Brighton & Hove News reports this week that as the government edges closer to announcing a devolution deal for Sussex and Brighton, new updates from Brighton & Hove City Council reveal both ambition and anxiety about how this major shift in governance will be funded, managed and understood.
🔗 Read the full article: Devolution on a Sixpence
🔗 Read: Update due on new mayor and councils shake-up
💰 Sussex taxpayers to foot the bill?
According to council papers reviewed ahead of the 5 June Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee, transition costs for the new mayoral combined authority and potential local government reorganisation will largely fall to local councils. Government capacity funding currently stands at £7.6 million across 21 councils - about £362,000 per council, a far cry from the £16m+ per authority estimated in previous modelling (and even the overall £30m initially requested).
The government expects councils to cover any shortfall using existing reserves or asset sales, raising concerns about financial pressure on local services already stretched by social care, housing and homelessness costs.
🗓️ Timeline and proposals
Key milestones now include:
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July 2025: Government decision expected on devolution for Sussex and Brighton
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Summer 2025: Introduction of English devolution legislation in Parliament
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Autumn 2025: 8 weeks of debate; regulations to follow
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Early 2026: Combined County Authority formally established
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May 2026: First mayoral election for Sussex & Brighton
The devolution deal would hand over powers for housing, planning, transport, employment support, skills, net zero, economic development, public safety, and health/wellbeing integration, supported by a 30-year investment fund.
🏛️ Local government reorganisation (LGR)
Brighton and Hove remains the only unitary authority in Sussex but is considering boundary expansions (e.g. Saltdean, Peacehaven, Southwick) and could become one of five new unitary councils, each serving 300,000–400,000 people. The city council states it is “open to reorganisation where the evidence supports greater efficiency and resilience.”
Councils must submit final reorganisation proposals by 26 September 2025.
⚖️ Politics and controversy
While five known mayoral hopefuls — including Katy Bourne, Sally-Ann Hart, Tim Loughton, Paul Marshall (Conservative), and Daniel Yates (Labour) - begin shaping their campaigns, public concern is bubbling up. Letters to the press and comments on the Brighton & Hove News site reflect worries about:
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Lack of direct public consent or referendum
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Sussex-wide planning decisions overriding local needs
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Differing priorities between urban and rural areas
The consultation received input on the proposed governance model, environmental impacts, geography, and accountability - but details on how feedback will shape the final deal remain thin.
📍 Final word
The next six months will be critical in defining what this once-in-a-generation shake-up actually delivers. As Brighton & Hove City Council continues to weigh cautious support, the region awaits a clearer picture on funding, powers, structure — and who benefits most.
📎 Credit: Brighton & Hove News, reporting by Sarah Booker-Lewis and Joel Adams.
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