Conservative Councillors on Worthing Borough Council have successfully submitted (31.12.25) a requisition to the Mayor of Worthing Borough Council calling on them to call an extraordinary meeting of Worthing Borough Council. This is in response to the letter of the 18th December 2025, sent by the Minister of State for Local Government, to a number of local authorities across the UK where local government reorganisation is being progressed towards new unitary authorities and who are currently required to hold local elections in 2026. The Minister's letter requires a response from the leader of the council by the 15th January as to whether or not they believe the council has capacity or funds to hold the May 2026 elections with a view to potentially cancelling these elections.
Up to today, and with time fast running out, this matter has not been placed on any formal council meeting agenda for discussion or debate, yet in September 2025 prior to submitting the council's response to the Local Government Reorganisation consultation the council did hold an extraordinary meeting to allow councillors to debate these issues and for the public to be able to attend the meeting and ask questions of the council.
Spokesman for the Conservative group said; "There appeared to have been a deliberate attempt at side stepping of this issue by the Labour council. Elections are key to local democracy and any suggestion that the Minister should consider any recommendation from the Leader of the Council, that may lead to the cancellation of elections, we were determined should be debated and discussed in an open forum at a full council meeting, where councillors can all contribute and the public can come, listen and ask questions. We are pleased that the Mayor has accepted our requisition and are keen to hear from the leader of the council telling the public and councillors what their plans are. Members of the public are able to attend and listen to this meeting and if they wish they can submit a question to the council on this or other matters, any questions should be sent to [email protected] no later than 12 noon on Thursday 8th January 2026."
The requisition request has been accepted and today notification has been received that the meeting will be held on Tuesday 13th January at 6.30 pm at Worthing Town Hall.
https://democracy.adur-worthing.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=397&MId=2274
