1 week Ago
Arun District Council has announced the completion of preparatory work for the regeneration of The Arcade in Bognor Regis. The project, which started in May 2024, has seen contractors carrying out significant repairs and improvements to the 1902 building. The Arcade, which connects the High Street to Belmont Street, underwent various structural and technical surveys, with its external fabric cleaned, and obsolete mechanical and electrical components removed.
Internal partitions were demolished, the roof was repaired, and old and damaged floor and wall finishes, ceilings, and drainage systems were replaced or repaired. The building’s windows were also temporarily boarded up where necessary to protect against further weathering and water ingress. The council confirmed that the contractors, in collaboration with the council’s regeneration team, completed these tasks within budget, paving the way for the next phase of the regeneration project.
This phase will see the building sympathetically regenerated to the highest possible standards, subject to planning permission. The additional work carried out by the contractors also included patch repairs on the east wing's flat roof, replacement of roof tiles, brickwork repairs, and mortar infills along York Road, and the replacement of damaged gutters. Roof soffits on the York Road side of the building were also repaired, and existing rainwater goods above The Arcade atrium were cleared and reconnected.
A council spokesperson said: "These repairs to the building interior and exterior have effectively insulated against further weathering and water ingress, therefore halting any further degradation of the structure. "This will protect the structure and enable the major project work in the next phase of regeneration, later this year." The next phase of the regeneration project is expected to begin later this year.
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