Adur and Worthing leaders respond to second consultation on local government reorganisation
Released: Tuesday, 16 June 2026
The leaders of Adur District Council and Worthing Borough Council have written to the government in response to the second consultation on local government reorganisation (LGR) in Sussex.
As their official response to the consultation, which has now closed, both leaders have expressed enthusiasm for the opportunities that a coastal unitary authority which covers Adur, Arun and Worthing could bring, but stressed that any new authority must be financially viable from day one.
In March this year the government wrote to councils in Sussex to advise them that it had not made a decision on which unitary solution to apply in Sussex, and would instead run a second consultation to seek feedback on two potential modifications on the proposals submitted by Sussex's local authorities.
Proposals developed by West Sussex's councils would have seen one unitary council covering Horsham, Crawley and Mid Sussex, and one covering Chichester, Arun, Worthing and Adur.
In the government's revised West Sussex unitary arrangement option, Chichester would be moved into a unitary authority alongside Crawley, Horsham and Mid Sussex. The population would be around 566,000.
A second West Sussex unitary authority would comprise Arun, Adur and Worthing. The population would be around 349,000.
Cllr Jeremy Gardner, leader of Adur District Council, said:
“The modification, with an Adur, Worthing and Arun footprint, offers an attractive proposition if it means a well-resourced council able to take advantage of opportunities and to meet the challenge of this coastal area.
“It would respect the strong view given in local public engagement that a unitary authority should be of a size to enable effective community engagement and empowerment, and allow a close relationship between the council and local civic and community organisations, residents and businesses.”
Cllr Caroline Baxter, leader of Worthing Borough Council, said:
“Adur, Arun and Worthing share a common coastal heritage, linked local economies and many of the same opportunities and challenges.
“A coastal authority would provide a strong platform for investment, growth and regeneration. It would bring together communities with shared ambitions, helping to support businesses, strengthen town centres, improve connectivity, deliver new homes and create opportunities for local people.”
Both leaders have, however, highlighted that if the government progresses with its modified proposal sufficient funding, transitional arrangements and long-term financial support will need to be made available to enable a coastal unitary authority to succeed and prevent a financial imbalance with the other West Sussex authority.
The government will now consider all representations received for the area in full. Ministers will then decide which, if any, models for reorganisation will be taken forward for Sussex. It has said that all responses and representations received for all consultations will be considered and no final decisions have yet been made, all reorganisation options consulted on for the area remain open for consideration.
A decision on LGR in Sussex is expected before the summer parliamentary recess, which begins on 16th July 2026.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has provided a summary of the local government reorganisation process. This gives more information about the formal change process and expected timelines.
We anticipate elections to the new shadow unitary authorities in 2027, preparing for their formal launch in 2028.
You can find more information including details of all the cases being considered for our area on the:
All West Sussex councils remain firmly committed to delivering the best possible reorganisation outcomes for our residents and the services they rely on, and are grateful to all those that have added their views for consideration.
We continue to reassure residents that there will be no immediate changes. West Sussex's councils will continue to operate and deliver services until the handover to these new authorities in 2028. Our priority is, and will continue to be, the people and communities we serve.
We will continue to keep you informed as we go through this process of reorganisation.
You can read the leaders' responses in more detail here:
Adur Leader - Response to the modified LGR proposal 15-06-2026 (428KB)- Worthing Leader - Response to the modified LGR proposal 15-06-2026 (374KB)
(PR26-052)
Page last updated: 16 June 2026