‘There is now no excuse’ over excessive housebuilding in Chichester district

Campaigners at the March for Manhood and Harbour villages back in January. Pic S Robards SR2201291

The Chichester district was expected to build 638 homes a year from 2021 to 2039 – a figure the council said was not achievable.

In response to the news, a Chichester District Council spokesperson said: “We will be monitoring this situation carefully and waiting for further details from the Government.”

One campaign group which had recently written to housing secretary Michael Gove and local MPs on why the district’s housing target needed to be scrapped, said it believes its letter made a difference.

A Save Our South Coast Alliance (SOCSA) spokesperson said: “The report by SOSCA titled ‘Enough’ setting out the many issues we are facing was sent to all the members of the Levelling Up Committee and it was heartening to receive acknowledgements from many of the MPs. It is even more heartening to learn that as a result the Minister has taken note. It is now time for Chichester District Council to stand up for its communities to face down what the Minster quoted as “the ‘volume’ builders who used a financial ‘battering ram’ that allowed them to force through inappropriate developments at the expense of smaller players.”

“There is now no excuse for CDC not to call a halt to all planning applications and review all those that are presently in the pipeline There is now no excuse for CDC not to challenge those developers who fail to build on their land banks thus safeguarding our prime agricultural land. There is now no excuse for CDC not to specify the type of housing they want by enforcing standards of design and quality. There is now no excuse for CDC not to demand infrastructure such as sewage capacity, road construction, and climate change mitigation before permitting any further planning applications.

"CDC has now the opportunity to right the many wrongs that have impacted this special, unique and vulnerable environment.”

Roger Mavity of the March for Manhood group, said: “At long, long last the government have started to listen to the people. Of all their many U-turns, this is my favourite.”