Plans for local government reorganisation in West Sussex are steadily moving forward.
That's according to County Council leader Paul Marshall, who described the process as “a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape local government in West Sussex for the better.
"As leader of the county council, I have responsibility for delivering vital social care services to vulnerable people, services that account for the majority of local government spend in the county. This gives me a unique lens through which to view the potential impact of reorganisation.
“I’m approaching the process with an open mind and am very conscious that there is still work to do in developing our position, including engaging with communities.
“However, the evidence I’ve seen so far points towards a single unitary authority as the best option for West Sussex. It offers the clearest model of service delivery for residents and delivers the government’s ambitions for reform while minimising disruption and cost.
“With the national criteria on reorganisation in mind, I find it hard to see how splitting the county into multiple unitary authorities will deliver the changes that the government wants and that our communities need. It would mean dividing social care services, increasing running costs and taking money away from essential services, and introducing unnecessary complexity and distraction at a time when we need to continue our focus on improving services and managing major national reforms.
“In short, the evidence would need to identify something new if the answer for me were to be anything other than a single unitary authority.”
In March, the County Council, along with district and borough councils, submitted a draft interim plan outlining potential options.
See Future of local government in Sussex for more information about the work on local government reorganisation and devolution in our region.
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