Reorganisation and devolution, East Sussex Public Consultation - June 2025

Reform of local government means two changes are planned which would affect people in East Sussex.

1. Reorganisation
   Everyone would be served by just one council, providing all day-to-day services in East Sussex. This would replace the present two-tier system where some services are provided by the county council and some by a district (or borough) council.
2. Devolution
   A strategic authority for the whole of Sussex, including an elected mayor, would have funding and powers to plan and decide long-term issues which affect the whole area.

Have Your Say:

www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/EastSussexLGR/

By Monday 23rd June 2025

Reorganisation of local government

The national government wants local government to reorganise. Its aim is for people to be served by just one local council (known as ‘unitary government’).

In East Sussex, this could mean moving away from the two-tier model of county council (East Sussex County Council) and borough or district councils (Eastbourne, Hastings, Lewes, Rother and Wealden).

All partners in East Sussex are discussing how this might be arranged. They have agreed to develop a detailed proposal for a single council on the current boundaries of East Sussex in response to the government’s plans. This was agreed by the county council’s cabinet in March 2025.

A single unitary council in East Sussex, which has a population of 550,000, best fits the government’s guiding principles for new unitary authorities, which include that new councils should have a population of more than 500,000.

However, the six existing councils in East Sussex have also agreed that other proposals for unitary government may emerge if the government changes its guidance and after the views of residents, businesses and partners have been heard.

Devolution

The government has agreed a proposal from East Sussex County Council and its neighbours for devolution across Sussex.

Devolution means drawing down more powers and funding to people in Sussex: allowing more decisions to be made locally rather than at a national level.

A new mayor for the whole of Sussex would be elected in May 2026.

The mayor and representatives each from East Sussex County Council, West Sussex County Council and Brighton & Hove City Council would form a mayoral combined county authority for Sussex.

The new combined authority would have powers for strategic issues including transport, housing, skills and employment, economy, environment and climate change, health and public safety.

The combined authority would work with local councils in East Sussex, West Sussex and Brighton & Hove, which would continue to operate most day-to-day services.

For more information, please visit Reorganisation and devolution, East Sussex | East Sussex County Council