Harvester fire: Windmill Centre in Littlehampton closed until 2024

The Windmill Entertainment Centre in Littlehampton has been closed for months after a fire in the restaurant caused significant damage to the connected cinema and theatre.

Now, after asbestos was removed from the building, the council has confirmed that the site is too badly damaged for a partial re-opening.

A full re-opening of the site is now not expected until the new year.

In a statement, an Arun District Council spokesman said: “As always, the safety and health of the staff, public and performers is the priority, and we must be confident that everything has been done to ensure that priority is met.

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“We know how important this is for our community and have felt the frustration of this recovery phase as members of the community, as well as the lead authority. This process is lengthy and complex with many partners involved, and we thank you for bearing with us.

The fire ripped through the Harvester restaurant and damaged the adjoining Windmill Centre behind (Image: Sussex News and Pictures)

“This is not the update that we had hoped to share at this point, but we will be working with all partners to do the work required as soon as possible to get this valuable community venue open and alive again and will issue updates when we have information to share.”

The demolition of the Harvester is expected to take place in the third week of October.

The Windmill Centre has been closed almost two months after the Harvester restaurant in Coastguard Road caught fire and was ripped apart by the blaze.

More than ten fire engines fought to save the Windmill Centre from further damage as the fire in the kitchen of the Harvester spread throughout the rest of the restaurant.

The adjoining centre suffered significant damage to its entrance during the incident and other key safety features including escape routes and fire alarms are currently damaged.

A meeting will be held with stakeholders of the Windmill Centre later this month with further updates on timelines for the re-opening of the “vibrant hub of the community”.