Increasing housing without improvement in social amenities worries Chichester locals.
Chichester residents are worried that the provision of social amenities is not adequate for the level of new housing units being built.

The population has grown over the last decade as hundreds of new houses have sprung up, but there has not been a corresponding increase in the capacity of schools and hospitals to cope with the rise.

A lifelong resident of Chichester Sue Prior cited the St. Richards hospital area as evidence of the crisis on hand.

She noted scores of houses have been built within the past four years by developers like Perssimon, Bellway and David Wilson. ‘I know people have got to have a place to live but it’s also got to have amenities to make it worthwhile,’ she said.

The main worry for residents has been ongoing suggestions by health authorities to move accident and emergency services as well as maternity services from St. Richards Hospital to Worthing Hospital.

A member of a campaign group to save the emergency and maternity units of the hospital, Sue finds it difficult to understand why such life-saving facilities must go in the wake of rising population in the area.

‘One would have thought this is the time to build cottage hospitals in neighbouring towns like Selsy, Southbourne and the Witterings to alleviate the pressure on St. Richards.’

Chichester District Council has been approving housing projects to comply with national targets which, according to residents, appear to have inadequate support from the NHS and education services.