The Mid Sussex Council's Scrutiny Committee for People and Communities convened to discuss several key initiatives, including recommendations for a Community Governance Review, an Air Quality Strategy, and an updated Equalities and Diversity Scheme. The committee agreed to endorse the draft Air Quality Strategy for public consultation, and to consider the draft recommendations for the Community Governance Review, and the updated Equalities and Diversity Scheme, before their adoption by the council.

Community Governance Review

The committee reviewed the draft recommendations for the second stage of the Community Governance Review (CGR) of Haywards Heath Town Council, Lindfield Parish Council and Ansty & Staplefield Parish Council. The review was initiated after a Boundary Commission Review in 2021, to assess the town and parish boundaries.

The first public consultation, which ran from 9 June to 8 August 2025, sought feedback on:

• Whether to move the south-western boundary of Haywards Heath Town Council to include the existing parish wards of Rocky Lane North and Rocky Lane South, transferring them from Ansty & Staplefield Parish Council.
• Whether to move the existing Haywards Heath Town Council ward of Haywards Heath North East to Lindfield Parish Council.

The council convened a panel, including Paul Cummins, an independent member with local government experience, to review the 102 responses received.

The panel's draft recommendations, based on the consultation feedback, are:

• That Haywards Heath North East should remain within Haywards Heath Town Council.
• That Rocky Lane North and Rocky Lane South should remain within Ansty & Staplefield Parish Council.
• That Haywards Heath Town Council should expand from 16 councillors representing 9 wards to 17 councillors representing 5 wards, with Haywards Heath Franklands gaining an additional councillor.

The reasons for these recommendations included concerns from residents about potential council tax increases and a stronger identification with Haywards Heath among residents of Haywards Heath North East. For Rocky Lane, concerns were raised about the loss of precept¹ for Ansty & Staplefield Parish Council and a feeling among residents that they are well-represented by the existing council.

Haywards Heath Town Council had also proposed to amend the ward structure and councillor numbers within their council area, which the panel considered would enable better representation for local residents and ensure a manageable workload for elected councillors.

The committee is required to reconvene the panel to review responses and provide a further final report to this Committee in early 2026, which will then be ratified by Full Council.

Air Quality Strategy

The committee was asked to endorse the draft Air Quality Strategy prior to a six-week public consultation commencing on 15 September 2025.

The Local Air Quality Management Framework requires local authorities without a declared Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) to develop and publish a local Air Quality Strategy. Mid Sussex District Council's AQMA at Stonepound Crossroads in Hassocks was revoked in December 2024, triggering the need for this strategy.

The draft Air Quality Strategy is closely aligned with the council's Sustainable Economic Strategy (SES) and is a key component of it. The main sources of local pollution are from road vehicle emissions. The Air Quality Strategy includes objectives to reduce emissions from road vehicles, such as facilitating the shift to electric vehicles, encouraging the modal shift from the car to other more sustainable modes of transport, and ensuring development proposals have included appropriate air quality mitigation.

The Air Quality Strategy recognises that collaboration with other agencies is vital to its success. The Sussex Air Quality Partnership is a collaboration of all 15 local authorities in East and West Sussex and its aim is to coordinate air quality work throughout the region, disseminate accurate and relevant air quality information on the Sussex Air website, to pool resources to bid for grants and to procure shared services. Mid Sussex District Council hosts the Sussex Air Quality Partnership.

The objectives of the Air Quality Strategy over the next five years are:

• Disseminate accurate information about air quality and promote air quality improvement to staff, residents and businesses
• Community leadership on air quality
• Encourage behaviour change and promote sustainable choices
• Identify and address poor air quality
• Promote air quality in development management
• Monitor and report on air quality within the district

An Equality Impact Assessment has been completed for the Air Quality Strategy.

Equalities and Diversity Scheme

The committee considered a report proposing a revised and updated draft Equality, Diversity and inclusion Strategy 2025-2029.

The Council's current Equality and Diversity Scheme 2020-24 was originally adopted in 2011 and has been subject to 3 consultation and renewal exercises over the past 13 years. This scheme reflected the Equalities Act 2010, which brought together several pieces of legislation such as the Sex Discrimination Act, Race Relations Act and Disability Discrimination Act. The Act also brought in new responsibilities for councils, including a public sector equality duty and a requirement to promote equality of opportunity between those with protected characteristics and others.

The public sector equality duty means that the Council must when delivering services and undertaking council business ensure they are:

• eliminating unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and other conduct prohibited by the Act
• advancing equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not
• fostering good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.

In addition to the nine protected characteristics, the Council's equality and diversity activities address issues arising from the characteristics of our district. We also recognise veterans, those from armed forces families, and intend to extend this in the 2025 to 2029 Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy to care-experienced young people.

The Council's proposed Equality Objectives are:

• To Foster inclusive leadership and community engagement.
• Empower through targeted initiatives.
• Fostering social cohesion and preventing discrimination.
• Equal access to employment and skills development
• Encouraging a diverse and inclusive workforce
• Transparent monitoring and continuous improvement.

The committee was requested to consider the report and recommend any changes required before adoption by the council.

Scrutiny Committee Work Programme

The committee considered its work programme for the municipal year 2025/26 and beyond. The proposed Work Programme is suggested as follows:

• Community Governance Review - Final recommendations.
• Corporate Plan and Budget 2026/27
• Waste Policy
• Equalities Annual Review
• Customer Services Delivery Review
• 123 Recycling – 6 month review.

The committee noted that there is a need for agility and flexibility particularly with regard to the potential for new legislation being announced in year. Officers will draft some protocols for the next meeting to enable flexibility in scheduling additional meetings and moving meetings in response to new requirements.