1.20

The plan must encourage each Parish neighbourhood plan to actively pursue the long-term growth and sustainability of its area, not only planning for a minimum growth, but through further, on the ground, analysis of the sustainability appraisal (AECOM January 2023) to identify additional opportunities that plan for a true and sustainable balance between growth and protection/enhancement.

The plan should confirm that planning for ‘no change’ in a Parish is not acceptable.

The plan must examine strategic infrastructure needs and ensure that enhancement opportunities are identified and protected through appropriate policy designations to ensure new developments do not compromise the ability to deliver. Further development of housing sites immediately adjacent to the A27 should be resisted unless provision is made within the application for appropriate upgrading of that route (this is most important in locations close to existing or potential junctions.)

Local Parishes can assist the supply of land for development needs, “in the right place and of the right kind.”

Development needs should not be confined to housing, although this is expected to be the more significant development form that must be planned and not left to speculation.

All change within a Parish should result in positive enhancement of economic assets, including local need, its sense of place, heritage and environment.

We acknowledge the work done through the sustainability appraisal (AECOM January 2023) and while its general methodology and aim is supported (including the consideration of all HELAA sites) we encourage the Council to work with all Parishes to take that appraisal to a finer grained level to identify short and longer term additional development opportunities, and to firmly identify and plan for areas of little or no change, and environmental and general enhancement that adds positively to the district’s sustainability.

Growth priority in Parishes to the west of Chichester and along the A27 corridor is supported as a strategic priority, providing such growth is supported by deliverable infrastructure to not only meet its direct need, but provide enhancement to the wider community, and should not exacerbate existing issues and infrastructure deficiencies.

Growth generally, and new developments individually, should not be located where future infrastructure improvements will be compromised; this is particularly important in Parishes and on development sites adjoining key strategic routes such as the A27.

Despite important environmental designations, there is greater capacity available within Parishes to the south of the city, that can be identified through a finer grain assessment in Neighbourhood Plans. Many constraints are ‘jumped upon’ and applied too freely in the south to resist even appropriate developments, forcing other areas to accommodate ‘displaced developments’ in less than appropriate locations.

To the north, opportunities exist but are constrained by the proximity of the National Park, and the over-arching landscape and environmental need to protect and enhance its boundaries and environs.

The value of the National Park and its importance Nationally (economically and environmentally) extends further than its physical boundaries. The plan should introduce specific policies that seek to protect land within Parishes adjoining the National Park from inappropriate development which will undermine the importance and significance of the National Park. These peripheral areas of protection and enhancement should be defined through neighbourhood plans.