Local Government Reorganisation Explained
The Government’s plans to reorganise local government across Sussex are part of a larger initiative to devolve powers away from Westminster. The goal is to strengthen regional governance by creating more streamlined, cost-effective, and responsive councils that offer better coordination and integration of services, reduce duplication, and provide greater local accountability.
The key elements of the plans include:
New Mayoral Combined County Authority
A new Mayoral Combined County Authority (MCCA) will be created across the whole of Sussex. This strategic authority, led by an elected Mayor of Sussex, will oversee on a county-wide basis, key issues such as transport, public safety, health, the environment, housing, economic growth, and skills development. Mayoral elections have been tentatively scheduled for May 2026.
Transition to Unitary Councils
The Government also proposes to scrap the current two-tier structure of local government. Under the plans, county councils, which handle more overarching services, and district/borough councils, which address more localised concerns, will be replaced with a unitary council responsible for the delivery of all local services.
This will result in the abolition of all existing councils across Sussex, including East Sussex CC and Hastings BC, with new unitary authorities set up by May 2028.
It is still unclear at this stage how many new councils will be created and what the precise boundaries of each will be. There is currently a working assumption that there will be three new unitary councils, each with a minimum population of 500,000, and with similar footprints to those of the current East Sussex CC, West Sussex CC and Brighton and Hove City Council.
Each of the new unitary authorities will be represented on the MCCA, though exactly how is still to be determined. This will be dependent on the number and size of the unitary councils created.
Postponed Local Elections
To facilitate these structural changes, the Government has postponed the county council elections scheduled for May 2025 by one year. The delay is to ensure there is sufficient time for the reorganisation process, including the establishment of the MCCA and the transition to unitary councils.
Public Consultation
A public consultation on the proposal for devolution in Sussex is open until 13 April: Sussex and Brighton devolution consultation (gov.uk/government/consultations/sussex-and-brighton-devolution/sussex-and-brighton-devolution-consultation)
Councils across Sussex are required to submit interim reorganisation proposals to the Government by 21 March 2025, and to deliver final submissions to ministers by September.
The Government is expected to announce its decision on the future framework of local government in Sussex in the Autumn.
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