Mid Sussex District

This article is about the local government district. For other uses, see Mid Sussex.

Non-metropolitan district in England

Mid Sussex District

Non-metropolitan district

Muster Green at Haywards Heath, the district's largest town.

Mid Sussex shown within West Sussex

Sovereign state| United Kingdom
Constituent country| England
Region| South East England
Non-metropolitan county| West Sussex
Status| Non-metropolitan district
Admin HQ| Haywards Heath
Incorporated| 1 April 1974
Government

• Type| Non-metropolitan district council
• Body| Mid Sussex District Council
• MPs| Andrew Griffith
John Milne (British politician)
Alison Bennett
Area

• Total

| 128.97 sq mi (334.02 km2)
• Rank| 111th (of 296)
Population

(2022)

• Total

| 154,930
• Rank| 137th (of 296)
• Density| 1,200/sq mi (460/km2)
Ethnicity (2021)

[1]

• Ethnic groups|

List

* 92.2% White
* 3.6% Asian
* 2.5% Mixed
* 0.9% Black
* 0.8% other

Religion (2021)

[1]

• Religion|

List

* 47.9% Christianity
* 42.1% no religion
* 6.3% not stated
* 1.2% Islam
* 1% Hinduism
* 0.7% other
* 0.4% Buddhism
* 0.2% Judaism
* 0.1% Sikhism

Time zone| UTC0 (GMT)
• Summer (DST)| UTC+1 (BST)

Mid Sussex is a local government district in West Sussex, England. The largest town is Haywards Heath, where the council is based. The district also contains the towns of Burgess Hill and East Grinstead plus surrounding rural areas, including many villages. The district includes part of the South Downs National Park and part of the designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty of High Weald, including sections of Ashdown Forest. The district contains most headwaters of the River Ouse. Its largest body of water is Ardingly reservoir which is used by watersports clubs. At the 2021 census the district had a population of 152,949.

The neighbouring districts are Crawley, Horsham, Brighton and Hove, Lewes, Wealden and Tandridge.

## History

[edit]

The name "Mid Sussex" was occasionally used for various parts of central Sussex prior to 1974, including as an alternative name for the Lewes constituency created under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, and as a joint water district established in 1907.[2]

The modern district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 as one of seven districts within West Sussex. The new district covered the whole area of three former districts and most of a fourth, which were all abolished at the same time:[3][4]

* Burgess Hill Urban District
* Cuckfield Urban District (included Haywards Heath and Lindfield)
* Cuckfield Rural District (except the parts of the parishes of Slaugham and Worth within the designated area for the new town of Crawley)
* East Grinstead Urban District

The new district was named Mid Sussex, reflecting its position within the historic county.[5] All of the areas which made up Mid Sussex were in East Sussex prior to 1974; as part of the reforms that year they were transferred to West Sussex. The change of county was not without controversy; the government's rationale for the change was that it brought the projected major economic area centred on Crawley and Gatwick Airport under the supervision of one county council.[6]

## Governance

[edit]

Mid Sussex District Council

Type
Type|

Non-metropolitan district

Leadership

Chair

Mike Kennedy,
Liberal Democrat
since 14 May 2025[7]

Leader

Robert Eggleston,
Liberal Democrat
since 24 May 2023

Chief Executive

Kathryn Hall
since 2010[8]

Structure
Seats| 48 councillors

Political groups

Administration (24)
Liberal Democrats (20)
Independent (4)
Other parties (24)
Conservative (18)
Green (4)
Labour (1)
Independent (1)
Elections

Voting system

| First-past-the-post

Last election

| 4 May 2023

Next election

| 6 May 2027
Meeting place
Oaklands, Oaklands Road, Haywards Heath, RH16 1SS
Website
www.midsussex.gov.uk

Mid Sussex District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by West Sussex County Council.[9] The whole district is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.[10]

In the parts of the district within the South Downs National Park, town planning is the responsibility of the South Downs National Park Authority. The district council appoints one of its councillors to serve on the 27-person National Park Authority.[11]

### Political control

[edit]

The council has been under no overall control since the 2023 election, being run by a minority administration of the Liberal Democrats and some of the independent councillors, led by Liberal Democrat councillor Robert Eggleston.[12]

The first elections to the council were held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements came into effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:[13]

Party in control | Years

|

| No overall control | 1974–1979
| Conservative | 1979–1995
| Liberal Democrats | 1995–1999
| Conservative | 1999–2023
| No overall control | 2023–present

### Leadership

[edit]

The leaders of the council since 2006 have been:

Councillor | Party | From | To

|
|
|

Christine Field[14] |  | Conservative |  | 17 May 2006
Patrick Shanahan[14][15] |  | Conservative | 17 May 2006 | May 2007
Gordon Marples[16][17] |  | Conservative | 16 May 2007 | 31 Oct 2009
Garry Wall[17][18] |  | Conservative | 18 Nov 2009 | May 2019
Jonathan Ash-Edwards[19][20] |  | Conservative | 22 May 2019 | May 2023
Robert Eggleston[21][22] |  | Liberal Democrats | 24 May 2023 |

### Composition

[edit]

Following the 2023 election, the composition of the council was:[23]

Party  | Councillors

|

| Liberal Democrats | 20
| Conservative | 18
| Independent | 5
| Green | 4
| Labour | 1
Total  | 48

Four of the five independent councillors sit together as the "Independent Group", which forms the council's administration with the Liberal Democrats.[24][12] The next election is due in 2027.[25]

### Elections

[edit]

See also: Mid Sussex District Council elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2023 the council has comprised 48 councillors representing 27 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.[26]

The district straddles three parliamentary constituencies; most of the district is in the Mid Sussex constituency, but north-western parts of the district are in the Horsham constituency and southern parts of the district are in the Arundel and South Downs constituency.[10]

### Premises

[edit]

The council is based at Oaklands, in Haywards Heath, which was originally a large Victorian house and had served as the headquarters of the old Cuckfield Urban District Council (which had included Haywards Heath) since 1934. The building has been substantially extended.[27]

## Towns and parishes

[edit]

Church Walk, Burgess Hill High Street, East Grinstead Cuckfield Park, stately home at Cuckfield

Further information: List of civil parishes in West Sussex

The district is divided into 24 civil parishes. The parish councils for Burgess Hill, East Grinstead and Haywards Heath have declared their parishes to be towns, allowing them to take the style "town council". The small parish of Newtimber has a parish meeting rather than a parish council.[28] Hassocks is a post town but has a parish council rather than a town council.

## Home ownership

[edit]

Homes owned by their occupants, with or without a loan, make up more than 85% of Mid Sussex housing. Mid Sussex's residents had the lowest burden of social housing, at 0.5% of housing stock, at the time of the census, a district which is approximately 30 minutes by its fast railway services from the area with the highest such proportion covering London Bridge station, the London Borough of Southwark (having 31.2% social housing) and from a creative and self-declared, progressive authority with 9.8% social housing and 28% of its housing privately rented, Brighton and Hove.

In terms of rented housing Mid Sussex at the 2011 census ranked 216th out of in terms of 327 local authorities in England. The proportion of homes which were rented as investments by non-occupants was higher than several other semi-rural districts of Sussex, with 11.7% of housing stock speculatively acquired in this way or to provide for those unable to obtain mortgage finance and 1.0% was let out to residents on either public or private shared ownership schemes, close to the national average. These figures are those of the 2011 census.[29]

## Media

[edit]

In terms of television, Mid Sussex is served by BBC South East and ITV Meridian with television signals received from the Heathfield TV transmitter.[30] Northern parts of the district around East Grinstead can also receive BBC London and ITV London from the Crystal Palace TV transmitter.[31]

Radio stations for the area are:

* BBC Radio Sussex
* BBC Radio Surrey can also be heard.
* Heart South
* 107 Meridian FM (serving East Grinstead and surrounding areas)
* More Radio Mid-Sussex (serving Burgess Hill and Haywards Heath)

Local newspapers are the Mid Sussex Times and The Sussex Newspaper.

## See also

[edit]

* West Sussex portal

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b UK Census (2021). "2021 Census Area Profile – Mid Sussex Local Authority (E07000228)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
2. ^ "LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROVISIONAL ORDERS (No. 11) BILL". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). House of Commons. 14 May 1907. col. 765–765.
3. ^ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 31 May 2023
4. ^ "Sussex: Diagram showing administrative boundaries, 1972". National Library of Scotland. Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
5. ^ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/551, retrieved 31 May 2023
6. ^ "LOCAL GOVERNMENT BILL". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). House of Lords. 11 September 1972. col. 157–159.
7. ^ "Council minutes, 14 May 2025". Mid Sussex District Council. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
8. ^ Keeling, Ruth (27 October 2010). "Mid Sussex deputy made chief". Local Government Chronicle. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
9. ^ "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 31 May 2023
10. ^ a b "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
11. ^ "Members". South Downs National Park Authority. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
12. ^ a b Dunn, Karen (25 May 2023). "Lib Dems team up with majority of Independents to form minority administration at Mid Sussex District Council". Sussex World. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
13. ^ "Compositions Calculator". The Elections Centre. University of Exeter. Retrieved 26 November 2024. (Put "Mid Sussex" in search box to see specific results.)
14. ^ a b "Council minutes, 17 May 2006" (PDF). Mid Sussex District Council. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
15. ^ Dickenson, Andy (4 May 2007). "Mid Sussex leader ousted". The Argus. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
16. ^ "Council minutes, 16 May 2007" (PDF). Mid Sussex District Council. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
17. ^ a b "Council minutes, 18 November 2009" (PDF). Mid Sussex District Council. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
18. ^ Dunn, Karen (2 April 2019). "'We've never shied away from difficult decisions' says out-going Mid Sussex council leader". Sussex World. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
19. ^ "Council minutes, 22 May 2019". Mid Sussex District Council. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
20. ^ "Full Mid Sussex District Council election results - here's how it all unfolded". SussexWorld. 6 May 2023. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
21. ^ "Council minutes, 24 May 2023". Mid Sussex District Council. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
22. ^ "Joint administration confirmed for Mid Sussex District Council". www.midsussex.gov.uk. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
23. ^ "Local elections 2023: live council results for England". The Guardian.
24. ^ "Your Councillors by Political Grouping". Mid Sussex District Council. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
25. ^ "Mid Sussex". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
26. ^ "The Mid Sussex (Electoral Changes) Order 2022", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2022/812, retrieved 29 January 2024
27. ^ "Up and down the county". Mid Sussex Times. 12 June 1934. p. 7. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
28. ^ "Parish, Town and County Councils contact details". Mid Sussex District Council. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
29. ^ 2011 Census Key Statistics: Tenure, Office for National Statistics.
30. ^ "Full Freeview on the Heathfield (East Sussex, England) transmitter". May 2004.
31. ^ "Full Freeview on the Crystal Palace (Greater London, England) transmitter". May 2004.

* v
* t
* e

Settlements in the Mid Sussex district of West Sussex

Towns|

* Burgess Hill
* East Grinstead
* Haywards Heath

Villages and hamlets|

* Albourne
* Ansty
* Ardingly
* Ashurst Wood
* Balcombe
* Bolney
* Clayton
* Copthorne
* Crawley Down
* Cuckfield
* Fulking
* Goddards Green
* Handcross
* Hassocks
* Hickstead
* Horsted Keynes
* Hurst Wickham
* Hurstpierpoint
* Keymer
* Lindfield
* Newtimber
* Pease Pottage
* Poynings
* Pyecombe
* Saddlescombe
* Saint Hill Green
* Sayers Common
* Scaynes Hill
* Sharpthorne
* Slaugham
* Staplefield
* Turners Hill
* Twineham
* Walstead
* Warninglid
* West Hoathly

Civil parishes|

* List of civil parishes in Mid Sussex

* v
* t
* e

Ceremonial county of West Sussex

West Sussex Portal

Boroughs or districts|

* Adur District
* Arun District
* Chichester District
* Crawley Borough
* Horsham District
* Mid Sussex District
* Worthing Borough

Major settlements
(cities in italics)|

* Arundel
* Bognor Regis
* Burgess Hill
* Chichester
* Crawley
* East Grinstead
* Haywards Heath
* Horsham
* Lancing
* Littlehampton
* Midhurst
* Petworth
* Rustington
* Selsey
* Shoreham-by-Sea
* Southwater
* Southwick
* Steyning
* Storrington
* Worthing
See also: List of civil parishes in West Sussex

Rivers|

* Adur
* Arun
* Lavant
* Mole
* Ouse
* Rother

Topics|

* Places
* Population of major settlements
* Parliamentary constituencies
* Schools
* Geography
* South Downs
* South Downs National Park
* Weald
* SSSIs
* Grade I listed buildings
* Grade II* listed buildings
* History
* Museums
* Lord Lieutenants
* High Sheriffs

* v
* t
* e

Districts of South East England

Berkshire|

* Bracknell Forest
* Reading
* Slough
* West Berkshire
* Windsor and Maidenhead
* Wokingham

Buckinghamshire|

* Buckinghamshire
* Milton Keynes

East Sussex|

* Brighton and Hove
* Eastbourne
* Hastings
* Lewes
* Rother
* Wealden

Hampshire|

* Basingstoke and Deane
* East Hampshire
* Eastleigh
* Fareham
* Gosport
* Hart
* Havant
* New Forest
* Portsmouth
* Rushmoor
* Southampton
* Test Valley
* Winchester

Isle of Wight|

* Isle of Wight

Kent|

* Ashford
* Canterbury
* Dartford
* Dover
* Folkestone and Hythe
* Gravesham
* Maidstone
* Medway
* Sevenoaks
* Swale
* Thanet
* Tonbridge and Malling
* Tunbridge Wells

Oxfordshire|

* Cherwell
* Oxford
* South Oxfordshire
* Vale of White Horse
* West Oxfordshire

Surrey|

* Elmbridge
* Epsom and Ewell
* Guildford
* Mole Valley
* Reigate and Banstead
* Runnymede
* Spelthorne
* Surrey Heath
* Tandridge
* Waverley
* Woking

West Sussex|

* Adur
* Arun
* Chichester
* Crawley
* Horsham
* Mid Sussex
* Worthing

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