As you have probably heard by now the government has today confirmed a further delay to its decision on local government reorganisation for West Sussex. We understand minded to decisions have been made in most other areas, with Cambridgeshire/Peterborough being the only other area with no decision.
The government has confirmed a further delay its decision on local government reorganisation for West Sussex. We now expect the decision in October 2026.
The latest position regarding local government reorganisation in Horsham District following the statement from The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government of 16 July is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/14-more-areas-to-benefit-from-streamlined-local-services.
The Government says, despite this further delay, the overall government timetable for reorganisation remains, with elections to a new shadow council or councils expected in May 2027. The shadow council will manage the transition to the new arrangements. The new council will formally take on responsibilities for delivering services in April 2028.
We now expect the decision for our area in October 2026.
Detailed work to prepare for the government decision has been undertaken with a strong collaborative approach between all West Sussex Councils.
We remain committed to keeping you informed as we move through this period of reorganisation and will share further updates as the programme progresses.