Chichester district and Petworth town councils clash over newsletter facts

A clash of councils has come after a statement was written in the district council’s local information guide.
The district council building in East Pallant, Chichester. Picture via Google StreetviewThe district council building in East Pallant, Chichester. Picture via Google Streetview
The district council building in East Pallant, Chichester. Picture via Google Streetview

The summer edition of Initiatives, which is posted to residents in the district, stated the district council ‘worked with partners’ to introduce additional signage in the town to help improve traffic flow and make parking spaces more visible.

The town council contested this.

Chairman of Petworth Town Council Chris Kemp said: “In the initiative magazine from Chichester District Council on page four they made a claim over the Petworth Vision which the town council has asked to have redacted.

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“[The claim related to] work with partners to improve signage and traffic flow in the town which is untrue. We have done all of that.

“We have spent 18 months, if not longer, and we are still working on it.

“We are hoping to get a 20mph area and a new lorry route. Now Chichester [District Council] want to lay claim to all that hard work.”

A Chichester District Council spokesman said the article reflected the partnership work that has been taking place across the district.

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“Within the Petworth Vision document one of the objectives is ‘to co-ordinate clear, logical signs for pedestrians and routes to car park’.

“Petworth Town Council offered to arrange for the signage to be put in place to meet this objective and requested funding from the district council for this.

“As this was a vision objective, the district council provided funding from the vision budget for this activity.

“We consider this an example of how all three organisations have had a positive impact on helping to meet the needs of Petworth and its Vision.

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“Moving forward, we have welcomed the input of both the Petworth Vision and Petworth Town Council into future articles within our magazine to further highlight the great work that is taking place in Petworth.”

Read the magazine here.