Where are we at?

A summary.

We're back from a short Summer break. And we hope you had some time off.

We thought it useful to have a quick recap of where we at so far, especially with so many new subscribers (welcome!)

It's a slightly longer email than usual, but a lot has been going on. Thank you for reading. As usual, please do send any questions to us by replying directly to this email.

Remind me about devolution in Sussex and Brighton

The government wants more decisions to be made locally, not in Westminster. Sussex (including Brighton & Hove) is one of six English regions chosen in early 2025 to set up a new Mayoral Combined County Authority (MCCA) with a directly elected mayor by 2026.

Leaders from East Sussex, West Sussex and Brighton & Hove believe this will unlock funding and allow joined-up decisions on things like transport, housing and skills. It also gives Sussex a stronger national voice.

What’s the timeline?

• Dec 2024: National Devolution White Paper published

• Feb 2025: Sussex confirmed as a priority region for devolution

• Spring 2025: Statutory public consultation held

• Summer 2025: Government gives go-ahead to create the combined authority

• Autumn 2025: Final agreement reviewed and approved by councils

• March 2026: Sussex MCCA officially created

• 7 May 2026: First Mayor of Sussex and Brighton elected

How it works

Devolution adds a regional layer to decision-making. Local councils (like Brighton & Hove City Council or West Sussex County Council) continue running day-to-day services. The Mayor and MCCA will take on strategic powers from central government.

Key areas of responsibility are likely to include:

• Transport (e.g. buses, major roads, regional coordination)

• Housing and planning (e.g. affordable homes, regeneration)

• Adult skills and education (e.g. local training programmes)

• Public health (e.g. air quality, pandemic preparedness, homelessness)

• Economic development and investment

• Policing and crime reduction (TBC)
• Fire and rescue services (TBC)
  
  

  Key pan-Sussex delivery areas such as climate and environment (e.g. net zero, nature recovery, flood resilience), tourism and digital infrastructure are not necessarily mandated responsibilities, but will almost certainly be a key part of the role.

How a mayor will be selected:

As a political role, the mayor will be directly elected by people of voting age in Sussex an Brighton. It is expected that every major party will field a candidate, alongside some people standing as independents.

So far, only the Conservative party have formally chosen and named their candidate.

Once the mayor is elected, they will be able to appoint deputy mayors and specialist commissioners (these will not need to be elected).

The mayor's cabinet will consist of the leaders and deputy leaders of, eventually, the new Sussex unitary councils (see below). Key decisions on policy, strategy and budgets are likely to need a majority vote at cabinet - so whilst the mayor holds a lot of power, some form of coalition politics is likely, especially given Sussex's political landscape.

What is Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)?

People are getting very confused when local media uses the term 'devolution' when it means the changing boundaries and constitution of local councils.

They are separate but related (because the new councils will be part of a mayor's decision-making and delivery mechanisms).

It is particularly confusing because Sussex is doing both LGR and devolution at the same time.

Most of Sussex currently has a two-tier system: county and district councils. The government wants to move to single-tier "unitary" councils for simpler, more efficient services. This is a significant change for how local services are managed for most people in Sussex.

Likely outcomes being explored:

• East Sussex: One county-wide unitary council (~550k people)

• West Sussex: Options include one large or two smaller unitaries

• Brighton & Hove: Already a unitary, may stay as-is or expand

New councils will be in place by April 2028. Until then, current councils stay in place.

Why?

Unitary councils can be more efficient and provide a “one-stop-shop” for residents. For example, currently if you live in Worthing, you have West Sussex County Council handling education and (some) roads, and Worthing Borough Council handling housing, refuse and (some) roads; in a unitary model, one council would handle everything in that area, which could be simpler for residents and businesses.

East Sussex

The leaders of the five districts/boroughs and East Sussex County Council have jointly agreed that one likely option is to create a single unitary council for East Sussex (excluding Brighton & Hove) on the current county boundaries.

This new East Sussex unitary would cover roughly 550,000 people (combining areas like Eastbourne, Lewes, Wealden, Rother, and Hastings with the county).

That population size meets the government’s guideline of being above 500k, and it would replace the six existing councils with one. Essentially, East Sussex County Council and the five district/borough councils would merge into one new authority providing all services for East Sussex. This idea was endorsed by East Sussex County’s Cabinet in March 2025 as a strong option.

However, they have also kept the door open that other options could be considered if circumstances change or if public feedback suggests a different approach. For instance, if government policy allowed smaller unitaries, they might consider two unitaries in East Sussex – but as of now, one-county-one-unitary is the front-runner for East Sussex.

West Sussex 

In West Sussex, the picture is a bit more complex. West Sussex County Council and the seven district/borough councils (Adur, Arun, Chichester, Crawley, Horsham, Mid Sussex, Worthing) jointly submitted an interim plan in March 2025 outlining various possible structures for new unitaries. 

They have not finalised one single option yet, as they are doing analysis and also awaiting government guidance on things like ideal population size and whether any cross-boundary issues should be considered. 

Here are the options on the table:

• A single unitary for all of West Sussex, merging the county and all seven districts into one mega-council serving about 882,000 people. This would maximize simplicity (one council for everything in West Sussex) but it would be a very large authority (2nd largest in Europe) – which might be less locally responsive for far-flung communities.

• Two unitaries, splitting the county into two regions. There are two current options for this:

Option 2a: the current Worthing, Chichester and Arun districts combine to form a simgle council covering most of the coast and Western border (but separates from Adur).

Adur, Horsham, Mid Sussex and Crawley form a council forming an economic-focused corridor between south London and the coast with Gatwick at the top and Shoreham Port at the bottom.

Option 2b: Adur and Worthing continue to be 'together', alongside Arun and Chichester, forming an unbroken coastal Unitary. Meaning that the whole of the Sussex coast would be served by three councils rather the current nine.

As of mid-2025, West Sussex councils are researching these options and asking residents for input. A public survey called “Shaping West Sussex” ran until 13th August 2025 to gather views on how people feel about their councils and communities, which will inform the eventual proposal. 

One tricky aspect is Crawley – which , because of Gatwick Airport, has close economic ties with neighbouring Surrey. Crawley’s leaders have questioned whether the reorganisation should consider cross-county alignment (since many Crawley residents work or use services in Surrey). However, incorporating parts of Surrey is beyond the scope of Sussex’s current plans, so it remains to be seen how they’ll address Crawley’s situation. It’s likely Crawley will stay in a Sussex unitary, but with special attention to partnership with Surrey on issues like transport.

Brighton & Hove

The city of Brighton & Hove is already a unitary authority (since 1997 it has been separate from East Sussex County). In the new structure, Brighton & Hove City Council is expected to continue as its own unitary council, but there’s a question about its size.

With around 290,000 residents, Brighton & Hove falls short of the 500k guideline that the government prefers for new unitaries. This has led to discussion of whether Brighton’s boundaries might be expanded to take in some adjacent areas to boost its population.

Brighton & Hove City Council has launched a consultation on four potential expansion options. Each of these would increase the city's population above 300,000 and involve bringing in neighbouring communities to the east:

• Option A: Adds East Saltdean, Telscombe Cliffs and Peacehaven

• Option B: Includes the above plus Kingston and nearby villages

• Option C: Adds Newhaven to the areas listed in Option A

• Option D: Combines all of the above – East Saltdean, Telscombe Cliffs, Peacehaven, Kingston, and Newhaven

According to Brighton’s Labour leader Bella Sankey, the expansion would bring better public services, lower council tax for some, and improved access to infrastructure such as swimming facilities, children's services and public transport. She also argues that many people in these areas already rely on Brighton for work, education and healthcare.

Lewes District Council and East Sussex County Council have launched their own public consultation, fiercely objecting to Brighton’s proposals. Their view is that residents in the affected areas - like Peacehaven, Telscombe and Newhaven - have not been consulted properly and should decide their own future.

Instead of being absorbed by Brighton, the East Sussex authorities are proposing a single East Sussex unitary authority covering the current county council footprint of more than 500,000 people.

An online petition against Brighton’s boundary changes has gathered over 3,500 signatures. Critics say Brighton’s plans risk undermining local democracy, and that decision-making would become more remote for rural and coastal towns.

Phew!

Well done for getting this far. 

Usual length bulletins resume next week.

Links to all council resources and much more can be found on the Sussex And The City website.

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