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Chichester District

Coordinates: 50°50′13″N 0°46′48″W / 50.837°N 0.780°W / 50.837; -0.780
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Chichester District
Non-metropolitan district
Chichester Cathedral and Guildhall
Chichester Cathedral and Guildhall
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
 • MPsJess Brown-Fuller
Andrew Griffith
John Milne
Area
 • Total
303.60 sq mi (786.32 km2)
 • Rank42nd (of 296)
Population
 (2022)
 • Total
126,103
 • Rank189th (of 296)
 • Density420/sq mi (160/km2)
Ethnicity (2021)
[1]
 • Ethnic groups
List
Religion (2021)
[1]
 • Religion
List
Time zoneUTC0 (GMT)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (BST)

Chichester is a local government district in West Sussex, England. It is named after the city of Chichester, which is its largest settlement and where the council is based. The district includes the towns of Midhurst, Petworth and Selsey and surrounding rural areas, including many villages. The district includes part of the South Downs National Park, and Chichester Harbour is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. At the 2021 census the district had a population of 124,531.

The district is on the coast, facing the English Channel. The neighbouring districts are Arun, Horsham, Waverley, East Hampshire and Havant.

History

[edit]

Chichester itself had been an ancient borough, which additionally held city status from 1075 when the Diocese of Chichester moved its seat from Selsey to Chichester.[2][3]

The modern district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 as one of seven districts within West Sussex. The new district covered the whole area of three former districts and parts of a fourth, which were all abolished at the same time:[4]

The new district was named Chichester, after its largest settlement. The medieval territory of the Rape of Chichester had also covered much of the area of the new district.[5] A successor parish was established covering the former borough of Chichester, and Chichester's city status passed to the new parish rather than the wider district. As such, Chichester City Council is a parish council, whilst Chichester District Council has greater powers and covers the much larger area of Chichester District.[6]

Governance

[edit]
Chichester District Council
Chichester District Council logo
Type
Type
History
Founded1 April 1974
Leadership
Clare Apel,
Liberal Democrat
since 17 May 2023[7]
Adrian Moss,
Liberal Democrat
since 17 May 2023
Diane Shepherd
since 2012[8]
Structure
Seats36 councillors
Chichester District Council composition
Political groups
Administration (25)
  Liberal Democrats (25)
Other parties (11)
  Conservative (5)
  Local Alliance (4)
  Green (2)
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 provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by West Sussex County Council.[9] The whole district is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.[10]

In the parts of the district within the South Downs National Park, town planning is the responsibility of the South Downs National Park Authority. The district council appoints one of its councillors to serve on the 27-person National Park Authority.[11]

Political control

[edit]

The council has been under Liberal Democrat majority control since the 2023 election.[12]

The first elections to the council were held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements came into effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:[13][14][15]

Party in control Years
No overall control 1974–1976
Conservative 1976–1995
No overall control 1995–1999
Conservative 1999–2004
No overall control 2004–2006
Conservative 2006–2019
No overall control 2019–2019
Conservative 2019–2020
No overall control 2020–2023
Liberal Democrats 2023–present

Leadership

[edit]

The leaders of the council since 1999 have been:

Councillor Party From To
Jane Chevis[16] Conservative 1999 May 2003
Janet Duncton[17] Conservative 2003 2005
Andrew Smith[18][19] Liberal Democrats 2005 2006
Myles Cullen[20][21] Conservative 2006 2011
Heather Caird[22][23] Conservative 17 May 2011 May 2015
Tony Dignum[24][25] Conservative 19 May 2015 May 2019
Eileen Lintill[26][27] Conservative 21 May 2019 May 2023
Adrian Moss[28] Liberal Democrats 17 May 2023

Composition

[edit]

Following the 2023 election, the composition of the council was:[29]

Party Councillors
Liberal Democrats 25
Conservative 5
Local Alliance 4
Green 2
Total 36

The Local Alliance and Greens sit together as a group, which forms the council's largest opposition group.[30] The next election is due in 2027.

Elections

[edit]
See also: Chichester District Council elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2019 the council has comprised 36 councillors representing 21 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.[31]

Councillors and wards

[edit]

List of Chichester district councillors by ward:[32]

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[33]
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
Member of Parliament for Chichester (since July 2024)
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

Premises

[edit]

The council is based at East Pallant House, on East Pallant in the centre of Chichester. The oldest part of the building was originally a large house, which had subsequently served as the headquarters of the old Chichester Rural District Council prior to the 1974 reorganisation. Large modern extensions have since been added to the building.[34]

Geography

[edit]

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.

Civil parishes

[edit]
Further information: List of civil parishes in West Sussex and List of civil parishes in Chichester (district)
Beach at Selsey, the district's second largest settlement
South Street, Midhurst

There are 67 civil parishes in Chichester District.[35][36] The parish of Chichester holds city status, allowing the parish council to call itself a city council.[6] The parish councils for Midhurst, Petworth and Selsey have each declared their parishes to be towns, allowing them to take the style "town council". Some of the smaller parishes have a parish meeting rather than a parish council.[37]

Landmarks

[edit]

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.

Economy

[edit]

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.[citation needed] 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

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b UK Census (2021). "2021 Census Area Profile – Chichester Local Authority (E07000225)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  2. ^ Report of the Commissioners Appointed to Inquire into the Municipal Corporations in England and Wales: Appendix 2. 1835. p. 715. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  3. ^ Kelly, S.E. (1994). Hobbs, Mary (ed.). Chichester Cathedral: An Historic Survey. Chichester: Phillimore. pp. 1–10. ISBN 0-85033-924-3.
  4. ^ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 31 May 2023
  5. ^ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/551, retrieved 31 May 2023
  6. ^ a b "No. 46255". The London Gazette. 4 April 1974. p. 4401.
  7. ^ "Council minutes, 17 May 2023". Chichester District Council. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  8. ^ Stephenson, Jo (7 March 2012). "Shepherd moves up to chief". Local Government Chronicle. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  9. ^ "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 31 May 2023
  10. ^ "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
  11. ^ "Members". South Downs National Park Authority. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  12. ^ Dunn, Karen (18 May 2023). "New Lib Dem leader at Chichester District Council outlines his administration's priorities". Sussex World. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  13. ^ "Compositions Calculator". The Elections Centre. University of Exeter. Retrieved 26 November 2024. (Put "Chichester" in search box to see specific results.)
  14. ^ Colin Rallings; Michael Thrasher (June 2015). "Chichester District Council Election Results 1973-2011" (PDF). The Elections Centre, Plymouth University.
  15. ^ "Chichester". BBC News Online. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
  16. ^ "Chichester Tories lose leader - but keep control". West Sussex County Times. Horsham. 9 May 2003. p. 16. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  17. ^ Homer, Peter (18 December 2003). "Paltry £6,000 to keep down council tax rises". West Sussex Gazette. Arundel. p. 1. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  18. ^ Marzouk, Lawrence (18 April 2007). "Control of Chichester hangs in balance". The Argus. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  19. ^ "West Sussex Public Services Board, 20 March 2006" (PDF). West Sussex County Council. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  20. ^ "Leading Minimalists on Chichester museum shortlist". Architects' Journal. 8 September 2006. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  21. ^ "Chichester toilets set to close". Sussex World. 20 January 2011. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  22. ^ "Council minutes, 17 May 2011" (PDF). Chichester District Council. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  23. ^ "New Chichester District Council leader changes cabinet". Sussex World. 19 May 2015. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  24. ^ "Council minutes, 19 May 2015". Chichester District Council. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  25. ^ "New Conservative leader at Chichester District Council". Sussex World. 21 May 2019. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  26. ^ "Council minutes, 21 May 2019". Chichester District Council. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  27. ^ Gormley, Connor (16 March 2023). "Leader of Chichester District Council - Midhurst hotel blaze is 'terrible ordeal'". Sussex World. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  28. ^ "Council minutes, 17 May 2023". Chichester District Council. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  29. ^ "Local elections 2023: live council results for England". The Guardian.
  30. ^ "Your councillors by party". Chichester District Council. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  31. ^ "The Chichester (Electoral Changes) Order 2017", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2017/475, retrieved 27 January 2024
  32. ^ "Your councillors". Chichester District Council. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  33. ^ "Declaration of Result of Poll: Chichester District Council Election of a District Councillor for Chichester East Ward on Thursday 24 June 2021".
  34. ^ Historic England. "East Pallant House (Chichester Rural District Council Offices) (Grade II) (1026811)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  35. ^ "Chichester". Office for National Statistics.
  36. ^ "Chichester". Ordnance Survey.
  37. ^ "Parish and town council addresses". Chichester District Council. Retrieved 27 January 2024.

50°50′13″N 0°46′48″W / 50.837°N 0.780°W / 50.837; -0.780

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