Editing Mid Sussex District (section)

==Governance==
{{Infobox legislature
| name               = Mid Sussex District Council
| coa_pic            = 
| coa_res            = 
| coa_alt            = 
| logo_pic           = Mid Sussex District Council logo.svg
| logo_res           = 
| logo_alt           = Mid Sussex District Council logo
| house_type         = [[Non-metropolitan district]]
| foundation         = 
| preceded_by        =
| leader1_type       = [[Chairperson|Chair]]
| leader1            = Rodney Jackson
| party1             = <br/>[[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrat]]
| election1          = 24 May 2023<ref>{{cite web |title=Council minutes, 24 May 2023 |url=https://midsussex.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=243&MId=3204 |website=Mid Sussex District Council |access-date=29 January 2024}}</ref>
| leader2_type       = [[Leader of the council|Leader]]
| leader2            = Robert Eggleston
| party2             = <br/>[[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrat]]
| election2          = 24 May 2023
| leader3_type       = [[Chief Executive]]
| leader3            = Kathryn Hall
| party3             = <!-- Non-political role -->
| election3          = 2010<ref>{{cite news |last1=Keeling |first1=Ruth |title=Mid Sussex deputy made chief |url=https://www.lgcplus.com/politics/workforce/mid-sussex-deputy-made-chief-27-10-2010/ |access-date=29 January 2024 |work=Local Government Chronicle |date=27 October 2010}}</ref>
| seats              = 48 councillors
| structure1         = 
| structure1_res     = 
| structure1_alt     = 
| political_groups1  = 
; Administration (24)
: {{nowrap|{{Color box|{{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}|border=darkgray}} [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]] (20)}}
: {{Color box|{{party color|Independent politician}}|border=darkgray}} [[Independent politician|Independent]] (4)
; Other parties (24)
: {{Color box|{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}|border=darkgray}} [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] (18)
: {{Color box|{{party color|Green Party of England and Wales}}|border=darkgray}} [[Green Party of England and Wales|Green]] (4)
: {{Color box|{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}|border=darkgray}} [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] (1)
: {{Color box|{{party color|Independent politician}}|border=darkgray}} [[Independent politician|Independent]] (1)
| committees1        =
| joint_committees   =
| term_length        = 
| voting_system1     = [[First-past-the-post voting|First-past-the-post]]
| last_election1     = [[2023 Mid Sussex District Council election|4 May 2023]]
| next_election1     = 6 May 2027
| session_room       = Oaklands, Oaklands Road, Haywards Heath - geograph.org.uk - 4356968.jpg
| session_res        =
| session_alt        =
| meeting_place      = Oaklands, Oaklands Road, Haywards Heath, RH16{{nbsp}}1SS
| website            = {{URL|www.midsussex.gov.uk}}
| footnotes          =
| motto              = 
}}
Mid Sussex District Council provides [[Non-metropolitan district|district-level]] services. [[Non-metropolitan county|County-level]] services are provided by [[West Sussex County Council]].<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government Act 1972|year=1972|chapter=70|access-date=31 May 2023}}</ref> The whole district is also covered by [[civil parish]]es, which form a third tier of local government.<ref name=electionmaps>{{cite web |title=Election Maps |url=https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/election-maps/gb/ |publisher=Ordnance Survey |access-date=25 July 2023}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{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}}</ref>

===Political control===
The council has been under [[no overall control]] since the [[2023 Mid Sussex District Council election|2023 election]], being run by a minority administration of the [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]] and some of the independent councillors, led by Liberal Democrat councillor Robert Eggleston.<ref name=Dunn>{{cite news |last1=Dunn |first1=Karen |title=Lib Dems team up with majority of Independents to form minority administration at Mid Sussex District Council |url=https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/politics/lib-dems-team-up-with-majority-of-independents-to-form-minority-administration-at-mid-sussex-district-council-4158380 |access-date=28 January 2024 |work=Sussex World |date=25 May 2023}}</ref>

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:<ref name=compositions>{{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 "Mid Sussex" in search box to see specific results.)</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan=2|Party in control || Years
|-
| {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} || 1974–1979
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} || 1979–1995
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}} || 1995–1999
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} || 1999–2023
|-
| {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} || 2023–present
|-
|}

===Leadership===
The [[leader of the council|leaders of the council]] since 2006 have been:

{| class=wikitable
! Councillor !! colspan=2|Party !! From !! To
|-
| Christine Field<ref name=17May2006/> || {{party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} ||  || align=right|17 May 2006
|-
| Patrick Shanahan<ref name=17May2006>{{cite web |title=Council minutes, 17 May 2006 |url=https://midsussex.moderngov.co.uk/Data/Annual%20Council/200605171900/Agenda/9RqiJM7FxJwZY6Ebwpgafw2fKYd2.pdf |website=Mid Sussex District Council |access-date=30 December 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Dickenson |first1=Andy |title=Mid Sussex leader ousted |url=https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/1378787.mid-sussex-leader-ousted/ |access-date=30 December 2024 |work=The Argus |date=4 May 2007}}</ref> || {{party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} || align=right|17 May 2006 || align=right|May 2007
|-
| Gordon Marples<ref>{{cite web |title=Council minutes, 16 May 2007 |url=https://midsussex.moderngov.co.uk/Data/Annual%20Council/200705161900/Agenda/Du2b2fZ1d2bbcjlzU7Qom2bcAn.pdf |website=Mid Sussex District Council |access-date=30 December 2024}}</ref><ref name=18Nov2009/> || {{party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} || align=right|16 May 2007 || align=right|31 Oct 2009
|-
| Garry Wall<ref name=18Nov2009>{{cite web |title=Council minutes, 18 November 2009 |url=https://midsussex.moderngov.co.uk/Data/Council/20091118/Agenda/gbpyBgu5JqvxSJRd9ctkP7HweQEcDH.pdf |website=Mid Sussex District Council |access-date=30 December 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Dunn |first1=Karen |title='We've never shied away from difficult decisions' says out-going Mid Sussex council leader |url=https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/politics/weve-never-shied-away-from-difficult-decisions-says-out-going-mid-sussex-council-leader-696239 |access-date=30 December 2024 |work=Sussex World |date=2 April 2019}}</ref> || {{party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} || align=right|18 Nov 2009 || align=right|May 2019
|-
| [[Jonathan Ash-Edwards]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Council minutes, 22 May 2019 |url=https://midsussex.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=243&MId=2235 |website=Mid Sussex District Council |access-date=30 December 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-05-06 |title=Full Mid Sussex District Council election results - here's how it all unfolded |url=https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/politics/full-results-from-mid-sussex-district-council-election-2023-heres-how-it-all-unfolded-live-4131323 |access-date=2023-05-24 |website=SussexWorld |language=en}}</ref> || {{party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} || align=right|22 May 2019 || align=right|May 2023
|-
|Robert Eggleston<ref>{{cite web |title=Council minutes, 24 May 2023 |url=https://midsussex.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=243&MId=3204 |website=Mid Sussex District Council |access-date=30 December 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Joint administration confirmed for Mid Sussex District Council |url=https://www.midsussex.gov.uk/about-us/press-releases-and-publications/joint-administration-confirmed-for-mid-sussex-district-council/ |access-date=2023-05-27 |website=www.midsussex.gov.uk |language=en}}</ref> || {{party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}} || align=right|24 May 2023 ||
|}

===Composition===
Following the [[2023 Mid Sussex District Council election|2023 election]], the composition of the council was:<ref>{{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|work=The Guardian}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
! colspan=2| Party
! Councillors
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}
| align=center|20
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}
| align=center|18
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Independent politician}}
| align=center|5
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Green Party of England and Wales}}
| align=center|4
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}
| align=center|1
|-
! colspan=2|Total
! align=center|48
|}
Four of the five independent councillors sit together as the "Independent Group", which forms the council's administration with the Liberal Democrats.<ref>{{cite web |title=Your Councillors by Political Grouping |url=https://midsussex.moderngov.co.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?FN=GROUPING&VW=LIST&PIC=0 |website=Mid Sussex District Council |access-date=29 January 2024}}</ref><ref name=Dunn/> The next election is due in 2027.

===Elections===
{{see also|Mid Sussex District Council elections}}
Since the last boundary changes in 2023 the council has comprised 48 [[councillor]]s representing 27 [[Wards and electoral divisions of the United Kingdom|wards]], with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Mid Sussex (Electoral Changes) Order 2022|year=2022|number=812|access-date=29 January 2024}}</ref>

The district straddles three parliamentary constituencies; most of the district is in the [[Mid Sussex (UK Parliament constituency)|Mid Sussex constituency]], but north-western parts of the district are in the [[Horsham (UK Parliament constituency)|Horsham constituency]] and southern parts of the district are in the [[Arundel and South Downs (UK Parliament constituency)|Arundel and South Downs constituency]].<ref name=electionmaps/>

===Premises===
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.<ref>{{cite news |title=Up and down the county |url=https://www.findmypast.co.uk/search-newspapers |access-date=23 April 2023 |work=Mid Sussex Times |date=12 June 1934 |page=7}}</ref>