Thriving Together: shaping the future of the places we call home

Devolution and local government reorganisation - how you can get involved

In May 2025 we launched a new online platform to give you a voice in the government's planned changes for Sussex. 

We asked you to take part in our online survey by sharing your hopes and ideas for the future of Adur and Worthing and voting for other peoples ideas as part of our 'Thriving Together - Devolution' project.

Over the past year, our Thriving Together programme has brought hundreds of people together to share ideas, develop priorities, and influence how we work across Adur and Worthing.

Those conversations have already helped shape big changes - from the local government reorganisation (LGR) submission in September to the creation of our new corporate strategy, called Fair, Green & Local.

The process also produced a People's Vision with seven aims and 21 actions covering priorities that include keeping decisions local, investing in community and culture, creating better places, and focusing on young people.

Read a full report on the Thriving Together programme here:

• Joint Strategic Committee: 24th September 2025
  Item JSC/47/23-24: Submission of Local Government Reorganisation Proposal (proposal for a two unitary model)

Next steps

We want to work with you to build on what we've already achieved, help design what comes next and share how you can get involved in practical projects.

To find out more and sign up for upcoming Thriving Together events, visit:

• Thriving Together platform

Supporting stronger communities

Beyond devolution and local government reorganisation, this approach to engagement will help people and partners connect, collaborate, and bring ideas to life. We're investing in resources - including digital tools and training - to support communities in tackling shared challenges and finding solutions together into the future.

By building this together, we're staying true to our core principles:

• Participative: Bringing people together to shape the future in creative ways
• Adaptive: Trying new ways to make participation easier, creative and more accessible
• Resilient: Creating a lasting legacy as we move towards a new form of local government

We believe the best ideas come from working together. This programme is about bringing people into the conversation - whether online or in person - so that everyone has a voice in shaping the future of Adur and Worthing. The support we are building will leave a lasting legacy, helping communities and organisations collaborate more effectively for years to come.

Cllr Jeremy Gardner, the leader of Adur District Council, said:

“Our vision is for a fairer, greener Adur - a thriving district built on collaboration between residents, businesses and the council. Communities are at the heart of everything we do, and this is a real opportunity for local people, businesses and organisations to shape the future of our district.”

Cllr Sophie Cox, the leader of Worthing Borough Council, said:

“We want to transform Worthing into a thriving and inclusive destination that supports the wellbeing of our residents and is attractive to both visitors and employers who want to set up their businesses here. Our vision for the future of Worthing is to develop our seafront, strengthen our local economy, help our environment flourish and create opportunities for all.”

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