Welcome to the Local Alliance Blog

  Do you like eating out sometimes, and not having to cook? If so, some local places have been gaining some good news coverage:   East Wittering is being recommended to readers in Hampshire while Arundel is gaining more acclaim .  Also, Masala City in Chichester has been named Restaurant of the Year at the 2021 English Curry Awards   Before the Government U-turn, the passage of the Environment Bill featured heavily in the news and led to widespread outcry about so many MPs ( including ours ) voting to allow the continued pumping of sewage into rivers and the sea. Water-related matters were also a significant item of discussion at our latest LA get-together, along with development across the Peninsula, cuts to family services and the impact on elderly people of reductions in intermediate care facilities. Donna managed to get a question in about this to the relevant Cabinet Member at West Sussex, last week, and we await the final decision about the closure of Marj...

Do you remember the hurricane of 1987? This article brought it back to me: it hit on the last night of a break I was having in St Ives. The next day, as I drove home, I could not understand the news coverage until I neared Winchester, then of course I did. Although I don’t think we have had anything quite as bad as that since then, this week has seen high winds and flooding. It is Half Term, so here are some free to enter suggestions that might prove helpful (depending on the weather of course!) Should the weather hold and you fancy getting out, our area has been named as the fifth best place in Britain to explore the countryside . Otherwise Museum of the Moon opens at Chichester Cathedral and there is always the Novium . Next weekend the clocks change and we are then on the countdown to Christmas. With that in mind, here’s the latest to come my way about local Christmas markets . If what you really want for Christmas is a new home, Bognor has been named one of the cheapest ...

  It's official - our City is a happy place: as you can read here , research by Online Mortgage Advisor found that Chichester has taken the top spot in the South East for ‘happiness’ level.  In a similar vein, Petworth has been named by Conde Neste Traveller as one of the prettiest towns in the UK . Regular readers, particularly our independent traders, like to keep abreast of the latest impact of Covid-19 on our area’s economy . You may also be interested in the parts of West Sussex thought to be most at risk of flooding . If this is something you feel strongly about, this petition might interest you . West Sussex currently have a campaign aimed at helping people cope with the effects of the pandemic . They also have a car share scheme for commuters you might find of use. Staying on the subject of cars, CDC are closing Northgate Car Park for three days from 8.30am - 4pm for the Soe Fair from Monday - Wednesday this coming week. The vaccination centre returns to its no...

  This week I have a lot to share with you, starting with a couple of charitable plugs: on the 16th it is Stonepillow’s Big Sleepout . As regular readers will know, they help the homeless and are one of the local charities CDC works with. The day after the Big Sleepout, Parent and Carers Support Organisation are celebrating their 21st birthday with a charitable ball . In other news, The Blacksmiths in Donnington is going to be turned into a house , Chichester may see some new store openings following the closure of New Look, a new street market is coming to the City and wonders from around the world will be presented in half a million LEGO® bricks at an exciting new exhibition coming to The Novium Museum this December. Good news for our District: over 8000 trees will be planted this wint er and Lurgashall was wrongly identified by MyLondon as being in East Sussex when it was voted one of the best places in Britain to live . CDC are taking action to protect green spaces i...

This week I thought I would start off in praise of the RNLI. S elsey’s inshore lifeboat made the news this week after going to the aid of an elderly lone sailor. I know from years of leaflet delivering that many residents support them and have RNLI stickers in their front windows. If you would like to support their work too, click here . In other local travel-related news, a lot of people have commented on proposals for a new cycling and walking route between Emsworth and Chichester , and CDC’s parking team have won a national award for best online services .  I mentioned celebrities living locally last week, so I was pleased to read that another one, Jack Dee, has been singing our area’s praises . As the weather worsens you might want to plan ahead for local Christmas markets , try these highly rated hidden pubs , go back in time or eat out at one of the country's most highly rated gastropubs .  Again, Donna and I have had a busy week Councils and work wise - in fac...