The Chichester District Council have recently completed a consultation exercise on how many houses should be built in the District over the next 15 years, and where they should go. We realise that some housebuilding is necessary, as evidenced by the length of the Council's priority housing list, but are concerned about the pressures that yet more population will create on an already stretched infrastructure.

Once the Graylingwell and Rousillon Park developments are complete, we think that the needs of the District are best balance by further housing at Shopwyke Lakes (photo), Tangmere and Southbourne, with a small amount in the north of the District around Wisborough Green. We set this out in a letter to councillors (below) as well as completing the Planning Department's formal response.

Letter to CDC Councillors

The Government also launched a consultation on its proposed simplification of the NPPF. It seems to us that these proposals are in danger of throwing the baby out with the bathwater. The presumption in favour of 'sutainable development', unless carefully defined, could be a developer's charter to cover Britain in concrete, and the abandonment of the priority currently given to brownfield sites would mean that yet more valuable countryside would be swallowed up. The picture of Graylingwell Park reminds us that brownfield sites can sensibly be used for major housing developments.

The National Trust has stated its objections prominently; but we have put in our pennyworth too

Consequences of the proposed NPPF

The Society has joined the Conservation Area Advisory Committee in campaigning against redundant signs and the swarm of A-boards which clutter our streets. We also continue to struggle to keep Chichester District Council to their own guidelines which include painted fascias only, inclusion of street numbers and the banning of hanging signs in main streets and of illumination. We may be losing on the requirement to paint frontages, but the line is being held on hanging signs and illumination. This may seem petty, but consider the awful example shown, from Manchester.

Now that the Business Improvement District has been voted on and implemented, we hope ththat they too can have some influence in these matters.

It's time we had a few more successes in this area. In the public sector, we keep reminding West Sussex County Council that when it's winter, then it rains - and could we have fewer deep puddles to drive through, please? A triumvirate of B's, Bognor Road, Broyle Road and the Broadway are top priority.

And on the private side, a clock that works as well as a restored wishbone to remind Cicestrians of their heritage!

We are very happy to report that the Sussex Partnership Trust who manage the Chapel Street Clinic have put aside their plans to take over the whole building. They have allocated sufficient space on the ground floor for the more important community clinics to continue to operate in the centre of Chichester

The Society is delighted that money has been found to re-paint signposts and looks forward to other upkeep now the BID (above) is in place.