Draft A27 Chichester Bypass Mitigation Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) Version 2 - May 2024

1.0 Introduction

1.1 The A27 is part of the Strategic Road Network and is therefore the responsibility of National Highways. All new housing development coming forward under the Local Plan is generating additional traffic impacts on the A27 Chichester Bypass junctions and the associated local highway network. These additional impacts require mitigation and, in the absence of any Government funding for mitigation works, the Council is dependent on securing financial contributions from new development to fund the necessary works.

1.2 Policy 8 of the Chichester Local Plan: Key Policies 2014-2029, adopted in 2015, makes provision for a coordinated package of improvements to junctions on the A27 Chichester Bypass that will increase road capacity, reduce traffic congestion, improve safety, and improve access to Chichester city from surrounding areas. The Transport Study of Strategic Development Options and Sustainable Transport Measures (2013)^[1] identified an indicative package of measures for the six junctions on the Bypass: Fishbourne, Stockbridge, Whyke, Bognor Road, Oving Road and Portfield. These measures were identified as being sufficient to mitigate the impact of development proposed in the Local Plan and capable of being funded by that development.

1.3 Securing development contributions to fund the junction works was taken forward under Policy 9 (Development and Infrastructure Provision) of the adopted Local Plan. This policy was supported by guidance set out in the Planning Obligations & Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), which was adopted in 2016. At that time, the package of junction improvements was calculated to cost £12,817,000.

1.4 In the period since the adoption of the Planning Obligations & Affordable Housing SPD, works to the Portfield and Oving Road junctions have been funded through developer contributions and have been completed. A significant level of developer funding has also been secured since 2016 towards the improvement works at the remaining four Chichester Bypass junctions (Fishbourne, Stockbridge, Whyke and Bognor Road). However, the costs of the remaining works have increased very significantly over the years and, in the continued absence of alternative funding sources, it is no longer possible to fully fund the remaining improvements works through the level of developer contributions that are set out in the 2016 SPD.

Purpose, Scope and Status of this Supplementary Planning Document

1.5 The purpose of this new SPD is to provide guidance to the use of Policies 8 and 9 of adopted Local Plan, by responding to the updated evidence setting out the costs of the remaining junction improvements. This SPD will replace the text set out within paragraphs 4.46 - 4.54 of the 2016 SPD with a revised approach that will guide how Policy 9 can be used to appropriately address the impact that current development ^[2] is having on the A27 Chichester Bypass by increasing the level of contributions sought.

1.6 On adoption of this SPD, the above paragraphs of the 2016 Planning Obligations & Affordable Housing SPD will be deleted. However, in all other respects, the 2016 SPD will remain operative and should therefore be read alongside this new SPD by applicants and developers seeking planning permission within the District.

Relationship with the adopted Chichester Local Plan and the Local Plan Review

1.7 National Planning Guidance states that SPDs should build upon and provide more detailed advice or guidance on policies in an adopted local plan. This SPD updates the text in paragraphs 4.46 - 4.54 of the 2016 SPD and provides guidance on the policies set out within the Chichester Local Plan: Key Policies 2014-2029, which was adopted in 2015. As with all SPDs, the text set out below provides guidance only to support applicants and decision makers in their interpretation and application of the policies set out with in the adopted Local Plan.

1.8 In the past few years, the council has made significant progress on a Local Plan Review. This has included the publication for representations of the Chichester Local Plan 2021-2039 Proposed Submission (Regulation 19) in February 2023 and the Submission of the new Local Plan to the Secretary of State in May 2024.

1.9 The Local Plan Review is therefore at an advanced stage of preparation and is supported by a suite of updated technical evidence which has highlighted the continued need for A27 mitigation to be funded through developer contributions. However, as explained in Section 2 below, the Council is not able to wait for the Local Plan 2021 -2039 to be adopted before reviewing the approach to collecting contributions to mitigate the impact on the A27 of the development that is coming forward now, under the adopted Local Plan. Therefore, as the Local Plan 2021 - 2039 has not yet been adopted, this SPD seeks to provide updated guidance on the application of the policies within the adopted Local Plan: Key Policies 2014-2029, as set out in Section 3 below.

1.10 Once the new Local Plan has been adopted, this SPD will be withdrawn and replaced by the new approach that will be set out in the new Local Plan 2021 - 3039.