New lighting will make Bognor Regis seafront even brighter for even longer

Six new displays – including red, white and blue orbs which wrap around columns – were installed last week, adding to existing illuminations which already connect the seafront and the town centre at Gloucester Road, York Road, Norfolk Street and Waterloo Square.

On top of that, all 81 displays have been updated with cutting-edge timers, which automatically adjust throughout the year. That way, the lights turn on at dusk – whenever that might be – and turn off at 11pm, giving more people more time to enjoy the lights at their very best. These new timers have been installed on Hotham Park and Nyewood Lane, as well as the new displays at West Street and the existing lighting at York Road, High Street and Norfolk Street.

Both projects were delivered by the Bognor Regis Business Improvement District, working in tandem with the Bognor Regis Seafront Lights; a volunteer organisation that installs and maintains the town’s illuminations. Although the project was part-funded by the BID levy fund, which is paid into by businesses across the area, additional funding – including that which facilitated the ambitious project to update timers on displays all over town – was provided by Arun District Council’s allocation of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Jason Passingham, chairman of Bognor Regis Seafront Lights, said the new work fills one of the society’s long-term ambitions: “Thanks to BID and ADC for helping bring about this work, which would have otherwise been beyond our existing resources.

Cllr Roger Nash, Chair of the Economy Committee at Arun District Council, said: “I am delighted that the seafront light project is now complete, this is a fantastic addition to the town and will make a real difference.”

“It’s brilliant to be able to deliver a project that benefits so many seafront and town centre businesses and residents in one go,” added BID co-ordinator Heather Allen. “Businesses have told us to prioritise Bognor Regis’s appeal to visitors, and there’s a really strong association between seaside towns and seafront lights. As well as being attractive, illuminations also help people feel safer, so we hope this will encourage more people to explore Bognor Regis’s fantastic night-time economy."