Residents and businesses invited to help shape the area's future
Residents, businesses, community groups and organisations are being invited to help shape the future of the Chichester area as work begins on a new local plan that will guide development across the Chichester plan area until 2045.
Chichester District Council is encouraging people to get involved at the very start of the process by sharing their views between 7 August and 25 September at www.chichester.gov.uk/localpla....
Chichester District Council is one of 39 councils across England that must begin preparing a new local plan as a result of government planning reforms that came into force in March this year despite having adopted its current local plan less than a year ago. The changes require affected councils to prepare plans under a revised national system and a new timetable, in order to meet increased housing targets.
One of the most significant changes is that some planning policies currently set through local plans will, in future, be set nationally. This is intended to create a more consistent planning framework across the country while allowing local plans to focus more clearly on local priorities.
The consultation marks the first stage in preparing the new local plan for the Chichester plan area, covering all parts of the district outside the South Downs National Park. The South Downs National Park Authority prepares its own Local Plan for areas within the National Park.
Councillor Bill Brisbane, Cabinet Member for Planning at Chichester District Council, said: We're at the very beginning of preparing a new local plan for the Chichester plan area, and this is a good opportunity for local people, businesses and organisations to help shape its direction from the outset.
"The decisions made through this plan will influence how our area develops over the coming decades. It will help determine where homes and employment opportunities should be located, what additional infrastructure will be needed, how we respond to climate change, and how we protect and enhance the places that people value most.
"At this stage, we're not consulting on specific development sites. Instead, we want to hear about the issues, opportunities and challenges facing the district, as well as what matters most to our communities.
"Whether it's protecting our environment, supporting local businesses, improving infrastructure, meeting local housing needs, or safeguarding the unique character of our city, towns and villages, we want to hear people's views. The earlier people get involved, the greater opportunity they have to help shape the plan."
A local plan is one of the council's most important strategic documents. It sets out a long-term vision for how an area will grow and develop, balancing the need for new homes, jobs, infrastructure and community facilities with the protection of landscapes, biodiversity, heritage assets and local character.
As communities change and grow, the local plan helps ensure that development takes place in a coordinated and sustainable way. It also helps secure the infrastructure and services needed to support thriving communities, including schools, healthcare facilities, transport improvements and recreational spaces.
The council's existing local plan and Site Allocation Development Plan Document will remain in place and continue to guide planning decisions until a new local plan is adopted.
The council is particularly keen to hear what people value most about their local area, the challenges they believe the Chichester plan area will face in the future, the issues that should be prioritised, and how they would like to be involved as the plan develops.
For more information, please visit: www.chichester.gov.uk/new-loca...
The consultation closes on 25 September.