Chichester MP chairs emergency meeting to decide Midhurst's future

Gillian Keegan, Conservative MP for Chichester and Secretary of State for Education, organised an emergency business roundtable with several leading local figures last week, as she continues to build a case for emergency funding after the dramatic Angel Inn fire in March.

Among those in attendance were the Chief Executives of Chichester District Council , as well as representatives from several local businesses to speak for Midhurst vendors and others directly impacted by the aftermath of the fire.

The meeting follows a call for evidence made by the Chichester MP exploring the impact of the fire on local trade, as she continues to build a case for emergency funding.

Since the fire, North Street in Midhurst, has been closed off to trade as work continues to shore up damaged buildings – including the historic frontage of the Angel Inn itself.

Mrs Keegan has raised a number of concerns about the works and their impact on local trade. She made clear she’d like to see the work ‘take place at pace’ and open the road as soon as possible.

She said: “

“The number one concern from the businesses responding is unsurprisingly income, with many businesses now taking home around half of what they would normally expect at the end of the week.”

But those struggles haven’t just been limited to a drop in customer footfall, as the MP went on to explain.

“It’s also clear that many businesses have been really struggling to access any local support services in place, such as drop-in advice sessions or sources of grant funding. We shared these points with the District Council as soon we began to pick them up, and so I’m really pleased to hear that they’ve now expanded the programme to make it more accessible to those hit hardest by the closures.”

Following the meeting, the MP will now be meeting with the Secretary of State for Levelling Up Michael Gove to share some of her key findings and build her case. “

“I’m really grateful to all of the businesses that have taken the time to respond to the call for evidence over the last couple of weeks. It’s clear from the responses I’ve had that the impact from the fire has been severe and that, for many, time is fast running out,” she said. “Please rest assured I will do absolutely everything I can to make the case for Midhurst.”

The news comes two months after Midhurst’s historic Angel Inn was severely damaged in a major fire back in March. The 400 year old building was almost entirely destroyed, with just the frontage surviving, and North Street has been shut ever since – with a major impact on the town’s economy. A contractor was appointed to preserve the damaged buildings earlier this month, with workmen arriving onsite on May 15. The work is expected to take up to seven weeks to complete.

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