Lewes MP Hits Out At ‘Land Grab’ Plans From Brighton And Hove

Villagers in the Lewes District say they’re worried about proposals that could see parts of their community absorbed into a new, larger Brighton and Hove City Council.

Brighton and Hove City Council has launched a consultation on expanding its boundary to the east, with all options including East Saltdean and Peacehaven – and some also taking in Kingston and Newhaven. Lewes District Council is running its own consultation too, with an extra option of keeping things as they are.

Lewes MP James MacCleary, who has been visiting affected areas over the summer, said he’s had “an avalanche” of concerns from residents who feel the plan has been “dumped on them from a height.”

He added:

“In Newhaven and Kingston, we don’t see ourselves as part of Brighton. People feel this is a high-handed move – more of a land grab than a genuine consultation.”

Public meetings in Peacehaven and Saltdean have already turned heated, with critics saying the plan would split East Sussex communities and ignore existing county boundaries.

The consultations close on Monday 25 August.

• Take part in the Brighton and Hove City Council consultation here.

• Take part in the Lewes District Council consultation here.