News – Birdham Parish Council

Residents reminded to register to vote ahead of upcoming West Sussex County Council election

Thursday April 2nd, 2026/in News /by Clerk

Residents reminded to register to vote ahead of upcoming West Sussex County Council election

Residents in the Chichester District are being reminded to register to vote by Monday 20 April if they wish to vote in the West Sussex County Council election on Thursday 7 May.

To cast their vote in this election, people must be registered by midnight on Monday 20 April. Registering only takes five minutes and can be done online at: www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. Residents who are unable to register online or who need additional support can contact Chichester District Council’s Elections team to request a form or for other support, by calling 01243 521010 or emailing elections@chichester.gov.uk.

Postal and proxy voting allows people to cast ballots without going to a polling station in person. The last day to apply for, or make a change to, a postal vote is 5pm on Tuesday 21 April 2026 and people can register to vote by post at: www.gov.uk/apply-postal-vote

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 it 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.

Proxy voting allows people to authorise someone else to vote on their behalf. Recent changes to the rules mean that someone can only be proxy for up to two people. Anyone who votes on behalf of UK voters who live overseas can act as a proxy for up to four people (but only two of those can live in the UK). The last day to apply to vote by proxy is 5pm on Tuesday 28 April 2026 and this can be done online at: www.gov.uk/apply-proxy-vote.

Voters will need to show photographic ID to vote. Accepted forms of ID include a UK, European Economic Area (EEA) or Commonwealth passport; a UK or EEA driver’s licence; and, some concessionary travel passes, such as an older person’s bus pass or an Oyster 60+ card. The full list can be found at: www.electoralcommission.org.uk. Voters can use expired ID if they are still recognisable from the photo. People voting on behalf of someone else will also need to show an accepted form of ID.

Voters who don’t have an accepted form of ID must apply for a voter authority certificate by 5pm on Tuesday 28 April 2026. Please visit: www.gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate or request a paper application form from Chichester District Council’s Elections team by emailing elections@chichester.gov.uk or calling 01243 521010. A hard copy photo or electronic photo must be supplied with the application.

On Thursday 7 May 2026, polling stations will be open from 7am-10pm. Polling cards will be sent out to registered voters at the end of March, and people are being reminded to check their polling station on this card as it may have changed. Voters can also check their polling station here: https://wheredoivote.co.uk/.

For more information about the West Sussex County Council elections, including full details on how to vote, please visit www.chichester.gov.uk/elections.

Are you in need of housing?

Tuesday March 17th, 2026/in News /by Clerk

Do you have connections to Birdham and are you in need of housing? Please see poster below for further information on how to register for an affordable home in Birdham.

Birdham Affordable Homes

Residents urged to register to vote ahead of upcoming West Sussex County Council election

Friday February 20th, 2026/in News /by Clerk

Residents in the Chichester District are being reminded of key voting deadlines following the Government’s confirmation that the West Sussex County Council election will take place on Thursday 7 May 2026.

To cast their vote in this election, people must be registered by midnight on Monday 20 April 2026. Registering only takes five minutes and can be done online at: www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. Residents who are unable to register online or who need additional support can contact Chichester District Council’s Elections team to request a form or for other support, by calling 01243 521010 or emailing elections@chichester.gov.uk.

Postal and proxy voting allows people to cast ballots without going to a polling station in person. The last day to apply for, or make a change to, a postal vote is 5pm on Tuesday 21 April 2026 and people can register to vote by post at: www.gov.uk/apply-postal-vote

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 it 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.

Proxy voting allows people to authorise someone else to vote on their behalf. Recent changes to the rules mean that someone can only be proxy for up to two people. Anyone who votes on behalf of UK voters who live overseas can act as a proxy for up to four people (but only two of those can live in the UK). The last day to apply to vote by proxy is 5pm on Tuesday 28 April 2026 and this can be done online at: www.gov.uk/apply-proxy-vote.

Voters will need to show photographic ID to vote. Accepted forms of ID include a UK, European Economic Area (EEA) or Commonwealth passport; a UK or EEA drivers’ licence; and, some concessionary travel passes, such as an older person’s bus pass or an Oyster 60+ card. The full list can be found at: www.electoralcommission.org.uk. Voters can use expired ID if they are still recognisable from the photo. People voting on behalf of someone else will also need to show an accepted form of ID.

Voters who don’t have an accepted form of ID must apply for a voter authority certificate by 5pm on Tuesday 28 April 2026. Please visit: www.gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate or request a paper application form from Chichester District Council’s Elections team by emailing elections@chichester.gov.uk or calling 01243 521010. A hard copy photo or electronic photo must be supplied with the application.

On Thursday 7 May 2026, polling stations will be open from 7am-10pm. Polling cards will be sent out to registered voters at the end of March, and people are being reminded to check their polling station on this card as it may have changed. People can also check their polling station here: https://wheredoivote.co.uk/.

For more information about the West Sussex County Council elections, including full details on how to vote, please visit www.chichester.gov.uk/elections.

Food collections are coming to the Chichester District this Spring

Thursday January 29th, 2026/in News /by Clerk

Food collections are coming to the Chichester District this Spring

A brand‑new weekly food waste recycling service will start to be rolled out to residents across the Chichester District from this spring.

Chichester District Council will start issuing direct communications to households during February, beginning with information placed on residents’ bins explaining what they can expect to receive. This will be followed by the delivery of a kitchen caddy and outdoor food waste recycling bin, which will include clear instructions on how to use the bins and how to check collection dates. Distribution of the new bins is due to begin in March.

“This project is a huge undertaking, and we are asking residents to please bear with us as we deliver caddies and bins to every individual property across more than 300 square miles. The service will be introduced in stages, with different areas coming on board over a number of months,” says Cllr Mark Chilton, Cabinet Member for Finance, Corporate Services and Chichester Contract Services at Chichester District Council.

“Implementing a new service like this requires meticulous planning, but we are really pleased with the progress made so far. From March, all councils in England that do not already offer a food waste collection service must have one in place. This will be a significant change and promises to bring substantial benefits to our district — especially as around a third of the average rubbish bin in the Chichester District is food waste.

“The new food waste recycling vehicles have arrived, and we will soon be receiving the bins and caddies required for the new service. Dedicated food waste rounds have also been designed and refined using specialist software, so a great deal of work has been taking place behind the scenes to prepare for the launch.

“We have designed completely new rounds for this service to make sure the routes are as efficient as possible. This means that when the service goes live it won’t launch in one specific area of the district and there will be staggered start dates for different areas. Collection dates may also be different to our existing crew rounds. This is why we’re encouraging residents to download our free Chichester District Council app or visit: www.chichester.gov.uk/checkyourbinday where the dates will be available at the start of March.

“We want to make sure residents have all the information they need to make this a great success. We have already started issuing regular updates about how the new service will work, including within our council magazine ‘initiatives’ and on social media. We are also encouraging people to download the app and visit our dedicated webpages at: www.chichester.gov.uk/food-waste for the latest guidance and frequently asked questions.

“The service will be very easy to use, and regardless of how much food waste a household produces, it all counts. We want to recycle more and waste less — and every household can play a part.”

Residents are encouraged to download the free Chichester District Council app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store to receive live updates during the roll‑out, including container delivery and collection start dates. To find out more about the app, people can visit: www.chichester.gov.uk/chichesterdcapp. These dates will also be available on the council’s ‘Check your bin day’ webpage at the start of March: www.chichester.gov.uk/checkyourbinday

As the service is being introduced in phases, delivery timings will vary by area. If residents have not received their new caddy by their first collection date — which can be found at: www.chichester.gov.uk/checkyourbinday — from the beginning of March, they are asked to complete an online form at: www.chichester.gov.uk/food-waste.

Once the service begins, residents will simply need to place food waste — such as plate scrapings, peelings, and tea bags — into their kitchen caddy. When full, the contents should be emptied into the outdoor food waste recycling bin, ready for weekly collection.

Food waste includes uneaten food and plate scrapings; dairy products, such as cheese and eggs; bread, cakes and pastries; raw meat, cooked meat and bones. It also includes tea bags, coffee grounds, cooked vegetables, peelings, fish, pasta, rice, and beans.

Once collected, food waste will be recycled at an anaerobic digestion facility in Horsham where it will be used to generate natural forms of energy, such as biogas and bio fertilisers. This is a much more efficient and environmentally friendly way of processing food waste.

Update statement regarding shipping containers coming ashore in West Sussex

Wednesday December 10th, 2025/in News /by Clerk

Statement provided by Arun District Council, Chichester District Council, West Sussex County Council and Ambipar.

A major clean-up operation is underway following several shipping containers washing up on the West Sussex shoreline.

The clean-up follows an incident where the ship Baltic Kipper tipped and shed 16 shipping containers into the Solent on Saturday evening. Nine of the containers have come ashore and shed their contents. Several agencies have been working together to ensure the containers are secured and the waste, mainly fruit and polystyrene, is collected.

Arun District Council, Chichester District Council and West Sussex County Council, are leading the clean-up with Ambipar, an environmental management company, on site to help secure the containers as well as collect the waste. The first stage of this process has involved assessing the sites and the scale of the issue, so that we can put adequate plans in place.

Ambipar is carrying out the work using established shoreline clean up assessment techniques to quantify, collect and categorise the waste. After waste is collected, it is being taken to a designated site in a nearby car park, where it will be managed and disposed of safely and in accordance with local regulations.

The local community will see an increase in contractors and council staff working along the beaches over the coming days and alongside beach operations, Ambipar teams are also visiting nearby residential gardens where debris has blown or washed in, helping residents remove litter and restore their outdoor spaces. Skips are also being placed at the sites in Bognor Regis and Selsey. Staff from Arun and Chichester councils are also assisting.

The agencies involved want to say a big thank you to all those in our communities who have helped with collecting waste. Ambipar staff in branded uniforms will be in the areas and can direct where waste should be placed.

Whilst it is appreciated that people want to help, they should also take care to ensure their safety as there is sharp metal on the beaches from the containers. All help is welcomed, but we ask you to please take care. It is also important that any waste collected is left in the correct place for collection and not taken away by individuals or groups for disposal.

The clean-up will take some time, but in the meantime the containers will be secured so they can’t go back out to sea and security will also be put in place to secure the areas.

Further investigation is ongoing in relation to the remaining containers and updates will be provided as this situation progresses.

If you would like to report debris or support the clean-up, please email: marine.response@ambipar.com

SHIPPING CONTAINERS’ FOOD UNFIT FOR CONSUMPTION – DO NOT EAT

Tuesday December 9th, 2025/in News /by Clerk

Statement provided by Arun District Council, Chichester District Council and West Sussex County Council

Several agencies are working together to resolve the issue of shipping containers that have come ashore between Selsey and Bognor Regis in West Sussex.

Late on Saturday evening (6 December) it was reported that 16 shipping containers had gone overboard from a cargo ship in the Solent. Tidal indications showed that the containers were likely to come ashore along the West Sussex Coast.

To date, eleven of the 16 containers lost from cargo ship BALTIC KLIPPER have been washed ashore in areas of West Sussex. Seven containers have so far been located in Selsey, two at Pagham Harbour and two at Bognor.

As part of the operational response, HM Coastguard helicopter and fixed wing aircraft have been undertaking offshore searches in an attempt to locate the outstanding containers. All wreck material should be reported to the Receiver of Wreck, however this does not include perishable goods like foodstuffs.

Any additional sightings of containers should be reported to the coastguard on 0344 382 0560.

The remaining containers, some of which have opened and spilled their contents of fruit, mainly bananas, are now subject to a clean-up operation lead by West Sussex County Council, Arun District Council and Chichester District Council.

A waste management company, Ambi Par, has been appointed to lead on the clean-up and is placing skips in the areas where the containers are, (Bognor Regis, Pagham and Selsey).

There is also an email address (marine.response@ambipar.com) and telephone number (01202653558) for anyone who wishes to report where they have seen waste from the containers to Ambi Par.

The three local authorities are grateful to those members of the public who have aided so far in helping to clear the fruit that has come ashore but would continue to urge people to avoid the area while the clear-up takes place, as there may be fragments of metal from the damaged containers along the shoreline.

There is also a strong warning to everyone that the fruit that has come ashore may be unfit for consumption. Anyone who has taken fruit home is advised to discard it immediately.

The clean-up operation is ongoing and, as yet, there is no confirmed deadline as to when the operation will be complete. However, all agencies involved are meeting regularly to ensure the operation is brought to a close as soon as is possible.

Once again, all partners involved want to thank those who have helped so far with cleaning up and for their continued support.

Further updates will be made when available.

County Council and fire service unite in bid against violence towards women and girls

Wednesday December 3rd, 2025/in News /by Clerk

news release

02 December 2025

Pictured left to right: Chief Executive – Leigh Whitehouse, Executive Director of HR, OD & Communications – Gavin Wright, Executive Director of Place Services – Lee Parker, Cllr Amanda Jupp (Cabinet Member for Adults’ Services), Cllr Paul Marshall (Leader) and Cllr Duncan Crow (Cabinet Member for Community Support, Fire & Rescue)

West Sussex County Council and its Fire & Rescue Service have both become White Ribbon UK accredited employers to show their commitment to ending violence against women and girls.

Councillors and county council officers are being encouraged to take the White Ribbon promise to ‘never use, excuse or remain silent about men’s violence against women’, and work is underway to create a 3 year action plan.

The news comes during a period of ‘16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence’, which started on 25 November and runs until 10 December.

A National Audit Office report found that 1 in 4 women will be a victim of sexual assault or attempted assault in their lifetimes. The White Ribbon campaign is aiming to encourage more men to use their voices and speak up to create a world where everyone is safe, equal and respected.

Councillors Paul Marshall (Leader) and Duncan Crow (Cabinet Member for Community Support, Fire & Rescue) have now become White Ribbon Ambassadors and Amanda Jupp (Cabinet Member for Adults’ Services) a White Ribbon Champion (pictured above).

White Ribbon Ambassadors are male and people who identify as a man who take on this responsibility and take the message into their workplaces, communities and among their friends, family and colleagues.

Champions are women, and people who do not identify as being a man, who promote the White Ribbon message and encourage and challenge men to get involved by finding opportunities to inspire and inform.

Councillor Paul Marshall, Leader of West Sussex County Council, said: “We have made a commitment to do all we can to end gender-based violence, an issue that affects too many and is preventable.

“Our accreditation is our way of showing that this is an issue that isn’t just important for one day, but something we need to continue to focus on for years to come.”

The county council also recently worked with partners from the South East Communities Rail Partnership to hand out thousands of white hearts, knitted and crocheted by volunteers, to raise awareness of White Ribbon Day. The hearts were handed out to people at West Sussex train stations to encourage conversation and highlight support available for victims of abuse and/or harassment.

You can find out more about the issues and what is being done to address them on the county council website: #Noexcuse – 16 days of activism.

If you, or someone you know, is experiencing or has experienced violence or abuse you can find support at: [www.westsussex.gov.uk/fire-emergencies-and-crime/domestic-abuse/]www.westsussex.gov.uk/fire-emergencies-and-crime/domestic-abuse/

Santa Comes To Birdham 10th – 22nd December

Friday November 21st, 2025/in News /by Clerk

A festive poster with Santa Claus peeking over a sign that reads: “1st Birdham and Witterings Scout Group SANTA’S SLEIGH delivering gifts to your street between 10th & 22nd December.” Snowflakes decorate the background.