West Sussex Council Leaders Frustrated By Local Government Reorganisation Pause

West Sussex council leaders say they are frustrated after the Government paused plans for a major shake-up of local government.

Housing and Communities Secretary Angela Rayner confirmed on Monday (7 September) that Local Government Reorganisation plans in 14 areas will be paused and reviewed.

She told Parliament the decision had been made “in the light of legal advice”.

Plans for West Sussex, which took around 18 months to prepare, had already been paused and will now be considered as part of the wider review.

No timetable has been given for when the review will take place or when a final decision will be made.

In a joint response, West Sussex councils said:

“We are frustrated by the latest news and will be meeting with ministers to understand what is behind this decision and what the timetable is for going forward.

“Our concern now is to ensure our residents, communities and businesses are kept fully aware and that our staff and members are kept up to date with the latest details in what continues to be an unsettling time for them.

“In the meantime, it is business as usual, we will continue to provide all of our services and deliver our local priorities with the same level of commitment, to our communities.

“We will jointly urge the government to finalise the details on the LGR programme so we can finally know when this will be happening and what the decision is for the future of local government in West Sussex.”

The Government has confirmed that local elections due to take place in May 2027 will go ahead as planned, using existing district and borough council boundaries.

The future structure of local government in West Sussex will now depend on the outcome of the Government's review.