I am writing in response to your proposal within the Local Plan Review to change the designation of retail areas of the City Centre.

The issue is the proposal to release areas within the Primary category, where no more that 25% of shop frontages can be in non-A1 retail uses, to the Secondary category whereby up to 75% of the shop frontages can be in non-A1 retail use.

The retailing area in the City Centre is compact and relatively small scale. It provides a good range of retailing offer in an attractive environment and shoppers come from a fair distance to Chichester and numbers are helped by the influx of tourists to the area.

I fully appreciate the difficulties that retailers are facing at this moment with online competition, increase in out of town retailing, massive Rates liabilities, current economic uncertainty and high parking costs.

We all recognise how important a vibrant shopping centre is to the fabric of the City. However if you considerably reduce the Primary trading area, to allow up to 75% in non retail use, you are drastically shrinking the range of retail offer that is urgently required to attract shoppers. The net effect would be to render the City Centre less attractive, fewer shoppers come and we are on the slippery slide destruction.

I recognise that there are some areas where your policy could be effective such as Southgate and Eastgate and Crane Street but never in South Street, which makes a significant contribution to the retail offer. It is the main route from the transport hub and major car park to the Cross and to permit a further 50% of shops in South Street to be in non retailing use would be savage and counterproductive.

There will be plenty of opportunity to provide for the non A1 uses in the proposals for the Southern Gateway and the fringe areas but if you loose the main retail area now you will never get it back ! It is far too important to the future of Chichester to risk it's destruction.

The success of our City Centre retail area is absolutely vital to Chichester. South Street plays an important part of the Primary retail area. Please retain it as such.