Sussex County Council history

Lancing College was founded in 1848 by the Revd Nathaniel Woodard and the college has been a staple of the county ever since.

In 1860 the north of parish of Frant in the Rape of Pevensey became part of the Tunbridge Wells Local Government District.

Costing £5000 to construct and taking 18 months to complete, Bognor Regis pier was opened on 4th May 1865.

Alfred Day founded Fontwell Park in 1887 as a man who trained horses at the Hermitage (by the Chichester to Arundel road).

The first council meeting was held on the 4th April 1889 with Charles Henry Gordon-Lennox, 6th Duke of Richmond and Gordon taking on the role as Chairmen.

1893 was known as the 'fever year' in Worthing as they were hit by a typhoid epidemic.

Opened in 1897 it ran from its own station in Chichester to Selsey known locally known as the 'Selsey Tram'.

although established in 1552, it moved to its present location in West Sussex in 1902.

In 1907, Bosham Sailing Club was founded and is the oldest sailing club in Chichester Harbour.

In 1908 the Education Committee had begun to take on responsibility for children's health following parliamentary legislation, and inspections of school children revealed that 90% were well-nourished, with satisfactory clothing and footwear.

New legislation in 1909 required the county council to appoint the first County Medical Officer of Health.

Dr A G R Cameron was appointed in June 1911 and the Health department of the county council was formed.

In 1918 the new Education Act raised the school leaving age to 14.

Women first made their appearance in the Council Chamber in 1919.

In the late 1920's, with the growth of private flying, a young man called Ronald Waters heard of some land for sale between the racecourse at Gatwick and the Village of Lowfield Heath, which he thought would be ideal for an aerodrome.

With the First World War over, the plan to rebuild the Norfolk Bridge at Shoreham was given the go-ahead at an estimated cost of £45,000 and the new bridge was open to traffic in 1923.

With the ending of hostilities in 1945, the troops began to come home and progressively, wartime controls and structures were dismantled.

During the 1950's and 60's, town centre redevelopment proposals were agreed and implemented for Horsham, Southwick, Bognor Regis and Chichester.

The University of Sussex was opened at Falmer near Brighton in 1961.

Chichester Festival Theatre was opened in 1962 by its founder Leslie Evershed-Martin.

The Weald and Downland Open Air Museum was first launched in 1967 led by the founder Doctor J.R. Armstrong MBE and a small group of enthusiasts.

The proposals met with some protest. a 1971 demonstration by 1,500 residents that disrupted traffic on the main London to Brighton road at the proposed boundary.

was founded by Dame Anita Roddick in 1976 and its headquarters are in our county in Littlehampton!

In 1989, a new purpose-built Record Office was opened in Orchard Street, Chichester.

Started in 1992, the Durrington Festival has been a useful tool in promoting the community of Durrington and celebrating it.

A freak tornado hit the town of Selsey in 1998 causing extensive damage.

The Local Government Act 2000 established a radical new way of taking decisions at councils.

Brighton and Hove subsequently attained city status in 2001.

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 replaced all the existing fire safety legislations.

In 2010 the Sussex Association was established as a branch of the Association of British Counties, which is a society dedicated to promoting awareness of the continuing importance of the 86 historic (or traditional) counties of Great Britain.

In 2014, West Sussex County Council celebrated its 125th birthday with a variety of events held to commemorate the occasion.

Wider sharing arrangements between Eastbourne and Lewes were proposed in 2015.