Bognor is known for its beautiful seafront, it's a coastal crown jewel in West Sussex and a summer holiday destination for thousands of families.

It is home to a resort that has shaped core childhood memories for a multitude of generations - Butlin's.

According to the Office of National Statistics 2021 census, it has a population of roughly 25,000.

It's a town that bubbles with excitement and exudes an all-year summer aesthetic, attracting many to retire there and others to the University of Chichester campus situated right on the outskirts of the centre facing the evergreen Hotham Park.

A bustling high street in the heart of town has a mix of independent stores and bigger name brands such as Bonmarché, Clarks, New Look, Costa Coffee. Shoppers can wander in the pedestrianised quarter.

Residents have everything they could need and visitors are attracted by as much as two hours free parking.

Residents have everything they could possibly need, and visitors are not left disappointed (Image: The Argus/ Ramy Abou-Setta)

One tourist said: “It’s just an absolutely wonderful place to come with your family and just take a load off honestly. The sun is shining, there are beautiful colours dotted around the streets, it’s clean. What more could you ask for?”

A Grade II listed pier, first opened in 1865, is a reminder of old times. It welcomes thousands of visitors each year.

Bognor is a town that seamlessly marries the old with the new, it allows new generations to be raised and old generations to enjoy the delicate pleasures of life. Simply put, it can be described as a hidden gem.

 The evergreen Hotham Park (Image: The Argus/ Ramy Abou-Setta)

But while to visitors it is a holiday dreamland, to the residents and families who live there all year round it is a town on the verge of being lost to the sea.

As of November 4, 2019, Bognor Regis Town Council declared itself a council of climate emergency as the town is in danger of becoming completely under water by the year 2030 according to Climate Central reports.

A map shows the entire town could be submerged alongside the majority of Felpham, Middleton-on-Sea and Shripney, reaching all the way to the top of Barnham. That is up to seven miles inland swallowed up by the sea in less than six years.

Tesco superstore carpark in Shripney Road severely flooded in February (Image: Sussex News and Pictures)

This year alone has seen the Tesco superstore car park in Shripney Road severely flooded and closed for weeks for the second time in less than a year.

Councillor Sue Wallsgrove leader of the Green group and chairwoman on the environment committee at Arun District Council, said: ”There are water storage tanks underneath the Tesco’s car park for this exact issue but they are just not enough.

“This flooding issue is bigger than just Bognor itself, it affects the majority of the district as flooding has been rampant and increasing. The Climate Central maps paint a vivid picture and it’s shocking. That’s exactly why we set up the flood forum with agencies  to tackle these issues and keep our area safe.”

Arun Flood Forum had its first meeting on February 26 in response to the impact of Storm Ciaran, climate change and recent flooding in the area. The forum consists of representatives from important partners in the flood defence of the town: Southern Water, the Environment Agency and West Sussex County Council.

'That’s exactly why we set-up the flood forum with agencies to tackle these issues and keep our area safe' (Image: Arun District Council)

A business owner on the seafront said: “What could happen to us in the next few years? We are literally right on the edge of the shore – it might be a case that relocation might be our only option if things do not change in the coming years.

“Summer is great for business as there is always people around – but in the winter months when there is less activity it poses a great risk for all businesses across the shoreline as that’s when flooding is most likely, just look at what happened to Tesco’s and how that impacted the residents who couldn’t shop at their daily for weeks.”

“They can stay afloat as they have the infrastructure to do so – but for independent businesses it could be detrimental.”

The issues were raised in Commons in July during Bognor Regis and Littlehampton’s Conservative MP Alison Griffiths' maiden speech.

The Environment Agency has been at the forefront in managing the risk of flooding from the main rivers and the sea itself.

A spokesperson for The Environment Agency said: “Large areas of Bognor Regis are below high tide level as the area is very low lying, however the Climate Central mapping does not include the defences which safeguard Bognor Regis and the surrounding area from flooding from the sea. There is a raised shingle beach and promenade which offers protection from winter storms.”

Meanwhile it is business as usual on the bustling seafront and Butlin's, as always, is packed during the summer holidays. It might be a different story come 2030.