Sussex’s fifty year old system of local councils looks set to be scrapped - and the key question for Horsham is how to ensure that the town has an effective voice in years to come.
A new unitary authority combining the roles of the County and District Councils will eliminate a tier of local government leaving only the county level and parish councils.
Parish councils (or town councils as they are usually called in towns) have statutory powers and responsibilities and often run recreation grounds, village halls, and other local services. They are funded through a small precept added to council tax. Parish and town councils act as powerful advocates for their communities and are the foundation of our democracy.
If you are fortunate to live in North Horsham, Broadbridge Heath, Southwater, Rusper, Nuthurst or Colgate you have a parish council. Towns such as Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill, Midhurst, Petworth and Arundel all have town councils.
But if you live in the centre of Horsham town - the “unparished area” - there is no parish or town council. Instead there are three neighbourhood councils - Denne, Forest and Trafalgar which act as sounding boards for the soon to disappear District Council on issues like planning, but they have no statutory functions or powers. So, uniquely among Sussex towns, Horsham does not have a body to represent it with powers to provide services tailored to local needs.
Whatever the past arguments for and against a town council the coming changes now make it essential that Horsham has its own town council. Otherwise, in future, all decisions about our town, no matter how small will be taken by a unitary council, possibly based in Chichester; and inevitably as time goes on, by people without direct local knowledge of Horsham’s history, culture and needs.
Our local elected representatives on the unitary authority will form a very small group, with a correspondingly small voice, and, critically, they won’t be backed up by a council speaking on behalf of the town.
It is a possibility that the new unitary council will want to hand down responsibilities for some local services to parish and town councils. Without its own town council, the larger part of Horsham will miss out and services which could be given a local dimension will instead be run from an office in Chichester.
Last December, the Blueprint Neighbourhood Forum exercised its right to ask Horsham District Council to undertake a Governance Review with a view to creating a new parish covering the area of Denne, Forest and Trafalgar with a Town Council. HDC will be carrying out a public consultation, probably in May.
Blueprint is organising a public meeting on Tuesday 29th April at 7.30pm at the Brighton Road Baptist Church where you can learn more about the coming changes and the implications for the town. Please come along, particularly if you live or work in the unparished area.
For more information see www.horshamsociety.org