Plans to turn a former Homebase building in Chichester into a 55,000 sqft Marks & Spencer store have been approved unanimously by the district council.
The application for the site in Barnfield Drive was given the nod by the planning committee on Wednesday (September 9).
Stephen Johnson (Lib Dem, Harbour Villages) said the new store would be ‘good news for residents and the local economy’, while Henry Potter (Con, Goodwood) said the site had been ’empty for too long’, adding: “Let’s do it!”
With planning approval secured, work will be carried out to extend the building and the car park to create a store offering food, fashion, home and beauty ranges.
21 trees will be planted and a steel sculpture of a crocodile will be moved elsewhere on the site to allow for the car park expansion.
Marks & Spencer has three other branches in Chichester. The North Street store and the Food Hall at Portfield retail park will close. The East Street store will become a ground-floor Food Hall only, with options being explored for the re-use of the upper floors.
Phil Marsden, town planning manager at Marks & Spencer, said that having two branches in the city centre on East Street and North Street was ‘highly inefficient and does not allow us to serve our customers effectively’.
He added: “The new store will enable us to retain a full-line presence within Chichester, showcasing the best of M&S in a modern and fit-for-the-future building.”
The council received more than 110 letters supporting the application, though concerns were raised about the impact of the development on the local road networks.
If all goes as planned, the new store is expected to open in the Spring of 2028.
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