Group calls on Gillian Keegan to do more to stop speculative development of Chichester country

The Chichester MP wrote to Chichester District Council last week to share major concerns over delays to the local plan following a planning application for 150 homes in Birdham, bordering the Chichester Harbour Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Mayday Action Group, which was set up to fight unsustainable developments in the area, thanked Mrs Keegan for her intervention but suggested she was ‘standing idly by’ while several other speculative planning applications remain – including one for 1250 homes in Southbourne.

Part of the letter reads: “Why are you not objecting when CDC Planning Officers approve speculative major planning applications west of Chichester and do not seriously defend appeals?

Thousands more cars are pushed onto the A259 and A27 with no road improvements. No extra doctors and GP surgeries west of Chichester. No new schools or classes. Gridlock on the A27 Chichester by-pass.

“Barely any capacity at Thornham Waste Water Treatment Works to connect new houses.

“Why do you stand idly by, while all these speculative major planning applications get nodded through with no significant infrastructure improvements?

“When will you represent the interests of your constituents, instead of central government?

“When will your government allow local residents to have a say in speculative major planning applications, instead of the developer biased Locality Act 2014, Standard Method algorithm, Local Plan and Neighbourhood Plan process designed to fail local residents?”

The local plan was originally due to be put in place in 2020 before the pandemic, and national planning reforms thwarted its arrival.

Gillian Keegan has been approached for comment.

A spokesperson for Chichester District Council said:Chichester District Council said: “We would like to assure residents across the district that we are working extremely hard on the Local Plan. Our officers have been collating, analysing, and reviewing the 2,400 comments that we received as part of the public consultation, as well as making sure that they are correctly recorded and placed alongside the relevant policy. This is a complex and very involved process which takes time.

“We have to go through each individual response and ensure that any issues are addressed, as well as carry out further background work. Our officers are continuing to work through the issues raised, including meeting with the relevant bodies to seek any clarifications that may be required.

"For example we are working closely with National Highways, West Sussex County Council and other relevant stakeholders to further refine the proposed measures to mitigate the impact of proposed development on the highway network. Liaising with these partners is a crucial part of the plan making process and has to be completed before the new plan is ready to be submitted for examination.

“All of this work, including the comments we have received, will be packaged alongside the plan when it is submitted to the Planning Inspector. We are continuing to work at pace with this important piece of work.

"We had hoped to submit the plan in the summer, but due to the complexity of the issues raised in the representations, we think that it is more likely to be submitted this autumn.

“In the meantime, we continue to apply our current adopted local plan to proposals for new housing and to protect the plan area from inappropriate speculative development. Every planning application is considered carefully by the council.

"As part of this process, we consult with relevant organisations such as Southern Water, West Sussex County Council, the Environment Agency, Natural England and Highways England. If any of these organisations highlight significant problems which cannot be overcome, then an application would be refused.”