I have been informed by Mid Sussex District Council that there is a six-week public consultation with regards to the proposed changes to the Town and Parish ward boundaries for Burgess Hill and East Grinstead.
Mid Sussex District Council is currently conducting community governance reviews for East Grinstead and Burgess Hill Town Councils. Initial public consultations were held earlier this year to gather representations from residents before the council recommended any proposed changes to the ward boundaries.
The consultation has started and can be found online at
www.midsussex.gov.uk/elections-voting/community-governance-reviews/
Residents who live in Burgess Hill, East Grinstead or the Parish of Ansty and Staplefield are able to make written representations on the proposed changes to their area at www.midsussex.gov.uk/cgr-form. Alternatively, residents can email communitygovernancereviews@midsussex.gov.uk
Finally, residents without access to the internet can make submissions by post using the following address:
Community Governance Review, Electoral Services, Mid Sussex District Council, Oaklands, Oaklands Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH16 1SS.
Please see the following proposals:
In East Grinstead, it is proposed to move Ashplats South into the Herontye ward as they both lie in the same Division of West Sussex County Council. The recommendation is also for the new Parish ward of Sackville to be incorporated within Baldwins ward. The changes would mean a reduction in the total number of East Grinstead Town Wards from eight to seven and a reduction in the number of Councillors on the council from 19 to 16.
In Burgess Hill, the Council is proposing to extend the northern boundary of Burgess Hill Town Council to include the site of the Northern Arc housing development. Two new wards will be created, ‘Northern Arc East’ and ‘Northern Arc West’, taking the total number of wards in Burgess Hill to ten. It is proposed that Burgess Hill has 17 Councillors representing the town in the next election cycle, potentially rising to 19 in 2027.
The proposed changes to the Burgess Hill Town Council ward boundary mean the Northern Arc development will no longer be within the Parish of Ansty and Staplefield. The recommendations are that Ansty and Staplefield Parish Council should be comprised of five wards represented by 12 Councillors.