Berkeley Court residents are worried about the lack of public involvement in the development
Bognor Regis locals have slammed plans for a new Premier Inn on the seafront as "undemocratic".
Berkeley Court residents, who live opposite the potential site for the hotel, have expressed concerns about the lack of public involvement in the development. If the building goes ahead, they will face a 102-bed Premier Inn, something Duane Wadey, Berkeley Court Management Company's director, feels would be a space better used for a "new tourist attraction."
He continued, "Putting a great big hotel there, in my opinion, is not going to bring hundreds of people to Bognor Regis.
"People aren't going to be able to park to go into Bognor, shops are suffering as it is."
Premier Inn acquisition manager Louise Woodruff previously argued that the new Premier Inn would be "an extremely popular choice" and "make a positive and long-lasting contribution to the town's economy".
The proposal comes as part of Arun District Council's bid for Levelling Up funding - but Berkeley Court locals have questioned whether the plan is "democratic", as the deal could be approved by councillors on the policy and finance committee alone.
Another person living in the block suggested that the money put aside for the project should be "handed back" to the government as original plans to increase Alexandra's seating capacity by 30% would now be 25 extra seats or two separate auditoriums.
Residents are welcome to make more comments when the hotel's planning application is submitted, however some also worry that this will be too late to influence the design.
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