Adopted Chichester Local Plan: Key Policies 2014-2029

At its meeting on 14 July 2015, Council adopted the Chichester local plan: key policies 2014-2029.

The Chichester local plan excludes the area within the South Downs National Park. For this area the South Downs Local Plan (2014-33) should be referred to.

View adopted Chichester local plan policies map (opens new window)

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Supporting documents

Chichester Local Plan - Key Policies 2014 - 2029 (PDF) [11MB]

Map showing the areas designated as rural under Section 157 of the Housing Act 1985 (PDF) [413KB]

Adoption Statement July 2015 (PDF) [159KB]

Environmental Statement July 2015 (PDF) [244KB]

Appendix 7 - The Provision of Service Infrastructure Related to New Development in Chichester District, Part 2 SPG (Word doc) [38KB]

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How the local plan has been formed

At each stage of the Local Plan process there have been opportunities for you to get involved and have your say on the development of the district.

Timeline for consultations on new local plan
Period	Consultation
December 2009 - February 2010	Focus on Strategic Growth Options This document considered potential options for major/significant growth within the district.
August - September 2011	Housing Numbers and Locations We asked how many new homes should be provided in the district (excluding the National Park area) and where they should be located.
September - November 2012	Parish Housing Numbers An informal consultation with parish and town councils across the Chichester Local Plan area (which excludes the South Downs National Park) on proposed indicative parish housing numbers that the council was considering for inclusion in the Local Plan.
March - May 2013	Draft Local Plan Key Policies - Preferred Approach This document included information on where development will go, policies against which planning applications will be assessed, and set the overall development needs for the district. It also contained housing targets and potential site allocations to deliver these targets.
July - September 2013	Further Consultation on the Draft Local Plan Key Policies - Preferred Approach Following feedback we received on the Draft Local Plan Consultation the council proposed some changes to the Plan in order to make it clearer, add policies where the draft Local Plan was silent, and update policies in response to background evidence studies.
November 2013 - January 2014	Local Plan: Key Policies Pre-Submission This document was published prior to its submission to the Secretary of State to allow for representations to be made on its soundness and legal compliance.

All previous consultation documents and responses received can be viewed on our consultation portal (no registration necessary). The Parish Housing Numbers consultation report can be viewed on this page.

How does the local plan impact on me?

The local plan is not just about planning - it's about our future.

It helps local people to stay local

Martina Jeffs and her family were able to move into a new affordable home built especially for local residents. Martina grew up in West Wittering, but never thought that she would be able to afford to live there.

"I'm over the moon with our house. I never thought I'd be able to stay in the village as the house prices are so high here. Being able to move into an affordable house has meant I can stay in the village I grew up in and my daughter can grow up here too.

"The community has been extended with these new homes and it will benefit the area. Affordable homes help bring some people back to the area that may have been forced to move away because of the lack of affordable housing. It means that the next generation are going to the local school."

It supports community facilities

The Local Plan also supports community facilities. The New Park Community and Arts Association Centre in Chichester is one of a number of community facilities that has benefitted from developers' contributions.

Rod Fennell, trustee and project co-ordinator at the New Park Centre in Chichester, says: "We received funding from developers' contributions as part of the overall funding package to upgrade our centre. As an independent charity, major capital fund-raising is always a challenge. This extra funding has allowed us to lever in more money and in doing so to replace an outdated single-storey structure with a purpose-built facility much earlier than might otherwise have been the case. The community are the winners as a result."

It creates job opportunities and supports local business

The plan will also support local businesses and create job opportunities. John Hall, from the West Sussex Growers' Association, recognises how important it is in helping local businesses expand.

"The horticultural industry already employs around 5,000 people in the local area and brings £500m into the local economy. It supplies supermarkets across the country with high quality, local produce that people can trust. The Local Plan will help us to prepare for the future and consider how we can build on our current success, which will benefit both the local economy and local people."

Local plan examination library

The Inspector has carefully considered all the representations submitted in response to the council's proposed modifications and will take account of these in writing her report. She is satisfied that she now has all the information needed to write her report and no more hearings are necessary.

The full list of examination documents can be viewed in the examination library document below. To view the hearing dates, matters/issues being discussed and those attending, please refer to ID/13A.

Additional documents submitted by other parties

New local plan 2014 - 2029 - latest update

Inspector's report on the Chichester local plan: key policies 2014-2029

The Inspector has carefully considered all the representations submitted in response to the Council's proposed modifications and the Council has received the Inspector's Report. All documents can be downloaded below.

Inspector's report

Letter from the Planning Inspectorate May 2015 (PDF) [48KB]

Chichester Local Plan Inspector's Report May 2015 (PDF) [191KB]

Chichester Local Plan Inspector's Report May 2015 - Appendix (PDF) [643KB]

Local plan examination - the final scheduled session on the examination in to the Chichester Local Plan: Key Policies Pre-submission 2014-2029 was held on 3 December and the Council has consulted on the Proposed Modifications it considered were required to make the Plan sound. Any minor changes required on the basis of accuracy, clarity or for updating purposes will be included in the adopted version of the Chichester Local Plan. The Proposed Modifications consultation ran for six weeks from 8 January 2015 until 5.00pm Thursday 19 February 2015. All comments received were sent to the independent Inspector, Sue Turner, for her consideration.

Comments can be viewed on the council's consultation portal

Chichester Local Plan: Key Policies Pre-submission 2014-2029 Proposed Modifications

Chichester Local Plan: Key Policies Pre-submission 2014-2029 Proposed Modifications (PDF) [4MB]

Chichester Local Plan: Key Policies Pre-submission 2014-2029 Proposed Modifications to Maps (PDF) [1MB]

Habitats Regulations Assessment of the Chichester Local Plan: Key Policies Pre-submission 2014-2029 Proposed Modifications (PDF) [175KB]

Proposed Modifications Representation Form (PDF) [108KB]

Guidance Notes for Representation Form (PDF) [28KB]

Submission under Regulation 22 of The Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012

On 30 May 2014, the Chichester Local Plan: Key Policies 2014-2029 and supporting documents were submitted for independent examination to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government via the Planning Inspectorate. To view the hearing dates and other submission documents, please view the .

The Local Plan provides the broad policy framework and a long-term strategy to manage development, protect the environment, deliver infrastructure and promote sustainable communities within Chichester District (excluding the area within the South Downs National Park) to 2029. Once adopted, all planning applications will be assessed against the policies in the Local Plan.

Planning for the future of Chichester District

Why the local plan is vital

Cllr Heather Caird, Leader of Chichester District Council

The Local Plan is one of the most important documents for our district as it describes how our communities will appear over the next 15 years (except those areas within the South Downs National Park). It offers a great opportunity to propose jobs, homes and facilities of the right type, in the right place and at the right time, to benefit present and future generations. This includes describing where houses, roads, services and facilities will be best located.

The Government requires us to write a Local Plan, based upon an increase in the number of people expected to be living in the area. We can see that there is a huge shortage of suitable homes; jobs that provide high enough wages to buy a home; and important facilities and services. Many people cannot afford to live in this area, where they work, and many younger people don't look for jobs here because they cannot afford the housing costs. The Local Plan offers us the opportunity to try and address these issues. This is our chance to work together to make sure that our district has a bright future, with a strong economy, and a thriving working age population. By producing this plan we are showing that we will accept change, but more importantly, that we are in control of this change.

If we don't write a plan, we will not have anything against which we can test planning applications. If we reject a development without good reason for doing so, most developers will successfully appeal against the decision. The district may still have to accommodate this development but this may be in an unsuitable location. Also, without a plan, developers will not have any obligation to pay towards the delivery of existing and new local facilities.

We also need more affordable housing. In the future there will be no Government funding available for this. The only way we can influence this is by requiring developers to deliver a proportion of affordable homes within our plan. If we are to encourage our young people to stay in the district, we need to make sure that more houses of this type are available.

For each new home built, the Government will also give the district a financial bonus. Some of this money will be protected for those communities that deliver new homes. It will be used to improve their local facilities, for example the creation of a village hall or play area. In addition to this, the Local Plan will require developers to pay an additional amount for every property they build. This will also be invested directly into the community.

Any houses that are built will be in line with the number that has been built in the district in the last 5 years- which is around 395 units a year. The only difference is that we will be highlighting the locations that have the capacity to grow.

There is not the option to stand still. Without the Local Plan we will not be able to access vital funds to support our communities. By controlling new developments we have the opportunity to focus development in the most appropriate locations. This is why it is incredibly important that we get this piece of work right - and with your support I'm sure we will achieve this.

The future of our district

Planning affects all of our lives. It affects where we live, work and relax; where new shops and community facilities are built; and it protects our historic buildings and environment.

The Local Plan will cover those areas in the district that do not fall within the South Downs National Park.

Chichester District is an incredibly special place and we want to keep it that way. The Local Plan will help us to protect the area, while also addressing the district's needs.

The Local Plan will help to:

protect the character and beauty of the district;
make it easier to move around the district safely and conveniently;
provide job and housing opportunities so that our children can continue to work and live locally;
support and help to boost the local economy;
help our residents to maintain healthy and active lifestyles; and,
make sure that we have adequate services, travel options and community facilities.

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