Major improvement works is on the cards at busy shopping area in Chichester

Chichester district councillors have supported the use of £600,000 to help pay for the works, adding to money set aside by West Sussex County Council of more than £9m for the project along North Street and East Street.

The improvement work will include the replacement of worn and uneven paving, using high-quality York stone along the sides and Tarmac resin – possibly with wood-chip – along the middle of the streets.

It will also see the replacement of street furniture, the provision of planting and landscaped areas, drainage improvements, and the provision of electric connection points for market traders and events.

Alongside this will be the installation of ducting for high-speed internet under the Chichester Open Digital project, a project which aims to improve mobile connectivity in Chichester city centre.

During a meeting of the cabinet on Tuesday (April 14), members agreed that the £600,000 could be taken from reserves. The final say is expected to be given by the full council in May.

Leader Adrian Moss said some of the paving along the historic streets, which was laid in the 1970s, was ‘frankly dangerous’.

Harsha Desai (Lib Dem, Petworth) agreed, reporting that she knew many people who had been hurt after tripping over broken paving.

Regarding the look of the work – including the Tarmac centre – she added: “I think the aesthetic is really important. While we want to improve the safety of the surface, we also have to remember that it’s an historic city centre.

“I’m from York and if somebody took up the cobbles in the Shambles, for example, there’d be an outcry.”

Work is expected to start in Spring 2027 and should take between 11 and 18 months.

Pedestrian and business access will be maintained at all times, although temporary footpath diversions may be needed.