The Government is consulting on the future of local government in Sussex

Published 00:00 on 1 Dec 2025

We want to make you aware that the UK Government is currently asking people for their views on proposals to reorganise Local Government in Sussex.

The consultation is available at: www.gov.uk/government/consultations/local-government-reorganisation-in-east-sussex-and-brighton-and-hove-and-west-sussex  and is open until Sunday 11 January, and welcomes feedback from residents, businesses and community groups on all proposals put forward by councils across the region. This input will help shape the Governments final decision on the best way forward for Sussex.

All eight councils in West Sussex collaborated closely to develop options based on shared data and information, after the Government invited the group to develop proposals for local government reorganisation. This was a complex process designed to ensure that the proposals met the Governments criteria. It involved reviewing income, costs, and budgets across each council, and rigorously testing every option to confirm financial sustainability and compliance with the population requirements set by Government. It also created models to assess the demand for some of the major county services, such as Adult Social Care. Around 16 different options were originally tested.

Alongside, the joint case, which can be found at www.shapingwestsussex.org, each council shared its preferred option with Government. Chichester District Council, together with all other district and borough councils in West Sussex, unanimously supported the two-unitary model one authority for Chichester, Arun, Worthing and Adur, and another for Crawley, Horsham and Mid Sussex. West Sussex County Council backed a single unitary option.

As well as the proposals from the councils in West Sussex, the Government has also decided to include a proposal from Brighton & Hove City Council in the consultation, which affects West Sussex. Brighton & Hoves proposal features a five-unitary model covering the whole of Sussex, which was developed without any input from councils in West Sussex.

Information on the process so far and an overview of what the Government is now seeking views on is available at www.chichester.gov.uk/devolution
All local councils are encouraging as many people as possible to have their say to help shape the future of local government in the area.