Residents are being invited to take part in a consultation on the biggest shake-up of local government in Crowborough and across East Sussex since the 19th Century.
The consultation on how council services will be delivered in our county has now begun and residents are being urged to have their say.
One council
The Government wants to reorganise local government so that everyone in East Sussex gets their services from just one council. This could mean the county council and district and borough councils, including Wealden District Council, would be replaced by a single authority.
With a new council expected to be elected in 2027 and start work in 2028, East Sussex County Council (ESCC) and district and borough councils are working on plans and are asking residents for their views.
United front?
The five districts/boroughs and the county council are presenting a united front, but a letter to the Govt from Wealden District Council suggests the smaller councils have been given little choice but to support their own abolition given the time constraints and government criteria limits.
Many expected the new single councils would be smaller than ESCC but bigger than the districts. But now the interim plan is to replace all the councils with one that covers the whole of East Sussex – meaning the end of Wealden, Lewes and Rother District Councils and Hastings and Eastbourne Borough Councils.
ESCC insists all councils would be abolished, including itself, although it’s difficult to see how this new council would be anything other than a reincarnation of ESCC with more powers. The cabinet of ESCC has backed this interim plan which it says has been drawn up with partners from borough and district councils.
Streamlined local government
It says a new local authority on the current boundaries of East Sussex appears a clear option for reorganising local government and could meet the government’s ambitions for streamlined local government.
Cllr Keith Glazier, leader of East Sussex County Council said: “In response to Government plans we have worked with our colleagues in the districts and boroughs to draw up an initial plan for a single local authority for East Sussex that could provide best quality and value for all its 550,000 residents.
September
“Final, detailed proposals will be submitted to Government in September and we now need to hear the views of residents, businesses and other partners to ensure the plan we develop will deliver the greatest benefits to our communities.”
The consultation will be available to complete online at www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/EastSussexLGR/ from Monday, May 12 to Monday, June 23.
In the interim plan, ESCC says it, and the five district and borough councils, have set out what they believe any new local authority would have to achieve including:
- Improving outcomes for residents and communities
- Making best use of resources now and for the future
- Enhancing local democracy, local identity, transparency, accessibility, local decision making and accountability
- Supporting and driving decision making and public service reform at both Sussex and local level
- Providing a stronger and unified voice to help attract investment and tackle priorities
But the apparent united front might not be as strong as ESCC is claiming. In a letter to the Govt, Wealden council leader Cllr Rachel Millward said while all six council leaders had worked collaboratively to deliver an Interim Plan as requested, the Govt’s criteria and time-frame meant there was only one option – a single unitary authority for East Sussex.
Cllr Millward said: “Given this limit and the very short time we have had to give other options appropriate consideration, we have agreed to the proposals set out in the plan.”
Not a done deal
She made it very clear that the interim plan is not a done deal. “It is important, though, that we leave the door open for the potential to adjust our plans as the work gets underway to develop the proposals and, especially, in the light of responses to public consultation. The landscape and demography of East Sussex is wide and varied, and the challenges we face in our district are distinct from the challenges faced by other districts and boroughs in the county.”