‘Beach on the Beach’ – a purpose designed sand play area for children created next to the famous promenade at Bognor Regis – has proved a family favourite.
Located in the more stable shingle opposite the western end of the Place St Maur, the new facility was completed at Easter for Arun District Council as part of the regeneration of Bognor Regis seafront.
Main Contractors were local firm Falcon Homes (Sussex) Ltd and the project was designed in-house by Arun District Council.
Measuring some 13.5m by 7.5m and 450mm deep, the play area is filled with imported natural sand enclosed by a Secutex strong, water-permeable liner and specially chosen to make the best sandcastles, while still being clean and hygienic for children to play with.
A 750mm-wide surround comprising both composite plastic and plain decking has been installed for parents and guardians watching the children at play. A 1.2m high palisade fence surrounding the facility has also been installed, with closed palings to the seaward site and wider spacing on the opposite promenade side.
The facility is checked daily by the council’s cleansing contractor and any minor problems cleared.
“Although we have refurbished the sea wall and constructed new groins, we still have a shingle beach on the upper foreshore. The resort had a complete sandy beach back in the 1950s and 1960s, but this was replaced by shingle on the upper foreshore, with a walk to the lower foreshore required to access the sand,” said Roger Spencer of Arun District Council.
“This can cause a problem for less abled people, and there is also a local element who want the sandy beach back, so this project is a halfway house to enable children to play safely in the sand. In effect we are bringing the sand to the people rather than the people having to go to the sand.
“The project has been a success and has been very well used. We are very pleased with it,” he added.
The project was created as a pilot scheme to be reviewed at the end of the summer season and if deemed to be a success, the sand play area will be covered over during the winter, ready to re-use the following year. “All indications are that this pilot scheme will now be taken forward,” said Roger Spencer.
Councillor Mrs Gillian Brown, Leader of Arun District Council and Cabinet Member for Economic Regeneration, said: “The Beach on the Beach is a real addition to the Bognor Regis seafront. It has already been well used and I hope it will go from strength to strength.”
Falcon Homes have been serving the commercial and domestic refurbishment and maintenance market for almost 15 years now and have grown to become one of the largest local companies specialising in this market. With a directly employed labour force on hand to cover all aspects of the building industry, the company pride themselves on their ability to respond to clients’ needs quickly and efficiently.
Clients include private estates, land agents, district councils from Brighton to Fareham, housing associations, public houses and private individuals.
The company was formed in 1997, as a natural progression of a well established building business, and has tailored its local services to suit a diverse client base.
