Chichester Lib Dems launch council election campaign to 'show the Conservatives the door'

The party says It has been apparent for years that the Conservative-run Chichester District Council is ‘lacking in ambition, complacent and that the ruling party takes electors for granted’.

A spokesman said: “It is time for a change and the Lib Dems have the ambition, the talent and the experience to take the Council forward.

“Chichester Liberal Democrats are offering a clear plan for A Brighter Future, with strong policies on residents’ priorities: housing, development and proper planning, infrastructure delivery, protecting the environment and boosting nature, public health and wellbeing and tackling the Cost of Living crisis.

“The Lib Dems are the only party with a manifesto informed by thousands of conversations with residents and focused on providing a more open, democratic and responsive Council.”

Chichester Liberal Democrats are standing in every ward across the District and are fielding a ‘diverse group of strong and talented candidates from a wide range of backgrounds, intent on bringing a fresh and dynamic new approach to the Council’, the spokesperson added, “The Conservatives have consistently failed to address the urgency of Climate Change and damage to local habitats, with huge increases of sewage in our rivers and harbours, poor air quality and damaging overdevelopment.

“They have failed to deliver the message to their colleagues in Westminster that residents do not want unplanned development on the best farmland in the country and the destruction of sensitive local landscapes. A Lib Dem council will deliver that message loudly and clearly.”

Jonathan Brown, Chichester Liberal Democrats’ Environment spokesperson, said: “It is not enough to care. It is not enough for Chichester District Council to be careful. We must be proactive, we must lead, we must be willing to act – in partnership with all those in local communities, charities and businesses who want to make things better.

"We cannot wait for the Government to get over its ideological obsessions and infighting – there is much that we can and must do, here and now.

“The Council can work with land owners to link up and restore habitats and regenerate the land. We can bring interested parties together to jointly procure energy saving and insulation for homes and businesses. We can work with, and listen to residents to magnify the impact of hundreds of small acts of conservation and habitat restoration. We can and must do more.”

Lib Dems have also been growing increasingly concerned about the plight of businesses across the District - especially now in Midhurst following the devastating fire at the Angel Hotel.

At the request of local Midhurst Businesses, Adrian Moss the Lib Dem group leader visited the town to hear first-hand how devastating the fire had been to many local independent businesses.

Jess Brown-Fuller, one of the Lib Dem candidates in Midhurst who has been closely involved in supporting residents and businesses, had this to say about The Midhurst £: “The Midhurst £ is an exciting and innovative project run by the Town Team (Midhurst Business Network) that will entice people from Midhurst and further afield to visit the town and realise that it is accessible and still a wonderful day out.”

The party’s spokesperson added: “Lib Dem candidates have been speaking to residents across the District who could not be clearer: they are fed up with the Conservatives on Chichester District Council who give in to government demands and accept high levels of unplanned development, shocking roads, poor NHS services and constant flows of sewage into rivers and harbours.”

Speaking to the assembled crowd, Mr Moss said: “I am delighted to stand here today and show the Tories to the exit. Enough is enough; it really is time for a change. We will find common cause with our residents, provide a refreshed and ambitious Council that will take immediate action on the issue that affect residents the most.

“We will directly engage with Southern Water on waste water discharge, the County Council on potholes, flooded roads and poor local infrastructure. We will take urgent action to restore natural habitats, the local harbours and implement a range of innovative environmental initiatives. We will also be financially prudent. In the first year we will undertake a deep review of all council finances to identify all possible opportunities for efficiencies and savings to redirect towards community priorities.”