A SUSSEX town has been given a boost with the creation of 50 jobs.

Work is due to start on Monday on the £1.75 million revitalisation of the former Windmill bar on Littlehampton seafront which has been taken over by pub chain Whitbread.

The news has been

welcomed by residents and officials in Littlehampton, who were left reeling last year when the town's largest employer, The Body Shop, announced it was shedding 300 jobs.

The bar will become a Brewer's Fayre restaurant and feature a children's entertainment centre when it opens in the summer.

Arun Council, which sold the property to Whitbread, has earmarked half the money for reinvestment in the Littlehampton Swimming Centre Sportsdome project.

The project aims to replace the ten-year-old existing dome with a

modern building and improved facilities. In March the council will hear whether a National Lottery bid has been successful.

Council leader Derek Whittaker said: "We are very glad that this restaurant project is moving forward and when it is completed it should transform this area of the seafront and attract many people - both visitors and residents.

"The existing bar was run- down and outdated. The catering had run at a loss and cost our taxpayers money. It was not attractive to people using the nearby Windmill Theatre.

"An enlarged and upgraded car park next to the restaurant will continue to be under Arun's control and significant additional car park income is anticipated."

Simon Johnson, national acquisitions manager for Whitbread, said: "We are very pleased to be moving into this prime site. We have a proven track record with The Regis, which we run on Bognor seafront, and we are very excited about opening in the summer."

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