Welcome to the Local Alliance Blog

  We are trialling mid-week polls: our first is about Social Housing. Historically CDC has relied heavily on private development but only one social/affordable home per 3 or 4 private ones is built, and most of our District is in the SDNP reducing the land available. Added to that, our largest income is derived from tourism and agriculture, so relying solely on this model of delivery may no longer be wise, which is why we are asking your views. Voter ID is still in the news. Last week we told you that in Chichester South, represented by our Green colleagues, 2 people were turned away and did not return while a further two did. In both Sidlesham & Selsey North and Selsey South 1 person was turned away in each ward and neither returned. Across our District, 119 people were turned away and did not return, while a further 70 did. Nationally thousands were turned away and did not return - which does not include those turned away by 'greeters' who never got to ask for a ballot. ...

  Last week, we closed with a late arriving tweet from Martin Lewis that was quite insightful so we thought we could start with it this week: “Water companies - we privatised but didn't introduce competition - so you can't switch. Meaning there's no competitive pressures so we must fully rely on regulatory not market influence.  It could be argued that's the worst of both worlds.” He is of course absolutely correct, which is even more worrying when you consider our local situation with sewage pumping into the Harbour and this report that England could face severe water stress from climate change in future. Wednesday saw the first meetings of the new  Chichester District Council and the new Selsey Town Council. We are in the process of updating the “About” page of our website to clarify what our LA members on STC/CDC/WSCC are doing; this will show,  more clearly, the impact of our forming the Green and Local Alliance group at CDC, to become the official Opposition (g...

It has been a momentous week for which we are still humbled and grateful. You gave us four of the 36 seats on CDC and thirteen of the 14 seats on STC, electing all our candidates, and giving us an even bigger landslide than in 2019. Again, we wish to thank the Admins who allow us to share our blog with you, particularly Luke, Emma and Meryn. We now have the second largest number of Parish/CDC Councillors across the District (nearly twice the Conservatives who have just one more seat than us on CDC.) There is an understandable tendency for local media to focus their reporting on the national parties,  so we greatly appreciate being able to keep you informed through Facebook groups. Donna was still too unwell to make the Count last Friday (but is recovering well so we spent Monday afternoon in Sandown.) Counts are very emotional; Val and Ali both cried when they were elected. I didn't leap into the air, as I did in 2019, but came close as our last set of results was announced. I had ...