Permanent closure of Pier Road in Littlehampton supported by 'torn' councillors

Pier Road could be permanently shut to traffic as far as the Gravy Boat restaurant following consultation with West Sussex County Council.

This follows two temporary pandemic closures intended to aid social distancing.

The move was supported by Arun District Council’s Economy Committee on Tuesday (22 November) despite a ‘cool’ reception from some businesses.

Only 23 per cent of businesses that responded supported the move.

Permanent closure was supported by 44 per cent of public consultation respondents.

Group head of business and economy Denise Vine, warned councillors not to take the decision lightly due to costs and legal work involved.

James Walsh’s (LDem, Beach) amendment to support ‘either a seasonal or permanent closure’, rather than a permanent closure, was not successful.

“I was an enthusiastic proponent of the temporary closure because a lot of people in the town and elsewhere had been asking for it for years,”he said.

“It was extremely popular on both occasions from the public and those shopkeepers and restaurateurs who took advantage of it were very enthusiastic about it. There were one or two who wouldn’t, or didn’t.

“We didn’t help – and the county council didn’t help – by not beautifying it sufficiently; The road closure signs made it look as if it was closed to everybody instead of saying ‘welcome, this is a temporarily pedestrianised area’.

“It’s a very narrow favouritism for permanent closure and I think there are advantages to having a seasonal closure there.”

Dr Walsh worries that permanent closure could ‘diminish trade’ with people having to walk further to reach businesses.

But David Edwards (Con, Felpham East) said people shouldn’t be parking there anyway due to the double yellow lines.

Emily Seex (Arun Ind., River) has been campaigning for a seasonal closure for some time but was ‘completely thrown’ on how to vote due to public support for a permanent closure.

She called for it to be done ‘properly’ with provisions for business deliveries and disabled and drop-off parking made available.

Andy Cooper (Con, Angmering and Findon) said the council couldn’t let the cool reception from existing businesses ‘handcuff future generations’.

Jamie Bennett (LDem, Rustington West) was ‘uneasy’ supporting the closure without costings.

Mr Cooper said full costings would come forward and that the council was ‘not signing any cheques just yet’.

Councillors were told that emergency legislation used for the original closures no longer exists, limiting seasonal closures to three days.

Council leader Shaun Gunner (Con, Rustington East) supported a permanent closure.

“We can see 51 per cent of visitors supported that option and that is the key group we want to be attracting,” he said.

“If we close the road permanently we will be able to transform that space [with] lighting, seating, and planting and make it a proper space for residents, for visitors, and for the businesses there.

“It’s not often as a council you get to do something that you think is genuinely going to transform an area.”