Craigweil estate may be given new status

The status will be given to the Craigweil estate around the site of the former house where King George V famously stayed in 1929.

Arun District Council is considering whether to formally recognise the historic significance of the area around The Drive.

It has held a public meeting with residents to gain their views about conservation status.

An online questionnaire is also available to be completed on the council's website. The deadline for comments is December 12.

English Heritage has broadly supported conservation-area status for parts of the estate. This opinion was taken into account by Arun's senior councillors when they recently agreed to open public consultation about the issue.

Designation as a conservation area gives statutory recognition and protection to a location. It places a duty on Arun to ensure any new development which is otherwise acceptable, preserves or enhances the special character of the area.

In addition, for example, works by utility companies and the county highways department are expected to be of a quality appropriate to the area.

Arun also has wider control over demolition in a conservation area than it does in other locations and homeowners face greater restrictions in the work they can carry out to their properties than if they lived elsewhere.

Trees in conservation areas are also more widely protected and Arun has to ensure any proposals which require planning permission or conservation area consent 'preserve' or 'enhance' the special character of the area.

The 80th anniversary of the King's stay in Craigweil House is fast approaching.

It was on January 22, 1929, that Buckingham Palace announced he would be coming to the property, owned by Sr Arthur Du Cros, to recover from lung surgery.

He stayed until May 15 after a period which had made the Bognor area the centre of the British empire. During that time, Queen Mary was often seen around the town.

Within weeks of the king's visit, he agreed to Bognor becoming Bognor Regis.

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