Chichester District

Chichester is a local government district in West Sussex, England. Its council is based in the city of Chichester and the district also covers a large rural area to the north.[1]

Chichester District
Chichester shown within West Sussex
Chichester shown within West Sussex
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Constituent countryEngland
RegionSouth East England
Non-metropolitan countyWest Sussex
StatusNon-metropolitan district
Admin HQChichester
Incorporated1 April 1974
Government
  TypeNon-metropolitan district council
  BodyChichester District Council
  LeadershipLeader & Cabinet (Liberal Democrats (UK))
  MPsAndrew Griffith
Jeremy Quin
Gillian Keegan
Area
  Total303.60 sq mi (786.32 km2)
  Rank42nd (of 296)
Population
 (2021)
  Total124,531
  Rank189th (of 296)
  Density410/sq mi (160/km2)
  Ethnicity
98.4% White
Time zoneUTC0 (GMT)
  Summer (DST)UTC+1 (BST)
Websitewww.chichester.gov.uk

History

The district was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, as a merger of the municipal borough (city) of Chichester and the Rural Districts of Midhurst, Petworth and part of the former Chichester Rural District.

Civil parishes

There are 67 civil parishes in Chichester District.[2][3] Apart from the City of Chichester, and the three towns of Midhurst, Selsey and Petworth, most are villages.

Geography

Chichester District occupies the western part of West Sussex, bordering on Hampshire to the west and Surrey to the north. The districts of Arun and Horsham abut to the east; the English Channel to the south. The district is divided by the South Downs escarpment, with the northern part being in the Weald, composed of a mixture of sandstone ridges and low-lying clays known as the Western Weald. To the south the dip slope of the downs falls gently to a flat coastal plain and the sea. The Western Weald is drained by the River Arun and its tributaries including the rivers Lox, Kird and especially the River Rother and its tributaries the River Lod and the Haslingbourne Stream. On the northern boundary Blackdown is the highest point in Sussex, while further east around Loxwood the land is low and quite flat. The south of the district has many permeable chalk and gravel areas and is drained by two winterbournes, the River Lavant and River Ems, which are usually dry in the summer. The large inlet known as Chichester Harbour and the headland of Selsey Bill are conspicuous features of the coast.

The district, apart from the few main roads, is generally rural in character, as can be seen by the number of villages within it. Apart from the coastal strip there are few main roads, and the erstwhile railways which once served Midhurst have long been closed.

Landmarks

Apart from the geographical landmarks Chichester District contains architectural and cultural places including Chichester Cathedral, Chichester Festival Theatre, The Novium and Pallant House Gallery in the city. Stately homes open to the public include Petworth House and Uppark, both National Trust properties, Goodwood House and Stansted Park. West Dean College is open at certain times of the year. There is horse racing at Goodwood Racecourse, the Goodwood Festival of Speed at Goodwood House, and the Goodwood Revival at Goodwood Motor Racing Circuit. Cowdray House is a ruined Tudor mansion near Midhurst. Fishbourne Roman Palace lies west of Chichester city centre. To the north of the city are Weald and Downland Open Air Museum and Halnaker Windmill. There are gardens open to the public at Woolbeding and Pound Commons and West Dean College.

Governance

Chichester District Council
Chichester District Council logo
Type
Type
History
Founded1 April 1974
Leadership
Clare Apel,
Liberal Democrat
since 17 May 2023[4]
Adrian Moss,
Liberal Democrat
since 17 May 2023
Diane Shepherd
since 2012[5]
Structure
Seats36 councillors
Chichester District Council composition
Political groups
Administration (25)
  Liberal Democrats (25)
Green and Local Alliance (6)
  Local Alliance (4)
  Green (2)
Other opposition (5)
  Conservative (5)
Length of term
4 years
Elections
First-past-the-post
Last election
4 May 2023
Next election
6 May 2027
Meeting place
East Pallant House, 1 East Pallant, Chichester, PO19 1TY
Website
www.chichester.gov.uk

Chichester District Council has 36 councillors, representing 21 wards. Chichester itself has five of those wards (North, South, East, West and Central) whilst the remaining wards comprise groups of villages; see Wards of Chichester District. Local elections are held every four years and at the May 2011 and 2015 elections, the Conservative party retained control.[6][7]

In 1999, a leader and cabinet form of governance was introduced.[8] Since then, the composition of the council has been:[9]

Party in control Leader Years
Conservative Jane Chevis 1999–2002
Janet Duncton 2002–2004
No overall control (C minority) 2004–2005
No overall control (LD minority) Andrew Smith[10] 2005–2006
Conservative Myles Cullen 2006–2011
Heather Caird[11] 20112015
Tony Dignum 20152019
No overall control (C minority) Eileen Lintill 2019
Conservative 2019–2020
No overall control (C minority) 2020–2023
Liberal Democrats Adrian Moss 2023–present

Councillors and wards

List of Chichester district councillors by ward:[12]

Ward Councillor Elected Notes
Chichester West Clare Apel 1999 Member of Chichester City Council
The Witterings Iain Ballantyne 2023
Southbourne Tracie Bangert 2019 Cabinet Member for Communities and Wellbeing
Harbour Villages Richard Bates 2023
North Mundham and Tangmere David Betts 2023 Cabinet Member for Housing and Revenues and Benefits
Selsey South Steve Boulcott 2023
Chichester East Bill Brisbane 2021 Cabinet Member for Planning
Elected following a by-election held in June 2021[13]
Westbourne Roy Briscoe 2019
Lavant Joseph Brookes-Harmer 2023
Chichester North Jonathan Brown 2023 Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Environmental Strategy
Previously represented Southbourne (2015–2023)
Midhurst Jess Brown-Fuller 2023 Cabinet Member for Culture and Events
Fernhurst Brett Elise Burkhart 2023
Midhurst Hannah Burton 2023
Chichester East Rhys Chant 2023 Member of Chichester City Council
The Witterings Mark Chilton 2023 Cabinet Member for Finance, Corporate Services and Chichester Contract Services
Chichester North Maureen Corfield 2023 Member of Chichester City Council
Fittleworth John Cross 2023
Petworth Harsha Desai 2023 Cabinet Member for Growth and Place
Loxwood Gareth Evans 2019
The Witterings Elizabeth Hamilton 2019 Previously represented Easebourne (2007–2015) and West Wittering (2015–2019)
North Mundham and Tangmere Charlie Hastain 2023
Southbourne Oona Hickson 2023
Easebourne Francis Hobbs 2015
Sidlesham with
Selsey North
Donna Johnson 2019 Member of West Sussex County Council
Harbour Villages Stephen Johnson 2023
Selsey South Timothy Johnson 2019
Harbour Villages Adrian Moss 2019 Leader of the Council
Previously represented Fishbourne (2003–2011; 2018–2019)
Fernhurst Eleanora Newbery 2023
Harting Tim O'Kelly 2023
Goodwood Henry Potter 2019 Previously represented Boxgrove (2007–2019)
Chichester West Sarah Quail 2023 Member of Chichester City Council
Chichester South Sarah Sharp 2019 Member of West Sussex County Council
Loxwood Charles Todhunter 2023
Chichester Central James Vivian 2023 Member of Chichester City Council
Sidlesham with
Selsey North
Val Weller 2023
Chichester South Tim Young 2023

Economy

West Sussex County Council and Chichester District Council are major employers in Chichester, along with Rolls-Royce Motor Cars assembly plant at nearby Westhampnett. Boatbuilding is an important industry along the coast. Many people from the northern parts of the district commute to work in London, using the A3 road or the railways from Portsmouth to London Waterloo station and Littlehampton to London Victoria station. Fertile soils on the coastal plain are used for arable farming and intensive vegetable production, the latter employing many migrant workers from Eastern Europe. High sunlight levels and a mild climate also make the coastal region suitable for glasshouse growing. A fertile strip of land on the north side of the River Rother is also used for vegetable growing, but most of the area north of the Downs is of low agricultural value and there are large areas of forest and pasture, interspersed with arable cropping.

Football clubs

See also

References

  1. The dignity and privileges of the City of Chichester are vested in its town council, known as Chichester City Council, occupying only 10.6 km² of the total area of the District), which covers over 70 times the area
  2. "Chichester". Office for National Statistics.
  3. "Chichester". Ordnance Survey.
  4. "Council minutes, 17 May 2023". Chichester District Council. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  5. Stephenson, Jo (7 March 2012). "Shepherd moves up to chief". Local Government Chronicle. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  6. "Chichester council elections". BBC. 10 May 2011. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  7. "England council results". BBC. 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
  8. "Chichester District Council – Business Support" (PDF). Audit Commission. August 2002. p. 5.
  9. Colin Rallings; Michael Thrasher (June 2015). "Chichester District Council Election Results 1973-2011" (PDF). The Elections Centre, Plymouth University.
  10. Lawrence Marzouk (18 April 2007). "Control of Chichester hangs in balance". The Argus.
  11. "Leader announces she will not stand at Chichester District Council election". Chichester Observer. 2 April 2015.
  12. "Your councillors". Chichester District Council. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  13. "Declaration of Result of Poll: Chichester District Council Election of a District Councillor for Chichester East Ward on Thursday 24 June 2021".

50.837°N 0.780°W / 50.837; -0.780

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