* A few years ago, Chichester District Council surveyed its residents and businesses and then produced a document setting out a “Vision” for the city.[1] Among much else, this calls for the area around the train and bus stations to become “a key transport hub“[2].

* The Chichester Society has recently learned that the council is pressing ahead with long-standing proposals to re-develop the area in which the bus and train stations sit, as part of the “Southern Gateway” project. However, far from creating a “transport hub” or a “gateway” worth the name, the council is proposing to take away even the relatively good provision that now exists.

* They are proposing to close the bus station and all its facilities, and replace it with a line of bus stops on a bleak stretch of road which is exposed to the elements, hidden from the train station down a confusing route which “designs in” conflict between pedestrians and vehicles, and pedestrians and cyclists. In addition, there would be no facilities other than the sorry public toilets that happen to already exist in a nearby multi-storey car park.[3]^, [4]

* This flies in the face of what residents and businesses told the council they wanted, and runs directly counter to the principle of seizing opportunities for good town planning when they arise.

* All current deliberations seem to be taking place behind closed doors, to the exclusion of input from bus and train users and local residents – at precisely the time such input could make the most difference.

* There is no evidence that the Council has yet considered any disability implications.

* The proposal to close the bus station appears to be entirely financially driven. But even the financial assumptions seem questionable.

[1] “Chichester Tomorrow – Your City Your Vision”. https://www.chichester.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=29358&p=0
[2]  Vision Document, p.30.
[3] This assumes that reports are correct that the stops are to be located on the Avenue de Chartres. If not correct, bus users and Chichester residents need to be brought out of the dark and told what is actually planned.
[4] For a fuller discussion of problems of this location, see the commentary on the final page before the appendices, titled “Designs for Chichester – The Worst of All ?”

For the full paper, with an Artist’s Impression of one possibility –
The Bus Station Moved to Integrate Even More Closely with the Train Station click Chichester Transport Hub – Chichester Society Thoughts