Chichester Backs Two-Council Model In Plans To Shake Up West Sussex Local Government

Chichester District Council has set out its preferred option for the future of local government in West Sussex — backing the creation of two new unitary authorities.

The decision was made at a full council meeting on Tuesday (23 September), with councillors agreeing to put forward a business case to government later this week.

If approved, the county would be split. Crawley, Horsham and Mid Sussex would form one unitary authority, while Chichester, Worthing, Adur and Arun would make up the other.

Council leader Adrian Moss described it as “a historic day”, saying the two-unitary model would protect the character of districts while making services more efficient and financially sustainable.

He said:

“A two-unitary solution will ensure we retain the culture of the districts and continue our flexibility of delivering local services from local offices.

"If we are going to find new ways to save money as required by government, we need a new fresh approach.”

The business case, prepared jointly by county, district and borough councils, looked at five possible options.

A single authority would offer the biggest annual savings, around £48.8m, while the two-unitary model is forecast to deliver £18.8m.

But the switch would come at a significant cost, with estimates of £60–65m to transition.

Councillors also raised concerns about the knock-on effects of reducing the number of elected members.

West Sussex currently has 358 councillors.

That number would drop to 70 under a single authority, or 140 under two — a change some fear could make it harder for councillors to stay connected with local residents.

Chairman Clare Apel said:

“My greatest fear is our local community is going to suffer with this desperately.

"One of the things Chichester District Council is really good at is members getting involved with their local community – and I can’t see this doing anything but decreasing that.”

The government is expected to make a final decision on the shape of local government in West Sussex in spring 2026.