a key draw accredited Business Crime Reduction for both residents and visitors. Partnership, and traders are using DISC, a A Business Improvement secure online intelligence-sharing system to District (BID) is in place from report crime and anti-social behaviour directly to April 2018 for 5 years. Work is the Police. This initiative is having a positive delivered in partnership with impact on crime and disorder in the town. BID Manager, BID Board and Bognor Regis Town Council. The range of Christmas events including the ice rink maintained good footfall in the town during the festive season against both national and coastal averages.
Consideration is being given to future uses for the Arcade’s upper storeys.
Vacancy rates from September 2019 were 7.5% (20/266) for the core town centre and 10.2% (41/402) for the wider BID area. Both measures showed good improvement. The national average vacancy rate is 10.3%.
4. Seafront Regeneration We remain in dialogue with the manufacturers of The Seafront Strategy was the new toilets to address issues identified that adopted in 2009 and set out have prevented them being open for public use. plans to enhance the area. The Seafront Delivery Plan for the The temporary toilets have been removed as central section of the seafront they are not considered necessary outside of the was approved in 2016, with bathing season. The newly refurbished Regis thematic zones and a strategic Centre public toilets, which include a wheelchair template for delivery of accessible toilet, are approximately 250 metres regeneration initiatives. to the west and there is a sign on the closed toilets directing people to them.
The Council was awarded £50k from Coastal Revival Fund for heritage reinstatement works to
2 Page 24 the bandstand which will be programmed for the winter.
5. University of Chichester The Tech Park was formally opened by the Duke The University has a campus and Duchess of Wessex in Sept 2018. in both Chichester and Bognor The University submitted a planning application Regis, with strong links with for 176 bed on-campus student accommodation the wider regeneration of which was approved at the June DC Committee. Bognor Regis. It has ambitious plans for campus expansion There is another application for 104 bed student and doubling student numbers, accommodation above Wilkinsons store in and provides facilities for London Road which was also approved at the businesses such as hot- June DC Committee. desking, meeting space and incubator units. The London Road lorry and coach park has been marketed for student accommodation with a preferred buyer in place. Public car parking will be retained.
6. Butlin’s The new £35m Splash Pool opened ahead of Butlin’s has transformed much Easter 2019. It is receiving excellent visitor of their accommodation from reviews and has improved guest satisfaction chalets into modern hotels. ratings with the resort. This has changed the type of customer coming to Butlin’s, Offsite staff accommodation in Ashley House and and also what they want to do St Joseph’s are now fully open and popular with on holiday. Butlin’s is an active staff which is boosting retention and local partner in the wider town businesses that are benefiting from increased regeneration trade.
7. Old Town and Pier A planning application for the Mud Club and 2-4 The Old Town area around Waterloo Square site with commercial ground Norfolk Street and Waterloo floor and residential above has been submitted. Square is on the up. Privately A new Amusement Arcade has opened in the funded development will bring previously closed building, and the award- new good quality winning Pinks Vintage Ice Cream are now open cafes/restaurants. Promotional on the ground floor of 18 Waterloo Square with activity will draw vibrancy and two new ADC temporary housing flats above. different footfall to this area of the town. The Pier Trust is The Bognor Pier Trust working with the Town spearheading plans to Council and Heritage Partnership has launched safeguard and improve the pier an attractive series of Heritage Trails across the town.
8. Railway Station Planning approval for the “The Track” creative The Station occupies a key digital hub / shared workspace in the station has gateway position in the town. It been granted, and construction work is is a listed building, was in very underway. The hub operator, Town Square, is poor repair with vacant currently recruiting a Community Manager and commercial opportunities, and
3 Page 25 is an identified site for maintaining regular contact with the stakeholder improvement group. It is scheduled to open in 2020. Network Rail have cleaned, repaired and refurbished the glazed roof to the concourse.
9. Transport and Car Parking Traffic survey evidence has been gathered about Transport is a key element of the impact on the local traffic network of event development within the town closures of the Esplanade near Regis Centre. as is car parking, and it is This is to assess the feasibility of possible future essential to ensure co- changes to traffic flows. More traffic surveys over ordination with, and a longer road closure period are required to consideration of these issues conclude this work, and it is proposed that a new as part of the development partnership “Esplanade Event” using the road process. closure is planned for the 2 weeks of summer Strategically, proposed future and when funding and resource become improvements to the A27 at available. Chichester, Arundel and Worthing, and A29 as part of The 2 hour free parking agreement for 2020 has the Barnham-Eastergate- been agreed between BID, Bognor Regis Town Westergate housing plans Council and Arun DC, and discs are being sold. (included in the Local Plan) will There is a proposal to have a 3-year agreement significantly enhance the before Arun DC currently. viability of development land in and around the town. Proposals to make the railway station junction more pedestrian friendly have been agreed in principle with WSCC and JWACC. County officers are investigating feasibility, funding etc to develop the project further.
10. Placebranding and HemingwayDesign working in partnership with Promotion Arun DC, West Sussex CC and University of Bognor Regis is particularly Chichester has been analysing the public survey hampered by negative data and collating findings. This data will directly perceptions of the town. The influence their future action recommendations. place-branding initiative led by These results will come to a future Sub HemingwayDesign will set out Committee meeting. Officers are working with to change the narrative and local agencies to work up an online toolkit of promote the town as a modern, messages and images to promote the town. forward-thinking investment destination. Early discussions have started between Arun DC, Town Council and the BID about joint marketing and promotion of the town; this approach worked well for Christmas 2018/2019.
The “Invest in Bognor Regis” website is live. https://www.bognorregisregeneration.com/
11. Gigabit West Sussex The Gigabit West Sussex project (funded by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
4 Page 26 This is a WSCC project and and led by WSCC to install superfast gigabit fibre aims to extend the delivery of broadband, is progressing well. Specific public ultrafast fibre networks in some buildings in Bognor Regis received the first public buildings in towns phase of installation within the district in early across the county. 2019, and installations have started.
WSCC have successfully bid to Government to become a pilot area for the new 75% business rate growth retention scheme. This will be used to deliver ‘Phase 2’ of improving the county’s fibre network and connecting up towns in the county. The County wide officers working group ‘Everything Connects’ is meeting regularly to develop the project programme.
12. Wider Economic The Arun Economic Development Strategy is Strategy/Policy currently being reviewed and updated. The draft Regional and sub-regional strategy was circulated to members and strategy and policy impacts approved by Cabinet in Dec 2019. Stakeholder both activity and funding and Member workshops have been held that streams for economic presented the Evidence Base for the strategy. development within Arun The feedback from these events has been used to determine the themes and priorities of the new strategy document.
The Arun Growth Deal was signed in 2018. This is a joint commitment between ADC and WSCC to align resources to deliver economic growth and unlock opportunities for new homes, infrastructure, employment floor space and rejuvenated town centres. Officers, County and District Council Cabinet Members meet regularly to monitor project progress.
The West Sussex Economic Strategy and Coast to Capital (C2C) Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Strategic Economic Plan (SEP) were launched in 2018. The LEP is currently drawing up a Local Industrial Strategy which is likely to determine future government funding priorities locally.
The Coastal West Sussex Partnership Board has a new Chairman and several new business members.
Arun District Council has become members of the Greater Brighton Economic Board. The Greater Brighton Economic Board (GBEB) currently comprises the local authorities of Adur,
5 Page 27 Brighton & Hove, Crawley, Lewes, Mid Sussex and Worthing. The overarching aim of the Board is to protect and grow the economy, by co- ordinating economic development activities and investment at City Region level.
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