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Local Government Reorganisation: Proposal for a single tier of local government across East Sussex

Committee report · Cabinet · Wed 24 Sep 2025 · East Sussex County Council

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What it recommends

In the report's own words. A recommendation is a proposal: the meeting can agree, change or reject it.

What the meeting decided

The minutes record: Agreed. “RESOLVED to: 1) Approve the submission of the business case setting out the proposal for a single unitary council for East Sussex, based on a Continuing Authority model, (Appendix 1 of the report) to Government by 26 September 2025; 2) Agree to request Government to cancel or postpone the county council elections scheduled to be held in May 2026; 3) Delegate to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, authority to finalise and submit the business case setting out the proposal and a…” minutes ↗

In plain English

Each sentence was checked against the passage it cites; how the checking works.

Recommended · This went to the meeting on Wed 24 Sep 2025. What was decided is in that meeting's minutes.

A report to Cabinet's 24 September 2025 meeting sought approval to submit a full proposal for a single tier of local government in East Sussex to Government by 26 September 2025. p1p3

Cabinet was recommended to consider a business case for a single unitary council for East Sussex, based on a Continuing Authority model, and to approve its submission to Government. p5

The report also recommended asking Government to cancel or postpone the county council elections scheduled for May 2026, and delegating authority to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, to finalise and submit the business case and a related letter. p6

The proposal, called 'One East Sussex', would create a single unitary council on the current footprint of East Sussex County Council, with Brighton and Hove City Council remaining unchanged. p17

If accepted by Government, elections to the new unitary authority would be held in May 2027, ahead of the transition taking effect on 1 April 2028. p7

Show the 6 passages this is based on
  • p1Report to: Cabinet Date of meeting: 24 September 2025
  • p3Purpose: To seek Cabinet approval of the full proposal for a single tier of local government in East Sussex following discussion at Full Council, prior to submission to Government by 26 September 2025
  • p51) Consider the business case setting out the proposal for a single unitary council for East Sussex, based on a Continuing Authority model, (Appendix 1) and approve its submission to Government by 26 September 2025.
  • p62) Agree to request Government to cancel or postpone the county council elections scheduled to be held in May 2026. 3 ) Delegate to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, authority to finalise and submit the business case setting out the proposal and a covering letter formally requesting the cancellation or postponement of the county elections and for the County Council to have Continuing Authority status; and
  • p74) Note the next steps in the process. 1. Background 1.1 In December 2024 the Government published its English Devolution White Paper which, alongside setting out Government’s ambitions in relation to devolution, announced a programme of local government reorganisation (LGR) for two-tier council areas and some existing unitary councils. Following the publication of the White Paper, Sussex and Brighton (covering the areas of East Sussex, West Sussex, and Brighton & Hove), alongside five other areas nationally, were approved to be part of the Devolution Priority Programme (DPP). The DPP programme enabled these areas to fast-track their plans for the creation of new Mayoral Strategic Authorities and for LGR. 1.2 On 5 February 2025 the Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution wrote to all District, Borough and County Councils in two-tier areas and some unitary councils issuing a statutory invitation for proposals for a single tier of government within their respective areas. The area that our invitation related to was the County of East Sussex (which includes Brighton and Hove City Council). The Interim Plan submitted to Government in March 2025 set out the East Sussex proposal for a single unitary council on the existing County Council boundary , whilst remaining open to other options should the Government indicate flexibility in the criteria, or if residents demonstrated a clear desire for us to consider an alternative configuration. 1.3 Those areas included in the DPP were required to work collaboratively to submit to Government, by 26 September 2025, proposals for the creation of unitary councils in their area. If accepted, elections to what will become the new unitary authority would be held in May 2027 to enable the transition to vesting day on 1 April 2028. Alongside the LGR work, the new Mayoral Combined County Authority will be created in February 2026 with elections for a Mayor taking place in May 2026.
  • p171.5 ‘One East Sussex’, the business case setting out the proposal for a single tier of Local Government for East Sussex as a unitary council on the current footprint of the county council (Appendix 1), with Brighton and Hove City Council remaining unchanged, is underpinned by a clear evidence base. It is the only option for LGR in East Sussex that:

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