33-629: 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
66-474: 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
99-568: A no deal Brexit on 3 September 2019, and subsequently became an independent, after the rebels had the Conservative whip removed. He then decided not to stand for re-election although he had the whip restored before dissolution. Soames was succeeded by Mims Davies , who had been MP for Eastleigh in Hampshire from 2015 to 2019. Following boundary changes for the 2024 general election, Davies stood down and decided to stand (successfully) for
132-576: A two-tier arrangement. Non-metropolitan districts with borough status are known as boroughs , able to appoint a mayor and refer to itself as a borough council. Some shire counties now have no sub divisions so are a single Non-metropolitan district such as Cornwall. Typically a district will consist of a market town and its more rural hinterland. However districts are diverse with some being mostly urban such as Dartford, and others more polycentric such as Thurrock. Non-metropolitan districts are subdivisions of English non-metropolitan counties which have
165-461: A two-tier structure of local government. Two-tier non-metropolitan counties have a county council and several districts, each with a borough or district council. In these cases local government functions are divided between county and district councils, to the level where they can be practised most efficiently: Many districts have borough status , which means the local council is called a borough council instead of district council and gives them
198-535: A unitary authority or those that transferred from one county to another, including those that changed name. Nor does it include unitary authorities that have been abolished ( Bournemouth and Poole ). Mid Sussex (UK Parliament constituency) Mid Sussex is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament from 2024 by Alison Bennett , a Liberal Democrat . The constituency
231-509: Is centred around the towns of Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill and takes in the southern half of the local government district of the same name . Located on the West Sussex side of the border with East Sussex , the constituency is well served by transport links, with rail connections to Brighton , Gatwick Airport , London and the Sussex coast, and the M23/A23 running through the west of
264-544: Is due in 2027. 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. 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
297-559: The Mid Sussex Times and The Sussex Newspaper . 51°1′14.4″N 0°8′14.38″W / 51.020667°N 0.1373278°W / 51.020667; -0.1373278 Non-metropolitan district Non-metropolitan districts , or colloquially " shire districts ", are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties (colloquially shire counties ) in
330-472: The 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies which became effective for the 2024 general election , the constituency was defined as being composed of the following as they existed on 1 December 2020: Following a local government boundary review which came into effect in May 2023, the constituency now comprises the following from the 2024 general election: The electorate was reduced to bring it within
363-604: The District Councils' Network , special interest group which sits within the Local Government Association . The network's purpose is to "act as an informed and representative advocate for districts to government and other national bodies, based on their unique position to deliver for local people." This is a list of two-tier non-metropolitan counties and their districts. All unitary authorities are also non-metropolitan districts, which, with
SECTION 10
#1732775798402396-657: The Lewes constituency created under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 , and as a joint water district established in 1907. 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: The new district
429-472: 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 . The name "Mid Sussex" was occasionally used for various parts of central Sussex prior to 1974, including as an alternative name for
462-435: 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
495-481: The 27-person National Park Authority. 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. The first elections to the council were held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until
528-454: The areas for Wales and England had been enacted separately and there were no Welsh metropolitan areas, the term 'non-metropolitan district' does not apply to Wales. A similar system existed in Scotland , which in 1975 was divided into regions and districts, this was also abolished in 1996 and replaced with a fully unitary system . In England most of the district councils are represented by
561-1982: The constituency. The south of the constituency lies within the South Downs National Park . Income levels are on average considerably higher than the national average and levels of rented and social housing are below the national average, particularly levels seen in cities. 1974–1983 : The Urban Districts of Burgess Hill and Cuckfield, and the Rural District of Cuckfield. 1983–1997 : The District of Mid Sussex wards of Ardingly, Bolney, Burgess Hill Chanctonbury, Burgess Hill Franklands, Burgess Hill North, Burgess Hill St Andrews, Burgess Hill Town, Burgess Hill West, Clayton, Cuckfield, East Grinstead East, East Grinstead North, East Grinstead South, East Grinstead West, Haywards Heath Ashenground, Haywards Heath Bentswood, Haywards Heath Franklands, Haywards Heath Harlands, Haywards Heath Heath, Horsted Keynes, Hurstpierpoint, Keymer, Lindfield Rural, Lindfield Urban, and West Hoathly. 1997–2010 : The District of Mid Sussex wards of Ardingly, Burgess Hill Chanctonbury, Burgess Hill Franklands, Burgess Hill North, Burgess Hill St Andrews, Burgess Hill Town, Burgess Hill West, Cuckfield, East Grinstead East, East Grinstead North, East Grinstead South, East Grinstead West, Haywards Heath Ashenground, Haywards Heath Bentswood, Haywards Heath Franklands, Haywards Heath Harlands, Haywards Heath Heath, Horsted Keynes, Lindfield Rural, Lindfield Urban, and West Hoathly. 2010–2024 : The District of Mid Sussex wards of Ashurst Wood, Bolney, Burgess Hill Dunstall, Burgess Hill Franklands, Burgess Hill Leylands, Burgess Hill Meeds, Burgess Hill St Andrews, Burgess Hill Victoria, Cuckfield, East Grinstead Ashplats, East Grinstead Baldwins, East Grinstead Herontye, East Grinstead Imberhorne, East Grinstead Town, Haywards Heath Ashenground, Haywards Heath Bentswood, Haywards Heath Franklands, Haywards Heath Heath, Haywards Heath Lucastes, High Weald, and Lindfield. Further to
594-641: The district are in the Arundel and South Downs constituency . 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. 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
627-487: The exception of those of Berkshire , are coterminous with non-metropolitan counties. For a full list of districts of all types including unitary authorities, metropolitan districts and London boroughs , see Districts of England . This is a list of former two-tier districts in England which have been abolished, by local government reorganisations such as the 2009 structural changes to local government in England . It does not include districts that still exist after becoming
660-505: The local government district had actually been a part of East Sussex , but as a result of delayed implementation of the Local Government Act 1972 , it was almost wholly moved into West Sussex . At the 1983 general election, it gained some of the wards (including East Grinstead itself) previously contained in the East Grinstead constituency (which disappeared at that election, its last MP Geoffrey Johnson Smith contested and won
693-553: The national average. These figures are those of the 2011 census. In terms of television, Mid Sussex is served by BBC South East and ITV Meridian with television signals received from the Heathfield TV transmitter. Northern parts of the district around East Grinstead can also receive BBC London and ITV London from the Crystal Palace TV transmitter. Radio stations for the area are: Local newspapers are
SECTION 20
#1732775798402726-480: The new arrangements came into effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows: The leaders of the council since 2006 have been: Following the 2023 election , the composition of the council was: Four of the five independent councillors sit together as the "Independent Group", which forms the council's administration with the Liberal Democrats. The next election
759-476: The new seat of Wealden in East Sussex), and at the 1997 election, it gained many of the semi-rural wards with smaller communities between East Grinstead and Crawley . For the 2024 election, the seat lost East Grinstead again – to the new seat of East Grinstead and Uckfield . From its creation in 1974 until 2024, it was a Conservative seat. Its first MP was Tim Renton , who held the seat until 1997. He
792-572: The notionally safer new seat of East Grinstead and Uckfield. The primary opposition to the Conservatives until the 2015 election had been the Liberal Democrats and their predecessors the Liberal Party . In 2015, there was a severe fall in Liberal Democrats' support. Labour 's candidate came second in the seat for the first time in its history. In 2017, Labour consolidated this lead at the 2017 general election by gaining almost double
825-486: The permitted range by transferring northern parts, including the town of East Grinstead to the newly created constituency of East Grinstead and Uckfield . This was partly offset by adding the villages of Hassocks and Hurstpierpoint from Arundel and South Downs . The constituency was created in 1974 from parts of the seats of Lewes and East Grinstead , and has undergone significant boundary changes at every periodical review that it has been around for. Prior to 1973,
858-565: The right to appoint a mayor . Borough status is granted by royal charter and, in many cases, continues a style enjoyed by a predecessor authority, which can date back centuries. Some districts such as Oxford or Exeter have city status , granted by letters patent , but this does not give the local council any extra powers other than the right to call itself a city council . By 1899, England had been divided at district level into rural districts , urban districts , municipal boroughs , county boroughs and metropolitan boroughs . This system
891-409: The style "town council". The small parish of Newtimber has a parish meeting rather than a parish council. Hassocks is a post town but has a parish council rather than a town council. 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,
924-663: The supervision of one county council. Mid Sussex District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by West Sussex County Council . The whole district is also covered by civil parishes , which form a third tier of local government. 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
957-526: The two-tier structure, but reforms in the 1990s and 2009 reduced their number to 192. A further 55 non-metropolitan districts are now unitary authorities, which combine the functions of county and borough/district councils. In Wales , an almost identical two-tier system of local government existed between 1974 and 1996 (see Districts of Wales ). In 1996, this was abolished and replaced with an entirely unitary system of local government, with one level of local government responsible for all local services. Since
990-408: The votes of the Liberal Democrats. The Liberal Democrats regained a clear second place in the 2019 general election , and won the seat in 2024 following boundary changes, with Alison Bennett being elected as the new MP. East Grinstead and Lewes prior to 1974 This constituency underwent boundary changes between the 1992 and 1997 general elections and thus change in share of vote is based on
1023-620: Was abolished by the London Government Act 1963 and the Local Government Act 1972 . Non-metropolitan districts were created by this act in 1974 when England outside Greater London was divided into metropolitan counties and non-metropolitan counties. Metropolitan counties were sub-divided into metropolitan districts and the non-metropolitan counties were sub-divided into non-metropolitan districts. The metropolitan districts had more powers than their non-metropolitan counterparts. Initially, there were 296 non-metropolitan districts in
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1056-477: Was named Mid Sussex, reflecting its position within the historic county. 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
1089-613: Was succeeded by Nicholas Soames (a grandson of former Prime Minister Winston Churchill ), who had been MP for the neighbouring seat of Crawley from 1983 to 1997. In the 2016 European Union referendum , Mid Sussex voted for the United Kingdom to remain a member of the European Union. Despite this, Soames called for MPs to back Theresa May's withdrawal agreement. However, he was one of the 21 Conservative rebels who voted to allow Parliament to vote to legislate to prevent
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