I'm left out in the cold, too '“ and I fear a 1950s repeat

I, too, was excluded from the new board to be set up by Arun District Council to look into the regeneration of Bognor Regis.

Being the Independent (ex-Liberal Democrat) district and town councillor for Marine Ward, which include most of the land where the regeneration is to take place, I fully expected '“ rather naively, I suppose '“ to be a member.

As I said at the ADC meeting, I believe the selection of members was purely political and not based on councillors who knew Bognor and its history and were willing to put the town first before their political beliefs.

It should not be a political decision and no party should have an overall majority on the board.

What I am fearful of is a repeat of the early 50s and late 60s.

In the early 1950s, the Pavilion, the largest sprung dance hall along the south coast, was slightly damaged in a fire, and the building and the fine surrounding gardens, complete with ponds, statues and fountains, were replaced by the Hothampton car park and Queensway.

The car park was built over the Princess Elizabeth boating pool and now, when it rains, there is almost as much water in the car park as there was in the boating pool.