Heavy rain floods Chichester near 1,600 home Whitehouse Farm development

Heavy rain in the city has caused the area and roads around a major housing development in Chichester to flood.

The site west of Chichester known as ‘Minerva Heights’ – or Whitehouse Farm – is set to include 1,600 new homes.

The new development off Old Broyle Road has seen flooding due to torrential rain over the past week.

Nearby residents said the area, even before the heavy rain, has flooded and is affecting not only the development, but other roads nearby.

Resident Andrew Slade said that he was ‘fed up’ of the continued flooding from the development.

He said: “Again I have woken up to flooding outside our house with water running off the development Minerva Heights. This is the fourth flooding in the last year and didn't happen in the previous 20 years.

"Yet again I have managed to clear two of the road drains on my own but the third under the bridge I can't find. I am absolutely fed up with this now, I am a pensioner and shouldn't be expected to clear up this mess caused by builders.”

Another resident, Louise Nation, said water is was running off the development near to Centurion Way, causing flooding under the old railway bridge and into the gardens of the surrounding houses in Newlands Lane every time there is significant rainfall.

"If no remedial action is taken, these issues will only increase,” she said.

“As this section of Newlands Lane is also a public footpath, it becomes impassable for people to access safely due to the depth of water.”

She said to the west of the site ‘contaminated’ water is entering Parklands Country Park, which then ‘flows out of the Harbour which is also concerning’.

"More urgent action needs to be taken in preventing further flooding,” she said.

In response to the recent floods, a spokesperson from developer Vistry said: “We have been made aware of some flooding at Newlands Lane and have requested that our groundworking contractor investigates this and carries out remedial temporary works as soon as possible.

"This temporary solution will remain in place until we complete our drainage works on the development.”