District-Wide Community Governance Review
Horsham District Council launched a Community Governance Review in February 2026, to consider all the parishes within the District. The review considered one or more of the following options:
- Creating, altering, merging or abolishing parishes
- The naming of parishes and the style of new parishes and the creation of parish councils
- The electoral arrangements for parishes (for instance, the ordinary year of election, the number of councillors to be elected to the council and parish warding)
- Grouping parishes under a common parish council or de-grouping parishes
- Other types of arrangements including parish meetings
Two consultation periods took place to ask for your views on the boundaries and governance arrangements of parishes across the Horsham District.
Following the conclusion of the second consultation period, the Governance Committee made its final recommendations at its meeting on 28 September 2026.
Full Council decided to make reorganisation orders to give effect to those recommendations at its meeting on 7 October 2026.
The decisions along with the reasons for each decision are set out in detail in the papers relating to each meeting. A summary is contained below.
Decision
- To alter the parish areas of Bramber and Steyning, to extend the boundary of the parish of Bramber to include the whole of the Bramber Brooks nature reserve.
Reasons
- To reflect community identity, support effective and convenient local government, and resolve an anomaly in parish governance.
The Horsham District Council (Reorganisation of Community Governance) (No. 1) Order 2026
Decision
- To alter the parish areas of Broadbridge Heath and Slinfold, to extend the boundary of the parish of Broadbridge Heath to include the development area to the east of the parish of Slinfold known as Lower Broadbridge Farm.
Reasons
- To ensure that the planned 133 homes at Lower Broadbridge Farm are represented by the parish council most closely aligned with their community identity, daily service patterns and settlement context.
- To remove an anomalous boundary, create a coherent governance structure, and align with statutory requirements under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007.
The Horsham District Council (Reorganisation of Community Governance) (No. 2) Order 2026
Decision
- To aggregate parts of the parishes of Colgate and Rusper to constitute a new parish of Kilnwood Vale.
- To create a parish council for the parish of Kilnwood Vale, to be styled as a neighbourhood council, with a total of 12 councillors being elected for the parish.
- To change the name of the parish of Colgate to “Colgate and Faygate”.
Reasons
- To reflect the identity of Kilnwood Vale as a single planned community.
- To provide clear accountability and coherent representation for residents.
- To ensure governance arrangements align with the needs of an urban settlement.
- To protect the historic identity of Colgate and Faygate.
- To avoid dividing Faygate, which Colgate Parish Council strongly opposes.
- To ensure future residents north of the railway line are represented within the same community.
- To establish clear and defensible boundaries.
- To support effective and convenient local government.
The Horsham District Council (Reorganisation of Community Governance) (No. 5) Order
Decision
- To alter the parish areas of Upper Beeding and Henfield, to extend the boundary of the parish of Upper Beeding to include the whole of the Small Dole ward of the parish of Henfield.
- To change the name of the parish of Upper Beeding to “Upper Beeding and Small Dole”.
- To abolish the warding arrangements for the parish of Henfield, with the total number of councillors to be elected remaining at 15.
- To reduce the number of councillors to be elected for the renamed parish of Upper Beeding and Small Dole from 15 to 13, with 10 being elected to the Upper Beeding ward and three being elected to the Small Dole ward.
Reasons
- To reflect community identity, support effective and convenient local government, and resolve a long-standing anomaly in parish governance.
The Horsham District Council (Reorganisation of Community Governance) (No. 3) Order 2026
Decision
- To amalgamate the parishes of Horsham and North Horsham to constitute a new parish of Horsham.
- To alter the parish areas of Rusper and Horsham, to extend the boundary of the new parish of Horsham to include whole of the Mowbray development.
- To dissolve the parish councils for the parishes of Horsham and North Horsham, and to create a new parish council for the new parish of Horsham.
- To divide the new parish of Horsham into six wards, with a total of 25 councillors being elected.
Reasons
- Abolishing Horsham Town Council and North Horsham Parish Council and creating a single unified Horsham parish council provides a governance structure that aligns with how residents experience their town. It ensures coherent service delivery, strengthens Horsham’s voice under future unitary arrangements, and provides robust democratic representation through multi-member wards. Further, where a single settlement is divided between separate parish councils, there is a risk of fragmented representation, duplication of administrative functions and inconsistent advocacy on matters affecting the same community. A unified parish council would provide a clearer democratic voice for residents, enable strategic decisions to be taken for the settlement as a whole and better reflect the reality that residents share common facilities, services, infrastructure and community interests. Guidance emphasises the importance of community cohesion, sense of place and governance arrangements that reflect natural communities rather than administrative divisions. Bringing the whole town within a single parish council would therefore create governance arrangements that are both more representative of the community and more effective in practice.
- Including the whole of the Mowbray development within the new Horsham parish ensures that this large, planned community is governed coherently and avoids the fragmentation that would result from it remaining divided between parishes. Adjusting Rusper’s boundary accordingly is necessary to achieve this.
- Establishing 25 councillors for the new parish, elected through wards aligned to District ward boundaries, provides a proportionate and resilient governance structure that reflects recognised communities within the town.
The Horsham District Council (Reorganisation of Community Governance) (No. 4) Order 2026
Decision
- To alter the parish areas of Southwater and Shipley, to extend the boundary of the parish of Southwater to include the development areas to the north of the parish of Shipley.
- To change the warding arrangements for the parish of Southwater, by replacing two wards with three wards, with the total number of councillors to be elected remaining at 15.
Reasons
- The developments directly adjoin Southwater’s built-up area, are designed and marketed as part of Southwater, and will rely on Southwater’s schools, shops, services, transport links and community facilities. Retaining the developments within Shipley would leave residents represented by a parish council geographically distant from the facilities they use daily, while Southwater would bear the infrastructure impacts without having governance responsibility.
- The parish has experienced significant growth, and the creation of an additional ward would allow representation to be more evenly balanced across expanding residential areas.
The Horsham District Council (Reorganisation of Community Governance) (No. 6) Order
The Community Governance Review (CGR) process
A Community Governance Review is a legal process where the council will consult with those living in the area, and other interested parties, on the most suitable ways of representing the people in the area. This means making sure that those living in the area, and other interested groups, have a say in how their local communities are represented.
The purpose of a CGR is to ensure that these arrangements continue to be effective and efficient, and that they reflect the interests and identity of local communities. The review process gives you the chance to provide your view on how you would like to be governed.
| Action | Date |
|---|---|
| Report to Governance Committee to approve the Terms of Reference for the review. | 18 February 2026 |
| Undertake formal consultation with local electors and other interested bodies in accordance with Section 93 of the Local Government and public Involvement in Health Act 2007 (6 weeks) | 9 May - 22 June 2026 |
| Governance Committee considers consultation outcomes and produces draft recommendations | 22 July 2026 |
| Undertake formal consultation with local electors and other interested bodies in accordance with Section 93 of the Local Government and public Involvement in Health Act 2007 (6 weeks) | 24 July - 7 September 2026 |
| Governance Committee considers consultation outcomes and produces final recommendations | 28 September 2026 |
| Full Council meeting, to approve reorganisation order(s), if required | September/October 2026 |
| Effective date of any change to parish boundaries, and electoral arrangements | 1 April 2027, or other date as detailed in the reorganisation order |
| Elections to take place to elect councillor, based on any agreed changes | 1 May 2027 |