West Sussex councils submit Business Case and express individual preferences for local government reorganisation.
Today (26 September), West Sussex councils have submitted a joint Business Case and individual preference letters to central government, proposing their preferred models for local government reorganisation in the county. The proposals respond to the Government’s ambition to develop alternative options to the current two-tier council system.
This submission follows meetings held across all West Sussex councils over recent weeks, where councillors discussed the joint Business Case.
Councils have worked closely together with a shared commitment to delivering the best outcomes for the people of West Sussex. All councils across West Sussex are proud of the collaborative approach taken to develop this Business Case. We have worked openly and transparently to develop our shared evidence base.
The Business Case explores options for a sustainable, effective and coherent model of local government for the county, considering the financial and service delivery challenges we anticipate in the years ahead. Supplementary to the Business Case are preference letters setting out each council’s preferred option and rationale. The evaluated options demonstrate opportunities for financial savings and service integration that unitary local government can unlock. It is rooted in a thorough assessment of both our current context and our future needs. Financial modelling provides assurance that the options presented are financially viable and balanced.
Particular care has been taken to assess the impact of the proposals on those in receipt of critical services, ensuring continuity and stability during and beyond transition. Insights from residents, stakeholders and staff have informed the development of this Business Case, with careful consideration given to the preferences of groups, how they use our services now and how they might in the future.
Horsham District Council along with the other six district and borough councils, is stating its preference for a two unitary council model for West Sussex which would see the creation of a new Unitary Authority combining Horsham District Council, Crawley District Council and Mid Sussex District Council areas.
Leader of Horsham District Council, Cllr Martin Boffey, is now writing to the Government to ask ministers to consider the Council’s preferred option.
Cllr Boffey commented:
“Firstly, I’d like to thank all Horsham District residents, businesses and stakeholders for their valuable engagement and feedback in helping us achieve this key milestone of submitting a Business Case to shape the future of local government in West Sussex. Your views are really important and have been instrumental in shaping our proposals.
“I am proud of the collaborative approach we have adopted with all participating West Sussex councils to arrive at this point.
“As part of this collaborative work to develop the Business Case we, as a council, have expressed our preference for a two unitary council model for West Sussex which would see a new Unitary Authority combining the services of Horsham District Council, Crawley Borough Council and Mid Sussex District Council, along with the services for our residents currently provided by West Sussex County Council.
“We feel this option, which was by far the most preferred option by residents and stakeholders in our engagement survey, will put residents first, giving you a more local focus on housing, social care and leisure and community services and creating a localised single point of contact for services which are most important to you.
“Having two smaller unitary councils in West Sussex will also create four seats on the board of the newly formed Mayoral Strategic Authority for West Sussex which will ensure that our communities are more fairly represented in regional decision making. This will better reflect the larger size of the West Sussex population compared to the populations of East Sussex and Brighton & Hove.
“A higher number of councillors in the two unitary model will deliver better access to democracy for residents and more manageable workloads for councillors.
“It offers a closer connection between you and your elected councillors, ensuring decisions are made closer to the communities they affect. It will also provide the best opportunities for economic growth as the Crawley, Horsham and Mid Sussex area covers the southern portion of the Gatwick Diamond economic business area.
“Whilst I acknowledge that there are risks associated with the disaggregation of countywide services, I have every confidence that with the continued efforts of the dedicated and talented staff across all our councils, these can be fully mitigated.
“The far greater risk in my view would be to waste the opportunities for transformation of services, public sector reform and value for money that will come from building new institutions tailored to the needs of our residents, businesses and communities.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to deliver meaningful change and we cannot afford to miss it. In my view, only the two unitary council model can deliver on this ambition.”
There was an indicative vote at a meeting of Horsham District Council’s full Council on 24 September in favour of a new Unitary Council combining Horsham, Crawley and Mid Sussex councils. At a Cabinet meeting on the same evening, senior councillors voted unanimously for this option.
The Government will undertake a formal consultation on local government reorganisation. For West Sussex, this is expected to run from November 2025 to January 2026 and residents are strongly encouraged to take part in this to ensure their voices continue to be heard.
A ministerial decision on the future shape of local government in West Sussex is anticipated in Spring 2026 and will take effect from April 2028.
For more information please see our local government reorganisation page.