Practical proposed steps for West Sussex.
The stages explain what should happen first. They are not promised completion dates. Funding, powers and ongoing costs need to be established before a proposal is adopted.
Proposal
Build on bus improvements already delivered
The county reports installed stop improvements and continuing service support.
Existing routes can become more useful through reliability and connections.
Evidence
Who could lead: West Sussex County Council.
- Start now
Show current routes, fares and accessible stops together.
- Over the next few years
Use reliability and access evidence to prioritise further work.
- Over the longer term
Track actual operated journeys and passenger use.
How to judge progress
Starting point: March 2026 grant and delivery update.
Measure: Bus reliability, accessible stops and usable connections.
Trade-off: A favourable passenger survey does not measure access for people without a service.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Bus services and accessible stops →
Proposal
Close the Oaklands Way access gap
A new route is proposed between major Chichester destinations.
People need safe connected journeys to education and healthcare.
Evidence
Who could lead: West Sussex County Council.
- Start now
Check proposed crossings with disabled users and local services.
- Over the next few years
Publish design changes and confirmed delivery stages.
- Over the longer term
Measure use and access after any completed scheme.
How to judge progress
Starting point: October 2026 consultation design.
Measure: Continuous safe routes and access to destinations.
Trade-off: Street-space changes have different effects on walking, cycling and driving.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Oaklands Way walking and cycling route →
Proposal
Make Growth Deals visible at project level
Agreements identify investment across all seven districts.
Residents can compare local delivery when each scheme has clear outcomes.
Evidence
Who could lead: West Sussex County Council.
- Start now
Publish the funding and milestones for each named project.
- Over the next few years
Coordinate public space with local services and business access.
- Over the longer term
Measure use and outcomes after delivery.
How to judge progress
Starting point: August 2026 refreshed agreements.
Measure: Verified milestones and usable public spaces.
Trade-off: New surfaces alone do not guarantee stronger town-centre trade.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Town-centre and green-space Growth Deals →
Proposal
Avoid adding different project promises together
Growth Deals mix proposals and existing schemes across multiple councils.
Headline programme totals can obscure what is actually funded and usable.
Evidence 1 · Evidence 2
Who could lead: West Sussex County Council.
- Start now
Identify each funding source and prevent double-counting.
- Over the next few years
Report changes to cost, scope and timing.
- Over the longer term
Compare delivered outcomes with original objectives.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Separate scheme stages within refreshed agreements.
Measure: Unique funded projects, cost changes and verified completions.
Trade-off: Partners may deliver on different timetables.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Bus services and accessible stops →
Town-centre and green-space Growth Deals →
Proposal
Make room for homes people can afford
The average home price is £374,000 (July 2026) in West Sussex council area. This is about £80,000 higher than the England average for the same month.
Housing costs matter most alongside earnings and the number of affordable homes available. A local average cannot tell us whether a particular household can afford its home.
Who could lead: The housing and planning authorities, housing associations and developers.
- Start now
Publish the local waiting list, temporary accommodation and affordable-home delivery figures together.
- Over the next few years
Test proposed housing sites against affordable-home need, access to work, school places and water capacity.
- Over the longer term
Check whether completed homes reduce unmet need, rather than counting planning permissions as delivery.
How to judge progress
Starting point: The average home price is £374,000 (July 2026) in West Sussex council area.
Measure: Affordable homes completed, households waiting, time in temporary accommodation, and rent compared with local earnings.
Trade-off: More homes can put pressure on infrastructure and land. Affordability requirements also affect development viability.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: Average home price →
Proposal
Plan homes and care around an older population
22.8% of people in West Sussex council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021).
Age alone does not mean poor health or a need for care. Accessible homes, reliable transport and support close to home matter as people get older.
Who could lead: Adult social care, local health services, housing providers and transport authorities.
- Start now
Compare the location of older residents with access to care, shops and transport.
- Over the next few years
Prioritise home adaptations and care capacity in places with the clearest unmet need.
- Over the longer term
Build accessible homes and joined-up care into local development plans.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 22.8% aged 65 or over; 21 March 2021.
Measure: Waits for home adaptations and care, avoidable hospital stays, and accessible homes delivered.
Trade-off: Services need skilled staff and ongoing funding. Age profiles alone cannot measure unmet care need.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People aged 65 or over →
Proposal
Bring support closer to people in poor health
4.5% of people reported bad or very bad health in West Sussex council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%.
This is how residents described their health in the census. It can reveal differences between neighbourhoods, but does not diagnose illness or measure current waiting times. Age profiles differ between places, so these shares do not measure service quality.
Who could lead: Local health services, public health teams, employers and community organisations.
- Start now
Use neighbourhood evidence to find where poor health and barriers to services overlap.
- Over the next few years
Test accessible local support and publish who is reached and who is missed.
- Over the longer term
Review whether health gaps narrow, alongside housing and employment improvements.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 4.5% reporting bad or very bad health; 21 March 2021.
Measure: Access to services and the health gap between neighbourhoods, using comparable age-adjusted measures when available.
Trade-off: A census snapshot is dated. New service decisions also need current needs assessments and residents’ experience.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People reporting bad or very bad health →
Proposal
Connect local skills to local opportunities
32.7% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in West Sussex council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%.
Qualifications show one part of the skills available locally. They do not show whether people have secure jobs or work that uses those skills.
Who could lead: Employers, colleges, universities and the relevant skills authority.
- Start now
Compare vacancies and employer needs with training available to local residents.
- Over the next few years
Link training to real jobs, including routes for people without formal qualifications.
- Over the longer term
Track sustained employment and earnings after training, not just course starts.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 32.7% with a degree or equivalent; 21 March 2021.
Measure: Sustained jobs, earnings and training completion for residents who face barriers to work.
Trade-off: Training takes time and cannot create demand for jobs on its own. Qualifications are not a complete measure of ability.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People aged 16+ with a degree or equivalent →
Evidence: People aged 16+ with no qualifications →
Town-centre and green-space Growth Deals →
Proposal
Target safety work where problems repeat
Mapped police records are available for neighbourhoods in West Sussex council area.
Published locations are approximate and some crimes are not mapped. Counts show recorded incidents, not the chance of an individual becoming a victim.
Who could lead: The local police force, council community safety team and relevant services.
- Start now
Check recurring places and categories alongside local police priorities and residents’ reports.
- Over the next few years
Test focused prevention and support, with a comparison period agreed before the work starts.
- Over the longer term
Publish whether problems fall, move elsewhere or return, and adjust the response.
How to judge progress
Crime evidence and coverage →
Starting point: Use the dated, complete periods shown in Crime and safety; keep anti-social behaviour separate.
Measure: Comparable recorded incidents, repeat victimisation and residents’ reported experience; never a single crude league table.
Trade-off: More reporting can increase recorded crime. Enforcement and support may work differently for different problems.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Oaklands Way walking and cycling route →
Proposal
Turn published plans into visible progress
3 named local projects or plans have official evidence in this collection.
A published plan makes responsibilities and intentions easier to inspect. It does not prove that funding is secured or that promised benefits have arrived.
Who could lead: The named project owners and council scrutiny bodies.
- Start now
Put the scope, owner, funding position and next milestone in one public place.
- Over the next few years
Report delivery against the agreed scope and explain delays or changes.
- Over the longer term
Check the benefits residents actually receive after completion.
How to judge progress
Starting point: The dated stages in Projects; unknown costs and funding remain unknown.
Measure: Milestones met, costs against the approved budget, and measured outcomes after delivery.
Trade-off: Delivery reporting takes staff time, but a launch announcement alone cannot show value for money.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Bus services and accessible stops →
Town-centre and green-space Growth Deals →
Oaklands Way walking and cycling route →
