Regeneration task force to be axed in Bognor due to cash shortage

The current four-strong team from Arun District Council, based at the town hall, will be reduced to 1.5 full-time equivalent officers by next March.

The task force will disappear a year later. Its work will be absorbed into the council's economic regeneration department and placed alongside its efforts for Littlehampton and Arundel.

Members of Arun's cabinet made the decision in private at their meeting on Monday. It was announced the next day.

Council chief executive Ian Sumnall admitted the council's response to regeneration matters in Bognor would be less efficient without the task force.

"We accept the lack of the task force will reduce the extra focus that has been put into Bognor by the council for the past three years," he said.

"We are back to where we were in 2006-07 where there was an equal regard for regeneration work across the Arun district.

"Stepping down the task force is a sensible approach in that it does not suddenly go from full strength to nothing.

"Several projects with which the task force has been involved have been completed. Those which haven't, we hope to get in a position in the next 18 months where they are ready to go."

Task force co-ordinator Richard McMann, who has always led its work, said: "We are realistic and pragmatic about the situation and very proud of what we have done."

Arun set up the task force in November 2006 to act as the central point for various ideas to boost Bognor's economy.

Money for its work came from the government's local authority business growth initiative.

Arun received 350,000 a year from this source. It entirely funded the task force among other projects. But the council's slice of the cash is being slashed to just 75,000 from next March.

This was revealed in the Observer last November.

Cabinet members rejected two other options for the task force. One was to axe it from next March.

The other involved trying to fund its work from Arun's spending when that is about to be cut by 15 per cent Gill Brown, Arun's leader, said: "I'm rather sad the task force will be going, but the blame for that can be firmly put on the government."

Efforts would be made to fill the funding gap from other sources, she said.

Norman Dingemans, in charge of the council's economic and cultural development, said Arun had protested about the impact of cuts in the funding.

"It is disappointing that, despite these protests, central government has made these significant reductions," he said.

"The irony is we have bucked the national trend with our regeneration plans in Bognor. While other areas have put their plans on hold, we have made significant strides in Bognor.

"There are a number of exciting projects currently at a crucial stage of development."

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