Published: 26 September 2025
From: Democracy
Crawley Borough Council has today submitted its preferred option for Local Government Reorganisation. This followed a recommendation made at Full Council on Wednesday night, and a subsequent decision taken at Cabinet.
The option chosen would see a new unitary council formed covering what is now Crawley, Horsham and Mid Sussex councils. Both Crawley Borough Council and West Sussex County Council would cease to exist.
The option chosen was one of three viable proposals that emerged from close joint working across all West Sussex councils. The other options emerging would see either a single unitary council covering the whole of West Sussex, or a variation of a smaller unitary council again covering Crawley, Horsham and Mid Sussex, but with the addition of Adur.
A significant factor in the council choosing the option it has, was the engagement undertaken earlier in the summer. This showed a clear preference for two new unitary councils across West Sussex rather than the creation of a single unitary. The same engagement also showed a clear preference between the two two-unitary options for Crawley Horsham and Mid Sussex (without Adur).
Across the county, all district and borough councils have now selected Option B2 as their preference. The county council has expressed its preference for the creation of a single unitary. Brighton & Hove will also submit their five-unitary Sussex-wide proposal which would see Crawley form a unitary with Horsham and Chichester.
Following submissions, Government will now assess each against the criteria they have set for reorganisation, and the relevant legislation, before launching a consultation on those options that it decides to take forward to the next stage. Residents and stakeholders will again have an opportunity to comment on these before the Government makes its decision. Based on current information we do not expect a decision to be made until the first quarter of 2026.
The options that have emerged have been shaped by the government's criteria. As I set out at our full Council on Wednesday and as I made clear in my letter to the Government, none of these options would be one I would have designed given a free hand. In choosing the option for a new unitary covering Crawley, Horsham and Mid Sussex, we have listened to our residents, stakeholders and staff, who clearly showed a preference for this option. There are also strong geographic and economic reasons for this choice. The business case developed jointly by all councils across West Sussex demonstrates that this is a viable option. I also note that all districts and boroughs across West Sussex have united to support the same option. This is a strong statement. I nonetheless remain concerned about this agenda. Ever since the creation of the New Town, Crawley has thrived with a council dedicated to the town, its residents and their interests. This is about to be lost. And whilst I welcome the government's recognition of the importance of local government and the need for it to be financially sustainable, none of the proposals emerging address the underlying financial strains. There remain key questions to be answered in the coming weeks and months, and it is my sincere hope that the wider agendas of devolution and public service reform live up to their billing for the people of Crawley.
Councillor Michael Jones
Leader
Crawley Borough Council
tags: