East Sussex Residents Share 14,000 Views On Future Of Local Government

More than 14,000 people across East Sussex have shared their views on proposals to reorganise the county’s local government.

The feedback, gathered through surveys and discussion groups, is now being considered by all six councils in East Sussex as they prepare to submit their final proposal to ministers by 26 September.

The government has called for the replacement of the current two-tier system — with both county and district/borough councils — with single unitary councils serving larger populations.

Key themes from the consultation included:

• Strong support for keeping any reorganisation within the footprint of East Sussex’s five district and borough councils. Almost nine in ten people rejected proposals to expand Brighton & Hove’s boundaries.

• A focus on high-quality services, which six in ten residents named as their top priority for any new council.

• Cost savings were seen as the main advantage of a single unitary model, with nearly three-quarters of people saying this was the only option that should be put forward to government.

• Concerns about the loss of local representation, with 97 per cent of respondents identifying this as a risk if a single authority is created.

In Hastings, a separate survey of 810 residents showed mixed views: 286 backed a single East Sussex council, 169 supported a smaller coastal unitary, and 301 favoured handing county council responsibilities to the existing districts and boroughs.

Council leaders will meet later this month to decide whether to back the draft “One East Sussex” business case, which recommends creating a single unitary authority for the county.

The business case also considers alternative models but concludes they would deliver fewer benefits.

The government is expected to consult the public on final proposals from November, with a decision due in March 2026.