Sussex left waiting, as Minister kicks local government reorganisation decision further down the road

Liberal Democrat MP for Horsham, John Milne, has responded to today's announcement from the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Steve Reed, that a new four-unitary option is being put forward for local government reorganisation in Sussex. 

In a written statement today, the Secretary of State confirmed that the government cannot yet make a final decision on local government reorganisation for the Sussex area.  

The Minister has set out a new option that would see four unitary councils created across Sussex, with a condensed “technical consultation” to take place after the May local elections. A final decision is not expected until after that process concludes, though any new councils are still expected to come into effect from April 2028.

The new option would see Horsham placed in a single unitary alongside Crawley, Chichester and Mid Sussex districts. This differs from the original two-unitary proposal for West Sussex, under which Chichester would have been grouped with the coastal districts of Arun, Adur and Worthing. 

Responding to the announcement, Liberal Democrat MP for Horsham, John Milne, said: 

“It’s surprising to see the government come forward today with a new option of a four-unitary authority rather than the final decision we were expecting. They’ve kicked it further down the road and risk prolonging uncertainty for residents, councils and staff, who need clarity about how local services will be run in the future. 

“I am pleased to see that a single West Sussex unitary now appears to be off the table, as that would have left us as one of the worst represented in the country. However, we must ensure this splitting of West Sussex is viable and will meet the needs of the residents in each authority and is not politically motivated.

“It is right that there will now be further consultation on this new proposal, and I hope it is a genuine opportunity to understand local views.” 

Councillor Jay Mercer (Horsham East), the Leader of the Liberal Democrats on West Sussex County Council, commented:

“Once again the Government has delayed and confused everyone by trying to change the rules. We are concerned about the financial viability of their new proposal, but pleased to see that they seem to have finally recognised that West Sussex is simply too big to make up one unitary Council.” 

Read more on Local government reorganisation: Policy and programme updates: www.gov.uk/government/collections/local-government-reorganisation-policy-and-programme-updates