Southbourne Allocation Development Plan Document - Regulation 19 Consultation

We support Chichester District Council’s continuing liaison with neighbouring authorities, including the SDNPA, to ensure that cross-boundary strategic priorities are fully addressed. We would like to take this opportunity to highlight the SDNPA’s strategic cross-boundary priorities as a framework for future discussions. These are:

• Conserving and enhancing the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the National Park and its setting
• Biodiversity restoration at all scales and making nature bigger, better and more joined up
• Protection and mitigation of impacts on European designated nature sites including water and nutrient neutrality
• Mitigation and adaptation to climate change, including nature based solutions
• Sustainable travel into, within and across the National Park
• The local economy and jobs particularly in land management and the visitor economy
• New homes including accommodation for Travellers, focusing on affordable homes for local communities
• Green and grey infrastructure serving communities in and around the National Park

We can confirm that we are committed to continued liaison and joint working towards achieving effective outcomes.

In paragraph 2.3, we are pleased to see reference to the National Parks & Access to the Countryside Act 1949, as amended by Section 245 of the Levelling Up & Regeneration Act (LURA) 2023, which requires all relevant bodies – including Chichester District Council (CDC) – to seek to further the purposes of the South Downs National Park (SDNP). The National Park purposes are:

1) To conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife, and cultural heritage of the area; and
2) To promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of the National Park by the public.

We recognise the current challenges of plan-making, provision for new homes, and the constraints in the Chichester plan-making area. We commend Chichester District Council for the progression of this Development Plan Document seeking to provide a framework for sustainable development in this location.

As raised in our response to the Chichester Local Plan Review 2035 Regulation 19 Consultation and to the Southbourne DPD Regulation 18 Consultation, this is a sensitive stretch of land on the coastal plain between the coast, the south coast railway and the A27. This corridor provides the connection, including intervisibility, between the protected landscapes of the South Downs National Park and Chichester Harbour National Landscape, for example views of the channels within the Harbour from the Trundle and Stoke Clump.

Landscape gap

In our Regulation 18 comments, we welcomed that scenario 2 (land to the east) set out did not encroach into the landscape gap. However, we note that the Framework Master Plan set out in Figure 2 extends notably further to the east and is now proposing to include land for development in the landscape gap.

The landscape gap is identified in the Chichester District Council Landscape Gap Assessment in 2019 and in the 2025 update.

The 2019 assessment says: ‘Development in much of the northern and southern area of the gap would be conspicuous, particularly from the public right of way crossing the gap, and could block characteristic views. The open character of the landscape provides positive views between the settlements across open countryside including across the AONB and to the SDNP. This contributes to the perceived separation of the settlements and their rural settings.’

The 2025 assessment says:
• For the 2019 baseline: ‘The gap narrows near Priors Leaze, creating a visually sensitive area. However, the open character of the land remains preserved.’
• And for the 2025 update: ‘Several planning applications are now consented near the eastern boundary of Southbourne, adjacent to Priors Leaze Lane, and to the south of the gap. While the gap’s core remains open, development proximity has increased, especially around Priors Leaze Lane’ and ‘Any future change should be carefully managed to retain openness and rural character’.

We note that a particular part of proposed area for development appears to result in a very narrow landscape gap, possibly of just a few metres, on Priors Leaze Lane, which risks notably eroding the separation between Southbrook and Priors Leaze Farm and Hambrook.

Wildlife corridors

The SDNPA supports the principle of the Strategic and Parish Wildlife Corridors which are an important connection through this landscape between the South Downs National Park and the Chichester Harbour National Landscape.

The proposed area for development also results in a very narrow Parish Wildlife Corridor at this Piors Leaze Lane location, with the potential for built development on either side which could impact its function due to urbanising impacts such as from lighting.

In our Regulation 18 response, we noted that where the proposed area meets the A259, there is notable pinch point with the adjacent Strategic Wildlife Corridor and we noted that careful design including suitable buffer to the corridor should be required to ensure that development or other activities (such as recreation) that could result in disturbance of habitats and species of the wildlife corridor are avoided. We are pleased to see that the Framework Master Plan shows a buffer area to the Strategic Wildlife Corridor.

Detailed consideration of these two locations and their relationship with the Wildlife Corridors will also be required in relation to the detailed design of any development which comes forward as part of this allocation.

We recognise the current challenges of plan-making, provision for new homes, and the constraints in the Chichester plan-making area. We commend Chichester District Council for the progression of this Development Plan Document seeking to provide a framework for sustainable development in this location.

As raised in our response to the Chichester Local Plan Review 2035 Regulation 19 Consultation and to the Southbourne DPD Regulation 18 Consultation, this is a sensitive stretch of land on the coastal plain between the coast, the south coast railway and the A27. This corridor provides the connection, including intervisibility, between the protected landscapes of the South Downs National Park and Chichester Harbour National Landscape, for example views of the channels within the Harbour from the Trundle and Stoke Clump.

Landscape gap

In our Regulation 18 comments, we welcomed that scenario 2 (land to the east) set out did not encroach into the landscape gap. However, we note that the Framework Master Plan set out in Figure 2 extends notably further to the east and is now proposing to include land for development in the landscape gap.

The landscape gap is identified in the Chichester District Council Landscape Gap Assessment in 2019 and in the 2025 update.

The 2019 assessment says: ‘Development in much of the northern and southern area of the gap would be conspicuous, particularly from the public right of way crossing the gap, and could block characteristic views. The open character of the landscape provides positive views between the settlements across open countryside including across the AONB and to the SDNP. This contributes to the perceived separation of the settlements and their rural settings.’

The 2025 assessment says:
• For the 2019 baseline: ‘The gap narrows near Priors Leaze, creating a visually sensitive area. However, the open character of the land remains preserved.’
• And for the 2025 update: ‘Several planning applications are now consented near the eastern boundary of Southbourne, adjacent to Priors Leaze Lane, and to the south of the gap. While the gap’s core remains open, development proximity has increased, especially around Priors Leaze Lane’ and ‘Any future change should be carefully managed to retain openness and rural character’.

We note that a particular part of proposed area for development appears to result in a very narrow landscape gap, possibly of just a few metres, on Priors Leaze Lane, which risks notably eroding the separation between Southbrook and Priors Leaze Farm and Hambrook.

Wildlife corridors

The SDNPA supports the principle of the Strategic and Parish Wildlife Corridors which are an important connection through this landscape between the South Downs National Park and the Chichester Harbour National Landscape.

The proposed area for development also results in a very narrow Parish Wildlife Corridor at this Piors Leaze Lane location, with the potential for built development on either side which could impact its function due to urbanising impacts such as from lighting.

In our Regulation 18 response, we noted that where the proposed area meets the A259, there is notable pinch point with the adjacent Strategic Wildlife Corridor and we noted that careful design including suitable buffer to the corridor should be required to ensure that development or other activities (such as recreation) that could result in disturbance of habitats and species of the wildlife corridor are avoided. We are pleased to see that the Framework Master Plan shows a buffer area to the Strategic Wildlife Corridor.

Detailed consideration of these two locations and their relationship with the Wildlife Corridors will also be required in relation to the detailed design of any development which comes forward as part of this allocation.

It is noted that the Southbourne DPD Assessment Framework document on page 41 says that: ‘Preliminary LVIA undertaken by the site promoter has identified a potential minor impact in relation to the SDNP’.

The acknowledgement is welcomed in paragraph 5.35 that detailed consideration will also be required in regards key views in relation to the South Downs National Park (SDNP) and the Chichester Harbour National Landscape, and also their settings for the detailed design and layout of the development that comes forward as part of this allocation, and that this will need to be informed by an appropriate Landscape and Visual Impact Appraisal.

This will be key for development proposals to address requirements in the adopted Chichester Local Plan including:
• Policy A13, Criterion 7 which says: development in the broad location will need to ‘Give detailed consideration of the impact of development on the surrounding landscape, including the South Downs National Park and Chichester Harbour AONB and their settings. Development should be designed to protect long-distance views to the South Downs National Park.’
• Policy NE2 which says: ‘Development proposals within the setting of Chichester Harbour AONB and the South Downs National Park should recognise their status as landscape of the highest quality and should be designed to reflect this with the scale and extent of development limited, sensitively located and designed to avoid or minimise adverse impacts on the AONB and SDNP. Development proposals should have regard to the Chichester Harbour AONB Management Plan, the Chichester Harbour AONB Joint SPD and South Downs Partnership Management Plan and South Downs Local Plan.
For large-scale proposals, Landscape and Visual Impact Assessments (LVIAs) may be required. The LVIA should be used to identify, describe and assess the likely significant effects of a project on the landscape (including the direct and indirect change to the landscape’s sensitivity, character and condition) as well as the visual amenity and visual receptors. LVIAs may also be required for small-scale development proposed within the setting of the Chichester Harbour AONB or South Downs National Park. Further guidance should be sought from the relevant Strategy, Management Plan or SPD and/or general national guidance.’

We would encourage early engagement with the National Park Authority on this work.


Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Proposed Submission Southbourne DPD and we wish you well in it’s progression.

We recognise the current challenges of plan-making, provision for new homes, and the constraints in the Chichester plan-making area. We commend Chichester District Council for the progression of this Development Plan Document seeking to provide a framework for sustainable development in this location.

As raised in our response to the Chichester Local Plan Review 2035 Regulation 19 Consultation and to the Southbourne DPD Regulation 18 Consultation, this is a sensitive stretch of land on the coastal plain between the coast, the south coast railway and the A27. This corridor provides the connection, including intervisibility, between the protected landscapes of the South Downs National Park and Chichester Harbour National Landscape, for example views of the channels within the Harbour from the Trundle and Stoke Clump.

Landscape gap

In our Regulation 18 comments, we welcomed that scenario 2 (land to the east) set out did not encroach into the landscape gap. However, we note that the Framework Master Plan set out in Figure 2 extends notably further to the east and is now proposing to include land for development in the landscape gap.

The landscape gap is identified in the Chichester District Council Landscape Gap Assessment in 2019 and in the 2025 update.

The 2019 assessment says: ‘Development in much of the northern and southern area of the gap would be conspicuous, particularly from the public right of way crossing the gap, and could block characteristic views. The open character of the landscape provides positive views between the settlements across open countryside including across the AONB and to the SDNP. This contributes to the perceived separation of the settlements and their rural settings.’

The 2025 assessment says:
• For the 2019 baseline: ‘The gap narrows near Priors Leaze, creating a visually sensitive area. However, the open character of the land remains preserved.’
• And for the 2025 update: ‘Several planning applications are now consented near the eastern boundary of Southbourne, adjacent to Priors Leaze Lane, and to the south of the gap. While the gap’s core remains open, development proximity has increased, especially around Priors Leaze Lane’ and ‘Any future change should be carefully managed to retain openness and rural character’.

We note that a particular part of proposed area for development appears to result in a very narrow landscape gap, possibly of just a few metres, on Priors Leaze Lane, which risks notably eroding the separation between Southbrook and Priors Leaze Farm and Hambrook.

Wildlife corridors

The SDNPA supports the principle of the Strategic and Parish Wildlife Corridors which are an important connection through this landscape between the South Downs National Park and the Chichester Harbour National Landscape.

The proposed area for development also results in a very narrow Parish Wildlife Corridor at this Piors Leaze Lane location, with the potential for built development on either side which could impact its function due to urbanising impacts such as from lighting.

In our Regulation 18 response, we noted that where the proposed area meets the A259, there is notable pinch point with the adjacent Strategic Wildlife Corridor and we noted that careful design including suitable buffer to the corridor should be required to ensure that development or other activities (such as recreation) that could result in disturbance of habitats and species of the wildlife corridor are avoided. We are pleased to see that the Framework Master Plan shows a buffer area to the Strategic Wildlife Corridor.

Detailed consideration of these two locations and their relationship with the Wildlife Corridors will also be required in relation to the detailed design of any development which comes forward as part of this allocation.