March 20th, 2025.



Cabinet councillors at Lewes District Council have today agreed an interim plan on Local Government Reorganisation for submission to government, despite ‘reservations’ about the process.

The plan is required after the government announced last month that the East Sussex area would be part of a Devolution Priority Programme.

The document outlines an initial proposal to create one new unitary authority based on existing county boundaries, following the abolition of the six existing councils in East Sussex.

The interim plan, which was jointly compiled by Lewes District, Eastbourne Borough, Hastings Borough, Rother District, Wealden District and East Sussex County councils, states that funding for the organisation must come from government, as it cannot be met from existing councils’ budgets.

Councillor Zoe Nicholson, Leader of Lewes District Council, said: “We have reservations about this devolution process, however these will not get in the way of our primary objective to deliver a reorganisation that benefits all our residents. We will work to establish a future framework of service delivery that works for everyone in our district.

“Public services face a deeply uncertain future, due in the largest part to historic under-funding, and that deficit must be bridged within these longer-term arrangements.”

A consultation on the interim plan will be held for residents across East Sussex over the coming months.

The six councils must submit final, detailed proposals in September.

If approved, a new shadow council would be elected in May 2027 and the unitary authority would take over in April 2028, when existing councils in East Sussex would cease to exist.