Asda unveils plans for Bognor store

The exact date of the submission to Arun District Council has not yet been stated.

But the company is understood to be keen to start the formal planning application process before Christmas. This is well in advance of its indications of an early 2008 date for the application to be ready.

It shows the keenness of Asda to open in Bognor as the first occupant of the Oldlands Farm business park off the A29.

The firm is proposing to spend 30m creating some 500 jobs at a store of up to 4,500 square metres at the location north of Oldlands Way. Its plans will go to Arun District Council for a decision.

An eight week legal deadline applies for determining all plannning applications.

But this can be extended for major matters if the applicant agrees.

Asda could be open in little more than two years if good progress is made with the application. But the timetable could suffer delays if the council rejects the proposals and the retailer has to appeal to the Planning Inspectorate for a fresh decision.

Public opinion cited by Asda showed 95 per cent of the 505 people who responded to its consultation last month backed its proposals. As well as a store to sell all the company's food and non-food ranges, the scheme involves installing the services needed for the long-envisaged business park of 19,500sq m of premises as well as the first unit to encourage potential users.

A further 1,000 workers could be based there.

Bognor Regis Civic Society deputy chairman Hugh Coster said: "We recognise that the public welcome Asda and we agree with that reaction.

"Although they may be taking space on a site earmarked for highly paid jobs, they are creating jobs and facilitating further jobs there which could be highly paid.

"They are putting an awful lot of money in to promote that development. I can't see any harm with the competition Asda will provide. It will principally be for Tesco and Lidl."

But he called on Arun and West Sussex County Council to make the most of Asda's presence. The store could attract people to Bognor who would not usually come to the town. The councils, therefore, should ensure they could easily get into the town and park there to enjoy the attractions and pump more money into the town centre.