Chichester Local Plan 2021 - 2039: Proposed Submission

This figure should be increased to allow greater housing provision in the North of the Plan Area. In line with our comments on Policy H1 – Meeting Housing Needs, we propose a greater allocation of dwellings to the sustainable settlement of Loxwood, with a minimum of 300 dwellings, based on the findings of the Sustainability Appraisal (Jan 2023).

We ask that these policies be reworded to increase the housing provision for the ‘Service Village’ of Loxwood, and remove the reliance on Neighbourhood Plan making, with sites allocated at a District level to ensure the appropriate uptake of sites and settlement boundaries, and help Chichester Council achieve the objectively assessed housing need of the District.

As has been discussed across these Draft Local Plan Representations, we support the proposed growth of Loxwood. However, we wish to object to Policy A15, highlighting that the proposed figure of 220 dwellings will not sufficiently meet the objectively assessed need for housing within the Chichester District.
This figure should be increased to allow greater housing provision in the North of the Plan Area. In line with our comments on Policy H1 – Meeting Housing Needs, we propose a greater allocation of dwellings to the sustainable settlement of Loxwood, with a minimum of 300 dwellings, based on the findings of the Sustainability Appraisal (Jan 2023).
In addition to this seek to reiterate that proposed dwelling allocations within the Draft Local Plan should be specifically allocated by Chichester at a District level, in order to ensure the uptake of appropriate deliverable sites, and not be delegated at a neighbourhood plan level.
Paragraphs 68 and 69 of the NPPF identify the need for strategic housing sites, with paragraph 69 outlining the importance of smaller scale sites, such as Land to the South West of Willetts Way. These paragraphs state that ‘planning policies should identify a sufficient supply and mix of sites, taking into account their availability, suitability and likely economic viability’. This has been appropriately shown for the site via the HELAA 2012 and outlines that the site is suitable, available and achievable for up to 10 dwellings.
The Revised Neighbourhood Plan for Loxwood has omitted this site from their neighbourhood plan, creating a piecemeal plot outside of the Settlement Boundary. The failure to allocate an appropriate site at neighbourhood plan level means that the housing delivery over the plan period is unlikely to be met. As such, the Draft Local Plan is considered ‘unjustified’ by relying on the delegation of parish allocations.
We ask that these policies be reworded to increase the housing provision for the ‘Service Village’ of Loxwood, and remove the reliance on Neighbourhood Plan making, with sites allocated at a District level to ensure the appropriate uptake of sites and settlement boundaries, and help Chichester Council achieve the objectively assessed housing need of the District.