In late 1951 it became known that the Church
Commissioners were in discussion with either Billy Butlin
or the National Union of Mineworkers with a view to establishing
a holiday complex at West Wittering. The Commissioners then
owned all the foreshore and coastal farming land from and
including East Head and Snowhill Green to the newly built
estate at Jolliffe Road south of the main Cakeham Road.
A small group of local residents, headed by
Phillip Whitehead (founder of Whiteheads, Chartered Surveyors
in Chichester – now GA) and John Widdows (senior partner
of Thomas Eggar, Solicitors) formed the 'West Wittering Preservation
Trust' in an attempt to protect the land associated with the
car park. The car park had been running as a successful commercial
venture since the early 1920's and it was assessed that the
Commissioners would want at least £22,000 for the area
including and bounded by East Head, Coastguard Lane, the playing
field (now leased to the village school) and the Car Park
Road up to the junction with Pound Road. The Chichester District
Council was approached by the West Wittering Parish Council
to see if they would help but to no avail, so it was left
to the local residents to raise the money themselves. In the
event 126 residents subscribed to a new company and the West
Wittering Estate Limited was born. In July 1952, the company
bought the land above for £20,546.14.9d – including
stamp duty and legal fees.
The company's main objectives were then and remain to this
day:
the preservation of the beach and waters
adjoining the company's land
for the safe and peaceful enjoyment of the public
and
the preservation of the rural and undeveloped nature of
the company's
property and its surroundings.
As well as anticipating some return on their investment,
the members also looked to the car park to provide sufficient
funds to carry out these objectives. The membership has
now grown to over 300 and as shares become available they
are snapped up by local householders.
Also in July 1952, 48 residents formed a separate company
– Cakeham Manor Estate Limited. For the princely sum
of £16,062 this company bought 199 acres of coastal
farmland, 13 acres of greensward, Cakeham Manor and other
properties including the undeveloped plots on East and West
Strand, Berry Barn Lane and the two derelict cottages at
the entrance. These subscribers did not apparently expect
any return on their investment other than rental from the
farmland.
In May 1964, East Head was gifted by West Wittering Estate
Limited to the County Council who passed it on to the National
Trust.
In November 1984 the company entered into a management
agreement with English Nature covering all the grazing land
between the Car Park Road and Snowhill Creek, all of this
area and East Head are now within the Chichester Harbour
Conservancy SSSI (site of special scientific interest).
For this reason the land is protected from any form of development
that could disturb its present rural nature.
In October 1988 the householder shareholders of Cakeham
Manor Estate were again approached and sufficient funds
were raised by 34 subscribers to buy a further 91 acres
of land for £236,000. This is the farmland which separates
the urban sprawl of Bracklesham and East Wittering from
the main bulk of West Wittering. Here too the subscribers
could anticipate no return on their investment so they invested
their money solely to safeguard their local area. In recent years the car park company has invested several
hundred thousand pounds in improvements in the facilities
and safety there; this programme is a never ending one.
The Board of Directors is ever conscious of its responsibility
towards what can be as many as 15,000 Sunday visitors and
conscious too of the inconvenience caused to local villagers
by the sheer volume of cars visiting the car park. |
