Mid Sussex Council - Wards and Councillors

District council · South East · 48 seats in 27 wards · All seats elected every four years · Next election 6 May 2027

Mid Sussex Council is run by a Liberal Democrats / Independent coalition. The council has 48 councillors in 27 wards. Seats by party: Lib Dem 19, Conservative 18, Other 6, Green 4, Labour 1. The next election is on 6 May 2027.

The government has not decided on local government reorganisation in this area, and the programme has been under review since 7 September 2026. Elections due in May 2027 will go ahead on existing council boundaries. Source

Control

Seats by party

Liberal Democrats / Independent Coalition

48 seats - 25 for a majority

Labour 1Conservative 18Lib Dem 19Green 4Other 6

Seat changes since the 4 May 2023 election Other +1 Lib Dem −1

Vote share at the 4 May 2023 election (48 seats, all wards)

ShareSeats won

Lib Dem32.1%20

Conservative27.8%18

Other15.7%5

Green15.0%4

Labour9.4%1

Next election

6 May 2027

all 48 seats up, then every four years

Largest party

Lib Dem 19

6 short of the 25 needed for a majority

Closest result

Ardingly, Balcombe & Turners Hill

Conservative won the last seat by 2 votes over Green, 4 May 2023

Latest by-election

Hurstpierpoint

Lib Dem hold, 7 May 2026 (2 since 2021)

Constituencies

2 overlap

2024Now

Voted Leave in 2016

47%

GB 52%

Wards

Who holds each ward

ConservativeLib DemGreenIndependent

Coloured by the party holding most of the ward's seats today; where seats are split evenly, by the party with the higher share at the last election.

All 27 wards

Councillors and last results

Select a ward for its full results, candidates and last by-election.

Ward and councillors	Last election
Ardingly, Balcombe & Turners Hill Gary Marsh, Jenny Edwards	4 May 2023 Green 31.2% lead 6.2 pts
Ashurst Wood & East Grinstead South John Belsey	4 May 2023 Conservative 64.0% lead 43.9 pts
Burgess Hill Dunstall Mike Kennedy, Mustak Miah	4 May 2023 Lib Dem 38.3% lead 1.6 pts
Burgess Hill Franklands Janice Henwood, David Eggleton	4 May 2023 Lib Dem 60.7% lead 39.0 pts
Burgess Hill Leylands Anne Eves, Simon Hicks	4 May 2023 Green 41.5% lead 1.7 pts
Burgess Hill Meeds & Hammonds Robert Eggleston, Tofojjul Hussain	4 May 2023 Lib Dem 62.1% lead 41.4 pts
Burgess Hill St Andrews Christine Cherry, Matthew Cornish	4 May 2023 Lib Dem 30.8% lead 5.2 pts
Burgess Hill Victoria Peter Chapman	4 May 2023 Independent 66.7% lead 46.6 pts
Copthorne & Worth Graham Casella, Christopher Phillips	4 May 2023 Conservative 36.9% lead 6.5 pts
Crawley Down Ian Gibson, John Hitchcock	4 May 2023 Independent 37.9% lead 3.5 pts
Cuckfield, Bolney & Ansty Malcolm Avery, Jim Knight	4 May 2023 Conservative 33.7% lead 13.4 pts
Downland Villages Geoff Zeidler	4 May 2023 Conservative 55.5% lead 35.4 pts
East Grinstead Ashplats Margaret Belsey, Adam Peacock	4 May 2023 Conservative 33.6% lead 18.6 pts
East Grinstead Baldwins Julie Mockford	4 May 2023 Independent 38.5% lead 5.4 pts
East Grinstead Herontye Dick Sweatman	4 May 2023 Conservative 45.6% lead 16.7 pts
East Grinstead Imberhorne Rex Whittaker, Lee Farren	4 May 2023 Conservative 29.3% lead 6.5 pts
East Grinstead Town John Dabell, Jacquie Russell	4 May 2023 Conservative 33.2% lead 2.5 pts
Handcross & Pease Pottage Eric Prescott	4 May 2023 Conservative 44.0% lead 11.6 pts
Hassocks Sue Hatton, Chris Hobbs, Kristian Berggreen	4 May 2023 Lib Dem 57.8% lead 43.1 pts
Haywards Heath Ashenground Duncan Pascoe, Richard Bates	4 May 2023 Lib Dem 41.5% lead 16.2 pts
Haywards Heath Bentswood & Heath Alison Rees, Anthony Platts	4 May 2023 Lib Dem 37.7% lead 9.6 pts
Haywards Heath Franklands Rod Clarke, Paul Kenny	4 May 2023 Conservative 35.1% lead 1.4 pts
Haywards Heath Lucastes & Bolnore Abdul Bashar, Paul Lucraft	4 May 2023 Lib Dem 33.0% lead 0.5 pts
Haywards Heath North Sandy Ellis	4 May 2023 Conservative 35.7% lead 5.5 pts
Hurstpierpoint Lyn Williams, Rodney Jackson	4 May 2023 Lib Dem 52.6% lead 32.6 pts
Lindfield Cavan Wood, Anne-Marie Cooke	4 May 2023 Lib Dem 41.9% lead 8.6 pts
Lindfield Rural & High Weald Paul Brown, Lorraine Carvalho	4 May 2023 Green 33.1% lead 0.1 pts

Ardingly, Balcombe & Turners Hill

Gary Marsh ConservativeJenny Edwards Green

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (2 seats)

Green31.2%

Conservative25.0%

Independent17.3%

Lib Dem15.8%

Independent10.7%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Jenny Edwards Elected	Green	709
Gary Marsh Elected	Conservative	567
Matt Brewin	Green	565
Bruce Forbes	Conservative	511
Julian Raymond Eric Smith	Independent	393
Ben Jerrit	Lib Dem	358
Barry John Theobald	Independent	243

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Ashurst Wood & East Grinstead South

John Belsey Conservative

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023

Conservative64.0%

Green20.1%

Lib Dem15.9%

Candidate	Party	Votes	Share
John Edward Belsey Elected	Conservative	535	64.0%
Pete Wells	Green	168	20.1%
Graham Ernest Knight	Lib Dem	133	15.9%

Burgess Hill Dunstall

Mike Kennedy Lib DemMustak Miah Conservative

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (2 seats)

Lib Dem38.3%

Conservative36.7%

Independent14.7%

Labour10.3%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Mike Kennedy Elected	Lib Dem	648
Mustak Miah Elected	Conservative	622
Giles Anthony John Parsons	Lib Dem	553
Chris Mucklestone	Conservative	526
Yann Charles Davies	Independent	249
Pam Haigh	Labour	174

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Burgess Hill Franklands

David Eggleton Lib DemJanice Henwood Independent

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (2 seats)

Lib Dem60.7%

Conservative21.7%

Independent17.6%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Janice Marie Henwood Elected	Lib Dem	1,130
David Christopher Eggleton Elected	Lib Dem	1,107
Claire Fussell	Conservative	404
Tobias Christoper Joel Parker	Conservative	393
Andy Stowe	Independent	328

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Burgess Hill Leylands

Anne Eves GreenSimon Hicks Lib Dem

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (2 seats)

Green41.5%

Lib Dem39.8%

Conservative18.7%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Anne Eves Elected	Green	848
Simon Hicks Elected	Lib Dem	813
Colin Christopher Holden	Conservative	383
Adam George William White	Conservative	331

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Burgess Hill Meeds & Hammonds

Robert Eggleston Lib DemTofojjul Hussain Lib Dem

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (2 seats)

Lib Dem62.1%

Independent20.7%

Conservative17.2%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Robert Eggleston Elected	Lib Dem	1,208
Tofojjul Hussain Elected	Lib Dem	1,046
Sean Robert Kelly	Independent	402
Cherry Catharine	Conservative	334
Elizabeth Catherine White	Conservative	287

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Burgess Hill St Andrews

Christine Cherry Lib DemMatthew Cornish Green

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (2 seats)

Lib Dem30.8%

Green25.6%

Independent17.0%

Conservative14.2%

Labour12.3%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Christine Angela Cherry Elected	Lib Dem	800
Matthew Alan Cornish Elected	Green	665
Ray Woods	Independent	442
Jeremy Charles Catharine	Conservative	368
Joanne Clare Rodway	Labour	319
Toby Dawson	Conservative	317
Rebecca Emma Sinnatt	Labour	212

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Burgess Hill Victoria

Peter Chapman Independent

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023

Independent66.7%

Labour20.1%

Conservative13.2%

Candidate	Party	Votes	Share
Peter Jack Chapman Elected	Independent	666	66.7%
Linda Gregory	Labour	201	20.1%
Martin George Willcock	Conservative	132	13.2%

Copthorne & Worth

Christopher Phillips IndependentGraham Casella Conservative

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (2 seats)

Conservative36.9%

Independent30.4%

Lib Dem19.5%

Green13.2%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Graham Casella Elected	Conservative	612
Christopher Thomas Phillips Elected	Independent	505
Tony Dorey	Conservative	481
Maggie Aston	Lib Dem	323
Lorcan Stuart Peter Stillwell Smith	Green	219

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Crawley Down

Ian Gibson IndependentJohn Hitchcock Independent

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (2 seats)

Independent37.9%

Independent34.4%

Conservative15.4%

Green6.6%

Lib Dem5.6%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Ian Paul Gibson Elected	Independent	1,080
John Hitchcock Elected	Independent	980
Liz Williams	Conservative	439
Phillip Alfred Charles Coote	Conservative	403
Gordon Richard Westcott	Green	188
Matthew Robin Goldsmith	Lib Dem	159

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Cuckfield, Bolney & Ansty

Jim Knight ConservativeMalcolm Avery Conservative

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (2 seats)

Conservative33.7%

Lib Dem20.3%

Independent15.8%

Green13.6%

Labour11.0%

The Official Monster Raving Loony Party5.6%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Malcolm Ronald Avery Elected	Conservative	894
Jim Knight Elected	Conservative	706
Barbara Edith King	Lib Dem	540
Sacha Dykes	Independent	419
James Jonathan Holloway	Lib Dem	367
Rachel Louise McNamara	Green	360
Andrew William Foster	Labour	292
Baron Von Thunderclap	The Official Monster Raving Loony Party	150

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Downland Villages

Geoff Zeidler Conservative

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023

Conservative55.5%

Lib Dem20.1%

Labour12.6%

Green11.8%

Candidate	Party	Votes	Share
Geoff Zeidler Elected	Conservative	511	55.5%
Neville Reginald Searle	Lib Dem	185	20.1%
Norina O'Hare	Labour	116	12.6%
Clare Rogers	Green	109	11.8%

East Grinstead Ashplats

Adam Peacock ConservativeMargaret Belsey Conservative

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (2 seats)

Conservative33.6%

Lib Dem15.0%

Green13.1%

Independent13.1%

Labour12.9%

Independent12.3%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Margaret Belsey Elected	Conservative	696
Adam David Peacock Elected	Conservative	561
Andrew Henry Lane	Lib Dem	310
Alex Langridge	Green	272
Carly Rebecca Godfrey	Independent	272
Thomas Peter Nicolas Britton	Labour	266
Stef Hillwood	Independent	254

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

East Grinstead Baldwins

Julie Mockford Independent

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023

Independent38.5%

Conservative33.1%

Lib Dem28.3%

Candidate	Party	Votes	Share
Julie Anne Mockford Elected	Independent	340	38.5%
Christopher Colin John Evans	Conservative	292	33.1%
Fathi Hasan Ali Tarada	Lib Dem	250	28.3%

East Grinstead Herontye

Dick Sweatman Conservative

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023

Conservative45.6%

Lib Dem28.9%

Independent13.4%

Green12.0%

Candidate	Party	Votes	Share
Dick Sweatman Elected	Conservative	429	45.6%
Steve Hall	Lib Dem	272	28.9%
Nick Gibson	Independent	126	13.4%
Sharon Martin	Green	113	12.0%

East Grinstead Imberhorne

Lee Farren ConservativeRex Whittaker Conservative

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (2 seats)

Conservative29.3%

Independent22.8%

Lib Dem18.1%

Green15.1%

Independent14.7%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Rex Whittaker Elected	Conservative	666
Lee Phillip Farren Elected	Conservative	530
Heidi Anne Brunsdon	Independent	517
Peter Williams	Lib Dem	412
Chrissie Masters	Green	342
Christopher Lomas	Independent	333

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

East Grinstead Town

Jacquie Russell ConservativeJohn Dabell Conservative

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (2 seats)

Conservative33.2%

Lib Dem30.7%

Green12.5%

Independent12.3%

Labour11.3%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Jacquie Russell Elected	Conservative	539
John Dabell Elected	Conservative	504
Stephen Barnett	Lib Dem	498
Lee Daniel Gibbs	Lib Dem	378
Laura Buonocore	Green	203
Norman Mockford	Independent	199
David Lloyd Wilbraham	Labour	183

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Handcross & Pease Pottage

Eric Prescott Conservative

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023

Conservative44.0%

Lib Dem32.4%

Independent23.6%

Candidate	Party	Votes	Share
Eric Andrew Prescott Elected	Conservative	270	44.0%
Peter Anthony Cox	Lib Dem	199	32.4%
Carole Ann Steggles	Independent	145	23.6%

Hassocks

Chris Hobbs Lib DemKristian Berggreen Lib DemSue Hatton Lib Dem

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (3 seats)

Lib Dem57.8%

Conservative14.7%

Labour14.1%

Green13.5%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Sue Hatton Elected	Lib Dem	2,314
Kristian Johannes Berggreen Elected	Lib Dem	2,084
Christopher Patrick Hobbs Elected	Lib Dem	1,699
Alex Simmons	Conservative	587
Alison Doreen Whelan	Labour	564
Marie Holmstrom	Green	541
Philip Henry Beck	Conservative	474
Stephen Anthony Horsfield	Conservative	423

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Haywards Heath Ashenground

Duncan Pascoe Lib DemRichard Bates Lib Dem

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (2 seats)

Lib Dem41.5%

Conservative25.3%

Labour17.6%

Green15.6%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Richard Stemp Bates Elected	Lib Dem	873
Duncan Pascoe Elected	Lib Dem	708
Sujan Wickremaratchi	Conservative	532
Justin Wade Cromie	Conservative	467
Murray Elliott Crump	Labour	370
Richard Kail	Green	328

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Haywards Heath Bentswood & Heath

Alison Rees Lib DemAnthony Platts Lib Dem

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (2 seats)

Lib Dem37.7%

Conservative28.1%

Labour18.5%

Green15.6%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Alison Clare Rees Elected	Lib Dem	751
Anthony Peter Platts Elected	Lib Dem	700
Rachel Cromie	Conservative	560
Stephen Hillier	Conservative	552
Jack William Taplin	Labour	369
Deanna Nicholson	Green	311
Benjamin John Webb	Labour	251

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Haywards Heath Franklands

Paul Kenny LabourRod Clarke Conservative

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (2 seats)

Conservative35.1%

Labour33.7%

Lib Dem20.3%

Green10.9%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Rod Clarke Elected	Conservative	620
Paul Kenny Elected	Labour	594
Tim Weekes	Labour	562
Mike Pulfer	Conservative	536
Anne-Marie Lucraft	Lib Dem	359
Susan Knight	Lib Dem	293
Caroline Susan Mendes	Green	192

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Haywards Heath Lucastes & Bolnore

Abdul Bashar Lib DemPaul Lucraft Lib Dem

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (2 seats)

Lib Dem33.0%

Conservative32.5%

Green17.3%

Labour17.2%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Paul Lucraft Elected	Lib Dem	715
Abdul Bashar Elected	Lib Dem	710
Ruth De Mierre	Conservative	704
Alastair Charles McPherson	Conservative	697
Allan Murray	Green	375
Nick Lashmar	Labour	372

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Haywards Heath North

Sandy Ellis Conservative

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023

Conservative35.7%

Lib Dem30.2%

Green15.0%

Labour14.9%

Independent4.2%

Candidate	Party	Votes	Share
Sandy Ellis Elected	Conservative	400	35.7%
Emiliano Mancino	Lib Dem	339	30.2%
Richard Alan Nicholson	Green	168	15.0%
David George Morley	Labour	167	14.9%
Christian Alexander Pitt	Independent	47	4.2%

Hurstpierpoint

Lyn Williams Lib DemRodney Jackson Lib Dem

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (2 seats)

Lib Dem52.6%

Conservative20.0%

Labour14.0%

Green13.4%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Alison Bennett Elected	Lib Dem	1,236
Rodney Thomas Hayden Jackson Elected	Lib Dem	1,050
Mark Scholfield	Conservative	471
Billy Lee	Conservative	444
Graciano Soares	Labour	328
Sue Kelly	Green	315

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Last by-election, 7 May 2026

Lib Dem48.7%

Conservative21.9%

Reform16.6%

Green12.8%

Candidate	Party	Votes	Share
Lyn Joyce Williams Elected	Lib Dem	1,211	48.7%
Eliza Brazil	Conservative	544	21.9%
Thomas Givons	Reform	414	16.6%
James Christian Stringfellow	Green	319	12.8%

Lindfield

Anne-Marie Cooke Lib DemCavan Wood Lib Dem

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (2 seats)

Lib Dem41.9%

Conservative33.3%

Green16.5%

Labour8.3%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Anne-Marie Cooke Elected	Lib Dem	1,141
Cavan Wood Elected	Lib Dem	1,020
Jonathan Ash-Edwards	Conservative	906
Anthea Lea	Conservative	855
David Woolley	Green	450
Stu Nisbett	Green	360
Ian Willian MacLean	Labour	225

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Lindfield Rural & High Weald

Lorraine Carvalho ConservativePaul Brown Green

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (2 seats)

Green33.1%

Conservative33.0%

Lib Dem22.0%

Labour11.8%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Paul Brown Elected	Green	852
Lorraine Carvalho Elected	Conservative	851
Sarah Victoria Webster	Conservative	821
Emily Julia Lomax	Lib Dem	567
Nigel Cross	Green	519
Mandy Claiden	Labour	305

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Councillors

Changed party since the election

1 councillor now sit for a different party from the one they were elected for.

Ward	Councillor	Elected as	Now
Burgess Hill Franklands	Janice Henwood	Lib Dem 2023	Independent

By-elections

Every council by-election since 2021

2 by-elections since July 2021, 0 of them gains.

Date	Ward	Result	Winner's share
7 May 2026	Hurstpierpoint	Lib Dem hold	48.7%
15 September 2022	Bolney	Conservative hold

Parliament

Parliamentary constituencies

Constituency	Share of council	2024 winner	Projected now
Mid Sussex	64%	Lib Dem	Lib Dem 38%
East Grinstead and Uckfield	36%	Conservative	Conservative 32%

Share of the council: the proportion of its census neighbourhoods (2021 LSOAs) in each seat. The projection is PollCheck's demographic model at current polling, not a forecast.

People

Who lives in Mid Sussex

152,563 residents in 63,340 households

Voted Leave in 2016

47% 5 below GB

Degree or higher

39% 5 above GB

No qualifications

12% 6 below GB

Own their home

73% 12 above GB

Rent from a council or housing association

11% 6 below GB

Rent privately

15% 5 below GB

Aged 15 to 34

25% 6 below GB

Aged 65 and over

25% 3 above GB

GB figure. 2021 Census (Scotland: 2022): age as a share of residents aged 15 and over, qualifications of residents aged 16 and over, housing as a share of households. Leave: 2016 EU referendum, Electoral Commission results by counting area.

Similar

Councils most like this one

HorshamLiberal Democrats (Majority)Surrey HeathLiberal Democrats (Majority)HartLiberal Democrats / Independent Coalition South OxfordshireLiberal Democrats (Majority)East HampshireConservative / Independent Coalition

Closest on the measures above: the 2016 Leave vote, age, qualifications and housing. Maps show which party holds each ward.

Sources

Sources and method

Seat totals and control: PollCheck council control tracker. Councillors: Open Council Data (CC BY-SA 4.0). Election results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), with some vote counts from DCLEAPIL, Leman (2025) (CC BY-SA 4.0), and corrections checked against councils' official declarations. Ward boundaries: Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Census: Office for National Statistics and National Records of Scotland.

Councillor lists and DCLEAPIL-derived vote counts on this page are available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

In wards electing more than one councillor, a party's share counts only its leading candidate (the Rallings and Thrasher method). Independents count individually. The lead is the gap between the top two parties' shares.