East Sussex and Brighton & Hove have their own plans. 

Here in West Sussex council leaders have declared that four geographical footprints are being considered. Adur & Worthing councils are working with them to explore the pros and cons of each option.

These options are:

1. A super sized West Sussex council – population around 900,000.
2. A Sussex west authority made up of  Worthing, Arun and Chichester councils stretching north to the Surrey border (splitting Adur from Worthing) – 400,000 pop.
3. A Sussex coastal authority consisting of Adur, Worthing, Arun and Chichester south (splitting Chichester DC into north and south) – 430,000 pop.
4. A new council in which Adur & Worthing would join with Brighton&Hove – 450,000 pop.

Worthing Green councillors believe it’s high time that the options on the table and the factors being considered are openly and transparently shared with the public for discussion. Adur & Worthing councils are doing public engagement in a general sense through ‘Thriving Together’ about people’s ‘wishes’ for the future of their neighbourhoods and the town, but views on the groupings of places into local authorities are not currently being sought. So Claire and Ian, working together with Worthing Community Independent councillors, have launched a quick survey of their own.

Claire says, “It’s so important that residents are brought up to speed on the actual options and issues being considered and have a chance to influence before any final decision is made about which unitary Adur and Worthing will sit in. Our survey can’t go into all the complex data and evidence that the council have access to but people’s varied experiences of living, working, travelling, socialising and accessing services in Sussex may mean they have reasons to prefer one or other of the options and they deserve to be able to express that.”

Ian adds, “This Labour council claims to be a ‘Council for the Community’ yet on the most important issue of the future for our area they appear disinterested in residents’ views. What they decide will impact upon all of our futures. Should we align with Brighton or Bognor? Should Adur and Worthing be split? Should we look west to Chichester or east to Brighton & Hove? These are all questions that residents should have a say in answering. “

We are interested in your views. Please take a few minutes to complete our short survey to let us know what you think. 

http://bit.ly/LGRSurvey

You might be interested in ‘Sussex and the City’,an independent and non-potical project producing regular newsletters and podcasts about Sussex evolution and local government reorganisation –  https://lander.alwayspossible.co.uk/home-1

The post Worthing Green councillors want to know what you think about proposals for the the future of local councils in Sussex appeared first on Worthing Green Party.

At yesterday’s West Sussex County Coucil cabinet meeting in Chichester, the Conservative councillors commited to cancelling the May 2025 county elections. This would allow them to remain in their seats for another three years – without a democratic mandate from the people of Worthing to do so.

Whilst Worthing Greens support well-planned devolution that engages with and directly benefits local communities, the current plans to push through changes without much deliberation are concerning.

Major decisions about the future of local government in West Sussex will impact residents for decades to come, and it is the responsibility of the West Sussex County Council to ensure that their citizens have a right to vote for those who impliment these changes. The reorganisation of local government is far too important to rush through without proper consultation and democratic oversight.

Claire Hunt and Ian Davey released this statement yesterday after the West Sussex County Council Cabinet meeting. The statement was also signed by two councillors from the Adur Green Party and the three Worthing Community Independents.

The post Green councillors Claire Hunt & Ian Davey defend local democracy as they fight to save the May 2025 county elections appeared first on Worthing Green Party.