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Have your say on the future of local government in West Sussex
Residents, businesses and community groups across the county are being
invited to share their views about the future of their councils as part of an
important survey launching on 17 July at: www.shapingwestsussex.org
All
West Sussex residents and organisations are invited to complete a survey
asking about where they live or work, the council services they use, as well
as what matters to them about how their council could be structured in the
future.
The
survey will close at 11.59pm on Wednesday 13 August. This is just the start
of local government reorganisation in West Sussex and as we move through the
process, we will continue to seek your views.
All
councils in the area are working together to gather views that will help
shape proposals for the future of local government in the county. The
government has asked councils to explore how local government reorganisation
could work in the area, with the aim of creating a new unitary council model,
or models – replacing the current two-tier system with a single-tier council
responsible for all local services.
What is local government reorganisation?
Local
government reorganisation is a process of restructuring local government to
simplify the way services are delivered. Instead of having separate county
and district or borough councils, a unitary model brings everything together
into one organisation – from bin collections and housing to education and
adult social care. Town or parish councils will remain as they are.
This
is different from devolution, which involves transferring powers from central
government to regional or national governments, whereas local government
reorganisation focuses on streamlining existing local structures.
Why your voice matters
As
part of the requirement for submitting a proposal on what unitary options we
believe are best for West Sussex, the government has asked us to
ensure our residents, partners and businesses are fully engaged with the
process and given the opportunity to have their say. The Government will make
the final decision on our submission which will then lead to further consultation,
run by them, whereby residents and others will be able to feed in their views
to inform the decision.
Our
job is to develop the options, and we want to ensure our resident, partners
and businesses have the opportunity to input to help inform what options we
put to the government.
This
is a significant change that will affect how local services are run in the
future – and how decisions are made about the things that matter most to you.
That’s why it’s vital that residents, community groups, and businesses have
their say at this early stage.
Your input now will help build a strong foundation for a new council that
truly reflects the people it serves. Once the business case has been
submitted on 26 September 2025, the Government will begin a formal
consultation process.
A
Government decision on local government reorganisation in West Sussex is
expected in spring 2026. After this we will further engage with residents,
staff, councillors and businesses on the design of how the new council will
look. Further engagement will follow in line with the chosen model and
implementation schedule.
Whatever changes are agreed, vital local services will continue – from waste
collection and public health to care for older people and support for
families. The aim of local government reorganisation is not to reduce
services, but to simplify how they are delivered and to ensure that local
voices are heard more clearly in decision-making.
West
Sussex County Council Leader, Cllr Paul Marshall, said: “We urge everyone in
West Sussex to take the time to respond to this survey. We believe that local
government reorganisation, done correctly, will deliver for residents,
communities and businesses. This is your opportunity to have your say on the
first steps in this process and will provide vital feedback as we move
towards our submission to Government in September 2025 on what we believe are
the best options for the county.”
Take part in the survey
The
survey is now live at www.shapingwestsussex.org
and will be open until 11.59pm on 13 August. Whether you’ve lived in the area
for decades, work here or have just moved in, your views are important. This
is a unique opportunity to help shape a new council that works for you, your
family and your community.
For more information visit: Future of local government in Sussex
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