1 May 2026
Matt Gover
Marine Quarter: Awakening a Seaside Identity in Bognor Regis
Bognor Regis has always been shaped by the sea and people. Long before it became a seaside resort, its coastline supported fishing, boatbuilding and trade, with generations of knowledge tied to the rhythms of the tide. Today, as the town enters a period of change, the Marine Quarter offers a way to reconnect that maritime heritage with modern community life, conservation and a stronger sense of place.
This is a pivotal moment. With major developments including a new hotel, arcade and theatre, Bognor Regis is beginning to unlock long-held potential. Often described as the sleeping giant of the South Coast, the town is now starting to define a more confident and distinctive future.
What the Marine Quarter is and why it matters
The Marine Quarter is not a single development. It is a place-based approach that begins with the seabed as the town’s primary natural asset. The waters off Bognor Regis support fisheries, sustain habitats and shape the town’s identity.
From there, the idea extends to the shoreline and into the town itself. It includes practical support for local fishermen, such as funding for improved infrastructure and a new wet fish stall, helping to make locally landed seafood more visible and accessible.
Looking ahead, the vacant site at Waterloo Square presents an opportunity for a sea-focused visitor centre. This could provide an accessible space where residents and visitors can learn about the town’s marine environment, fishing heritage and conservation work.
Together, these elements connect:
seabed
shore
and town into a single, coherent story.
Working in partnership with communities
The Marine Quarter depends on collaboration. Fishing communities, conservation groups, local authorities, community organisations, cultural partners and businesses all have a role to play. We want to test our assumptions and shape the area with the people who live, work and visit there.
The ideas behind it have been shaped through ongoing engagement with councillors, residents and local businesses. Feedback has helped refine proposals and ensure they reflect local priorities and lived experience.
This approach recognises that regeneration works best when it is built with communities, not done to them. Supporting fishing communities, aligning environmental goals with economic realities and creating shared spaces all rely on trust and long-term relationships.
Working with Sussex Bay is an important part of this. The team and it’s partners, with their focus on marine recovery and community-led action helps connect environmental ambition with meaningful local involvement.
Heritage as a living asset
In Bognor Regis, heritage is not something static. It is visible and active.
Fishing remains part of everyday life on the seafront. Boats, equipment and working practices reflect skills passed down through generations. The Marine Quarter builds on this by improving infrastructure and making these activities more visible and accessible.
Rather than creating a new identity, it starts from what already exists: knowledge, resilience and a deep understanding of the sea. It allows the town’s story to be told with honesty and confidence.
Conservation as connection
The nearshore environment is rich and complex, from kelp habitats to shellfish stocks and wider ecosystems. Protecting these is essential not only for biodiversity, but for the future of fishing and marine livelihoods.
Within the Marine Quarter, conservation is seen as something people can connect with directly. Through education, community science and interpretation, it becomes part of everyday experience.
A visitor centre at Waterloo Square could support school visits, public learning and wider engagement, helping to make marine science and conservation tangible.
When people understand their local environment, they are more likely to care for it.
Civic pride and identity
Bognor Regis has a strong sense of pride in its history, its working coast and its character. The Marine Quarter builds on this, strengthening feelings of ownership and belonging.
By linking heritage, conservation and visible change, it creates opportunities for people to see their values reflected in the town. For younger generations, it also opens up connections to skills, place and future opportunities linked to the sea.
This shared confidence is essential for long-term change.
A town finding its voice
As new cultural, leisure and hospitality projects move forward alongside heritage and conservation initiatives, Bognor Regis is beginning to tell a clearer and more self-assured story.
The Marine Quarter sits at the centre of this. It shows how regeneration can be authentic, inclusive and rooted in place, by recognising the value of the seabed, supporting fishermen, creating civic spaces and working in partnership.
As the town continues to evolve, the Marine Quarter highlights what is possible when heritage, conservation, collaboration and civic pride are treated as strengths.
To learn more and follow the project’s progress, visit the Marine Quarter project landing page.
To find lots of free and low cast ways to get out and about in nature all the way across Sussex Bay, visit our map and find things to do near you.
Thank you Matt for taking the time to share your reflections. Sussex Bay is proud to work with you.
