Local Government Reorganisation and Devolution
You may have heard that the Government have decided to make some big changes to local government in Sussex and it will all start in 2026 when we are asked to vote for a Sussex Mayor. The Sussex Mayor will head up a combined Mayoral Authority for Sussex which could include strategic work for Housing, skills, transport, policing and other services. We don’t know yet exactly what that will cover nor where it will be situated. It will cover all of East and West Sussex and Brighton and Hove.
Alongside this, but on a slightly different timescale is the replacing of all of the District and County Councils for Sussex (and Brighton and Hove City). They will be replaced with Unitary Councils, we don’t know yet how many nor the area they will cover, but it is likely there will be two or three to replace all of the districts and counties currently in place. For us this means Mid Sussex District and West Sussex County will cease to exist in April 2028 and the new Unitary council will replace it.
Please see the below the briefing that was given to the Town Council in January 2025 and other press releases and publications that have been issued from West Sussex County Council to keep you up to date. When we hear something we will add it to this page.
What happens to the Town and Parish Councils? Nothing, we continue as we were, but the changes may mean new opportunities to take on some local work that the new unitary thinks are appropriate for us to deliver. These conversations will take place over the next few years, at this time we are simply staying as we are.