Local Plan 2045 Scoping Consultation
Other elements in this consultation
8. Housing
Objective 3: To deliver suitable, well designed, energy efficient and affordable housing to meet local needs, in safe and accessible neighbourhoods with mixed and balanced communities.
Where are we now?
8.1The adopted Local Plan set a stepped housing requirement of 575 dwellings per annum (dpa) from 2021/22 to 2029/30 then increasing to 701dpa for the years to 2038/39. The housing need figure at the time was 638 dpa. The plan provided for a total of 11,484 dwellings between 2021/22 and 2038/39.
8.2In December 2024, a change to the government’s standard method for calculating housing need increased the housing requirement for Chichester District. As of May 2026, the housing need figure for Chichester District is 1,294 dwellings. As the plan area does not align with the local authority boundary (as it excludes the South Downs National Park), then an alternative approach to calculating housing need may have to be used to calculate the housing need for the plan area.
8.3To start looking at what methodology could be used, a joint housing need study has been carried out by AECOM for the South Downs National Park Authority, Chichester District Council, East Hampshire District Council, Lewes District Council and Winchester City Council. The study applies the standard method for calculating housing need to the South Downs National Park area and overlapping local authorities and apportions the numbers between the National Park and the rest of the council areas based on the proportion of existing homes in each area. This study resulted in a need figure of 991 per annum for the area of Chichester District outside the South Downs National Park (a proportion of the standard method figure for Chichester District at the time of 1,323).
8.4In terms of the position in relation to Gypsy and travellers and travelling showpeople need, the requirement flowing from the most recent Gypsy and Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Accommodation Assessment (GTAA) is for 130 pitches and 33 plots respectively for the plan period, based on the definitions of both as set out in Planning Policy for Travellers Sites (PPTS) in 2023. However, a considerable number of pitches have already been consented, at the time of writing this amounted to 97 pitches, meaning that the current unmet need for the remainder of the plan period is relatively modest (33 pitches). The outstanding need for Travelling Showpeople accommodation is 22 plots.
8.5As part of the preparing the new local plan a Housing and Economic Development Needs Study (HEDNA) will be commissioned to determine the housing need figure for the plan area, as well as provide up to date information about the needs for affordable housing and specialised housing. This will include the size, type and tenure of housing or other accommodation needed for different groups. A new GTAA will be carried out to establish the pitch and plot requirements, this will be based on the most recent definition of Gypsies and travellers (currently that within PPTS 2024). The most recent definition is more expansive than the previous version, which could inflate the need.
8.6Once we have identified the housing need figure, that provides the starting point for working out our housing requirement figure. The housing requirement figure reflects the extent to which the identified needs can be accommodated over the plan period and will also consider any unmet needs from neighbouring areas. The plan will also consider setting housing requirement figures for designated neighbourhood plan areas.
8.7We already have a supply of housing and pitches/plots in the adopted Local Plan and some of this supply will be able to count towards the new housing requirement and requirement for pitches/plots.
8.8The latest 5-year housing land supply position statement can be found here: Housing land supply - Chichester District Council This shows the council can demonstrate a 5.16 year housing land supply as at 1 April 2025. An updated position as at 1 April 2026 will be published late summer/early autumn.
8.9Since the start of the plan period[3], a net total of 2,902 dwellings have been completed, including 885 affordable homes.
8.10Sites allocated in Policy H2 are progressing well:
- Land at Shopwyke and Land at Westhampnett/North East Chichester are nearly complete, along with Phase 1 of West of Chichester.
- Tangmere SDL has outline permission.
- Highgrove Farm is under construction with 1st completions expected for the year 2025-2026.
- Land East of Chichester and Maudlin Farm both have outline applications submitted, pending decisions.
- The Southbourne BLD is being progressed through the emerging Southbourne Allocation DPD, which is progressing towards submission later in 2026.
What are the challenges and opportunities?
Challenges
8.11The main challenges around housing provision are set out below:
8.12The scale of need has increased sharply: the plan now needs to respond to around 991 homes per year in the plan area, far above the previous 638 dpa. This could be increased with any cross-boundary unmet housing need from neighbouring authorities. The need for Gypsy and traveller and travelling showpeople pitches/plots is already high and is likely to increase still further.
8.13The new need figure will require a review of the current spatial strategy as the current dispersed/east–west corridor strategy cannot simply be “topped up” to meet the new housing target. The plan will need to test various options such as new settlements, significant extensions, intensified sustainable locations, optimal densities to make efficient use of land, optimising the use of brownfield land as well as exploring growth around rail stations and the potential for new or enhanced public transport connections.
8.14Existing strategic allocations have not been able to deliver quickly, potentially weakening the carry-forward supply position. Future delivery of sites may be limited by market capacity in some areas.
8.15Affordability is poor in the area, so delivery of a sufficient quantum of affordable housing of the right tenure and type is a major challenge, so the plan will need a strong viability-led affordable housing policy.
8.16Specialist housing needs are growing: the plan must address older persons’ housing, care provision, accessible/adaptable homes, custom/self-build, rural workers’ dwellings, student-related needs and Gypsy and traveller and travelling showpeople provision.
8.17Finding enough suitable, available and achievable sites is a major challenge with the higher housing target. There are also likely to be significant challenges around finding enough Gypsy and traveller and travelling showpeople pitches/plots.
8.18Infrastructure constraints will be challenging as water supply, wastewater capacity, the A27 and wider transport network, lack of an up-to-date transport model, ensuring health and education infrastructure and grid capacity will all shape where growth can realistically go.
8.19Environmental constraints may limit options for growth: flood risk, coastal change, internationally designated sites, nutrient/recreational disturbance mitigation, best and most versatile (BMV) agricultural land and designated landscapes and their setting and coalescence may all restrict growth options
8.20A future challenge may emerge with the Sussex and Brighton Spatial Development Strategy (SDS) having the potential to influence the overall scale and distribution of housing growth, including cross-boundary unmet need.
8.21Balancing need for local plan to allocate a higher proportion of small and medium size sites with continued support for neighbourhood planning- where these sites would have been allocated in the past. This is combined with the inability for the council to produce a site allocation DPD to pick up any numbers which don’t get allocated through neighbourhood planning.
8.22Challenges for local communities for future neighbourhood plan delivery with resourcing, due to lack of government financial support and overlap with current emerging neighbourhood plans.
8.23In summary, the challenge is not just about allocating more sites — it is about finding a deliverable, infrastructure-led and environmentally credible new spatial strategy that can meet a much higher housing requirement while improving affordability and specialist provision.
Opportunities
8.24The opportunities that arise for housing include:
8.25Establishing a housing requirement figure and pitch and plot requirement figure to reflect the identified needs which can be accommodated over the plan period.
8.26Setting a housing requirement figure for designated neighbourhood plan areas, which reflects local need and constraints.
8.27Improving the housing mix, affordability and specialist provision to meet needs of different groups.
8.28Identifying and providing policy to secure local levels of need for accessible and adaptable housing.
8.29Ensuring that housing growth is supported by infrastructure.
8.30Supporting the delivery of regeneration within Chichester city, making an effective use of land, and maximising the use of brownfield land.
8.31Aligning delivery of homes with jobs and ensure housing is not a barrier to investment.
8.32Promotion of sustainable, inclusive, healthy and cohesive communities.
8.33Promoting self-sufficiency within settlements and high levels of transport connectivity.
8.34Supporting the delivery of housing through planning for a diverse mix of site sizes and locations.
8.35National policy changes in the draft NPPF mean that some housing-related elements of the adopted Local Plan are likely to be covered by national decision-making policies. The new local plan will still need to include policies which address the priorities set out above to ensure housing needs are met but should not duplicate matters that are addressed nationally. These are likely to include the expectation that affordable homes should be provided on-site in the first instance, locational requirements and standards for specialist accommodation, rural exception sites, isolated homes in the countryside, traveller site location and design, and the build out of residential and mixed-use development. Any locally specific policies will need to be justified by evidence, for example, where there is a need for an agricultural, horticultural and other rural workers policy.
8.36We are therefore seeking views on which housing issues are most important locally and where locally specific policy guidance may be needed.
What are the key priorities?
8.37To ensure the new local plan delivers the homes needed to support sustainable, inclusive and resilient communities, the following key priorities have been identified.
Delivering affordable, sustainable and well-designed homes
8.38Support the delivery of a broad range of affordable, sustainable and well-designed homes that respond to local needs and contribute to the council’s Decent Homes for All priority. New housing should help create attractive, safe and accessible places that support mixed and balanced communities.
Providing the right size, type and tenure of homes
8.39Plan for homes of the right size, type and tenure to meet identified needs, including market, affordable and specialist housing. This will need to be informed by up-to-date evidence and supported by a viable policy approach.
Supporting regeneration and making effective use of land
8.40Support housing-led opportunities identified through the Chichester Regeneration Strategy and make effective use of land, including appropriate intensification, redevelopment and regeneration opportunities where these are well located and supported by infrastructure.
Meeting specialist and supported housing needs
8.41Support the delivery of accommodation for people with specific housing needs, including older people, people with disabilities or support needs, students, people living in houses in multiple occupation, and Gypsy, traveller and travelling showpeople communities where evidenced.
Enabling accessible and adaptable homes
8.42Ensure new homes are accessible, adaptable and capable of meeting people’s needs at different stages of life. Housing should support independence, well-being and the ability for residents to remain in their communities as their circumstances change.
Supporting rural housing needs
8.43Support rural housing needs, including homes for rural workers where justified by evidence, while helping to sustain the vitality of rural communities. Housing in rural areas should be carefully located to reflect settlement roles, access to services and environmental constraints.
Locating homes in sustainable and connected places
8.44Locate new housing where residents can access jobs, services, facilities, public transport, walking and cycling routes. New homes should support sustainable movement patterns and help reduce reliance on private car travel.
Creating healthy, inclusive and well-served neighbourhoods
8.45Create safe, healthy and inclusive neighbourhoods with good access to open space, community facilities and local services. Housing growth should support wider priorities in the Housing, Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2025–2030, including meeting housing need, supporting climate actions, enabling regeneration and creating opportunities for local communities.
[3] 1 April 2021-31 March 2025
