Listen to audio version below: Sponsored by Sussex Audiology Centre
PLANS which would have seen Eastbourne Borough Council replaced by a new East Sussex authority have been put on hold by the Government.
The major development comes less than two months after ministers announced that a modified version of the One East Sussex proposal would go ahead, subject to Parliamentary approval.
Under those plans, Eastbourne Borough Council, East Sussex County Council and the county’s other district and borough councils were due to be replaced by a single unitary authority from April 2028.
However, the Government has now launched a review of its Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) programme following updated legal advice.
Communities Secretary Angela Rayner announced the review in Parliament, saying ministers wanted to ensure the process was robust, complied with the law and reflected the priorities of the new administration and Prime Minister.
East Sussex is among 14 areas where decisions announced in July are now being reviewed and implementation has been paused.
Councils affected by the July decisions have been told to stop work on implementing them until the review has concluded.
It means the previously announced timetable for replacing Eastbourne Borough Council and creating a new East Sussex unitary authority can no longer be regarded as settled.
The Government has also confirmed that local elections scheduled for May 2027 will now go ahead using existing council boundaries.
In July, the Government announced that, subject to Parliamentary approval, most of East Sussex would become a single unitary authority.
The plans would have seen Eastbourne and Hastings borough councils, Wealden, Rother and Lewes district councils and East Sussex County Council replaced by the new authority.
East Saltdean, Peacehaven and Telscombe were instead due to become part of an expanded Brighton & Hove City Council, while Falmer would remain in East Sussex.
Those arrangements are now included in the Government’s review.
The Government says it remains committed to effective and sustainable local government and simplifying council structures, meaning Local Government Reorganisation has not necessarily been abandoned.
The decision was welcomed by East Sussex County Council leader Andy Woolley (Reform), who said he hoped the review may see the government rethink its plans to redraw boundaries.
Cllr Woolley said: “While we’ve been working closely with our partners to build a sound and effective unitary council, we’ll use this pause to ask for more evidence for the reasoning behind the government’s decision in July to separate a part of East Sussex for transfer to Brighton and Hove.
“This review will offer the chance to present the detailed evidence behind that decision. We hope the Secretary of State will permanently think again.
“We are continuing to hold government to account to ensure that decisions on LGR are evidence based and in the best interests of local people and will be seeking to understand how local areas will be involved in the review and the new timelines that we are expected to work towards.”
For now, Eastbourne Borough Council will continue operating as normal while the Government considers its next steps.
Eastbourne News has approached Eastbourne Borough Council for its reaction to the announcement.
