The government is to be asked to postpone West Sussex County Council elections for a second time.
During a meeting of the cabinet on Tuesday (September 23), it was agreed that the council would make the request in its Local Government Reorganisation submission letter.
Elections in the east and west of the county were due to be held in May but were postponed to allow the council to focus on the work needed after joining the government’s fast-track devolution scheme.
Should the request for another cancellation be approved, most of the current crop of councillors would have held their seats for six years rather than four by the time the 2027 elections are held.
Pete Bradbury (Con, Cuckfield & Lucastes) told the meeting that delivering county elections ‘for people who would only be in office for a year’ would cost around £3m.
He added: “That seems to me not only a waste of public money, but finding people who are prepared to go through the rigours of approval, selection and then campaigning for an election that’s going to deliver them only one year in office, seems to lack in practicality.”
Bob Lanzer, cabinet member for public health & wellbeing, pointed out that in May 2026, some areas would be holding three elections – for Mayor of Sussex & Brighton, county council elections and district/borough elections.
He said: “It’s important to note that, of those three elections, only one of them would be relevant to the future structure of local government. The other two would not be, because the county council and the district and borough councils are both disappearing.”
The May 2027 elections would be for the new unitary authority or authorities – whichever the government decides – that will be set up as part of the Local Government Reorganisation.
To be known as the shadow council or shadow executive, they will carry out the functions of a council until the new unitary authority/authorities formally go live on April 1 2028.
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