'Massive concerns' over Chichester parking plan

At a meeting of the South Chichester County Local Committee heard how controlled parking zones (CPZ) could be put in place across the city but the plans have worried residents and councillors alike.

He said: “We have massive concern. How are we going to get people in to the high street which is struggling already?

“We are going to have to look at public transport, cycling, walking to bring people in. That’s what I’d like to do.

“If that is happening I haven’t seen signs of that yet. We need to make Chichester more attractive.”

Fellow Conservative Simon Oakley for Chichester East said: “The 55 bus service does have some time table challenges shall we say. This can make the people go off the buses.”

Cllr Fitzjohn said: “We are going to have to start adapting methods and ways of working like Reading and like Bristol and looking at it differently if we are going to address climate change.”

He went on to call for subsidised bus travel to encourage residents to ‘get them out of the car’.

Selsey ward’s Carol Purnell disagreed with the idea.

She said: “It will become cheaper. For me to come from where I live — it takes me an hour on the bus and 20 minutes in the car. It’s a big difference.”

Mr Smith used the amputation of his grandfather’s leg as an analogy.

He said: “My grandfather, the poor chap, contracted diabetes in later life and as the disease progressed he had his toe cut off, his foot cut off, he had his leg below the knee cut off and his whole leg he died shortly after that.

“There are similarities between Summersdale and my grandfathers gangrenous leg and I would beg the committee to look at the whole issue.

“I think this is an area where you should think big or go home. Do the whole thing and make bold decisions.”

Speaking on behalf of the Chichester Society, Christopher Mead-Briggs said he hoped the county council would take heed of the groups representation.

He said the CPZ would be ‘very inconvenient’ for residents.