Council members have backed allocating £600,000 toward significant enhancement works across two pedestrianised areas.

The funding will join a West Sussex County Council allocation exceeding £9 million designated for the initiative along North Street and East Street in Chichester.

The enhancement works will encompass the renewal of worn and irregular paving, featuring premium York stone along the edges and Tarmac resin—potentially combined with wood-chip—through the central sections.

Additionally, the project will involve updating street furniture, creating planted and landscaped zones, improving drainage systems, and installing electrical connection points for market vendors and events.

This will be accompanied by the laying of ducting for ultrafast broadband as part of the Chichester Open Digital scheme, which seeks to enhance mobile connectivity throughout Chichester’s central area.

During Chichester District Council’s cabinet gathering on Tuesday (April 14), members approved moving the £600,000 from reserves. The definitive decision is anticipated from the full council in May.

Leader Adrian Moss observed that certain paving installed during the 1970s along these historic thoroughfares was “frankly dangerous.”

Liberal Democrat councillor for Petworth Harsha Desai endorsed this view, noting she was aware of numerous individuals who had sustained injuries after tripping on damaged paving slabs.

Addressing the visual aspect of the works—including the Tarmac centre section—she stated: “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.”

Construction is slated to commence in spring 2027 and should require between 11 and 18 months to complete.

Pedestrian and business access will remain available throughout, though temporary pathway diversions may occasionally be necessary.