Work is underway on plans to regenerate an arcade shopping centre into a retail space with new homes.

Arun District Council said that a number of internal and external surveys, alongside site investigations, have taken place on The Arcade in Bognor.

As a result, initial designs and costings have been drawn up for the regeneration project, which could see new retail space and homes added to the building.

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Plans for this are set to be submitted later in the year, however the council is now looking to appoint a contractor to do the grant-funded "enabling" work to prepare the building.

While this is done, council staff on the estates team have been overseeing roof repairs which are set to be finished by early summer.

These repairs began in November 2023 however the council said that several "structural defects" were discovered after stripping the existing roof, which delayed the work.

A spokesman for Arun District Council said: "Last week most of the structural repairs were complete. Additional carpentry work is ongoing.

"Unfortunately, and frustratingly, last week one of the lead flat roofs was stolen, which will delay things while we complete the process to replace it." 

The regeneration plans for the new homes and retail space will be subject to planning permission.