Morrisons on mission to double size of Bognor store

The retailer has unveiled the detailed proposals which would transform its site between High Street, Bedford Street and Queensway. The current store and Fitzleet multi-storey car park above it would be demolished. Their place would be taken by a new store and car park along with two additional shops for other retailers. The multi-million pound investment in the town centre would result in a Morrisons store with a sales area of 32,055sq ft and create an extra 150 jobs compared with the 170 present employees. The intention is to create a quality development in the important location. Morrisons' development surveyor Mark Thompson said: "The existing store is very well used but, being rather small, it can become uncomfortably crowded at busy shopping times. "A new and substantially larger store will enable us to provide Morrisons' full range of goods and services in a more comfortable shopping environment with bigger circulation areas that will dispense with the overcrowded conditions experienced at busy times in the existing store." The Observer reported in January that Morrisons wanted to provide a major boost to Bognor's central trading area. The current store, with its entrance in Bedford Street, was built in 1982. It has changed from Presto to Safeway to Morrisons but has stayed the same size. The adjoining car park was created in 1993 on the former bus station site. That layout will change if Arun District Council accepts the current proposals. Councillors are due to consider the plans in September at the earliest. The new store would be orientated towards High Street and built on 'stilts'. Parking would occupy most of the ground floor. The store's sales floor would be at first-floor level fronting High Street and reached via travellators located in Bedford Street and lifts and stairs from a feature entrance on High Street. A further area of parking would be provided on a decked area to the rear of the first floor. This would provide a direct access into the sales area through a separate entrance. New shop units, wider pavements and extensive use of glazing to the store would provide considerable improvements in appearance. New trees and landscaping would help to soften the look of the proposed building. An attractive tree-lined walkway along the site's northern boundary would improve the links between Queensway and London Road. These would be further enhanced by the creation of a small square on the north-eastern corner of the site. Mr Thompson stated: "This is a complicated scheme on a constrained town-centre site. "But we are confident it will not only provide shoppers with a better store, but that it will considerably improve the streetscape in this location. "The new development will provide an attractive and high-quality development."