Chichester Local Plan Review

Consultation on the Chichester Local Plan Review has just closed:

www.chichester.gov.uk/article/30923/Preferred-Approach---consultation-December-2018

The main reason for the Review is to see how and where the District can absorb more houses. The District has over 70% designated land, including the Chichester Harbour Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and other protected sites including Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and rare wildlife and habitats protected under the Habitats Regulations which are important internationally. The district’s new housing target has increased despite the high level of environmental sensitivity and issues of car dependence and road congestion.

Our local group response to the local plan review expresses concern about:

• Significant levels of greenfield development without enough exploration of brownfield options.
• High levels of glasshouse development without enough consideration of light pollution impacts.
• Failure to address health and well-being aspects.
• Extensive greenfield development to the West of Chichester.
• Unacceptable development South West of Chichester adjacent to the AONB, including a raised link road and building on the flood plain. The amount of development next to the AONB is significant.
• Further development at East Wittering, Bracklesham in an area where houses are often bought as second homes, and which has an inadequate road system that is already gridlocked in the summer.
• We welcome the inclusion of wildlife corridors in the plan, but these need to be substantially extended and strengthened in their levels of protection.
• There is a lack of commitment to a net gain policy in biodiversity for all developments.

You can download our full response below.