Happy New Year! I hope that you have had a happy and peaceful Christmas period.

With the New Year comes the opportunity to commit ourselves to new goals and plan for year ahead. My focus continues to be on delivering the very best for the people of Chichester and the surrounding towns and villages through my six-point plan for our constituency.

Firstly, I am pleased that progress has been made on delivering a sustainable local plan following a request from the council to assist in unblocking concerns from Highways England. This new local plan, which is due to be published in early 2024, will allow the local authority to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply and ward off unwanted speculative planning applications. I will continue to work closely with the community, the Council and Government departments on planning issues to ensure we protect our natural habitats, particularly around the Harbour and coastal areas, from development that damages communities and the environment.

Protecting the Harbour from overdevelopment is just one way I am working to support our precious natural landscapes in Chichester. In 2024 I will continue to put pressure on the water companies to stop unnecessary sewage spills, as well as my campaign to get a UV treatment facility at Thornham. Action to tackle sewage in the Harbour is now also backed by Government, with our latest move to introduce unlimited fines for those who pollute our waterways.

Further, I will continue to raise other major local issues. These include pushing for greater broadband connectivity in our rural and coastal communities, ensuring an all-option consultation for A27 improvement plans, and working towards further improvements to services at St Richard’s, including radiotherapy.

I am really proud to represent such a diverse, creative and caring city as Chichester. In 2024 I’m looking forward to continuing to campaign on your priorities, championing local success stories, holding agencies, service providers and local and national government to account on your behalf, and meeting even more of you out and about across the constituency.