Life in Chichester 'barely worth living' according to The Times — we couldn't disagree more

An article with the headline 'Paradise? Life here is barely worth living' appeared in The Times' Saturday edition as well as appearing online.

Shocking a number of readers, not only did the article misspell the city's nickname 'Chai', it showed data from the Office for National Statistics to assert that Chichester residents have the country's lowest 'life satisfaction'.

When asked on a scale from one to ten: "Overall, how satisfied are you with life nowadays?"

Chichester scored a meagre 6.82/10 on average.

Many disagree with the ONS survey's findings - but said Chichester residents feel they have been dealt a bad hand when it comes to damage to the environment and, in particular, overdevelopment.

Celebrated novelist and Chichester resident Kate Mosse said it was a 'shock' when the results of the survey came out, "It's not what anyone feels."

She told The Times, 'they must have got it wrong' and speaking to this newspaper, Kate said the city 'has everything'

"[Chichester] is not a place for one type of person. There is genuinely something for everybody.

"The seaside, the [South] Downs. It's got beaches, marshlands, ancient forests, world-beating theatre, art galleries, museums, the canal, it's got bowling, cinemas, the cathedral, an amazing library and several beautiful free green spaces within the city.

"It is one of the places that for all of us who are Chichester born and bred, or Chichester by adoption, we feel really passionate about."

Town crier and former mayor Richard Ploughman has also been flying the city's flag for years.

He said: "Chichester is still a fantastic place to live but there is a need to sort out some issues.

"The community is excellent and we saw that throughout the pandemic. We have got the harbour, we have got the national park to the north and the city has fantastic history."

But why did the survey come to such a bleak conclusion?

Residents can blame pollution and over-development, Kate said.

"Everybody is really in despair about the environmental damage and the lack of control and leadership from our MP and the planners on the council to stop the environmental damage that is going on.

"Everywhere you look you notice it. Particularly the pollution from Southern Water.

"Everybody who lives here loves it here and what makes the place special is being thrown away by the overdevelopment, pollution and environmental damage and people feel powerless to stop it."

Cllr Plowman added: "We have been let down in terms of planning and infrastructure. We deserve better. It is something I have been going on for quite a long time about."

The district has been given the task of welcoming too many new developments, he said.

"They just keep coming and they just keep pushing them onto us. It just shows you that we have been let down. I think we have lost a little bit of that magic.

"We will make sure it comes back."

Gary Shipton, Editor In Chief of the Chichester Observer and its sister titles across Sussex, lives near the city.

"The Times' article had a brutal headline 'Paradise? Life in Chichester is barely worth living' but the quotes from local people were presented fairly and the contributors raised some important points.

"Chichester and its district is a stunning place in which to live and work. You have the South Downs and the national park to the north of the city and some of the most exceptional and important coastline anywhere on the planet to the south.

"But the wholesale destruction of the countryside for endless housing of unremarkable design but extraordinarily high price combined with a singular failure to provide the infrastructure and protections that the area needs and deserves are utterly shameful.

"Our politicians at all levels must do better, they must fight harder to keep Chichester special - not least its harbour which is under constant attack from second-rate planning.

"As a community we also need to think again about what the city centre offers and how we meet the changing needs of a rapidly evolving population.

"Chichester has so much. Everything from the Festival Theatre, canal, and Novium Museum - all of which are celebrating special anniversaries this year. Just beyond the city we have the outstanding Weald and Downland Living Museum and West Dean along with terrific towns and villages like Petworth and Midhurst.

"Goodwood is a model estate. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has made the city its home and there can be no more prestigious business on the planet to back us.

"But we cannot rest on our laurels. Life is really tough for many people and with dramatic rises in the cost of living it is likely to get more so this year. We must very firmly protect the very best of Chichester and not be afraid at the same time to invest in new and compelling ways of meeting the expectations and pockets of everyone who lives here.

"The Chichester Observer will lead that debate."