Horsham Labour Party

Horsham Labour Party – Creating   A Better Horsham for Everyone

1. Deliver Truly Affordable Housing

• • Prioritise building genuinely affordable homes for social rent.
  • Challenge misleading “35% affordable housing” claims when none are for social rent.
  • Highlight the rising cost of housing and the failure to deliver social rent homes (only 3 in 11 years).
  • Address the £14.7m annual housing benefit bill caused by high private and “affordable” rents.
  • Campaign for housing costs that match local incomes, not market‑driven prices.
  • Support young people facing increasing risk of homelessness.

2. A Welcoming, Inclusive Horsham

• • Celebrate Horsham as a diverse, multicultural community.
  • Welcome new residents from Hong Kong, Afghanistan, Europe, Asia, Africa and beyond.
  • Reject political attempts to divide communities or devalue lives.
  • Continue supporting anti‑racism initiatives and community conferences.
  • Ensure council decisions reflect the voices of all communities.

3. Stand With Our LGBTQ+ Community

• • Support LGBTQ+ residents and oppose rising hostility toward transgender people.
  • Back local Pride events and emerging LGBTQ+ groups and services.
  • Press for an LGBTQ+ Convention to ensure representation and influence in council decisions.

4. Protect and Restore Our Natural Environment

• • Celebrate securing fields‑in‑trust protection for Horsham Park.
  • Seek similar protection for Warnham Nature Reserve, Chesworth Farm, Rookwood, pocket parks and allotments.
  • Prioritise tree planting and wildlife‑friendly habitats across the district.
  • Create a connected “living network” of parks, street trees and community gardens.
  • Aim to make Horsham the wildlife capital of Sussex.
  • Convene a Horsham Environment Convention to develop a Nature Town plan.
  • Improve air quality, climate resilience, community wellbeing and local pride.

5. Support Green Business and Good Local Jobs

• • Build new social rent homes to the highest environmental standards (insulation, solar, green tech).
  • Implement a Climate Action Plan with clear net‑zero targets.
  • Attract green businesses and support sustainable start‑ups.
  • Provide training to help local businesses go green and promote Horsham as a green‑business hub.
  • Expand green spaces to strengthen communities and attract investment.
  • Encourage residents to shop locally.
  • Support small growers and farmers’ markets.
  • Grow the cooperative economy, putting communities at the centre of decision‑making.

6. A Fresh Start for Community Arts, Sport and Culture in Horsham

A New Chapter for Horsham

• • Refurbishment of The Capitol creates an opportunity for a new community driven cultural vision.
  • Culture should be participatory, not just something people watch.
  • Aim: harness creativity across all communities so everyone can take part and shape local cultural life.

Building a Cultural Buzz

• • Build on success of Friday Lates by investing in existing local talent:
    • Amdram groups
    • Orchestras and bands
    • Choirs
    • Community arts groups
  • Promote affordable culture with performances in parks, halls and town centres.
  • Council to enable creativity through promotion, lowcost venue hire and practical support.
  • Horsham already has a rich cultural scene — film clubs, festivals, concerts,

gardening societies and more — the goal is to amplify, not replace.

A Connected Cultural Community

• • Create a central online cultural hub on the council website.
  • Provide town centre spaces for groups to advertise events.
  • Encourage:
    • Outdoor art classes
    • Chess and boardgame competitions in Horsham Park
    • Annual school mural competitions using recycled materials
    • Festivals celebrating global food and culture
  • Link cultural activity with sustainability and community identity.

Sport for Everyone

• • Build on thriving local sports teams.
  • Encourage participation in: walking, running, bowls, cycling, dancing, team sports and more.
  • Promote activities through a sports and leisure hub to broaden cultural life.

Celebrating Horsham’s Cultural Heritage

• • Highlight Horsham’s history, including its link to Percy Bysshe Shelley.
  • Use heritage to inspire a distinctive cultural identity.
  • Ensure free and accessible opportunities for all residents.

Core Values

• • Community First — empower local groups and volunteers.
  • Involving Young People — provide places to create, perform and develop skills.
  • Health & Wellbeing — recognise culture and sport as essential to mental and physical health.
  • Economic Impact — support culture as a driver of business, tourism and high street vitality.

What the Council Must Deliver

• • Community cultural hubs with affordable rehearsal and exhibition spaces.
  • Improved sports infrastructure: pitches, courts, cycling routes, walking trails, inclusive programmes.
  • Investment in youth clubs, arts groups, skate parks, dance studios and grassroots sports.
  • Touring arts and popup events in rural villages.
  • Highstreet culture: performances, markets, festivals, exhibitions.
  • Inclusive participation for disabled residents, older people, low-income families, emerging communities and isolated individuals.
  • A comprehensive online cultural hub.

How This Will Benefit Horsham

• • Stronger communities and connected villages.
  • Healthier lives through creativity, activity and reduced loneliness.
  • Thriving high streets and boosted local economy.
  • A more equal society with opportunities for all.

How We’ll Know We’re Succeeding

• • Horsham becomes ready to submit — with confidence — a bid for UK Town of Culture, reflecting real achievements across the district.