Chichester Live is an independent news and information site for Chichester and this stretch of the West Sussex coast. We report what the public record shows and keep the practical local pages accurate.
Where we cover
Chichester itself, with the villages around it and the harbour to the west, then south down the Manhood peninsula through the Witterings and Selsey. Eastwards we cover Bognor Regis, Felpham and Middleton, and inland Arundel under the Downs. Chichester District Council covers the first group; Arundel and Bognor are in Arun District. Two councils, two planning registers, two sets of bin arrangements, and we name the right one in every story.
The planning picture
This is the part that catches people out. The northern part of the Chichester district lies inside the South Downs National Park, and inside that boundary planning applications are decided by the South Downs National Park Authority rather than by the district council. Coastal and harbour matters bring in other bodies again. When we report a decision we say which authority made it and link to its record, because guessing wrong wastes people’s time.
What we work from
The councils’ planning registers and committee papers, the national park authority’s register, licensing notices, police.uk crime data, HM Land Registry sold prices, Food Standards Agency hygiene ratings, Environment Agency flood and coastal warnings, and company filings in The Gazette. West Sussex County Council runs roads, schools and social care.
Tips and corrections
Email hello@chichesterlive.co.uk with anything we should be covering, an event worth listing, or a correction. Tips are treated in confidence, and corrections are made quickly and noted on the page.
Chichester Live is published by Future Business Media. We are independent of the councils and of everyone else we report on.