• WSGA •
National & Local Government
Working Collaboratively
WSGA works collaboratively with West Sussex County Council, together with Chichester, Arun and Adur District Councils to ensure local government are aware of the significance of horticulture in their area of jurisdiction and the challenges faced. We are fortunate to have some long-standing relationships with many councillors who appreciate the contribution growers make in producing local food and bringing employment and growth to the area.
HOW IT WORKS
Seeing Is Believing
We believe that “seeing is believing” and encourage councillors and cabinet members to visit growers to see first-hand how our team of growers operate; the passion that growers feel for what they do and the amazing innovations being used in our sector.
From sweetcorn to strawberries, tomatoes to trees, coriander to cordalynes, our product range is endless.
Councillor Paul Marshall, Leader of West Sussex County Council and a number of his team visiting Architectural Plants, Brinsbury College and Fargro
Standing Together
Our local government colleagues regularly support us including at NFU Farm Unity Day on 25th January, 2025 where local farmers and growers were supported by Jess Brown-Fuller MP, Cllr Paul Marshall and some of his WSCC team and Cllr Adrian Moss and some of the CDC team.
Recent Visits
On 1st August 2025, we were delighted to welcome Lee Parker, Interim Director of Place Services at WSCC and Councillor Garry Wall to innovative strawberry grower David Moore at Wicks Farm as part of a continuing conversation about the challenges in our local horticulture sector, particularly energy, labour and planning, and ways in which local government can help.
Lee and Garry are part of the team who will inform the new mayor and as such are keen to continue the dialogue and move things forward.
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
Digital Technology: Growing Sussex
Since 2023, we have been working closely with the Digital Infrastructure team at WSCC. The team were successful in a bid for Department of Science, Innovation and Technology funding to become one of only 10 5G Innovation Regions throughout the UK.
WSCC want to co-develop use cases for foundational technologies (5G, AI and IoT) that will test how digital technology and applications using devices such as sensors, monitors, drones and cameras can develop future farming and growing practices that increase sustainable food, drink and plant productivity. Two West Sussex growers: The Greenhouse Sussex who grow tomatoes and Wicks Farm who grow berries, are very much involved in this project.
For more details, please visit Our Projects
