Voting Information from Chichester District Council
District Dispatch
On Thursday 7 May 2026, residents across the county will vote in the West Sussex County Council elections. As a district council, we will be running the election locally on West Sussex County Council’s behalf.
On the day, polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm. Please check your polling card carefully as your polling station may have changed. You don’t need to bring your polling card with you to vote, but it can help speed up the process if you do. You can also find your polling station at: https://wheredoivote.co.uk/.
If you are voting in person, you will need to show one form of original photographic ID. Accepted forms of ID include a UK, European Economic Area (EEA) or Commonwealth passport; a UK or EEA driving licence; and certain concessionary travel passes, such as an older person’s bus pass or an Oyster 60+ card. Expired ID is accepted, provided you are still recognisable from the photograph.
The name on your ID must match the name you used to register to vote, and photocopies will not be accepted. You will also need to show photo ID if you are voting on behalf of someone else. A full list of accepted photo ID is available at:
www.electoralcommission.org.uk
If you’re voting by post, please ensure your completed ballot is returned in good time. Postal votes must be received by 10pm on polling day to be counted. Residents are being reminded that the law around handing in postal votes has changed in recent years and this means that anyone visiting Chichester District Council offices or a polling station to hand in a postal vote will need to sign a declaration form. Due to this, the council is asking people not to post votes through their letterbox, because they will be unable to accept them. Instead, voters will need to bring their postal votes to the council’s reception where they will be asked to sign a form to confirm that the vote has been received. However, if someone posts their form to the council by Royal Mail, a signed declaration is not required.
We are committed to ensuring voting is accessible for everyone, both at polling stations across the Chichester District and throughout the entire voting process. Our polling station staff are fully trained and will be available to assist voters, and polling stations will have accessibility measures in place. You may also bring someone with you to help you vote if needed. Each station is equipped with a range of tools designed to help you cast your vote, and you can find more information on our website: www.chichester.gov.uk/article/40658/Accessibility-at-Elections
Votes for this election will be counted on Friday 8 May and we expect the first results to start coming through early afternoon. Election results for divisions in the Chichester District will be published on our website at: www.chichester.gov.uk/electionresults and county-wide results will be published here:
www.westsussex.gov.uk/about-the-council/how-the-council-works/elections/county-council-election/
For more information about the elections, please visit: www.chichester.gov.uk/elections. The Electoral Commission also provides guidance at: www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voting-and-elections.
War Graves Week – 16th to 24th May
This year’s War Graves Week is fast approaching. Tours will be held at St Mary’s Church in Easebourne on Saturday 16th May at 11am. Tickets are free and are available to purchase here – CWGC War Graves Week Tour 2026 – Easebourne (St. Mary) Churchyard Tickets, Multiple dates | Eventbrite
County Council Elections – Thursday 7th May
All Parishioners should be aware of the upcoming local elections. Please follow this link to the West Sussex County Council website for more information Local elections – West Sussex County Council
Next Steps for the site of the former Angel Inn, North Street, Midhurst
Three years ago today, we all awoke to the news of the devastating fire on North Street, Midhurst. In one terrible night, we lost several businesses and residences. The four months that followed were a nightmare for everyone in the area, with North Street completely closed to traffic and daily gridlock on the alternative local routes. Eventually, the scaffolding was erected and the road re-opened, albeit minus a pavement on that side.
Since then there has been very little progress at the site, other than the occasional Surveyor and the erection of the display on the hoardings.
Easebourne Parish Council has written to the SDNPA and Historic England today to express support for the position taken by Midhurst Vision Partnership, Midhurst Business Partnership and local traders – that the remains of the site should now be delisted, demolished and redeveloped. However, this must be carefully managed to ensure that there is no disruption to traffic flow through Midhurst. You can read the letter here.
The Council is hopeful that this will be the final push to reach a resolution that all parties are satisfied with.
Grant Applications Open for 26/27 Financial Year
The next Finance Committee meeting is due to take place on Wednesday 1st April and grant applications will be on the agenda.
If you are an organisation which provides a service/benefit to the residents of Easebourne then please take a look at our Grants and Donations Policy to see whether you are eligible to apply.
APPLICATION FORMS AND ALL SUPPORTING PAPERS MUST BE RECEIVED BY 25TH MARCH 2026 IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED. Any received later than this will be invited to re-apply at the October round. Only applications with a completed form will be considered – a standalone letter will not.
Road Closure – Woolbeding Lane
The National Trust have let us know that they are undertaking essential works on the buildings at Woolbeding Gardens over the next 14 weeks. This will unfortunately require a full closure of the road from the junction with Hollist Lane beginning on the 2nd March, meaning no access to the A272 along this route. Additional signage will be placed at the Easebourne end of Hollist Lane, to minimise the number of vehicles heading down there and having to turn around. Access will be maintained for emergency services at all times.
Roundhouse Repairs Completed
As many will already know, the Roundhouse at Easebourne Park was significantly damaged by vandals last Autumn, causing damage which ran to thousands of pounds. The race was on to get the repairs done before the Carols in the Park event, due to be held in mid-December. Thanks to the hard work of the team of Councillors responsible for management of the park and various contractors, the work was completed in time and the event was a huge success.
Special thanks go to Artizans of Wood for making time in their busy schedule to prioritise the repair and to S Chandler Contracting for a very kind donation of wood.
Could you be a Parish Councillor?
The Parish Council currently has 2 vacancies for new Councillors.
You don’t need to have been involved in local Council before and you don’t need any specific experience. It’s more important to have a willingness to be part of your community and want to make a difference.
As a Parish Council we get involved in a variety of areas, including local planning applications and longer term strategy, highways improvements and of course budget setting. We also look after Easebourne Park and as you might have heard are now working on an exciting project to create a Community Hub.
If you’d like to find out more about what’s involved and how you could help, please get in touch to arrange an informal chat.
Email parishclerk@easebourne.org or mike@easebourne.org