Horsham District

Horsham itself had been an ancient borough from the thirteenth century, but lost its borough status in the 1830s.{{cite book |editor1-last=Hudson |editor1-first=T. P. |title=A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 6 Part 2 |date=1986 |publisher=Victoria County History |location=London |pages=189–190 |url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/sussex/vol6/pt2/pp189-190 |access-date=28 January 2024}} The town had been made a local government district in 1875, which became Horsham Urban District in 1894.{{London Gazette|issue=24227|page=3564|date=13 July 1875}}Local Government Act 1894

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:{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972|year=1972|number=2039|access-date=31 May 2023}}

• Chanctonbury Rural District
• Horsham Rural District
• Horsham Urban District

The new district was named Horsham, after its largest settlement.{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973|year=1973|number=551|access-date=31 May 2023}}

{{Infobox legislature

| name = Horsham District Council

| coa_pic =

| coa_res =

| coa_alt =

| logo_pic = Horsham District Council logo.svg

| logo_res = 220

| logo_alt = Chichester District Council logo

| house_type = Non-metropolitan district

| foundation =

| preceded_by =

| leader1_type = Chair

| leader1 = Nigel Emery

| party1 =
Liberal Democrat

| election1 = 8 May 2024{{cite news |last1=Dunn |first1=Karen |title=Horsham District Council has announced its new chairman |url=https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/politics/council/horsham-district-council-has-announced-its-new-chairman-4621888 |access-date=22 May 2024 |work=Sussex World |date=9 May 2024}}

| leader2_type = Leader

| leader2 = Martin Boffey

| party2 =
Liberal Democrat

| election2 = 24 May 2023

| leader3_type = Chief Executive

| leader3 = Jane Eaton

| party3 =

| election3 = April 2022

| seats = 48 councillors

| structure1 =

| structure1_res =

| structure1_alt =

| political_groups1 =

; Administration (27)

: {{nowrap|{{Color box|{{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}|border=darkgray}} Liberal Democrats (27)}}

; Other parties (21)

: {{Color box|{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}|border=darkgray}} Conservative (12)

: {{Color box|{{party color|Green Party of England and Wales}}|border=darkgray}} Green (9)

| committees1 =

| joint_committees =

| term_length =

| voting_system1 = First-past-the-post

| last_election1 = 4 May 2023

| next_election1 = 6 May 2027

| session_room = West Sussex County Council & Horsham District Council offices, Horsham.jpg

| session_res =

| session_alt =

| meeting_place = Parkside, Chart Way, Horsham, RH12{{nbsp}}1RL

| website = {{URL|www.horsham.gov.uk}}

| footnotes =

| motto =

}}

Horsham District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by West Sussex County Council.{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government Act 1972|year=1972|chapter=70|access-date=31 May 2023}} Much of the district is covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government for their areas.{{cite web |title=Election Maps |url=https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/election-maps/gb/ |publisher=Ordnance Survey |access-date=25 July 2023}}

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.{{cite web |title=Members |url=https://www.southdowns.gov.uk/national-park-authority/our-people/members/ |website=South Downs National Park Authority |access-date=17 August 2023}}

The council has been under Liberal Democrat majority control since the 2023 election.{{cite news |last1=Luck |first1=Flaminia |title=Sussex election results 2023: Tories lose Wealden for first time in 25 years |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-65495610 |access-date=28 January 2024 |work=BBC News |date=5 May 2023}}

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:{{cite web |title=Compositions Calculator |url=https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/composition_calc.html |access-date=26 November 2024 |website=The Elections Centre |publisher=University of Exeter}} (Put "Horsham" in search box to see specific results.)

The leaders of the council since 2001 have been:

Following the 2023 election and two by-elections in February 2024 the composition of the council was:{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-interactive/2023/may/04/elections-2023-results-live-local-council-england#le-full-results|title=Local elections 2023: live council results for England|publisher=The Guardian}}

The next election is due in 2027.

File:2019 Horsham Ward Boundaries.svg

{{also|Horsham District Council elections}}

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.{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Horsham (Electoral Changes) Order 2017|year=2017|number=1065|access-date=28 January 2024}}

File:Horsham - horsham park.jpg

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.{{cite news |last1=Coe |first1=Anna |title=Horsham District Council starts office sharing move |url=https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/politics/horsham-district-council-starts-office-sharing-move-2236184 |access-date=28 January 2024 |work=Sussex World |date=21 March 2015}} 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.{{NHLE|num=1353938|desc=Horsham Park|grade=II*}}

File:Billingshurst - geograph.org.uk - 5568150.jpg]]

The central part of the Horsham urban area, roughly corresponding to the pre-1974 Horsham Urban District, is an unparished area. 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:

{{expand section|date=January 2014}}

The Rikkyo School in England, a Japanese boarding school, is located in the Rudgwick community in Horsham District."[http://www.rikkyo.co.uk/special/information-in-english.html INFORMATION IN ENGLISH]." ([https://archive.today/20140108135545/http://www.rikkyo.co.uk/special/information-in-english.html Archive]) Rikkyo School in England. Retrieved 8 January 2014. "Guildford Road,Rudgwick,W-Sussex RH12 3BE ENGLAND"

{{Reflist}}

{{Portal|West Sussex}}

• [http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/mro/news-release/census-2011-result-shows-increase-in-population-of-the-south-east/censussoutheastnr0712.html]

{{Horsham}}

{{West Sussex}}

{{SE England}}

{{Authority control}}

{{Coord missing|West Sussex}}

Category:Non-metropolitan districts of West Sussex