The British seaside town of Bognor Regis looks set for a major leisure-led regeneration, with members of the district council throwing their weight behind a mixed-use scheme worth hundreds of millions of pounds.

Initial concepts developed by regeneration consultancy Urban Delivery, architect Kay Elliott and multidisciplinary practice Arup visualise an expansive linear park connecting a car park near the train station to Regis Centre. The focal point of the development, themed ‘Gardens by the Sea’, will be a 3,000sq m (32,300sq ft) Winter Garden integrated with a new theatre with a rooftop garden and performance space.

The site could also have a new hotel and a raised outdoor seating area around new shops and restaurants and overlooking the sea.

Other facilities proposed for the stretch of park include water features, public seating, cycle routes, a children’s play area, an adult gym and a boule/petanque pitch.

The vision, which has arisen from a detailed feasibility study, has swayed Arun District Council.

“This study encapsulates the bold and innovative thinking we feel is needed to unlock the full potential of Bognor Regis,” said the council’s director of place, Karl Roberts. “These sites have been waiting too long for the redevelopment proposed and the time is now right to make it happen.”

In addition to the Urban Delivery plans, the council has also secured funding support to redevelop the public realm in parts of the town centre.

Over £100m (US$121.8m, €114.6m) has also been raised for the University of Chichester, Bourne Leisure and other parties to “build on the existing cultural and tourism attractions but add a creative and digital mix to support an expected influx of students and a younger generation of residents.”

Arun council leader, Gillian Brown, said: “We have listened to residents. Our aim remains one of encouraging economic and social regeneration and to do justice to the opportunities presented by these key sites.

“Bognor Regis richly deserves the major investment the town is attracting. New jobs, new housing and finally the new thinking needed to fully exploit the sites under discussion.”