Local Plan Review: Preferred Approach 2016-2035

Highways England has been appointed by the Secretary of State for Transport as strategic highway company under the provisions of the Infrastructure Act 2015 and is the highway authority, traffic authority and street authority for the strategic road network (SRN). The SRN is a critical national asset and as such Highways England works to ensure that it operates and is managed in the public interest, both in respect of current activities and needs as well as in providing effective stewardship of its long-term operation and integrity.

Highways England will be concerned with proposals that have the potential to impact on the safe and efficient operation of the SRN, in this case with particular reference to the A27 Chichester Bypass and its junctions at Portfield Roundabout, Bognor Road Roundabout, Whyke Roundabout, Stockbridge Roundabout and Fishbourne Roundabout.

The current adopted Local Plan sought to provide 7,388 dwellings over the 15 year period 2014 - 2029. As part of the adopted plan there were agreed highway improvements at the above mentioned five A27 junctions along with the addition of improvements at the A27 Oving Cross Roads to mitigate the adverse impacts of strategic development traffic.

The current position with these agreed proposals is as follows:

A27 Portfield Roundabout - Agreed improvements being implemented as part of conditions relating to planning Application No. O/11/05283/OUT Land North Of Shopwhyke Road, Shopwhyke, West Sussex. Works expected to start Spring 2019.

A27 Oving Cross Roads - Agreed improvements being implemented as part of conditions relating to planning Application No. O/11/05283/OUT Land North Of Shopwhyke Road, Shopwhyke, West Sussex. Works expected to start Autumn 2019.
A27 Bognor Road Roundabout - Scheme not fully funded via s278 contributions. Several approved applications given consent outside of the Local Plan proposals have modified the originally agreed improvement scheme including Arun District Councils adopted Local Plan.

A27 Whyke Roundabout - Scheme not fully funded via s278 contributions. Several approved applications given consent outside of the Local Plan proposals including strategic development in Pagham (Arun District) have modified the originally agreed improvement scheme.

A27 Stockbridge Roundabout - Scheme not fully funded via s278 contributions.

A27 Fishbourne Roundabout - Scheme not fully funded via s278 contributions. Several minor developments outside of the Local Plan have contributed to the proposals which will require modification to cater for revised development impacts.

The mechanism used to calculate contributions to the agreed Local Plan A27 improvements is the councils "Planning Obligations & Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) which came into effect from February 2016. The calculations for contributions were based upon the total construction of the improvements against the number of additional vehicle trips on each of the affected A27 Chichester Bypass junctions. It was hoped that construction work on the remaining four junctions would begin no later than 2023/24 in order to ensure that the improvements were in place when they were needed. However, due to the different stages at which the various strategic developments are currently positioned this seems unlikely as insufficient funding will be available at the appropriate point.

The revised Local Plan proposals now being consulted upon are required to deliver an additional 12,350 dwellings in Chichester District during the period 2016 to 2035. This is an increase of 4962 dwellings above that agreed in the previous plan as the planned housing supply for the new plan period is slight above the requirement at 12,478 dwellings.

To support the revised housing supply for the new plan period Peter Brett Associates were employed to update the existing strategic transport model and apply the proposed strategic development options. Highways England and West Sussex County Council were closely involved with the Transport modelling work and the reference and future case scenarios have been accepted by both Highway Authorities.

The PBA report 'Transport Study of Strategic Development Options and Sustainable Transport Measures' provides resultant outputs from the modelling work and demonstrates that the previously accepted highway schemes on the A27 Chichester Bypass, with the exception of Portfield Roundabout and Oving Cross Roads, are no longer sufficient to bring about a 'no worse' traffic scenario with the revised Local Plan proposals. To this end, Peter Brett Associates have developed and tested a revised set of improvements at the A27 Fishbourne, Stockbridge, Whyke and Bognor Road Roundabouts. The improvements also include a short link road from the A259 Bognor Road to Vinnetrow Road and a link road from the A286 Birdham Road into the Fishbourne Roundabout (Stockbridge Link Road). Highways England agrees
that the improvements shown in the PBA report will sufficiently mitigate the traffic impacts resulting from the Local Plan Review proposals. In accepting that the PBA proposals are agreeable to Highways England there are a number of matters which require further consideration:

1) The revised costing of the A27 Mitigations as indicated in the PBA report are considered unrealistic bearing in mind the work required to deliver these schemes. Further more detailed work will need to be undertaken to establish a realistic estimate of costs for the full package of works. It is noted that this is in hand with consultants to be appointed in the coming weeks.

When revised estimates are completed it is recommended that these are passed through the Highways England commercial team who will provide a cost range and most likely final cost of the proposals. This figure can then be used moving forward.

2) Even as presented the cost proposals could fall beyond site viability and accordingly there is a strong possibility that external funding will be required to deliver the full package of highway improvements required to mitigate the impacts of the revised Local Plan proposal. New viability testing will need to be undertaken to establish what contributions could realistically come forward from development. When set against the agreed costings (when established) the overall deficit can be calculated and a business case developed for any identified shortfall. Highways England have no funding available at present to assist as the current Growth Housing Fund is fully allocated with no prospect at present of any proposals falling out of the funding programme. Highways England will support an application for external funding to assist highway improvements that seek to unlock housing development as promoted in the revised Local Plan.

3) The agreed proposed highway improvements significantly expand and develop the previous incarnations to the extent that there is concern that the improvements may not be deliverable within land owned or under the control of Chichester District Council, Highways England or West Sussex County Council, particularly the two link roads. Accordingly, it may be necessary for the council to exercise its Compulsory Purchase powers in order to deliver the necessary improvements.

4) With point (3) in mind and at this stage in the plan making process it may be prudent to consider what other viable options may be available at the respective A27 junctions in lieu of the provision of the Stockbridge link road. It may be that the Stockbridge link road provides some future benefit in relation to the next Local Plan review in that there could still be flexibility in the network for further minor junction upgrades before full A27 grade separation is required.

5) The councils 'Planning Obligations & Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Document' (SPD) which came into effect from February 2016 needs to be updated as a matter of priority. The SPD will no longer be appropriate for the Local Plan review proposals and will need to reflect that all new
housing development increases the traffic on the highway network (both local and strategic networks). Accordingly, even relatively small housing developments should be required to contribute to the proposals and it is suggested that this includes housing developments of 10 or more dwellings. The SPD will need to make it clear to developers that the contributions will be required from all sites not just those included within the Local Plan.

6) In view of the fact that the previous Local Plan highway schemes were expected to begin no later than 2023/24 it is suggested that this time table is maintained for the implementation of the reviewed Local Plan proposals. Highways England appreciates that this will ultimately require upfront financing ahead of the additional proposed planned development and accordingly gives further weight towards the business case for external funding.

Referring to para's 5.23 to 5.25 of the 'Chichester Local Plan Review 2035 Preferred Approach - December 2018' document which refers to a potential Road Investment Strategy (RIS) scheme being promoted by the Systra report commissioned by the Council and West Sussex County Council (BABA27 - A27 Northern Bypass or fully grade separated A27 Southern Bypass) it has been confirmed that neither option will be pursued in the forth-coming RIS period as these schemes are not affordable or deliverable. Accordingly, the Local Plan Review should only consider the improvements contained within the supporting PBA report 'Transport Study of Strategic Development Options and Sustainable Transport Measures' as these have a reasonable prospect of coming forward (subject to funding).

Overall, Highways England are, at this point in the plan making process, satisfied that the full package of highways proposals as outlined in the PBA report 'Transport Study of Strategic Development Options and Sustainable Transport Measures' will mitigate the adverse impacts of the Local Plan review proposals on the Strategic Road Network.

We will continue to work with and assist Chichester District Council and West Sussex County Council as the Local Plan review process progresses.