Parking increase plan is very disappointing

Last Friday I was invited to the opening of Thomas Bramwell Home & Living in Selsey – a small business selling beautiful homewares and employing a local team of architects and interior designers. The refurbishment of the former Lloyd’s Bank is stunning and it was great to celebrate the owner Bev’s success and the appearance of another wonderful small business on Selsey’s high street.

I’m concerned however that many business owners’ hard work could soon be negatively impacted by a huge hike in parking charges in Selsey and across Chichester. It’s incredibly disappointing that Chichester District Council have set out their intention to significantly increase parking charges for local people and visitors. As well as the aboveinflation rise in charges, the council has proposed new charges on Sundays in coastal and rural car parks that have previously been free to allow people access to our beautiful coastline, attend church or pop to the village shop. I have written to the Leader of the Council expressing my deep concern and would urge all those who want to support our local businesses to respond to the ongoing consultation.

I attended a visit on Friday with the Chichester Harbour Conservancy and concerned residents at Slipper Mill Pond outside Emsworth to discuss water quality. I have always been clear that sewage spills in the Harbour are completely unacceptable and have worked consistently to address this at a local and national level. I echoed calls from Steve Barclay, the Secretary of State for the Environment, who has written to all chief executives of UK water companies setting out the penalties they are liable to if they break the government’s strict new water pollution laws. The Government has also made £60 billion of funding available to drive improvements in water infrastructure.

I continue to hold Southern Water to account, meeting senior leaders regularly for progress updates on the key asks for my campaign to stop the spills. As well as more transparent monitoring,

I’ve made clear I want to end sewage discharges entirely. As we work to that goal I am campaigning for bacteriakilling UV treatment at every discharge point around the Harbour, including Thornham, and better sealing of the network. The people of Chichester expect and deserve so much better, and I will continue to press this issue.