Plans for a new depot in Chichester countryside flooded with objections

A planning application submitted to Chichester District Council last month has now drawn the attention of residents who have objected to the plans.

The application included proposals to build maintenance building offices, a 40-foot salt barn, and a ten-vehicle carpark in Stane Street, Boxgrove.

Boxgrove Parish Council has objected to the plans and has led the charge in calling on others to do the same.

A statmement on the parish council website reads: “Highways England have submitted a planning application to erect a Highways depot comprising maintenance building, salt barn and ancillary offices plus parking, landscaping and all associated engineering works. The proposal is for land North Of Town Lane Adjacent Junction With New Road Halnaker.”

It added: “The Neighbourhood Plan team believes that any such development on this land is likely to be the start of development all along this road.

“The development is totally inappropriate for a rural location on agricultural land.”

One objection came from resident David Leah who raised concerns about biodiversity and wrote: “The Ecological Statement states 'the grassland, scrub, hedgerow with trees and line of trees provide breeding habitat for numerous species of birds'. The cereal crop field provides suitable breeding habitat for skylarks; although the field is relatively small, with tall trees along the boundaries providing vantage points for raptor species and guides for terrestrial predator movement.”

He added: “During the construction work period it is doubtful if wildlife will make use of the existing habitat and may even leave the site permanently. The noise, light pollution and general human intervention around the site after completion will almost surely stop any future occupation of the hedgerows.

"Planting of a few small trees and a wildflower meadow is not going to mitigate for the loss of the use of the habitat as at present. The site will be a noisy industrial base not conducive as a breeding habitat.”

The application (23/01279/FUL) was submitted at the beginning of June and a determination deadline has been set for September 27.