This period between Christmas and the New Year is often a time of reflection on the year just gone and the things we have achieved and celebrated. This year has been hugely eventful, from the Coronation of Their Majesties The King and Queen to Liverpool’s star turn as the host of Eurovision. It’s been a busy year for Chichester too, with many exciting developments over the last 12 months. Faster broadband is coming to our towns and villages, with average speeds more than doubling since 2017. This year we have made huge progress in rural communities across the constituency, with places like Marley Common now having access to high-speed connections. As more of us work from home or look to keep in touch with friends and family online, this broadband boost is a massive help to many. If you need help getting faster broadband for your community please do get in touch with me at gillian.keegan.mp@parliament.uk.

When it comes to keeping our community safe, we have also made significant progress. The Government have backed Katy Bourne, our excellent Police and Crime Commissioner, and Sussex Police with an additional £5.9m in funding and introduced an Immediate Justice scheme to counter anti-social behaviour. We have also recruited 439 new police officers across the county. Meanwhile, our local NHS has seen the creation of a new Community Diagnostic Centre in collaboration with Chichester University and St Richard’s has been chosen as the site for a new acute stroke unit. This will help to reduce waiting times, speed up diagnoses for those in the greatest need, and free up staff capacity.

Finally, December 2023 saw the introduction of unlimited fines on water companies who breach environmental permits, including by pumping sewage into the harbour. This is just one of the many steps I and the Government are taking to stop the spills and ensure we protect our precious waterways and landscapes from pollution. There is, of course, always more to do, and I look forward to continuing to deliver change on the things that really matter to people in Chichester in 2024 and beyond.