Investment in new Bersted Country Park on outskirts of Bognor Regis is welcomed

Funding for a ‘Bersted Country Park’ was first approved by Arun District Council in February but few details about the project were made public at the time.

The scope of the £320,000 project has since been supported by the council’s Environment Committee on Thursday (November 17).

The proposed country park will consist of around 47 hectares of open space to include Bersted Brooks Local Nature Reserve and areas south of Rowan Way which have been adopted by the council following new development.

An outline of the project includes biodiversity and habitat enhancement; new footpaths and off-road cycleways to help connect the areas; new ‘furniture’ such as litter bins, cycle stands, signage, and information boards; play equipment; and new site boundaries such as fencing and planting.

There would also be measures to address flood risk.

The project is in the early stages and the council will soon find a consultant to draw up a draft ‘masterplan’ for the country park.

A consultation with stakeholders and the public would take place with work starting as soon as Summer 2023.

Chair of the Environment Committee, David Edwards (Con, Felpham East) said: “This new country park will bring so many benefits to residents in the area, visitors, wildlife, and the environment.

“By providing an area of easily accessible and safe open green space, we hope it will help improve residents’ well-being by giving them a space to embrace an active lifestyle."

Matt Stanley (LDem, Marine) wanted reassurances that the currently ‘natural area’ would be respected if it is transformed into a park.

“Clearly there are going to be economic benefits and potentially well-being benefits for people being able to access it more freely,” he said.

“But whether those offset the environmental impact that will inevitably happen through development and increased footfall, I don’t know.”

A spokesperson for the Friends of Bersted Brooks (FOBB) group, which describes the area as ‘a nature haven on the outskirts of Bognor Regis’ – welcomed the proposals.

“Generally, the friends welcome the current interest in the Brooks and potential for future improvements,” they said.

“We are delighted to be a recognised stakeholder [and] will respond to ADC once approached.

“Members will be interested to see how the current Local Nature Reserve status will be incorporated into a country park; how the current users – mostly dog walkers – will be affected; how that may change; and how this affects other users of a country park.”

FOBB chairman Wayne Jones also welcomed the proposals.

“An investment of £320,000 into the new country park has to be welcomed,” he said.

“How that investment is used and how it affects the current nature reserve needs consideration as so far, little information is in the public domain.

“It’s great that a relatively large area to the north of Bersted will be secured as a wildlife corridor and the right to public access secured for the future.

“How the issues of flooding in the winter will affect the proposed country park will no doubt be addressed.

“Hopefully the investment will encourage for volunteers to work with the council to create a lasting legacy for all users of the Brooks and Bersted Park.”