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.
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.[1] [2]
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:[3]
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.[4] 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.
| Chichester District Council | |
| Coa Res: | 220 |
| Logo Pic: | Logo of Chichester District Council.png |
| Logo Res: | 220 |
| Logo Alt: | Chichester District Council logo |
| House Type: | Non-metropolitan district |
| Foundation: | 1 April 1974 |
| Leader1 Type: | Chair |
| Leader1: | Clare Apel |
| Party1: | Liberal Democrat |
| Election1: | 17 May 2023[5] |
| Leader2 Type: | Leader |
| Leader2: | Adrian Moss |
| Party2: | Liberal Democrat |
| Election2: | 17 May 2023 |
| Leader3 Type: | Chief Executive |
| Leader3: | Diane Shepherd |
| Election3: | 2012[6] |
| Seats: | 36 councillors |
| Structure1: | Chichester_District_Council_composition.svg |
| Structure1 Res: | 260 |
| Structure1 Alt: | Chichester District Council composition |
| Political Groups1: |
|
| Term Length: | 4 years |
| Voting System1: | First-past-the-post |
| Last Election1: | 4 May 2023 |
| Next Election1: | 6 May 2027 |
| Session Room: | East Pallant House.jpg |
| Meeting Place: | East Pallant House, 1 East Pallant, Chichester, PO191TY |
Chichester District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by West Sussex County Council.[7] The whole district is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.[8]
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.[9]
The council has been under Liberal Democrat majority control since the 2023 election.[10]
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:[11] [12] [13]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| 1974–1976 | ||
| 1976–1995 | ||
| 1995–1999 | ||
| 1999–2004 | ||
| 2004–2006 | ||
| 2006–2019 | ||
| 2019–2019 | ||
| 2019–2020 | ||
| 2020–2023 | ||
| 2023–present | ||
The leaders of the council since 1999 have been:[14]
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jane Chevis | 1999 | 2002 | ||
| Janet Duncton | 2002 | 2005 | ||
| Andrew Smith | 2005 | 2006 | ||
| Myles Cullen | 2006 | 2011 | ||
| Heather Caird | 2011 | 10 May 2015 | ||
| Tony Dignum | 19 May 2015 | 21 May 2019 | ||
| Eileen Lintill | 21 May 2019 | 7 May 2023 | ||
| Adrian Moss | 17 May 2023 | |||
Following the 2023 election, the composition of the council was:[15]
| Party | Councillors | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | |||
| 5 | |||
| 4 | |||
| 2 | |||
| Total | 36 | ||
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.[17]
List of Chichester district councillors by ward:[18]
| Ward | Councillor | Elected | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chichester West | data-sort-value="Apel Clare" | Clare Apel | 1999 | Member of Chichester City Council | ||
| The Witterings | data-sort-value="Ballantyne Iain" | Iain Ballantyne | 2023 | |||
| Southbourne | data-sort-value="Bangert Tracie" | Tracie Bangert | 2019 | Cabinet Member for Communities and Wellbeing | ||
| Harbour Villages | data-sort-value="Bates Richard" | Richard Bates | 2023 | |||
| North Mundham and Tangmere | data-sort-value="Betts David" | David Betts | 2023 | Cabinet Member for Housing and Revenues and Benefits | ||
| Selsey South | data-sort-value="Boulcott Steve" | Steve Boulcott | 2023 | |||
| Chichester East | data-sort-value="Brisbane Bill" | Bill Brisbane | 2021 | Cabinet Member for Planning Elected following a by-election held in June 2021[19] | ||
| Westbourne | data-sort-value="Briscoe Roy" | Roy Briscoe | 2019 | |||
| Lavant | data-sort-value="Brookes-Harmer Joseph" | Joseph Brookes-Harmer | 2023 | |||
| Chichester North | data-sort-value="Brown Jonathan" | Jonathan Brown | 2023 | Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Environmental Strategy Previously represented Southbourne (2015–2023) | ||
| Midhurst | data-sort-value="Brown-Fuller Jess" | Jess Brown-Fuller | 2023 | Cabinet Member for Culture and Events Member of Parliament for Chichester (since July 2024) | ||
| Fernhurst | data-sort-value="Burkhart Brett Elise" | Brett Elise Burkhart | 2023 | |||
| Midhurst | data-sort-value="Burton Hannah" | Hannah Burton | 2023 | |||
| Chichester East | data-sort-value="Chant Rhys" | Rhys Chant | 2023 | Member of Chichester City Council | ||
| The Witterings | data-sort-value="Chilton Mark" | Mark Chilton | 2023 | Cabinet Member for Finance, Corporate Services and Chichester Contract Services | ||
| Chichester North | data-sort-value="Corfield Maureen" | Maureen Corfield | 2023 | Member of Chichester City Council | ||
| Fittleworth | data-sort-value="Cross John" | John Cross | 2023 | |||
| Petworth | data-sort-value="Desai Harsha" | Harsha Desai | 2023 | Cabinet Member for Growth and Place | ||
| Loxwood | data-sort-value="Evans Gareth" | Gareth Evans | 2019 | |||
| The Witterings | data-sort-value="Hamilton Elizabeth" | Elizabeth Hamilton | 2019 | Previously represented Easebourne (2007–2015) and West Wittering (2015–2019) | ||
| North Mundham and Tangmere | data-sort-value="Hastain Charlie" | Charlie Hastain | 2023 | |||
| Southbourne | data-sort-value="Hickson Oona" | Oona Hickson | 2023 | |||
| Easebourne | data-sort-value="Hobbs Francis" | Francis Hobbs | 2015 | |||
| Sidlesham with Selsey North | data-sort-value="Johnson Donna" | Donna Johnson | 2019 | Member of West Sussex County Council | ||
| Harbour Villages | data-sort-value="Johnson Stephen" | Stephen Johnson | 2023 | |||
| Selsey South | data-sort-value="Johnson Timothy" | Timothy Johnson | 2019 | |||
| Harbour Villages | data-sort-value="Moss Adrian" | Adrian Moss | 2019 | Leader of the Council Previously represented Fishbourne (2003–2011; 2018–2019) | ||
| Fernhurst | data-sort-value="Newbery Eleanora" | Eleanora Newbery | 2023 | |||
| Harting | data-sort-value="O'Kelly Tim" | Tim O'Kelly | 2023 | |||
| Goodwood | data-sort-value="Potter Henry" | Henry Potter | 2019 | Previously represented Boxgrove (2007–2019) | ||
| Chichester West | data-sort-value="Quail Sarah" | Sarah Quail | 2023 | Member of Chichester City Council | ||
| Chichester South | data-sort-value="Sharp Sarah" | Sarah Sharp | 2019 | Member of West Sussex County Council | ||
| Loxwood | data-sort-value="Todhunter Charles" | Charles Todhunter | 2023 | |||
| Chichester Central | data-sort-value="Vivian James" | James Vivian | 2023 | Member of Chichester City Council | ||
| Sidlesham with Selsey North | data-sort-value="Weller Val" | Val Weller | 2023 | |||
| Chichester South | data-sort-value="Young Tim" | Tim Young | 2023 | |||
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.
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.
There are 67 civil parishes in Chichester District.[20] [21] The parish of Chichester holds city status, allowing the parish council to call itself a city council. 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.[22]
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.
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.