Chichester District Local Plan 2023: How the Southern Gateway could potentially be regenerated

Following a full council meeting of Chichester District Council on Tuesday, January 24 figures for a new housing target in the district.

Following on the discussion, the councillors agreed to put the Plan out to a six week consultation.

Part of the plan includes the regeneration of an area in Chichester city centre known as the Southern Gateway.

What is the Southern Gateway?

There are a number of sites with potential for redevelopment to the south of the city centre in the area known as the Southern Gateway. Within this area, there is potential to provide new residential development; enhancements to the townscape, streetscape and public space; and improved cycling and pedestrian access to the city centre from the south.

The Southern Gateway is a broad area on the southern side of Chichester city identified for regeneration. The area includes several different sites with opportunity for redevelopment and regeneration. Close to the city centre, to the north of the railway line, the opportunities include the bus station and depot, currently leased to Stagecoach, and Basin Road car park, all owned by the district council. Further south the opportunities include a former police playing field. Opportunities for regeneration on other sites, such as the Royal Mail Delivery office, the law courts, some additional land at the High School on Kingsham Road and some land around the railway may become available in future.

What are the plans for the Southern Gateway and why are they being considered?

The Plan includes the allocation of two sites within the Southern Gateway for 180 dwellings and associated retail and leisure uses, as well as recognising that 270 dwellings could come forward on smaller, mainly brownfield sites, within the city (to be allocated through either the neighbourhood plan or site allocations DPD).

Regeneration of the area will create a more attractive gateway into the Southern side of the city with opportunities to improve active travel linkages.

Relocation of the existing bus depot is likely to be required with the bus station being replaced by new bus stops.

Parts of the site lie within flood zones 2 and 3 and the development would need to be designed to take account of and mitigate this.

A masterplan for the Southern Gateway was adopted as Supplementary Planning Guidance in 2017. Since that time the availability of included parcels of land has changed – the courts have come back into use due to Covid delays to court proceedings nationally and the upper floors of the government offices have been redeveloped for residential uses. Railway land and the Royal Mail sorting office are not currently available for development, although this may change in future. Whilst there remains a long-term aspiration for regeneration of the whole area, because of a need for certainty about deliverability of allocations, only 2 sites are allocated in this Local Plan, but should other sites come forward, they will be considered against the Southern Gateway Development Principles policy and will be subject to infrastructure capacity considerations.

The Bus Station, Bus Depot and Basin Road Car Park regeneration plans:

A site of approximately 1.2ha, currently a bus station, bus depot and public car park, is allocated for a residential-led scheme of 110 dwellings, with active uses such as retail and café/ restaurant on ground floor frontages, and scope to include specialist accommodation such as student or older persons accommodation.

Police Field, Kingsham Road regeneration plans:

A site of approximately 1.45 ha is allocated for residential use for 70 dwellings.

How can I give my views?:

The draft Plan, the proposed submission documents and the relevant evidence base will be available for inspection for six weeks from February 3 until March 17 on the council’s website at www.chichester.gov.uk/localplanconsultation and at the Chichester District Council Offices.

Reference copies of the Local Plan 2021 – 2039 have also been placed in Chichester, Selsey, Southbourne, Midhurst and Petworth libraries.

The council will receive representations on the Chichester Local Plan 2021 - 2039 for a six week period which runs from February 3 until 5pm on March 17.

Representations can be made in writing or by way of electronic communications through the following means:

By using the council’s online consultation portal at www.chichester.gov.uk/localplanconsultation, paper copies of the response form are available upon request by telephoning 01243 785166 or emailing [email protected].

Paper copy response forms should be sent to the Planning Policy Team, Chichester District Council, East Pallant House, 1 East Pallant, Chichester PO19 1TY or emailed to

[email protected]

All the comments received will be assembled and passed to an independent planning inspector appointed by the Secretary of State who will examine the Plan (together with a range of supporting documents).

The Inspector will consider the representations received by the council to the proposed submission version of the Plan to inform his or her decision about whether the

Plan can be adopted by the council, or whether it must first be amended to make it 'sound' and to ensure it meets legal and national policy tests.

If any significant modifications are thought necessary by the Inspector, these will also be the subject of further consultation.