The future of the arts in a Sussex town is under threat according to some of its key figures.

Bognor Regis, on the brink of a £100m regeneration investment, may lose its Hotham Arts Centre theatre and have no replacement.

The shock comes after Arun District Council entered into an agreement with its preferred developer St Modwen last week on a deal to provide £100m of regeneration in the town.

Although the proposals included a new theatre and arts complex, on the site of the current Hotham Arts Centre and Alexandra Theatre, the agreement also allows the developer to not build one if it is deemed unfeasible.

Hugh Coster, deputy chairman of Bognor Regis Civic Society, said this clause could spell the end of arts in the town as the council has made it clear that it will not subsidise a new theatre.

He said: "No in the country survives without subsidy.

"This almost guarantees that no operator will be found to take it on and so it won't be built.

"That would pave the way for more flats which we definitely do not need in what was designated as the 'leisure heart' of the regeneration.

"Arun appear to be creating the conditions where it is possible that the theatre will not be built on the site and we could end up with no theatre at all."

Mr Coster said that the society was not against development in Bognor and in fact welcomed the input of St Modwen and its expertise but did warn that Arun should not make any more decisions without public consultation first.

He said: "A few years ago a public petition saw more than 10,000 people oppose the building of any new flats on the site.

"That view will not have changed today. What we need in the town is more opportunities for businesses so that jobs are created.

"There needs to be a public consultation before the council goes any further."

The development site currently houses the Hotham Arts Centre and Alexandra Theatre.

Jan Cosgrove, a trustee of the centre, said there was no need to build a new entertainment complex and that money should instead be spent on refurbishing what is there already.

He said: "A 500 seat theatre would cost more than £10m but with just £2m we could extend and refurbish the current centre to do just as good a job.

"We have already submitted a planning application to Arun for this work and believe the council can get what they want for less and help preserve the current building."

Arun leader Gill Brown said the council and St Modwen were committed to building a theatre and that two feasability studies had already shown it would be possible.

She said: "There are lots of concerns about arts provision but I think that they have been misinterpreted what we were discussing last week, which was the development agreement.

"The £5m mentioned if St Mowden did not provide a theatre was a fall-back contingency plan.

"We are fully committed to providing a new theatre in the town."

She also said that refurbishing the existing building was not an option as it was right in the middle of the development site.

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