How bad is the new West Beach Visitor Centre?

[Gary Marlowe]

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Some while ago I recall reading in the Gazette that a grant had been awarded to build a Visitor Centre at West Beach.

At the time, I remember thinking the grant award was so small it wouldn't build a garage let alone a visitor centre.  Well, judging by what's about to open, it looks like all expense has been spared and we will now have one of the ugliest and least attractive visitor centres I've ever seen.

As you will see from the photo http://tweetphoto.com/23759307 the building itself (it's the old toilet block next to West Beach Cafe) looks more like something that's about to be demolished than about to be opened, but the (already defaced) sign in front of it proclaims it will be opening on Friday 4 June.

There are some new information panels, some new log fencing and (I think) the walkway through the dunes now has new wooden boards.

Not for the first time, something just seems to appear in Littlehampton that few, if any, are aware of until it's there.  I wonder how many people here even know about it?

[Pest Controller]

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Dear oh dear. That looks terrible...

[cassie]

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Still looks like a toilet block to me! 

[fliss]

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I walk there all the time and i must admit I had actually thought that the building that turns out to be the visitor centre now was just the temporary toilets and office for the builders who were going to build the actual visitor centre!!! ha ha!!!

i can't believe that is going to be the actual centre!

[Rhino-Neil]

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The only reason I would visit it, would be to spend a penny...

[Gary Marlowe]

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Even before it's opened, someone's defaced the sign outside http://tweetphoto.com/23820860

[Gary Marlowe]

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Today was the day the Visitor Centre opened.

If you thought it was bad outside, it's equally uninspiring inside.

To be honest, I don't know why they bothered.  They would have been better off putting up a couple of beach huts, than utilising an eyesore of a toilet block.

What's most sad is that the councillor trying to drum up interest in a 50p quiz and sandcastle building competition, was actually proud of the building!

Here's the outside http://tweetphoto.com/25498796 and the inside http://tweetphoto.com/25499292

[Andrew]

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I took a trip this morning to see the new visitors centre on the West Beach. Even though the sign said it is open daily from 8am, it was all locked up at 11am! There was nothing on the sign to say it isn't open on weekdays, and as usual, the grounds around the building were peppered with dog poo. So after paying for two hours parking (the machine doesn't give change, so the £1.05 fee is rather annoying), I had a lovely wander around the dunes, and when I left the centre still wasn't open. Grrrr!

[Gary Marlowe]

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This week's Gazette includes a small article on the opening of the West Beach Visitor Centre.

It describes it as being "designed to be a place where people can learn about the wildlife and history of the nature reserve and surrounding area" and goes on to say "the centre has displays, microscopes, books and other educational aids and also includes toilets."

Based on that description, anyone reading the paper would think it sounds pretty good.  The reality, as anyone who has been there will know, is very different.  It's an ugly toilet block that now includes a tiny space filled with the kind of stuff you might expect to see in a school classroom after the kids had spent a day at the beach.

Surely, as well as reporting the news of what's happening in Littlehampton, the Gazette should have a view on what's happening here, especially when it's clear for all to see that there is much going on that's nowhere near good enough. 

[jim]

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Why don't you put that question to @Sarah_Booker on Twitter?

[fliss]

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i have been down to west beach on many occasions since the official opening to try and see inside the visitor shed and it is NEVER open!

i have spent the afternoon on the beach in the sunshine today and the car park was busy but the visitor centre was shut!!

this is between 12 and 3. When is it open then?

[MrHankey]

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I've just had an official response from the council to say that the vistor centre will be open everyday with a K in the month, unless of course the weather is cloudy or sunny or if there's a little chill in the air.

[Gary Marlowe]

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Fliss, believe me, what's inside the visitor centre is equally as uninspiring as its exterior as you can see from this picture http://tweetphoto.com/25499292

In all honesty, it's a good thing that it seems to be closed more often than it's open!

[fliss]

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ha ha... i did look at your picture before gary, but before i passed judgement i was going to try and experience it for myself! i must admit it does look a little lack lustre. still not caught the illusive opening times... i feel mr hanky may be right!

they should either have gone modern or gone for the quaint seaside look with drift wood and stuff.. but boring green sheds with school displays inside just seems a sad waste. being closed just adds to the disappointment of it all....

[Gary Marlowe]

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Here we are in July, the height of the summer season, yet every time I go past the Visitor Centre it's closed. It's bad enough it looks awful, but what kind of message does it send to visitors that it's not open even though the signs say it should be?

They might as well have thrown the money down the toilet (which of course is precisely what they did!)

Here's a picture taken on Monday http://tweetphoto.com/35346318