Resurfacing plans for city centre need to consider how residents actually use it, District Councillor says

Cllr James Vivian (Lib Dem) made the claim not long after meeting with senior officers from West Sussex County Council to learn more about planned public realm improvement works on North Street and East Street.

As well as resurfacing the pavement, Cllr Vivian said plans might also involve new street furniture, like benches, bike racks and plants, which are designed to make the city centre more pleasant, accessible and pedestrian friendly.

The full plans won’t be revealed until a public consultation period in the near future, the county council has confirmed, but Cllr Vivian pointed out a handful of issues with the early designs. “The way that new benches would be laid out seem to block pedestrian access next to the Cross,” he wrote on Facebook not long after the meeting, adding that proposed plans to install bike racks at the ends of East/ North Street could potentially ignore cyclists who join the thoroughfare from side streets.

He also said that proposals to remove the benches outside Marks and Spencer could impact elderly residents and customers with dogs, who often use them to rest on their way down the high street.

He also drew attention to the city centre’s ongoing problem with accessibility, telling the Chichester Observer: “I think the deterioration of the pavement in general has got much worse over time and residents are getting fed up.

"Since I was elected, a large number of them have had accidents because of the pavement – I’ve spoken to a paramedic who said they see at least one patient a day because if the state of the pavement.

"My hope as a District Councillor is that the County Council’s plans actually reflect how the people use the city centre. I’m quite keen that they take into account where people sit down for lunch, where they park their bike, what the areas of interest are four tourists.”

The County Council is unable to comment on dates and times for the plans until the preliminary designs have been shared as part of a public consultation.