Group meets to air views ontheatre's future

Arun Arts will be holding the sessions on Tuesday at the Hotham Arts Centre.

The first, at 6.30pm, is aimed at the many arts, music and cultural groups in the Arun district.

Under the banner, Arts Across Arun, the groups are invited to send representatives to discuss whether an informal network would be valuable to enable them to exchange news, views and resources.

This will be followed at 7.30pm by the public element of Arun Arts' annual meeting.

This will include reports on the activities of the past year, on the election of trustees and a report about the health of live entertainment in the Bognor and Arun areas.

The charity's ideas for the future will also be discussed.

Meanwhile, Arun Arts has asked all 136 candidates in next month's elections for Arun District Council their views about the retention of the current arts centre if a new centre is not viable under regeneration plans for the site.

Their replies will be reported to the annual meeting.

Steve Emck, Arun Arts' vice-chairman, said he knew this was an issue electors in Bognor would take seriously.

'They are concerned we do not end up with no centre at all.

'We want to say to candidates that the cost of improvements we propose are far less and would result in a larger seating capacity and in a much-improved outside view of the current centre for below 2m.

'A new centre will cost at least 10m and we see no reason to demolish the current one, which has excellent facilities.'

The charity is also enabling the public to express their views on the issue.

Visitors to the centre can sign a form and details will soon be made available on the website www.hothamartscentre.co.uk.

Mr Emck added: 'A large response will send the right messages to the district council and St Modwen.

'We are certain there is a major danger of demolition and no new centre unless the public makes its views plain that Bognor will no tolerate the loss of its last live entertainment centre.'

Arun Arts regained control of the centre in January 2006 along with its lease until 2046, after a lengthy closure because of debts incurred by previous operators.

But the seafront site forms one of two key regeneration locations for which the council has appointed developer St Modwen Properties to take its regeneration proposals forward.

These were initially based on a new arts centre.

However, a new study is being carried out to see if such a venue would be viable after the district council ruled out any subsidy and St Modwen said it would put up 5m towards the cost.