Chichester yoga studio and café plans given the green light

Plans for a new yoga studio and café in Chichester's city centre have been approved.
The units at Gordon House, Church Square. Photo from the planning applicationThe units at Gordon House, Church Square. Photo from the planning application
The units at Gordon House, Church Square. Photo from the planning application

The proposal to adapt two units of Gordon House at Church Square, Eastgate was submitted to Chichester District Council in October (19/02171/FUL).

The units were previously home to the popular Forum café, which closed in 2018.

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The now-approved plans will see one of the units transformed into a small yoga studio while the other will become a connected café, with the two spaces divided by an acoustic curtain.

Chichester District Council's decision notice read: "The yoga studio hereby permitted shall only be in operation between the hours of; Mondays to Fridays 8am to 7pm; Saturdays 10am to 5pm; Sundays and Bank holidays 10am to 5pm."

According to the applicant, Chichester is currently ‘desperately underserved’ for yoga studios, despite the growing popularity of the activity. A yoga studio at this location will also help ‘bolster the struggling retail industry’, according to the application, which noted that a café alone is unlikely to be sustainable.

It added: “Forum, the most recent tenant, was well-loved and attended, but current business rates make it difficult for independent companies to survive.

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"A small yoga studio such as this typically has less pedestrian traffic flow and a lower noise level than a cafe. It does not put any additional strain on the facilities nor infrastructure in any way.

"It is expected that some of those attending yoga classes will arrive before or stay after their sessions to make use of the connected cafe, so arrival and departure activity will likely be staggered."

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