Big business
It is gratifying to read that the justice system proposes to honour Chichester with its presence for a further year. It’s a pity this isn’t a fuller commitment when it’s clear from your other pages that this is one business in town with no shortage of customers.
Civil justice is also in crisis. Small claims should be dealt with reasonably locally. That is an access to justice issue for local people.
As we all know, the House of Fraser site has been empty for several years – but at least is kept presentable. The former County Court complex occupying much of Southgate, a gateway to the city, is a disgrace and shows the contempt of the state bureaucracy ‘blob’, in this case HM Courts and Tribunals Service, for this city and the communities it is supposed to serve. This is the epitome of the ‘broken windows’ theory: if that’s the Ministry of Justice’s approach, many others won’t bother either.
This is what the end of the Roman Empire was like – civic structures lying literally in ruins leaving the populace to shift for itself. Hopefully this can be resolved in less than 1,500 years.
Of course, the City Council does not control such things. But it should have prestige and influence, if it deigned to use it, and should be thinking strategically. Unfortunately, however, there are too many councillors locally following their personal hobbies. Most of them have
the best of intentions, but in fact have presided over many years of decline. We have an excellent MP and many other high quality councillors across the local authorities, many of whom are already engaging with other agencies – let’s join the dots for Chichester.
I am delighted to be campaigning in Chichester Central for a return to the councils and look forward to maximum debate about the future of our city, in these
‘It should be a beacon of hope for wildlife on the coastal plain’
pages and throughout the community, between now and May.