Pulborough Parish Council (the local tier) https://pulboroughparishcouncil.gov.uk/

Pulborough Parish Council is the most immediate layer of government. It looks after the village’s public spaces, comments on planning, and represents residents’ views upward. 

• Manages community assets such as children’s play areas, recreational fields, sports facilities, green spaces, allotments and bus shelters.
• Reviews planning applications and contributes to the Neighbourhood Plan.
• Oversees Neighbourhood Wardens and community engagement initiatives.
• Raises a precept (part of council tax) to fund local services.
• Operates through 15 councillors, a Clerk and a Deputy Clerk, with published agendas, minutes, and policies.
• This tier is where residents can most easily influence decisions—meetings are open, and councillors are local. Check online or see local noticeboards for details of meetings and copies of minutes to find out what’s happening in your parish.

Horsham District Council (the district tier) https://www.horsham.gov.uk/

Horsham District Council covers a much wider area, including Pulborough. It handles services that are too large for a parish council but still local in nature.

• Planning decisions and development control.
• Waste and recycling collections.
• Environmental health, licensing, and housing services.
• Leisure centres, parks, and economic development.
• Pulborough Parish Council feeds into many of these decisions but does not control them. It has two district councillors sitting as parish council members

West Sussex County Council (the county tier) https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/

West Sussex County Council is responsible for the big, strategic services that affect the whole county.

• Roads, pavements, and highways.
• Schools and education.
• Social care for adults and children.
• Libraries, fire and rescue, and public health.
• Major transport and infrastructure planning.
• These are high‑budget, long‑term services delivered at scale

How the pieces fit together

Pulborough’s governance works because each tier handles a different scale of responsibility:

Parish = hyper‑local spaces, community voice, and village‑level improvements.

District = services that need professional teams and regulatory powers.

County = large systems requiring major budgets and specialist expertise.

Residents often interact with all three without realising it—for example, a pothole (county), a planning application (district), and a broken piece of playground equipment (parish) all sit with different authorities.

What does Local Government Reorganisation mean for Sussex?

Sussex is undergoing a major local government reorganisation, moving from a two-tier system to unitary authorities and establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority (MCCA) with elections for a directly elected mayor in 2028.

Overview of Changes

The UK Government is implementing devolution and local government reorganisation in Sussex to streamline governance, improve service delivery, and give local areas more control over strategic decisions. The key elements include:

• West Sussex County Council
• Mayoral Combined County Authority (MCCA): A new strategic authority covering East Sussex, West Sussex, and Brighton & Hove, led by a directly elected mayor. The MCCA will oversee transport, housing, economic growth, climate and environment, public health, and safety.
• Unitary Authorities: The current two-tier system of county and district/borough councils will be replaced by single-tier councils responsible for all local services, including social care, waste collection, housing, and planning.

Proposed Models

Several proposals have been submitted by councils:

East Sussex: Two unitary councils proposed—one covering Eastbourne, Hastings, Lewes, Rother, and Wealden; Brighton & Hove to remain unchanged. Brighton & Hove City Council proposed five unitary councils across Sussex.

West Sussex: West Sussex County Council proposed a single unitary authority for the entire county. District councils suggested two unitary authorities: one for Adur, Arun, Chichester, and Worthing, and another for Crawley, Horsham, and Mid Sussex.

The government will decide the final structure, with a Structural Change Order sent to Parliament for approval.

Implications for Residents

Day-to-day services will continue uninterrupted until the new unitary authorities are operational.

Strategic decisions on housing, transport, and economic development will shift to the MCCA under the mayor.

Town and parish councils will remain in place, with potential new town councils in some areas to maintain local identity.

This reorganisation represents the most significant structural change to local government in Sussex since the 1970s.

For more information – West Sussex County Council

Latest details: Government makes announcement on future of local government in West Sussex

Information for East Sussex  

Here’s a useful guide to help you through the process for Horsham District Council (HDC) and the South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA).

For planning, Pulborough Parish is split between HDC and the SDNPA, if you’re unsure which authority applies, the SDNPA boundary map is the fastest way to check: https://www.southdowns.gov.uk/planning-process/residents/

Planning Applications in Horsham District (outside the National Park) 

If your property is not within the South Downs National Park, your planning authority is HDC.

The basic process:

1. Check if you need permission - many small works fall under permitted development. HDC provides guidance and links to the national Planning Portal.
2. If you do need planning permission, prepare your documents. This usually includes:

• Site location plan
• Existing and proposed drawings
• Design & Access Statement (for some applications)
• Supporting reports (heritage, ecology, drainage) if relevant

3. Submit your application - applications are submitted online via the Planning Portal, which routes them to HDC.
4. Validation - the council checks your documents. If anything is missing, they’ll ask for it before the application is validated.
5. Public consultation - neighbours, parish councils, and statutory bodies are notified. Comments are invited for 21 days.
6. Pulborough Parish Council holds planning meetings every three weeks to consider local planning applications – check pulboroughparishcouncil.gov.uk for dates. These are meetings held in public. You can attend to speak about your application and hear it being considered and the decision made by the planning committee. After the parish planning meeting the decision is then sent to Horsham District Planning team for their assessment.
7. Assessment and decision - a planning officer assesses the proposal against local and national policy. Decisions are usually made within:

• 8 weeks for household/residential applications
• 13 weeks for major applications

For more information, go to Horsham District Council planning guidance: https://www.horsham.gov.uk/planning

Planning Applications in the South Downs National Park

If your property lies within the SDNP boundary, the planning authority is the South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) — even if your postal address is in Horsham District.

The basic process:

1. Check if you need permission - https://www.southdowns.gov.uk/planning-process/do-i-need-planning-permission/
2. The process is similar to HDC but with additional concern for:
   1. Landscape impact
   2. Dark skies
   3. Heritage and conservation
   4. Biodiversity and ecosystem services
3. If you do need planning permission, prepare your documents. This usually includes:

• Site location plan
• Existing and proposed drawings
• Design & Access Statement (for some applications)
• Supporting reports (heritage, ecology, drainage) if relevant

4. Pre-application advice (recommended) - Because of the protected landscape, early advice can save time and cost.
5. Submit your application - applications are submitted via the Planning Portal but processed by SDNPA or a partner district council acting on their behalf.
6. Validation and consultation - Similar to HDC, but with additional consultees such as Natural England or SDNPA landscape officers.
7. Decision - determined by SDNPA or delegated officers. Timescales follow national standards (8 or 13 weeks).

For more information go to: https://www.southdowns.gov.uk/planning

“WSCC recognises that requests have been made asking for the removal of flags fixed to street furniture, typically lamp columns, and the removal of the St George’s cross on mini roundabouts, other road markings, and signage. These activities are unlawful and potentially dangerous to both the individual carrying out this activity as well as motorists and other road users.

WSCC will respond to these reports as part of its usual operational approach. Any issue considered safety critical, or containing offensive or discriminatory language, will be prioritised. Examples include obscured road signs or compromised visibility splays. Other removals will be carried out when they can be scheduled alongside other highway works.”

How to report concerns:

• Highways matters (flags, markings, potholes, flooding, blocked drains, etc.): Report to WSCC Highways. https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/roads-and-travel/make-an-enquiry-or-report-a-problem-with-a-road-or-pavement/
• Streetlights, illuminated signs, and bollards: Report to Enerveo https://www.lightsoninwestsussex.co.uk/public/ReportFault.aspx

Please use the links above to report them directly, or contact the Parish Council office for further information or reassurance.