Category Archives: Railway

Why can’t Chichester create a buzzy transport hub?

Buses, Railway,

Bill Sharp says some places have well designed rail/bus hubs which show what’s possible here. 

Readers will know that the Society is concerned about plans to do away with Chichester Bus Station and replace it with stops scattered to some forlorn location or other. (See Newsletter 212, June 2022, pp 2-3).  The Society is keen to see this idea unceremoniously dumped in favour of one of two possibilities.
As one option, we suggest the existing bus station could simply be refreshed.  In most people’s eyes this building is, to say the least, down at heel.  But it does have its admirers. The insightful blog Beauty of Transport states ‘Chichester bus station.  The brickwork!  The windows!  The serifed lettering!  The cantilevered balcony!  I love it all.’

However, the Society is even keener on the idea of creating a new, fully-integrated bus/rail hub as part of the Southern Gateway re-development plans.

What might a combined bus & rail hub look like? 
Here is one interpretation for a new transport hub at Chichester – see the June 2023 Newsletter for the full article showing other examples.

Idea for a combined Bus & Rail Hub
Image by Andrew Bain

 

 

 

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The Society urges Southern Gateway developer to consider removal of a level crossing

Highways, Railway, Underpasses, ,

Chichester District Council has selected its preferred development partner, Henry Boot Developments, to deliver the Southern Gateway regeneration project. There has been a delay in the developer publishing their proposal for the Redevelopment and this has provided the opportunity for the Society to bring to their attention “The Height Limited Underpass “, proposed by the Society as a solution to the level crossing problem which blights the Southern Gateway.

This they did in a letter to the developer on 22 June in which they noted that Chichester District Council had concluded with their Regeneration Master-Plan that there was nothing that could be done to remove the crossings despite the public response in the consultation, and in other surveys, that the crossings should be removed.

The letter also referred to the Society’s disappointment at Chichester District Council’s handling of the consultation process as expressed in the Society’s March 2018 Newsletter in the article “Consult, then carry on regardless”. They also referred the developer to 3 articles -”Southern Gateway- A Better Solution”, “A Height Limited Underpass” and “Introducing The Forum Quarter” (the Gateway+ proposal which the Society supported) in the December 2018 issue.

The Society urged the developer, the District Council, West Sussex Council and Network Rail to take this ultimate opportunity to correct the mistakes of the past.

More details of the proposed underpass can be found on this website here

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ChiSoc responds to the Local Plan Review

Local Plan, Planning, Railway

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.
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