 Plans for an elected mayor for Sussex who would work with councils in East Sussex (and with our neighbours in West Sussex and in Brighton and Hove) moved a step forward today.
Our cabinet agreed to ask the Government to make Sussex a priority in its plans for devolution in England. The cabinets of West Sussex and Brighton & Hove councils also agreed the proposal.
The Government wants to give local communities more power over decisions which affect them, including spending on projects and services. With this in mind, East Sussex County Council is supporting the proposal for a mayoral combined authority in Sussex.
If the Government accepts the initial proposal, it will consult people in East Sussex for their views before the end of March. The election of a mayor for Sussex could take place in May 2026.
In future, the Government also wants everyone, including people in East Sussex, to be served by just one local council (a system known as ‘unitary government’). This would replace the present two-tier system made up of East Sussex County Council and five boroughs or districts (Eastbourne, Lewes, Hastings, Rother and Wealden).
All partners in the county are continuing to discuss how this might be arranged. Any new council in East Sussex would work closely with the Sussex mayoral combined authority.
It’s important to stress that there are no immediate changes to how your local councils operate or the services they provide.
You can read more about the proposals in our joint news release with our neighbours.
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