Plans go in for a puffin crossing at controversial Chichester junction

Plans to install a puffin crossing at the Norwich Road/Sherborne Road/St Paul’s Road junction have been submitted to the district council by Miller Homes and Vistry Group, the team responsible for the Minerva Heights development.

District councillor Jack Lovejoy (Lib Dem, Chichester North) said: “This is a victory for the residents of East Broyle, who have been demanding this crossing since my mother grew up on the estate in the 70s, and have worked on this tenaciously through the safe crossing campaign in association with the other residents’ associations in the area.

“This is also a victory for common sense; people deserve safe pedestrian infrastructure to enjoy their community rather than being isolated by car traffic.”

The inclusion of the puffin crossing represents a change to the outline application for phase 2 of the Minerva Heights development, which received permission in 2024.

A statement submitted with the application said the crossing ‘represents a significant enhancement to the proposals which will improve the safety of existing and future residents’. The plan is to install the crossing once 150 of the new homes are occupied.

The statement pointed out that traffic capacity was not high enough to make improvements at the junction a requirement. But it added: “It is recognised that the junction is an important walking connection for residents ofthe site towards Chichester, and existing residents residing on the Parklands and West Broyle residential estates.

“Its importance for pedestrian connectivity has been heightened by the relocation of many primary school pupils from the Jesse Younghusband primary school north of the junction to the new primary school on the site.

“An increase in traffic at the junction, whilst being within its vehicular capacity, has heightened the need for an enhanced pedestrian crossing facility at the junction.”

Conversations with councillors and the public made it clear that safety at the junction was a concern.

Mr Lovejoy said: “The developers held a meeting with local councillors back in May – which was the first meeting I attended after being elected to the council – where we collectively told them that we could not support a scheme that didn’t include a serious improvement to the crossing on St Paul’s Road to let residents access theParklands Shops, especially with the upcoming changes to the bus schedule. And they listened to that.

“I look forward to this part of the long-standing issues around St Paul’s Road being put to bed after 50 years.”

To view the application, log on towww.chichester.gov.uk and search for 26/00213/OUTEIA.