A single council for the whole of East Sussex will be too big and will not serve local communities effectively according to Wealden District Council (WDC).
The council’s Cabinet has decided it cannot support the “One East Sussex” proposal for a single council covering the entire county, warning it would be too remote. It is also concerned the proposal starts with a £50 million financial shortfall.
The Government is looking to reorganise councils in East Sussex and asked local authorities for their views and for suggested proposals. It wants to abolish the so-called two-tier system of county councils, and district and borough councils – replacing them with a single council, known as a unitary authority, to provide all services.
The issue in East Sussex is not whether the council system should be simplified with just one council, but how large that unitary authority should be.
East Sussex County Council is submitting plans for one single council covering the whole of the county – with the five local districts and boroughs abolished. Its consultation said people supported the idea of one council but it also admitted that almost all, 97 per cent of people, had raised concerns about local representation.
It says the one council approach would fit Govt guidelines in that councils should serve approximately 500,000 people – roughly the same as the population of East Sussex. The “One East Sussex” plan has been backed by other district and borough councils.
But WDC has now decided that the “One East Sussex” model would simply be too large. It is also concerned that rural communities such as Wealden would suffer with priority given to the larger coastal towns and areas. Instead it wants a number of slightly smaller single councils.
Councillor James Partridge, Leader of Wealden District Council, said: “A single East Sussex unitary council covering approximately 550,000 residents would be far too large and unwieldy. It would lose touch with local communities and be unable to provide the responsive, high-quality services our residents deserve, and – as our consultation clearly showed – want us to prioritise.
“In particular, we run the risk of rural communities being under-served, and under-represented. We know that residents appreciate close connection with local councillors who understand their area.”
The council’s Cabinet strongly believes that five unitary councils of 300-400,000 residents each would better serve Sussex residents because they would:
- Stay closer to local communities while achieving necessary efficiencies
- Better understand and respond to local needs
- Provide stronger democratic representation
- Maintain civic pride and local identity
- Be large enough to deliver quality services cost-effectively
Councillor Rachel Millward, the council’s deputy leader, said, “We believe smaller councils work better for residents. A council serving 300,000 residents would be big enough to be efficient but small enough to stay connected to the communities they serve.”
Councillor Partridge added: “Whatever the outcome, we will continue delivering for Wealden communities as long as we can – investing in community infrastructure, nature restoration and affordable housing. We will continue to lobby government for deeper investment into our public services and do all we can to ensure any future authority is designed with our residents’ needs in mind.”