Campaigners question ‘wall of secrecy’ surrounding Chichester Local Plan

Campaigners concerned about the future of Chichester Harbour say a wall of secrecy has gone up and crucial information is being kept from residents.
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Government housing allocations have been called into question and the issue of traffic is being studied yet again but the campaign groups have found it impossible to get to the bottom of the details.

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Louise Goldsmith, chairman of SOSCA, said: “Chichester District Council (CDC) should not be hiding the difficulties of producing the Local Plan. We all understand they have a very difficult task, and we all want the very best for Chichester.

Save Our South Coast Alliance supporters with John Nelson, chairman of Chichester Harbour Trust, at Dell Quay in March 2019Save Our South Coast Alliance supporters with John Nelson, chairman of Chichester Harbour Trust, at Dell Quay in March 2019
Save Our South Coast Alliance supporters with John Nelson, chairman of Chichester Harbour Trust, at Dell Quay in March 2019

“Although Covid dominates our lives at present, work still continues in the background, which is the case for CDC as it prepares its Local Plan. This Local Plan could be a serious game changer for Chichester City and for the local area, particularly to the south and east-west corridors of Chichester.

“At present, there is no Local Plan, which means that the whole of the area is vulnerable to speculative developments.

“The Local Plan identifies and allocates sites for development based on an arbitrary number of homes for the area, provided centrally by the Government. This top-down approach, based on the Office for National Statistics’ population growth predictions, is not fit for purpose and we are now seeing challenges to the figures provided by the ONS up and down the land.

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“Neither does the Government take into consideration land availability, such as at Chichester where the South Downs National Park and the Chichester Harbour AONB provide protection from major development, while leaving just over 30 per cent of land available in the Chichester area – so all housing sites need to be allocated on the east-west corridor and on part of the Manhood Peninsula.

“There has been much in the news about the housing number allocation but to date CDC has not publicly disclosed the actual number of houses they are now working to.

“The Manhood Peninsula is low-lying land subject to sea level rises and flooding, yet we do not know whether CDC is using figures from the Environment Agency based on 2017 guidelines or more recent ones.

“Then there is the issue of sewage. It is a well-known fact that the sewage infrastructure is woefully inadequate. We know various local pumping stations can’t cope and that regular sewage discharges into the Harbour occur. We know that Southern Water has serious problems, and yet CDC continues blindly on – when most of the residents and action groups believe that there should be a moratorium on all development.

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“The A27 in and around Chichester is jokingly known as a car park for much of the time, not so funny to think of the fumes that are pumped out and affect residents, young and old.

“CDC are preparing a traffic study using Stantec, the second in three years – the only thing that will have changed is the increased number of cars. The issue of a Southern Link Road is being talked about yet again – it has been around since West Sussex County Council’s last Structure Plan in 2002, but there is no detail and those councillors who have been given sight of some of Stantec’s report are under strict orders that they cannot disclose it yet.

“So, what are the public not being told and why is there a wall of secrecy when there is so much at stake? Is it because it is just an impossible task and will destroy Chichester – Chichester Harbour and the surrounding environment? Is it the cost of the infrastructure and how it will be financed?

“CDC and the councillors, together with Chichester’s MP, should be bold, they should stand up for Chichester, they should demand a moratorium on planning, making the case that so many residents and parish councils know – this area simply cannot absorb more development.

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“They and the Government hold the key to Chichester’s legacy – whether it remains a very special beautiful place or a terrible example of over-development and all that it entails. They should do their job and stand up for Chichester and its residents for today and tomorrow.”