The Argus in Brighton is to have a “new look and a new feel” in a bid to woo new readers.

It will be relaunched by editor Simon Bradshaw on Monday after a year-long examination of the paper and its readers.

The paper will be marketed under the banner “changing for the better” with an overhaul of its content, new sections and columnists and more in-depth local news.

Each day, the paper will have a special section or supplement, a new four-page what’s on section called the guide daily, two pages of letters and a new football Premiership page.

Simon (left) heralded the changes as a “new approach” and said: “We have reviewed absolutely everything about the paper and come up with what I think is a new approach for a local newspaper.

“The key will be consistently delivering the many great ideas members of staff, readers and non-readers have come up with.

“We have got to offer a compelling read with humour, brilliant reporting and news analysis not available anywhere else.”

Head of sales and marketing Stephen Lowe said: “Readers are becoming more discerning and demand more than local community news to entertain them. We have to change the look and feel of regional newspapers if we are to compete in the future for their time.

“The new Argus has a mix of lifestyle, entertainment and features, not forgetting local news but local news that matters.”

Senior staff at The Argus have spent months examining the content of the paper and working on a dummy paper, which was shown to a number of focus groups.

Every Monday, there’s an expanded Woman section in the centre of the paper, 12 pages of sport featuring all the weekend action and results and a bargains section in classified.

On Tuesdays, there’s a new section called Body and Soul and a new columnist, Lynn Daly, one of the paper’s most experienced reporters.

The Argus on Wednesdays will contain a redesigned property guide, which until now has been printed separately from the paper.

There is also a new diary and showbusiness page with new recruit Bella Todd.

Thursday’s paper will continue to carry the Jobs section but this will now be bolstered by a new-look Motoring pull-out, which is moving from Fridays. There is another new columnist, Jo Dillon, formerly of the Mirror and the Independent on Sunday.

Each Friday there is our new-look weekly what’s on section, the guide, plus the James Poulter column, which moves from Saturdays, and two new sports columnists – Brighton and Hove Albion fanatic-cum-househusband Mike Ward and ex-footballer and award-winning writer Garry Nelson.

Saturday’s paper is bigger too with more news and a redesigned Weekend section featuring some new writers and two new columns, including The Rant in which readers sound off.

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