Chichester City Council discuss new district local plan in meeting

In a council meeting on February 2, Chichester City Council spoke on the new local plan for the district.

During the meeting on Thursday, February 2 the Planning Adviser informed Members of the District Council’s formal Regulation 19 consultation for the pre-submission Local Plan which would be taking place from February 3 to March 17.

Members were further informed that the consultation was narrowly focused on the legal tests of soundness, legal compliance and duty to co-operate, though respondents would have the opportunity to raise any issue relating to the Plan.

The main policy changes from the “preferred approach” version were outlined.

The Committee was advised that the Housing Allocations within the Parish would now be 180 within the remaining Southern Gateway sites with an additional 270 for the rest of the Parish.

Members were also advised that improvements to the A27 at the Fishbourne roundabout would be funded by developer contributions and that it was likely that this would also be the case for the Bognor roundabout, depending on the outcome of a “monitor and manage” approach.

The Planning Adviser reported that the Whitehouse Farm Phase 2 developers would continue to pay the previously agreed amount of £1,803 per dwelling to ensure continued deliverability of the whole scheme which was now at an advanced stage.

Members were also informed that a similar agreement was also in place for advanced scheme at Tangmere. It was noted that all other future housing development would be required to pay the new contribution of £7,728 per dwelling.

In response to questions from Members about a start date for the new charges, the Planning Adviser stated that the District Council had not yet confirmed when they would begin implementing this policy. She suggested that they could wait until the Plan went to examination, but that it was possible they could introduce it earlier.

Members were advised that there was an upcoming All Parishes meeting to inform Parish Councils about the pre-submission Local Plan on Monday 6th February and that the City Councils usual representatives, Councillors Clare Apel and Cherry Hughes, would be emailed a zoom invitation.