Plans for Bognor Regis Hub get MP Endorsement

Plans for a creative digital hub in Bognor Regis have got the backing of Nick Gibb, MP for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton, after he visited the site

He was shown around the proposed site for the hub, at Bognor Regis railway station, by West Sussex County Councillor David Edwards, one of the local Members for the area, and renowned designer Wayne Hemingway, whose company Hemingway Design is supporting the project.

Led by the County Council, the proposed hub and its activities will support more than 150 businesses at any one time by providing shared working space, business support and networking events.

Leader of West Sussex County Council, Louise Goldsmith, said: “The timing for this project is perfect – we know there is growth in the creative business sector across the coastal area and by basing the hub in Bognor Regis, we are linking in with the University of Chichester’s plans for a new Engineering and Digital Technology Park.

“I am delighted Nick Gibb was able to visit the proposed space at the railway station – it’s great to have his backing as the local MP. Our ambition for this project is to provide a range of economic benefits for Bognor Regis and the surrounding area such as job creation, business growth and skills development for young people.”

The hub’s aim is to create high value jobs in the creative digital sector by providing a shared workspace for businesses. It will provide a place where start-ups and freelancers can work side by side, share facilities and network and have access to training and support.

Nick Gibb MP said: “It was a pleasure to visit the rooms for the Creative Digital Hub at the Bognor Regis railway station and to see the opportunity for jobs and economic growth it will bring for the town. It’s an excellent step in the regeneration of the town and I look forward to seeing the finished product.”

The County Council has developed the project in partnership with Arun District Council and with the support of Hemingway Design. Hemingway Design is working on space plans for the hub, designing how it will look, what facilities it will have and developing the branding.

Wayne Hemingway said: “Modern, well-equipped creative and digital shared workspaces are having positive impacts for start-up entrepreneurs and growing businesses and the communities they serve, worldwide. We aim to make the one in Bognor Regis a great place to work, collaborate and meet clients and serve the growing number of forward thinking businesses in the area, and back-up the facilities that are about to be developed at the Bognor Regis campus of the University of Chichester.”

Negotiations are currently underway with Southern Rail and Govia Thameslink to lease the space at the railway station and procurement will take place to appoint an operator for the hub.

Southern Railway’s senior project manager Paul Best said: “We’re already working on our £2 million scheme to renovate Bognor Regis railway station, making the most of its elegant heritage features. The proposed digital hub would help us make the building a centrepiece of the community, further supporting the vitality of the local economy.”

Anyone interested in the Bognor Regis creative digital hub project can find out more by emailing business.support@westsussex.gov.uk.