Plans in place for new ramp on Bognor beach
It's set to be included in the next Arun District Council budget
Plans for a ramp on to the beach in Bognor Regis will be included in the next budget, Arun district councillors have been told.
The news was shared by Matt Stanley, cabinet member for technical services, during a meeting on Monday (October 19).
Mr Stanley said the council was on the point of making the town’s bandstand wheelchair accessible and was also talking about access to the beach.
He added: “That is something that’s firm in our priorities and we will be budgeting for in our next budget to make sure there’s sufficient funds to deliver beach access for the residents of Bognor Regis as well.”
The idea of a ramp to the beach has been floating around for several years, being abandoned at one point when coastal engineers found it would quickly become blocked with shingle.
The fact that it’s back on the table will be good news for people with mobility issues who have been unable to get to the shoreline without help.
One such person is Amanda Worne, chairman of the council, who has been a wheelchair user since 2015, when a serious cycling accident left her paralysed from the waist down.
After the meeting, she said: “I have been in the sea once in these five years as it is such a struggle to get down to the water’s edge.
“Basically it means sitting on your backside and dragging yourself across the shingle. This is something that should not be happening in this day and age.
“That is why councillors are striving to make Bognor beach accessible to all.
“Anyone with mobility issues will be able to use a ramp to take them right to the water’s edge and enjoy the benefits of our lovely coast as much as anyone else – and in 2020 that is exactly how it should be.”
Mr Stanley said the council had been advised that the best position for the ramp would be west of the pier.
He added: “The seafront is what makes Bognor Regis and nobody should be deprived of that, enabling members of the community with mobility issues to get access to the water should be something we all want to achieve.”
No details have been released about the expected cost of the ramp but the plans are scheduled to be included in the council’s Forward Plan of Key Decisions in November.
During the meeting, Mr Stanley also said £250,000 would be spent to replace the chapel roof at Littlehampton Cemetery.