Chichester City Council announce objections to Chichester House Plans

The council announced their objection to development proposals on Whyke Road during their scheduled planning and conservation meeting.

The plans would see the construction of two three-bedroom semi-detached houses.

During the meeting the council said: "We strongly object to the plans.

“The proposal’s size, position and proximity to the former Mainline Tavern would block significant light to the Tavern’s south facing windows, resulting in significant harm to the occupants’ amenity and significantly restricting the building’s current use and potential for future use and development.

"The proposal would also result in the loss of any outdoor amenity space associated with the former Mainline Tavern building and would leave it under served with only two parking spaces, limiting the potential nature and quality of any future redevelopment as well as its current use.

“Concern is raised over the amenity of the potential future occupants of the proposed two dwellings.”The rear yard and garden space may not be sufficient to serve the intended occupants of these family homes, both of which effectively offer four-bedrooms.

"The noise and vibration from the adjacent railway line would be very significant, even if it can be brought within the margins of technical acceptability defined within WHO guidelines, as set out in the noise assessment.

"The occupants of these dwellings would also be likely to suffer from the effects of air pollution due to cars idling at the train crossing, which can be closed for significant periods of time when a number of trains pass one after another.

“It would be preferable to consider the use of the whole site in one application, as this would give greater certainty regarding the relative impacts of each part of the site as well as overall access and parking provision.

“The City Council reiterates its previous request for Chichester District Council to urgently address the issue of nitrate mitigation alongside higher levels of government.

"There are two converging issues, the unacceptably high levels of nitrates in the protected Chichester Harbour, contributed to principally by agricultural practices, and the number of new houses which the government requires the District to approve, which also add to nitrate levels.”

To view the application visit Chichester District Council’s planning portal using the reference: 21/03417/FUL