New proposal seeks to turn former Brewers Fayre site in Bognor Regis into to multi-purpose venue

The former Brewers Fayre site. Photo: Connor Gormley.

A West Sussex – based events group has forwarded plans to turn an empty restaurant into a multi-purpose events space.

Showmen Events Group, whose clients include Monster Energy, Coca Cola, Goodwood Racecourse and The Ritz, have published a proposal detailing what could be done with the Brewers Fayre site on The Esplanade, which has been vacant since former leaseholders Whitbread left the building earlier this year.

The site is currently owned by Arun District Council and plans come amid continuing discussions about the building’s future. At a meeting of the economy committee in June, some councillors argued the building should be turned back into the Royal Hall, as it was during the 1980s and 90s. Others suggested including the site as part of the wider development of the Regis car park, which could see the site demolished in five years time.

Now, Showmen Events Group have come forward with an alternative for the space, which could see it used to host a variety of events: including live music, exhibitions, award ceremonies, comedy nights, cabarets and more.

"We believe the local community could benefit massively from a multi-use venue that can host various kinds of entertainment and community events all year round,” the proposal said.

"Since the removal of The REX in 1975 there has been no multi-purpose venue between Portsmouth and Brighton, leaving a large gap in out community and district (…) there’s some incredible heritage attached to this building and we believe that there’s also an incredibly opportunity to pay respect to that heritage and breathe life back into a wonderful community asset.”

The proposal splits the development into two stages: the first would see the outdoor seating area replaced with an internal/external bar, including accessible ramps, decking, benches, full covering umbrellas and a small external acoustic stage. Showmen said that, if lease negotiations are successful, this stage could be completed within five to seven weeks.

The second stage would start soon afterwards, with the installation of new staging, audio, sound-proofing, lighting, internal bars and chillers and a commercial-quality kitchen. Designers hope to make the space a ‘blank canvas’ that can be used to fit a multitude of events.