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news release
17 July 2025
AMENDED:
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, thegovernment
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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