VOTE: Cafe to stay in Bognor park

The decision to allow a temporary cafe follows campaigning from the Hotham Park Heritage Trust and the Bognor Regis Civic Society.

Last month a 376-signature petition demanding a cafe in the park was presented to Arun District Council, which highlighted concerns that the lack of a proper cafe would harm the regenerated park.

Hotham Park Heritage Trust chairman Rosemary Warren said: "The Hotham Park Heritage Trust is delighted that normal protocol is been followed and the concession of the temporary cafe is been opened-up to bidders."

Mrs Warren added: "We are so pleased that there will be a cafe in the park when the current lease comes to an end.

"However we will be very sorry to see Mr Drabik leave. He has been at the park for more than 10 years and he will be missed."

A meeting of Arun District Council's Cabinet on Monday night approved a temporary catering arrangement for 18 months to two years to cover the period between the cafe closing and a new cafe being built.

The concession for the current cafe, which lacks indoor seating, will end on December 31.

Bognor Regis Civic Society deputy chairman Hugh Coster said: "It is good that Hotham Park will have cafe facilities, but the nature of this temporary cafe is still a concern."

He added: "What needs to be assured is that the interim cafe is of a suitable nature, that it is an attractive addition to the park, and it is ensured that the public have a nice place to enjoy their food and drink."

Councillors have also expressed a desire for innovative and imaginative ideas regarding the installation of a new long-term facility.

Gill Brown, chairman of Arun District Council Cabinet, said: "We want innovative ideas from the public '“ we want to see something different and unique.

She added: "We have already had some imaginative ideas put forward, and hopefully that can be built on."

A possible cafe plan put forward has been the idea of a tree-top cafe.

Cabinet member for economic and cultural development Norman Dingemans said the council needed to be more flexible when considering applications.

He also said that such an approach would attract some interesting applications.

Outline planning permission from councillors to enable a healthy eating cafe to be built next to the park's boating lake has been granted.

No operator has yet been chosen by the council.

The selected individual or group will have to build the new premises after detailed planning approval has been given.

Advertising for the interim catering facility will go ahead and a development brief for the proposed long-term catering facility in the park will be prepared.

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