An all-weather path across Oaklands Park to Oaklands Way and Broyle Road has its money, and tenders are next. It will not be lit: why, and what it costs.
A walking, wheeling and cycling path across Oaklands Park now has the money to be built. Chichester District Council agreed on Tuesday 22 September to release £155,000 towards it. That closes the gap on a scheme costed at £374,000.
The council says it will invite tenders shortly. It aims to finish the path in spring 2027.
Where it goes
The main path runs north to south across the park, from the Rugby Club car park to Oaklands Way. The Cabinet report puts its northern end at Wellington Road. A second, east to west path will run north of Chichester Festival Theatre to Broyle Road.
The council’s announcement says the path is meant to link north-east Chichester with the city centre. It lists these as places that get easier to reach:
- Chichester Festival Theatre and its café
- the new children’s playground in the park
- Chichester Rugby Club and its pitches
- in future, the University of Chichester, via the park
The route map attached to the Cabinet report shows two surfaces along the core route: self-binding gravel on some sections and asphalt on others.
Why it is needed
The route across the park “is not currently passable all year round”, said Councillor Jonathan Brown, the council’s Cabinet Member for Environmental Strategy. “The new path will enable people to travel easily along it even in winter.”
The rugby club told the council that the path would let wheelchair users reach the pitches in winter, when the ground can be too muddy now. That is recorded in the Cabinet report.
What it costs, and why it went up
The council first set aside £191,000 from its reserves, when Cabinet approved the project in January 2026. A highways consultancy then drew up costed plans. Those came to £374,000 plus VAT.
The Cabinet report sets out how the total is covered:
- £191,000 from the council’s general fund reserves
- £28,000 left from an earlier Business Rates Pool grant, which has so far paid for the design
- £155,000 from the Community Infrastructure Levy, the charge the council levies on new development to pay for infrastructure
The £374,000 includes £110,000 of contingency and “optimism bias”. The report says some of that money will probably go unspent and return to the levy fund.
Officers explained the rise at the Cabinet meeting on 1 September, according to the printed minutes. The path has to meet Local Transport Note 1/20, the Department for Transport’s cycle design guidance. That raised the specification for the width, the surface and the gradients. The crossing point at the car park needed extra design work. Mature trees along the route need specialist root protection.
It will not be lit
Councillor Chant asked at Cabinet whether the path would have lighting. The minutes record that a Chichester City Council consultation on places that feel unsafe after dark had highlighted Oaklands Park. Poor lighting there could affect how safe people feel at night.
Lighting is not part of the scheme. Councillor Brown said wildlife, particularly bats, made lighting more complicated. He added that the path would not rule out a separate lighting and safety project later.
Who was asked
The council ran a public engagement exercise in the park from 26 to 28 May 2026. Officers spoke to 110 park users, and the report says all of them supported the path.
The report says these groups have been involved since the start and are “highly supportive”:
- Chichester Festival Theatre
- Chichester Rugby Club
- Chichester Tennis Club
- Chichester Football Club
- Friends of Oaklands Park
It records one objection. No further consultation is planned.
How it fits with Oaklands Way
West Sussex County Council is working on its own active travel project for the north side of Oaklands Way. A developer is also committed, under a planning agreement, to build a Toucan crossing on Oaklands Way. The Cabinet report says the three will be linked to connect the city centre with north-east Chichester.
The path forms part of Route B in the council’s Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan for the city.
What it means for you
- Nothing changes in the park yet. The next step is a tender for a “design and build” contract. No contractor has been appointed and no construction date has been set.
- The target is spring 2027. That is the council’s aim, not a contract date.
- If you use the park after dark, the new path will not be lit.
- The £155,000 comes from levy payments on new development, the rest from council reserves and grant.
For other changes around the city, see our planning news page and the Chichester roadworks and travel page.
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