See report (Agenda Item 8, pages 181-190) to Cabinet on 5 January 2016.
RECOMMENDED BY THE CABINET
(1) That the methodology set out in this report be agreed as the basis for seeking development contributions to mitigate the impact of proposed Local Plan development on the A27 Chichester Bypass junctions or to contribute to a wider A27 improvement scheme;
(2) That the text in the Appendix be published as a potential modification to the Council’s forthcoming Planning Obligations Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), for consultation for a six week period from Friday 29 January to Friday 11 March.
Minutes:
Mrs Taylor, (Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning), seconded by Mr Dignum, moved the recommendations of the Cabinet, explaining that the Chichester Local Plan established the principle of seeking developer contributions to mitigate the traffic impacts on the A27 Chichester Bypass that would be generated by the housing development proposed in the Plan. Transport modelling work undertaken to support the Local Plan identified an indicative package of small scale measures for the six junctions on the Bypass. These measures were costed at £12.8 million.
The Council, inpartnership with Highways EnglandandWest Sussex County Council, had commissioned Jacobs(the consultantsthatundertook the 2013Chichester Transport Study) to undertake further traffic modelling work.Theirresulting report setout adetailed methodology to calculatecontributions from development locations towardsthe A27 mitigation package.
The proposed methodology apportioned the remainingcost of the A27mitigation package between the outstanding Local Plan housing developmentsin direct proportionto the level oftraffic impact that each development was expected to have on the Chichester Bypass junctions. Jacobshad used transport modellingto assess thenumber of morning peak hour tripsper day from each proposed Local Plan development that would be expectedto use the A27 Chichester Bypass junctions.
The tablein the appendix showed the financial contributioncalculated foreachof the Local Plan housing developments. The locations that were expected to have the greatest traffic impact on the Chichester Bypass junctions would make the biggest contribution. That meant the Tangmere Strategic Development Location would pay the most, followedby the strategic development at Westhampnett.
It wasnow considered that the use of S278 agreements provided themost appropriate mechanism forfinancing developmentcontributions tothe A27 improvements. This approach would requiresite developers to enter into legalagreements directly with Highways England.
This report sought approval to take forward the proposed approach for seeking A27 contributions to public consultation. This would be for a 6-week period following the Council meeting. Subject to the outcome of the consultation, the intention was to incorporate the A27 contributions as an amendment to the Council’s Planning Obligations Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) – (which had been adopted in the previous item on this agenda).
If this proposed approach for obtaining developer contributions was adopted, it would generate sufficient funding to address the direct traffic impacts of the housing developments proposed in the Local Plan over the period to 2029. Mrs Taylor emphasised that the contributions raised would not be sufficient in themselves to resolve the underlying traffic problems on the A27. However, the contributions would be used either to fund small scale mitigation measures for the A27 junctions, or to contribute towards the Government funded A27 Chichester improvement scheme which Highways England was currently developing.
In answering members’ questions, about the methodology and anticipated challenges from landowners and developers Mr Allgrove emphasised that the legal agreements giving effect to the scheme would be between developers and Highways England, not the Council.
RESOLVED
(1) That the methodology set out in this report be agreed as the basis for seeking development contributions to mitigate the impact of proposed Local Plan development on the A27 Chichester Bypass junctions or to contribute to a wider A27 improvement scheme;
(2) That the text in the Appendix be published as a potential modification to the Council’s forthcoming Planning Obligations Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), for consultation for a six week period from Friday 29 January to Friday 11 March.