Chichester District update December 2025

Welcome to your 2025 recap for Chichester District!

This year has been one of the toughest for the countryside yet, with government policy and rhetoric turning powerfully against nature and wildlife. Sussex’s landscapes are now under active attack, and sadly Chichester District is no exception. There have been hard-fought battles for our countryside – but some incredible victories too.

From battling solar farms, to pushing back against large-scale housing at Stubcroft Farm, we’ve shown that renewable energy and development must work with nature—not against it.

Join us to celebrate victories for wildlife corridors, share updates on solar farm applications still in play, and highlight the return of our much-loved Hedgerow Heroes project—bringing volunteers together to restore vital nature habitats.

Solar farm battles

We’ve been fighting an ongoing battle on an application for a solar farm at Runcton. It was refused in May following 300 objections and nearly 700 petition signatures. We collaborated with our friends at Manhood Wildlife and Heritage Group on opposing this development and spoke against the application at the Planning Committee meeting.

However, the decision was appealed (as they so often are) and we attended the appeal hearing in mid-December. Cross your fingers that the Inspector listens to reason – whilst we support the need for renewable energy technology, it is absolutely critical that it be in the right place. And this site was not: it is a wildlife haven, being a vital wildlife corridor and habitat.

And another win at Stubcroft Farm

We were proud to celebrate a real win earlier this year, after an appeal was dismissed due to compelling arguments made by CPRE Sussex trustee Jill Sutcliffe. The application for 268 dwellings at Stubcroft Farm was refused, then appealed, and then dismissed again in late 2024. But we’ve been reflecting on the great work done by Jill into 2025! Jill argued that flood risk was the vital mitigating factor and the Inspector agreed – concluding that future flood risk (in the context of climate change) and the protection of farmland were enough to dismiss the appeal.

This was an application in the Manhood Peninsula part of Chichester district. The new Local Plan (finally adopted in August this year, many months after the appeal), says that in this part of the district, “The emphasis will be mainly upon protecting and enhancing the special qualities of the coast and its rural hinterland, which attract residents, visitors and businesses to the area.” We will be watching closely to see if planners actually stick to this policy!

Malham Farm defeat (for now)

Sadly, the solar farm application at Malham Farm (spread across the parishes of Wisborough Green and Loxwood) was recently granted by the Chichester District Council Planning Committee. We have been working with local objectors on this case and are saddened by this result. We submitted our objection on the grounds of impact on biodiversity and wildlife, whilst local campaigners argued the case on harm to landscape.

Andrew Griffith, MP for Arundel and South Downs, has asked for the Planning Committee’s decision to be called in (reviewed by central government.) Watch this space…

Hedgerow Heroes in Chichester

We have been so pleased to see the return of our beloved hedgerow planting project, now forming part of the national CPRE Hedgerow Heroes scheme, this time on the Manhood Peninsula. Run in conjunction with the fantastic Manhood Wildlife and Heritage Group, the project aims to replant 2km of hedgerow on farmland surrounded by the protected areas of Pagham Harbour Nature Reserve, Medmerry and Chichester Harbour.

Volunteer planting days began in November and are now in full swing. This is an amazing opportunity not only enjoy the countryside hands-on in a beautiful landscape, but also learn about hedgelaying and contribute to restoring vital wildlife corridors. We are still accepting volunteers for the project, so if you’d like to be a Hedgerow Hero then click here!

Thank you

We are so grateful for all of your support in 2025. It’s been an especially tough year for the countryside, nature, climate and our beautiful landscapes, with a government that has seemingly declared war on the environment in both rhetoric and policy. It’s down to the support of people like you that we can continue to stand up and defend Sussex’s green spaces. Thank you for helping us to stand up for the Sussex countryside. We look forward to defending it, together, in 2026!

PS – don’t forget that you can give the gift of CPRE membership this Christmas!

Do you know somebody who loves the Sussex countryside as much as you do? And do you want to give a gift that lasts all year long?

You can buy individual or household CPRE Sussex membership as a gift. As you know, membership comes with a host of benefits including discounts on events and access to houses and gardens across the county – plus the knowledge that you are helping to shape a greener future for Sussex.

Give the gift of CPRE membership.