See comments above

The Standard Method is a minimum annual housing need figure and should be considered a starting point. The PPG outlines that there are circumstances when it is appropriate to consider a higher housing requirement, including growth strategies, strategic infrastructure improvements, unmet need from neighbouring authorities or where previous assessments have indicated that need is significantly greater than the standard method indicates.

Draft Policy H1 seeks to provide a housing requirement for Chichester of 10,350 dwellings over the plan period 2021-2039, equivalent to 575 dwellings per annum (dpa). This comprises 535dpa in the southern area and 40dpa in the northern area of the district. This results in a shortfall of 63dpa over the course of the plan period, which equates to shortfall of 1,134 homes over the 18-year plan period.

Gladman have serious concerns that the Council are not planning to meet its housing needs in full. The Local Housing Need, as calculated by the Government’s standard methodology, sets out an annualised housing requirement of 763 dwellings per annum for Chichester. As a significant portion of the district falls inside the South Downs National Park authority area, this reduces the annualised housing requirement by 125dpa. Therefore, this results in the LHN for Chichester district totalling 638dpa.

The reason given by the Council for not meeting needs is principally infrastructure capacity – in particular the A27 and the cost of the proposed improvements being beyond what can be provided through development and there being no other sources currently available. The Council maintain that the 535dpa is based on detailed discussions with National Highways and the County Council as to what can be delivered within existing highway capacity. Whilst Gladman understands the concerns with regard to the need to improve local transport infrastructure, we note that the Council’s latest Transport Study (published in January 2023) undertook a sensitivity analysis as to whether the core scenario that supports the 535dpa position in the Draft Local Plan could accommodate a higher level of growth. The conclusion in paragraphs 5.6.5 and 11.2.3 of the Transport Study 'concludes that in the main, the 700 dpa (southern plan area) demands can generally be accommodated by the mitigation proposed for the 535 dpa core test.'