Chichester Observer
Housebound fears from bus proposals
Plans to merge two Chichester bus routes into a ‘higher frequency’ city centre service have sparked concern among East Broyle residents. West Sussex County Council invited feedback on proposals to introduce a new subsidised bus route and said the...
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Volunteer watches container wash in
Volunteers and authorities sprung back into action to deal with a new unfolding shipping container situation in Selsey and further afield. A container, which landed at Selsey, has been partially recovered. It is hoped the rest will be recovered this...
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Tribute: ‘Life will never be the same’
The family of a Chichester man who died after a collision in Hampshire, said the ‘world will continue to exist’, but it will ‘always seem that something crucial is lost and missing’. Patrick Dane died at the scene of an A31 collision, near New...
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Man, 34, dies after collision tragedy
A Chichester man has died and two people were fighting for their life after a collision. Three others suffered serious injuries after the major incident, near New Alresford, Hampshire, shortly before 12.45pm on Saturday. Officers from the Hampshire...
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Marking 74 years of county’s history
A piece of West Sussex history was formally recognised this month, with the unveiling of a blue plaque at North Lodge in Chichester. Members gathered at the Georgian property to commemorate the 74 years – from 1948 to 2022 – that North Lodge served...
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‘Fabulous’ volunteers praised for clean-up
As a volunteer group scaled down its hands-on operations to deal with an environmental ‘disaster’ in the Chichester district, the work of all those who pitched in has been praised. A major clean-up operation, to recover debris and containers shed from...
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Containers shed bananas on beach
A major clean-up was underway this week after shipping containers washed up at Selsey, Bognor and Pagham, shedding bananas across the beaches. West Sussex County Council said a ship shed 16 containers into the Solent on Saturday evening and nine came...
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Newcitycaféisa ‘dream come true’
A café championing young adults with learning disabilities has officially opened in the city. Located at 9 Boardwalk, Chichester. the Boardwalk Café is run by Together Our Community, known as TOC, a local organisation that supports young people aged...
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Crowd watches heroes light up city
Hundreds gathered in Chichester city centre on Saturday 22 November to watch this year’s Light Up Chichester celebration and the official switch-on of the city’s Christmas lights. Despite the persistent rain, Chichester proved its festive spirit knows...
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Heroes chosen to switch on lights
Chichester BID is delighted to announce that this year’s Light Up Chichester local heroes are Wendy Wheelan, a volunteer marshall for the city’s Junior Parkrun, and seven-year-old Samuel “Supersam” Bezants whose remarkable courage and positivity have...
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City pays its respects with parade
Chichester came together to pay their respects to those who made the ultimate sacrifice during a parade on Remembrance Sunday. Chichester City Council gave a ‘heartfelt thank you’ to everyone who took part in the parade on Sunday (November 9) – and to...
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Historic panels found a new home
A set of paintings which were created when Henry VIII was on the throne will soon have a new home in Chichester. The Worthy Women, also known as The Amberley Panels, are painted on oak and show eight heroines of antiquity. They date from c1526 and are...
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1,300 homes plan display
Approved plans to build 1,300 new homes and a primary school in Tangmere have been described as a ‘potential award-winningdevelopment'. A new period of community engagement has started after the Vistry Group was given permission to build the homes. An...
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LAND BANK AT FARM
A new partnership has been formed at a hamlet in the Chichester district, to launch one of the UK’S largest biodiversity offset schemes. Halnaker Hill Natural Capital (HHNC), and property consultancy Bidwells, have joined forces to market more than...
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Road closed for day
A section of the A27 near Chichester was closed from Monday evening (October 13) to Tuesday evening after a car fire. A diversion was put in place after the major road was closed westbound between the A259 Fishbourne Roundabout and the A259 Emsworth...
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Chichester Observer’s eight-page tribute to city’s national treasure
Dame Patricia Routledge, a giant of stage and screen, who made Chichester her home for so many years, has died at the age of 96. She was best known for playing Hyacinth Bucket in TV sitcom Keeping Up Appearances, but was proudest of a remarkable...
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‘HEAVEN HAS GAINED A STRIKER’ RIP BILLY
Billy Vigar passed away in hospital last Thursday morning, five days after sustaining a significant brain injury in a match at Wingate and Finchley FC. The worst news was confirmed on Thursday evening by Chi City, who passed on a statement from his...
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Weekend of fun for all at Revival
The 2025 Goodwood Revival brought another outstanding motorsport season at Goodwood to a close this weekend. Three days of racing, style, and celebration from Friday, September 12 to Sunday, September 14 rounded off the season. This year’s Revival...
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Roman coffin set to be renovated
A 4th century Roman lead coffin will undergo restoration work thanks to funding from Chichester District Council. The coffin, which is housed at The Novium Museum, in Tower Street, was uncovered in 1985 during excavations in the Westgate part of the...
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Observer mourns former editor
One of the Observer's most respected former editors, Graham Brooks, has died at the age of 95. He led the Chichester Observer, Bognor Regis Observer, Midhurst and Petworth Observer, and their sister newspapers for many decades before he retired in the...
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NEW PLANS
The empty House of Fraser site in Chichester could be transformed into a series of separate commercial units and flats, according to a new public consultation. The site, on West Street, has been empty since January 2019, when House of Fraser was...
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Water works
A wastewater treatment works is set to get a major upgrade to help protect shellfish water quality in Chichester Harbour. Thornham works is part of a £15.8 million project, with Portswood in Southampton, to boost wastewater treatment. The contract...
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Hotel protest
Anger at the use of hotels costing taxpayers tens of millions of pounds to house asylum seekers led to protests at sites across the UK on Friday including in Chichester. The demonstration took place at the Chichester Park Hotel at Madgwick Lane,...
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Bus to bring support to communities
Isolated rural communities across West Sussex are set to benefit from bespoke, professional dementia support, thanks to a new Wayfinding Dementia Advice project launched by Sage House, in Tangmere. It all revolves around the Wayfinding Advice Bus; a...
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Man seriously injured in altercation
A man has been taken to hospital with stab wounds after an altercation in Chichester, Sussex Police have said. A police spokesperson said: “Police and emergency services responded to a report of an altercation outside an address in Exton Road,...
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GET INVOLVED!
Has your business shown an outstanding contribution to the community, expanded in these difficult times or shown great innovation? Do you know a business or individual that deserves to be recognised at the city's most prestigious awards? The...
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The FOS central feature is revealed
Today (Thursday) the Goodwood Estate will host the 2025 Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard. Here is a preview of what’s to come: Central Feature Celebrating 60 years of automotive design and engineering, Gordon Murray Automotive will take...
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Rides, snakes, cars and fun at Gala
Chichester’s annual gala returned to Priory Park on Saturday (June 28) and, with warm weather, live music and lots to do, went down a treat with locals and visitors alike. Kicking off at 11am, and continuing until 9pm, this year’s event boasted an...
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Hundreds turn out for Midnight Walk
Last Saturday, June 14, more than 750 local supporters took to the streets of Chichester for the annual St Wilfrid’s Moonlight Walk – a special, memorable evening that raises money to help fund end-oflife care for people across the local...
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St Richard returns for Sussex Day
Sussex Day, held each year on 16 June, is the translated feast day of St Richard – the Patron Saint of Sussex and a Bishop at Chichester Cathedral in the 13th century. To honour the occasion, Chichester Cathedral has created a short film imagining St...
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GREEN LIGHT FOR 1,300 HOMES
Plans to build 1,300 homes in Tangmere have been given the go-ahead by Chichester District Council. The outline application for land between the A27 and Copse Farm, in Tangmere Road, has taken almost five years to prepare and consider. Known as the...
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Flying Duchess in skydive for charity
The Duchess of Norfolk took to the skies to raise money for Walberton children's charity The Sussex Snowdrop Trust last week. We were having lunch together on a beautiful terrace overlooking the South Downs last year when my hostess, Chica Norfolk,...
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Pride brings colourful city parade
Chichester held its vibrant Pride celebrations on Saturday, May 24. The city welcomed visitors and residents alike to watch the parade, which started at Priory Park and followed a route down Guildhall Street before turning left onto North Street,...
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Gents ride in to city
The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride returned to Chichester centre on Sunday (May 18). The popular yearly event sees motorcycles of a variety of makes and models pass through the historic city centre at the end of their annual ride, The Ride is both a...
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Cheers as solar farm plan refused
There were cheers, hugs and the handing out of lettuce after Chichester District Council refused plans for a solar farm in Runcton. The application to place rows of panels on two parcels of land next to Lime Kiln Barn, in Runcton Lane, was rejected by...
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Opening until 1am
A bar in Chichester is to be allowed to stay open until 1am at weekends, serving alcohol until 12.30am. An application from Jungle Junction, an Indian restaurant and lounge/bar in St Pancras, was considered by the district council’s licensing...
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Rock star’s surprise for star gazers
The South Downs Planetarium and Science Centre in Chichester was one of only eight venues across Europe invited to participate in the Hubble Space Telescope’s 35th anniversary celebration. To mark the occasion, guests saw a special show of the images...
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Arrests at rave
Illegal raves ‘put lives at risk’ and ‘will not be tolerated’ a Sussex Police spokesperson has said, after a music event led to 25 arrests. The unlicensed event, which was attended by approximately 2,500 people, took place in Charlton Forest, near...
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Beach hub revealed
West Wittering Beach is proud to announce the completion of its brand-new, purposebuilt Lifeguard, Safety and Facilities Hub, marking a significant investment in visitor safety and amenity. The modern and thoughtfully designed building will...
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Classes protest about sea sewage
The students of Kingfisher and Golden Eagle class from Birdham Church of England School took to the streets of Chichester to conduct a Peaceful Protest in support of Surfers Against Sewage to stop sewage from being dumped in the sea. Part of the...
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Bumper year
It’s going to be a bumper year for the Festival of Chichester as it unveils this week its biggest programme in years, packed full of events all celebrating the great city we are privileged to live and work in. Festival of Chichester chairman Phil...
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Arch is back to its best
A five-year long project to restore an arch marking the entrance to a Chichester walking/ cycling path has been completed. The arch at the southern end of Centurion Way, a 9km long path running along the disused railway route from Chichester into the...
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Capsule marks extension project
Rolls-royce is upholding a longstanding tradition of creating a time capsule as part of a major construction project – in the marque’s case, the landmark extension now under construction at the Home of Rolls-royce, which represents the largest single...
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Mum’s bid for £10k epilepsy machine
A Chichester mum has embarked on a quest to install a life-changing EEG machine after her two-year-old daughter was diagnosed with epilepsy last year. Michaela Glynn, 32, said the machine could make a huge difference not only to her own daughter’s...
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Pub in ruins
Residents, regulars and landlords have spoken up about their heartbreak after The Gribble Inn, a pub in Oving, went up in flames for the second time in just over ten years. Firefighters were called to a ‘significant’ blaze at the pub, on Gribble Lane,...
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Lights, camera action at the canal
Thousands of people enjoyed colourful, fun and free entertainment when spectacular laser light shows returned to Chichester Canal Basin on Friday and Saturday night. The shows were organised by Chichester District Council in partnership with the...
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£900k given out in grants
More than £900,000 of grant funding has been allocated to businesses and community groups across the Chichester District between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025 for projects that support economic growth, community infrastructure, people and...
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Theatre’s new season is revealed
This summer’s Chichester Festival Theatre productions, announced today and running from April to October, will be: •Tom Rosenthal in THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR by Nikolai Gogol, a new adaptation by Phil Porter, directed by Gregory Doran, April 25May 24,...
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‘POINTLESS’
Work to turn Westgate Roundabout, in Chichester, into the country’s third Dutch Style Roundabout is coming to an end later this month – but residents say it’s a “total mess”. "It has taken forever to construct and money should be spent elsewhere,...
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Cathedral’s 950-year celebrations
This week saw the official launch of Chichester950, the year-long celebrations to mark Chichester Cathedral’s 950th anniversary. To kickstart the celebrations, hundreds of people – including city councillors, district councillors, members of the...
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£14m upgrade
Two of Southern Water’s treatment works near Chichester have had major work carried out to improve water quality and reduce storm overflows. The Lavant works have had £7.6m worth of work, which includes a new storm tank being installed and a new...
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Funds are awarded to our charities
Independent family-owned brewery and hospitality business Hall & Woodhouse has revealed the 20 volunteer-led community organisations to win Hall & Woodhouse Community Chest Awards for 2024. The annual awards are run in the eastern area with the...
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Campaigners call for flood details
The Save Our South Coast Alliance (SOSCA) is appealing for information about flooding just days after a burst mains pipe saw a fleet of Southern Water sewage tankers take to the Manhood Peninsula over the new year. The burst led to serious flooding on...
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Runner is reunited with life-savers
A Chichester man who collapsed in cardiac arrest after completing Bognor Regis Parkrun is now urging others to learn how to save a life. David Knowles, 57, made the plea after being reunited with the ambulance crew who came to his aid. The former...
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Sneak peek at charity’s new home
Together Our Community (TOC), a local charity based in Chichester, opened the doors to their new ‘work in progress’ building giving the young people they support an early viewing of the planned facilities. TOC provide opportunities for young people...
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House targets
Arundel and South Downs MP Andrew Griffith and Chichester MP Jess Brownfuller have both spoken out about the impact new national planning policies will have on our communities. South Downs MP calls Government decision to increase South East housing...
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The Princess Royal visits Rolls-royce
Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal made her first official visit to the Home of Rolls-royce Motor Cars at Goodwood, near Chichester, in West Sussex, as part of the marque’s 120th anniversary celebrations. She was briefed on the extension plans for...
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950 bulbs for 950 years of Cathedral
Volunteers and estates staff helped plant 950 bulbs near Chichester Cathedral last week, in anticipation of the building’s 950th anniversary next year. The bulbs were planted on the Cathedral’s historic West Doors in a ‘joyous event’ uniting...
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Appeal is won
Cathedral receives record numbers and praise ahead of 950th anniversary celebrations Over 29,000 visitors experienced Chichester Cathedral’s exhibition, Mars, this autumn. The installation captivated a diverse audience, including worshippers,...
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Campaigners call for climate vote
Residents in Chichester are calling on local MP Jess Brown-fuller to vote for a landmark piece of environmental legislation at its second reading on 24 January 2025. On Friday, campaigners gathered at The Cross with banners and placards to encourage...
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Remembering those who sacrificed
On Sunday, November 10, Chichester City Council organised a Remembrance event that saw over 1,000 residents and visitors gather to observe the march, service, and two-minute silence. The event was a poignant tribute to those who have served and...
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Hundreds sign solar farm petition
A petition opposing plans for a solar farm between Runcton and South Mundham has been presented to Chichester District Council. The 687-name petition was delivered on Thursday, October 31, by members of SMARTFFF – South Mundham and Runcton Trustees –...
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Tickets snapped up for spire visits
Chichester Cathedral Spire Visits have been deemed a ‘success’ following tickets selling out. On September 10, Chichester Cathedral introduced Spire visits, offering visitors the chance to take in views across Chichester and beyond. Led by volunteer...
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Fun galore at annual one-day fair
Wet and windy weather couldn’t keep the crowds at bay on Monday, as the annual Sloe Fair returned to Chichester once again Taking place in Northgate Car Park, the fair takes place for one day only every October, and draws in visitors from all over the...
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Readers capture Northern Lights
Residents all over the UK were out in their gardens snapping pictures of the Northern Lights on October 10, as the nighttime phenomenon hung once again over British skies – and Chichester and Bognor Regis were no exception. Lighting up the sky in hues...
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Pop-up shop becomes permanent
An up-and-coming business will continue to grow and thrive in Chichester’s Crane Street, thanks to a district council scheme. Kateryna Kryvokhat' kofurlong runs ‘The Guilty Cyclist’, and has been open in 7a Crane Street, Chichester, as part of...
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Bus station set to go
Chichester councillors have brought long-awaited plans to build a new bus depot in the city one step closer. During a meeting of the district council on Tuesday (October 1) they agreed the current depot and bus station, on Basin Road, should be...
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