Arundel and South Downs MP Andrew Griffith has called on the government to bring more than two years of uncertainty over the future structure of local government in West Sussex to an end.
Mr Griffith has written to Angela Rayner, the re-appointed Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, urging ministers to reach a swift decision.
In his letter, the MP argued that councils should be concentrating on repairing roads, investing in schools and delivering high-quality children’s and adult social care.
He said local authorities should not remain tied up in repeated consultations and reviews over how councils are structured.
Mr Griffith called on the government to abandon what he described as its "top-down" reorganisation plans, claiming they lacked support from local communities.
He said district and county councils should instead be allowed to focus on delivering services for residents.
However, the MP added that if ministers remained committed to reorganising local government, a single unitary authority covering the whole of West Sussex would be the least disruptive option.
He said this would be consistent with arrangements already confirmed for neighbouring Brighton and Hove and East Sussex, while also aligning with the new Sussex and Brighton Strategic Authority.
Mr Griffith concluded his letter by calling for residents to be given a referendum on the future of local government in the county.
He said any referendum should include a ‘no change’ option, allowing residents to decide whether the existing council structure should remain in place.
The MP says that any proposal which “profoundly” changed local democratic representation should only proceed with the clear consent of local people.
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