Horsham District

Last updated

Horsham District
Non-metropolitan district
Carfax to Market Square in Horsham, West Sussex, England 02.jpg
Carfax in Horsham, the district's main town
Horsham UK locator map.svg
Horsham 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 Horsham
Incorporated1 April 1974
Government
 • BodyHorsham District Council
 •  MPs Andrew Griffith
John Milne
Area
 • Total
204.73 sq mi (530.26 km2)
 • Rank74th (of 296)
Population
 (2022)
 • Total
148,696
 • Rank147th (of 296)
 • Density730/sq mi (280/km2)
Ethnicity (2021)
[1]
 •  Ethnic groups
List
Religion (2021)
[1]
 •  Religion
List
Time zone UTC0 (GMT)
 • Summer (DST) UTC+1 (BST)

Horsham is a local government district in West Sussex, England. It is named after the town of Horsham, which is its largest settlement and where the council is based. The district also includes the surrounding rural area and contains many villages, the largest of which are Southwater and Billingshurst. The district includes part of the South Downs National Park and part of the designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty of High Weald. At the 2021 census the district had a population of 147,487.

Contents

The neighbouring districts are Crawley, Mid Sussex, Brighton and Hove, Adur, Arun, Chichester, Waverley and Mole Valley.

History

Horsham itself had been an ancient borough from the thirteenth century, but lost its borough status in the 1830s. [2] The town had been made a local government district in 1875, which became Horsham Urban District in 1894. [3] [4]

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, which were all abolished at the same time: [5]

The new district was named Horsham, after its largest settlement. [6]

Governance

Horsham District Council
Horsham District Council logo.svg
Type
Type
Leadership
Nigel Emery,
Liberal Democrat
since 8 May 2024 [7]
Martin Boffey,
Liberal Democrat
since 24 May 2023
Jane Eaton
since April 2022
Structure
Seats48 councillors
Political groups
Administration (27)
  Liberal Democrats (27)
Other parties (21)
  Conservative (12)
  Green (9)
Elections
First-past-the-post
Last election
 4 May 2023
Next election
6 May 2027
Meeting place
West Sussex County Council & Horsham District Council offices, Horsham.jpg
Parkside, Chart Way, Horsham, RH12 1RL
Website
www.horsham.gov.uk

Horsham District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by West Sussex County Council. [8] Much of the district is covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government for their areas. [9]

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. [10]

Political control

The council has been under Liberal Democrat majority control since the 2023 election. [11]

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: [12]

Party in controlYears
Independent 1974–1976
Conservative 1976–1995
Liberal Democrats 1995–1999
Conservative 1999–2003
No overall control 2003–2007
Conservative 2007–2023
Liberal Democrats 2023–present

Leadership

The leaders of the council since 2001 have been:

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Liz Kitchen [13] [14] Conservative 200122 Apr 2009
Robert Nye [14] [15] Conservative 22 Apr 200914 Dec 2011
Ray Dawe [16] [17] Conservative 22 Feb 201226 May 2021
Paul Clarke [18] [19] Conservative 26 May 20213 Dec 2021
Jonathan Chowen [20] [21] Conservative 3 Dec 2021Jan 2023
Claire Vickers [22] [23] [11] Conservative 2 Feb 2023May 2023
Martin Boffey [24] [25] Liberal Democrats 24 May 2023

Composition

Following the 2023 election and two by-elections in February 2024 the composition of the council was: [26]

PartyCouncillors
Liberal Democrats 27
Conservative 12
Green 9
Total48

The next election is due in 2027.

Elections

Map of the current ward boundaries 2019 Horsham Ward Boundaries.svg
Map of the current ward boundaries

Since the last boundary changes in 2019 the council has comprised 48 councillors representing 22 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years. [27]

Premises

Park House, North Street: One of the council's former offices. Horsham - horsham park.jpg
Park House, North Street: One of the council's former offices.

The council is based at Parkside on Chart Way in Horsham, a modern office building shared with West Sussex County Council; the district council moved into the building in 2015. [28] Previously the council was based across several buildings, including Park House, an eighteenth century house on North Street which had served as the headquarters of the old Horsham Urban District Council since 1928. [29]

Towns and parishes

High Street in Billingshurst Billingshurst - geograph.org.uk - 5568150.jpg
High Street in Billingshurst

The central part of the Horsham urban area, roughly corresponding to the pre-1974 Horsham Urban District, is an unparished area. [9] The rest of the district is divided into civil parishes. None of the parishes has been formally designated a town by its parish council, although Billingshurst, Henfield, Pulborough and Steyning are post towns.

Within the Horsham District are the following civil parishes:

ParishTypeArea (Hectare)Population (2001)Pop Density /Hectare
Amberley Parish Council1179.375330.45
Ashington Parish Council805.1523512.91
Ashurst Parish Council1009.412260.22
Billingshurst Parish Council3219.3165312.03
Bramber Parish Council719.067571.05
Broadbridge Heath Parish Council215.64302114.01
Coldwaltham Parish Council893.138450.95
Colgate Parish Council2243.6711190.50
Cowfold Parish Council1925.5718640.97
Henfield Parish Council1734.7550122.89
Horsham Unparished1170.632369820.24
Itchingfield Parish Council1091.0614771.35
Lower Beeding Parish Council1845.0610010.54
North Horsham Parish Council1094.772134819.50
Nuthurst Parish Council1696.7617111.00
Parham Parish Council1586.232140.13
Pulborough Parish Council2098.3146852.23
Rudgwick Parish Council2468.9827911.13
Rusper Parish Council2588.5613890.54
Shermanbury Parish Council775.154540.59
Shipley Parish Council3125.6010750.34
Slinfold Parish Council1694.8116470.97
Southwater Parish Council1400.20100257.16
Steyning Parish Council1574.0958123.69
Storrington and Sullington Parish Council1199.6960745.06
Thakeham Parish Council1170.6317941.53
Upper Beeding Parish Council1877.4837982.02
Warnham Parish Council1980.2119580.99
Washington Parish Council1275.9019301.51
West Chiltington Parish Council1732.5433151.91
West Grinstead Parish Council2583.6529341.14
Wiston Parish Council1359.672210.16
Woodmancote Parish Council848.724780.56
HorshamTotal53096.211220882.30

Education

The Rikkyo School in England, a Japanese boarding school, is located in the Rudgwick community in Horsham District. [30]

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. 1 2 UK Census (2021). "2021 Census Area Profile – Horsham Local Authority (E07000227)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics . Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  2. ↑ Hudson, T. P., ed. (1986). A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 6 Part 2. London: Victoria County History. pp. 189–190. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  3. ↑ "No. 24227". The London Gazette . 13 July 1875. p. 3564.
  4. ↑ Local Government Act 1894
  5. ↑ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 31 May 2023
  6. ↑ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 1973/551, retrieved 31 May 2023
  7. ↑ Dunn, Karen (9 May 2024). "Horsham District Council has announced its new chairman". Sussex World. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  8. ↑ "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 31 May 2023
  9. 1 2 "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
  10. ↑ "Members". South Downs National Park Authority. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  11. 1 2 Luck, Flaminia (5 May 2023). "Sussex election results 2023: Tories lose Wealden for first time in 25 years". BBC News. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  12. ↑ "Compositions Calculator". The Elections Centre. University of Exeter. Retrieved 26 November 2024. (Put "Horsham" in search box to see specific results.)
  13. ↑ "Former Tory leader 'absolutely appalled' by her party's treatment of their vice chairman". Sussex World. 27 February 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  14. 1 2 "Council minutes, 22 April 2009" (PDF). Horsham District Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 August 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  15. ↑ "Horsham council leader steps down". The Argus. 14 December 2011. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  16. ↑ "Council minutes, 22 February 2012" (PDF). Horsham District Council. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  17. ↑ Powling, Joshua (19 May 2021). "Horsham District Council leader to stand down". Sussex World. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  18. ↑ "Council minutes, 26 May 2021". Horsham District Council. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  19. ↑ Powling, Joshua (12 November 2021). "Sudden resignation of Horsham District Council leader". Sussex World. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  20. ↑ "Council minutes, 3 December 2021". Horsham District Council. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  21. ↑ Powling, Joshua (10 January 2023). "Third Conservative council leader quits at Horsham District Council within last 20 months". Sussex Express . Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  22. ↑ "Council minutes, 2 February 2023". Horsham District Council. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  23. ↑ Dunn, Karen (3 February 2023). "Conservative Claire Vickers elected as new leader of Horsham District Council three months before elections". Sussex World. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  24. ↑ "Council minutes, 24 May 2023". Horsham District Council. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  25. ↑ "Horsham's new council leader unveils his Lib Dem administration and its priorities". SussexWorld. 25 May 2023. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  26. ↑ "Local elections 2023: live council results for England". The Guardian.
  27. ↑ "The Horsham (Electoral Changes) Order 2017", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 2017/1065, retrieved 28 January 2024
  28. ↑ Coe, Anna (21 March 2015). "Horsham District Council starts office sharing move". Sussex World. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  29. ↑ Historic England. "Horsham Park (Grade II*) (1353938)". National Heritage List for England .
  30. ↑ "INFORMATION IN ENGLISH." (Archive) Rikkyo School in England. Retrieved 8 January 2014. "Guildford Road,Rudgwick,W-Sussex RH12 3BE ENGLAND"

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