Horsham District is asking residents, parish councils and local organisations whether they think any changes are needed to make their parish council arrangements more effective. This is through a legal process known as a Community Governance Review.
Horsham District Council wants to hear what residents, parish councils and local organisations think about their parish boundaries and governance arrangements. The Council is launching a 6-week consultation to seek new ideas from 9 May to 22 June 2026.
Horsham District Council Chief Executive Jane Eaton commented: “It is 13 years since the last review took place in our area and some of Horsham District’s villages and towns have changed a lot in this time.
One of main reasons people or parish councils ask for changes in these reviews is due to new homes development having taken place or being planned to take place close to their village or town. For example, a new housing estate might be on the edge of one town or village but in the next parish and it might be a good idea to move the boundary; or a new development might be very large and need its own parish.
“At the same time there are sometimes some oddities in our parish boundaries that have never been historically sorted out, like a parish boundary down the middle of a village high street or around someone’s garden or field. Now is the time to get these anomalies sorted out too.
“There are also questions about how your parish council works. Say your council meetings often don’t have the minimum number of members present to validly conduct business, or you can’t get enough people to become councillors? It could be time to reduce the number of councillors. Or maybe, if there’s been a lot of growth in population recently, a parish wants to increase its number of councillors and think about having its elections in wards to be sure all parts of the community get a voice.
“Alternatively, your council might be a bit small to work as a single parish but doesn’t want to lose its parish identity. In this case maybe the parish council would like to think about working as a group with some of its neighbours?
At the end of the survey Horsham District Council will use your ideas to draft recommendations and then consult on these in the summer before finalising proposals.
Please visit the Council website to take part in our survey and share your feedback online. Paper copies of the survey are also available at: Horsham District Council, Albery House, Springfield Road, Horsham, RH12 2GB or by calling 01403 215100.
Remember, this is your chance to change parish arrangements or choose to leave things as they are. Horsham District Council will draft its recommendations based on your local knowledge. We look forward to hearing what you think.