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Look & Sea Centre call-in is rejected

The Look & Sea Centre, Littlehampton

 

look and sea center A Cabinet decision to seek an operator to run a new restaurant from the entire Look & Sea premises will stand after a call-in was rejected.

The decision, made on 15 October 2018, was called-in by Councillor Dr James Walsh, and seven other councillors.

They argued that the Littlehampton Regeneration Sub-Committee should have been consulted before the decision was made to run a restaurant over all three floors, and replace the Littlehampton Experience and Visitor Information Centre with educational material, such as tourism/local interest web and app guides.

In response, Councillor Dudley Wensley said that it was important to both the people of Littlehampton and the Arun district that a new style Look & Sea Centre was opened as soon as possible after it had gone into administration. 

He also argued that keeping the Littlehampton Experience and Visitor Information Centre in a mixed-use building was very likely to deter a potential operator.

He said: “Officers have worked hard to ensure that arrangements for tourism information have been put in place, in co-operation with local businesses and organisations and the town council.  Educational material based on the current school curriculum will be commissioned to support field trips bespoke to Littlehampton.”

At the meeting of Arun District Council’s Overview Select Committee on Tuesday evening [Nov 20, 2018], members were asked to consider three options – to refer the decision back to Cabinet for re-consideration, to refer the matter to Full Council or to reject the call-in request.

After a two-hour debate, the committee rejected the call-in.

Arun District Council will now continue to prepare the building in readiness to be leased to an operator.