Hundreds of flats and shops are to be built in a city-centre redevelopment - despite more than 1,300 objections.

Planners have given the go ahead for 72 flats on an old car park near New Park Road, to the east of the Chichester's east walls.

A further 172 flats will be built in the former Shippams fish and meat paste factory in East Street.

At the New Park Road site, an old swimming pool complex will be demolished and seven blocks of flats will be built.

Four shop units will provide space for a youth information centre and 100 public car-parking spaces will be retained.

The site is thought to contain two Roman ditches built to defend the city walls and possibly burial sites.

English Heritage has requested permission to carry out a survey before any work goes ahead.

More than 1,300 people wrote to the council to object to the plan, saying it would be a mistake to reduce the number of parking spaces in the city.

Tony Dignum, chairman of the Chichester Society, spoke against the planning application at a Chichester District Council meeting yesterday.

He said that at three or four storeys the buildings proposed for the site were too tall and would block out the view of the city walls.

Thursday, August 11, 2005