West Dean pub to close
The owner of the Selsey Arms in West Dean has announced that due to ‘financial pressures’, the pub will be closing.
Landlady Nikki Tester told her customers: “This place has been my home for more then 6 years, and I have enjoyed sharing your celebrations, stories, tears & laughter. I have made many lifelong friendships and will miss you all greatly.
Thank you to every single person who walked through the door to make the pub what it was. Your continuing support has meant so much to me and my team”.
She said the decision to close was “difficult”.
Pubs up and down the county are under pressure due to rising costs, an increase in National Insurance contributions and a rise in alcohol duty.
According to the British Beer and Pub Association, nearly one pub a day closed in 2025, with the number of closures expected to increase as we approach the incoming tax rises in April.
Arundel and South Downs MP Andrew Griffith has been campaigning for pubs in Westminster.
Attending a meeting in Parliament last week with local publicans, he said: “Our pubs are on their last legs – they are bleeding out because of the choices the Chancellor has made. This Government simply does not understand how tight the margins are for many pubs like those we all in enjoy here in the South Downs. I stand by our local landlords as they fight for support and will keep backing their corner here in Westminster.”
The closure of the Selsey Arms comes a year after its sister pub, The Gribble Inn in Oving, was destroyed by a fire.