Having considered the content of the Review document the Society has filed the following comments and suggested changes on development principles, transport strategy, design, the Southern Gateway and land allocation.
Please refer to the original document here for background to the comments
On Policy S13: Chichester City Development Principles
- ChiSoc welcome the minor changes proposed which include the protection of views of the cathedral. Please note the duplication of the policy on the city’s existing heritage, arts and culture
On Policy S14: Chichester City Transport Strategy
- ChiSoc propose the following additional measures are included:
- Replacement of the level crossings in Basin Road and Stockbridge Road by an underpass or bridge
- Safeguarding of land to enable the expansion of the Chichester railway Station, its tracks and platforms, from 2 to 4 to enable a fast train service
- Safeguarding of land close to the A27 for a future “park and ride”
- Safeguarding of land close to the A27 for a “consolidation centre” for break bulk delivery to city retail units.
On Policy S20: Design
- ChiSoc welcome this additional policy and support its purpose in the Plan
On Policy S23: Transport and Accessibility
- ChiSoc welcome this additional policy and support its purpose in the Plan.
- It especially welcomes the proposed New road connecting Birdham Road to A27 Fishbourne roundabout (see Policy AL6), known as the Stockbridge Link Road when first proposed by Highways England as part of Option 2b in the 2016 Consultation.
On Policy AL5: Southern Gateway
- ChiSoc propose the following changes are made:
- In site specific requirement number 3 we propose “3. Respect for the historic context, have regard to that part of Southern Gateway that lies within the Conservation Area and to the Listed Buildings and Heritage Assets, and make a positive contribution towards protecting and enhancing the local character and special heritage of the area and important historic views, especially those from the Canal Basin towards Chichester Cathedral;
- We propose to add as site specific requirement number 4 “provision of a bridge or underpass to allow the removal of the level crossings on Stockbridge Road and Basin Road”
- We propose the removal of paragraph 7
On Policy AL6: Land South-West of Chichester (Apuldram and Donnington Parishes)
- ChiSoc supports this new policy, and its land allocation.
Please see response dated 15 April to Carolyn Cobbold’s comment below
The anachronistic level crossings near the City centre, if they stay after the southern gateway works, will be museum exhibits for many years. A bridge at Basin Road is essential to avoid sclerotic damage to traffic circulation
As far as $14 Transport is concerned, a bridge over the railway would be far too obtrusive and an underpass would preclude the double deck buses that are on the 52 and 53 bus routes in times of need. The cost of rebuilding Chichester station would be impossible to even countenance. The Level Crossings constitute only about 30% of the delays on the Stockbridge Road, the Terminus Road traffic lights contributes about 10%, but the main hold up (about 60%) is the A27 Stockbridge Roundabout). One level crossing could remain if under $23 the possible new road from the Birdham Road to the Fishbourne 2 tier roundabout were to be constructed because that would reduce the volume of traffic using the Level Crossings. Most of the traffic using the already built bridge near Tesco. (NB I live on Stockbridge Road)
We carefully considered all the published material that the accompanied the Local Plan Policy including the CDC Sustainability Appraisal (SA), a supporting document to the Local Plan Review.
In the SA the development impact of using this land is scored against 13 objectives (page 36 of the SA). It’s score shows 5 positive effects where benefits outweigh any disadvantages, 5 neutral effects
and only 2 negative effects. The conclusion is that it is suitable for mainly employment use with some housing and a new link road. The allocation is to include accessible local and strategic open
space and green infrastructure to include a managed country park.
Among the important constraints within the Policy are: the protection of existing views of the Cathedral, the setting of the Chichester Harbour AONB, and protection of the adjacent SPA, SAC,
SSSI and Ramsar sites.
Whilst we share the general desire not to build on greenfield land in any location, the Society is also aware that we have a great need for an up to date Local Plan in order to avoid the presumption in
favour of sustainable development winning the day in appeals. The Local Plan review is obliged to incorporate the current Objectively Assessed Need as far as housing is concerned and the need to
provide new employment land, otherwise it will be found unsound by the Inspector at the Examination in Public.
As a responsible organisation we need to engage with the issues arising from Government Policy if we are to have any influence as a Society with Chichester District Council.’
What possible reasons could you have for supporting “Policy AL6: Land South-West of Chichester”? Please do let us know why you think an industrial development, a raised link road and over 100 houses on a flood plain, adjacent to the AONB, with important views of the Cathedral from inside the AONB and the only strip of land separating the AONB from Chichester is a good idea.
The proposed development at AL6 on a low lying wetland area where the River Lavant flows into the harbour is a totally inappropriate development for a district which has led the way internationally in climate change mitigation. Any development here also threatens important views of Chichester Cathedral and the Downs from Chichester Harbour.