Fishbourne is situated on the edge of Chichester Harbour and is sheltered by the Downs. Though it has a history stretching back to Roman times, it developed as two separate communities. Old Fishbourne was part of Bosham Parish Council and New Fishbourne part of Chichester City Council until 1987.

As a result there was no “Fishbourne voice” on important issues affecting the village. A village meeting summoned in 1969 by the then Rector led to the formation of Fishbourne Playing Field Association as a registered charity (1970), the opening of a Club House (1989), the establishment of a neighbourhood Council (1975) and the first elected Parish Council (1987). The Parish Council was awarded Quality Parish Status in 2007 and the village won the Calor Best Village West Sussex Award in 2008. The Fishbourne Centre (2010) completes the vision of the 1970s pioneers. The village now has an approved Neighbourhood Plan (2014 – 2029).

The following chart shows how new building developments have steadily increased the population and the right hand column reflects the community initiatives which have accompanied this expansion. Development has now reached the A27, which is the clearly- defined northern boundary, and no further development would be sustainable at the southern boundary because of Fishbourne Creek and Chichester Harbour. To maintain a separate village identity, small buffer zones are needed at the eastern and western boundaries with the latter also being protected by being agricultural land which is categorised as “the best and most versatile land”.

HOW FISHBOURNE HAS DEVELOPED DECADE NEW BUILDING OTHER CHANGES 1950s Creek End WI foresees need for a play area and a Deeside Avenue Village Hall 1960s Mill Close Discovery of The Roman Palace Godwin Way Bethwines Close 1970s Roman Way FPFA established as a Charity to raise funds Newport Drive/Barker Close for the purchase of a Play Area. Beaver Close Primary school moves to its new site (1973) 1980s Mosse Gardens The Fishbourne Club is built Fishbourne gets its own Parish Council The new A27 is built and Main Road becomes A259 1990s Fishbourne Pre-School obtains Lottery Grant for a building on the Playing Field 2000s Flavian Fields Multi-sport court is open The Fishbourne Book is published Best Village Award (West Sussex) The Fishbourne Centre opens 2010s Frampton Close New Children’s Play Area Cuckoo Fields New Church Hall opens 2 new developments off Clay Lane (50 “Outstanding” Pre-school obtains funding for homes) development in lines with OFSTED Development off Salthill Road at edge of recommendations Playing Field (20 homes) Fishbourne Neighbourhood Plan is approved by Examiner & Referendum

The area of the village is 3.87 sq.km. At 19%, the percentage increase in Fishbourne’s population between the 2001 Census and the 2011 census was one of the largest in Chichester District.

As a result of all this development, Fishbourne has a population density of 6.2 people per hectare (compared with the England average of 3.9 and the Chichester District average of 1.8) and has an electorate of 1,919 (2015 register).

In the Village Survey which was the first step towards our Neighbourhood Plan, one of the top priorities to emerge was the need to “protect and maintain the separate identity of Fishbourne as a village”. “A sense of community is a particular issue for Fishbourne because of the extent and the nature of the development that has taken place in the last half- century.” (Fishbourne Neighbourhood Plan p.12).

As a result of:  The substantial increase in building that has already taken place;

 The existence of clearly defined boundaries;

 The expressed wish of the community for Fishbourne to remain a physically separate village

(with the risk of a Chichester-Havant suburbia if ward or parish boundaries are changed);

 The prioritisation of consolidation by further developing a sense of community involving all

the existing developments our preference would be to retain our current parish and ward coterminous boundaries.