Local Government Reorganisation decision in West Sussex

West Sussex County Council’s preferred choice for Local Government Reorganisation will be one unitary authority covering the whole of the county.

The decision was made on Tuesday (September 23) by members of the cabinet following a debate involving the full council.

While a short-list of five options were included in the business case prepared by the county, district and borough councils, only three were deemed viable – a single unitary council covering West Sussex, two unitary councils splitting the county broadly west/east, or two unitary councils splitting the county broadly south west/north east.

Most councillors agreed that reorganisation was needed, but there were differing opinions over how that change should take shape.

But it's understood the decision goes against the feedback of residents in a public consultation, where 62% favoured dividing the county in two, with just 23% wanting a single new authority.

Money was top of the list for many when it came to opting for the single council. Figures in the business case said that forming a single authority would deliver ongoing annual net benefits of £48.8m. For the other two options it would be £18.8m.

Paul Marshal, leader of the council, said: “Local Government Reorganisation is critical for our residents and our businesses. So whatever the outcome, it’s really important that we stay collaborative and we work together to deliver the outcome.”

Running through the six criteria set by the government, Mr Marshall said having one unitary council rather than seven district and borough councils would end people’s confusion over which authority dealt with which service.

He and others spoke of the concern that opting for two unitary councils would lead to problems for the likes of adults services and children’s services, which would also have to be split.

Then there was the issue of community empowerment, which was a cause for concern  for those opposed to the single unitary model.

Several councillors felt that having such a large council, when compared to the current district and borough councils, would leave people feeling detached from their representatives.

Donna Johnson (Selsey, Green & Independent Alliance) said she understood the appeal of a single unitary authority but asked: “Does one size really fit all in a county which is as socially, economically and geographically as diverse as ours?

“When you look beneath the surface and beyond the spreadsheets, a single authority could risk centralising decision making, which will dilute local voices and create a super-sized authority which will struggle to be responsive to the very communities we were elected to serve.”

Mr Marshall made it clear that he and the other council heads of West Sussex were not overly pleased with the way the road to reorganisation had gone.

He said: “In principle we all agreed with the unitary model but we just felt that the journey to get there should have engaged more consultation with the public, more information, and more engagement with [councillors] collectively.

“So this is partly not our journey but we are having to participate in this.”

Mr Marshall also said the reorganisation would not deal with the challenges faced by councils such as homelessness, social care and special educational needs.

The single unitary option was chosen by 38 votes to 17 with four abstentions and then agreed unanimously by the cabinet.

The submission will be sent to government by Friday (September 26) and the government is expected to make its final decision in Spring 2026.