West Sussex County Councillors for Hassocks and Burgess Hill South and North resign on same day

Kirsty Lord (Hassocks and Burgess Hill South) who was first elected in 2017, made the announcement on Facebook on Thursday, April 24.

On the same day, Stuart Condie (Burgess Hill North) resigned after four years. By-elections are expected to take place in early June.

Ms Lord said on Facebook: “It has been an honour and a privilege to be your county councillor for the past eight years.”

Since first being elected, Ms Lord has delivered key infrastructure and community improvements across Hassocks and Burgess Hill South. Notable achievements include securing a new college building for Woodlands Meed, which is now open to students, introducing road safety upgrades, and overseeing drainage enhancements in Hassocks and Burgess Hill.

She said: “I am also proud of my role in holding the Conservative leadership at the county council to account for its failures, particularly following the Inadequate Ofsted report into children’s services in 2019, and more recently on the spiralling costs of a new IT system and disruptive delays in building projects including Woodlands Meed, Downlands and the new Bedelands Academy.”

But Ms Lord said she works alongside being a councillor and said her working hours had increased following a recent career change.

She said: “I know I cannot continue to represent you as fully as I have been able to for the last eight years and as wholeheartedly as you deserve.”

Ms Lord had decided to stand down in the 2025 County Council elections but said the the agreement between the Government and County Council to cancel those elections meant she ‘had to make a choice’.

She said: “Faced with the choice of staying on as your councillor knowing I wouldn’t be able to continue to give what is needed or calling a by-election, there was only one right course of action. So following my resignation today, there will be a by-election to replace me.”

Ms Lord said: “The Liberal Democrats have made sure to select a fantastic candidate for the by-election. Erika Woodhurst-Trueman will be standing to replace me.”

She said: “Erika has worked on community projects for years most recently in organising and running Light Up Hassocks.”

Ms Lord thanked everyone for their support, adding: “I hope I leave Hassocks and Burgess Hill South a little bit better than when I was first elected in 2017.”

Stuart Condie said: “I decided some months ago to step down from the County Council at the elections due on 1st May. However the Labour national government agreed to the request to cancel the elections by the Conservative administration of West Sussex County Council, denying residents the opportunity to choose their county councillors for at least the next two years and causing a significant democratic deficit. I have been left with no choice but to trigger a by-election.”

Over the past four years Mr Condie Stuart has campaigned for improved cycling facilities and road improvements. This includes delivering resurfacing including Fairplace Hill and securing a fix for the longstanding drainage problems on Jane Murray Way and Victoria Industrial Estatem, which should be implemented this financial year. Mr Condie has also called for pension funds to be divested from fossil fuels.

He said: “I am very pleased that Jane Davey will be standing as the Lib Dem candidate to replace me. She is well rooted in the community and has shown her abilities chairing the governing boards at The Burgess Hill Academy and London Meed schools during difficult times.”