Welcome to the Local Alliance Blog

  We hope you are managing in this continued cold weather, particularly as more may be on the way. This has been a significant week for our District because, on Tuesday, we had a Special Full CDC to consider the Local Plan, which outlines where development is expected to take place, locally, for the next five years. This has been delayed by several years, as it was originally planned to come to Council shortly after Donna and I were elected in 2019. The passage of time has helped demonstrate the concerns we have been repeatedly raising since then, about the effects of climate change, overwhelmed infrastructure and the negative impact of development on our tourism dependent economy. Selsey and most parts of the Peninsula have zero new allocations when once they were earmarked for hundreds more houses. The Spatial Development Strategy specifically commits to "Reinforcing the role of Manhood Peninsula as a home to existing communities, tourism and agricultural enterprise."  Afte...

  In last week’s post we talked about dark stuff - yep, the proliferation of potholes (which are hard to avoid on darkened days) and sewage. Based on your response, we can confidently say that both subjects are of interest and concern to many of you. Of course both have been worsened by the recent heavy rainfall, a symptom, sadly, of our changing climate. Last weekend I drove from Selsey to Hunston in daylight and was saddened by how many there are now.  This article is about a now-filled one (yes, some Councils do manage to do that) might interest you because a cyclist was able to park their bike in it. Adrian Chiles has become a pothole activist. Report potholes here.   Another concern caused by the heavy rainfall we mentioned last week is the release of sewage on our beaches . We questioned Southern Water at the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting on Tuesday (in advance) asking what, in concrete terms, Southern Water plan to do about the outflows and by when, as w...

It’s the second full week of 2023 already, which means that Blue Monday is only a week away. This is normally the day with the highest absence from work as post-Christmas blues, the longer wait many people have to be paid and dark, less inviting days take their toll. This year may sadly prove to be particularly heightened because of the cost of living crisis.  Climate change is an increasing worry, and the extent to which it impacts on us all - the increasing intensity of rainfall is really affecting us on the peninsula.  An impact you may not be aware of, is on arable farming: wheat alone provides 20% of the calories we eat each day. There has been a wheat gene discovery that might offset the effects of a warming climate, which you can read about here, If you have not heard, snow may be on the way (Tuesday?) The heavy rainfall, I’ve just mentioned, that we have had in recent weeks is playing havoc with our local roads. On the Peninsula, there are more potholes and this winte...

Happy new year - we hope the Festive period brought you some joy and a well earned rest. It is many people’s favourite time; everything stops and the period between Christmas and New Year can feel like a week of Sundays. Not everyone has the luxury of the ‘twixmas’ period off, though - so thanks to all who continued to work throughout Christmas and New Year. I collected some interesting reads over the holidays, none of which (in view of the cost of living crisis) are behind a paywall: - Parts of Sussex, based on burglary rates, are some of the safest places in England.   As its Veganuary, the story of how it began (less than a decade ago.)   More than 1 in 10 species could be lost by the end of century, a study has warned. Somewhere that might be on several peoples’ bucket lists, is a trip to Antarctica. Tangemere was the inspiration for an Alfred Hitchcock film. Slow Gardening In 2023: What Is It and How To Embrace It.   More locally, in case you missed them: - St Richar...