Today (11 May), the South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) has appointed a contractor to ensure the fire-damaged listed buildings are safely and legally secured. This will then allow the road to be reopened in both directions.

The SDNPA, working with West Sussex County Council and Chichester District Council, continues to actively liaise with the owners of the buildings, local businesses and other agencies involved to ensure that the necessary work begins as soon as possible. Our contractor aims to be on site on Monday 15 May. The work is expected to take seven weeks to complete.

This is not only the best option for the listed buildings, but is also the fastest option to enable the road to be safely opened.

The multi-agency recovery group has created a detailed FAQs, prepared by Chichester District Council, that is updated as new information becomes available.

We will continue to provide updates on progress