Action by our councils over the threat from Climate Change has lacked the ambition we need to meet the challenges ahead. Labour would go further and introduce our own detailed Climate Change Risk Assessment to identify impacts and solutions, and plan and carry out remedial work to improve our preparations and community resilience.

Chichester district needs a public transport network that works. Labour will conduct a full review of public transport in the district, ensuring that with changing technologies and demands we have a public transport system that meets the needs of all of our communities which is both affordable and accessible. Chichester Labour supports the sensible development of the Southern Gateway but would wish for the retention and redevelopment of Chichester Bus Station to create a new integrated transport hub with the Railway Station.

Labour would lead the way in creating a consortium of other local authorities and interested parties in lobbying central government for the transformation of the Coastway West rail route into a new ‘South Coast Metro’. Such a scheme could include the refurbishment and building of new stations and upgrades to track and signalling. A similar scheme to create a South Wales Metro has had funding secured thanks to the work of the Welsh Labour Government.

Chichester Labour is fully committed to carbon reduction in line with our international obligations under the Climate Change Act 2008 and the Paris Accords. We understand that we have to be proactive in changing habits and will work towards creating a zero emissions city by 2050.

Labour would work to install more electric vehicle charging points and invest in renewables through the Green Investment Bank.

Working with West Sussex County Council, we would look to conduct feasibility studies into the introduction of North/South and East/West Cycle Superhighways, building and extending the current cycle network to provide safe segregated cycle routes across the city and district. We would work towards Chichester following Bristol in becoming a Cycling City.

We would introduce a programme of improvement works for Parks and Open Spaces towards achieving ‘Green Flag’ award status and use natural methods to control invasive species while maximising biodiversity, allowing some open spaces to grow as wild flower meadows to encourage pollinating insects and reduce unnecessary mowing. Labour would safeguard our natural environment with a comprehensive ban on Fracking and exploratory drilling.