Brighton and Hove expansion plans debated

Proposals to expand Brighton and Hove eastwards are due to go before councillors as part of a debate on the proposed shake up of councils across Sussex.

Members of Brighton and Hove’s City Council’s Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee are expected to discuss the options on Thursday (31 July).

They are being asked to consider four options as Brighton and Hove City Council prepares for the reorganisation of local government after Sussex has its first elected mayor.

The smallest proposed change would make East Saltdean, Telscombe Cliffs and Peacehaven part of Brighton and Hove. The biggest would also include Kingston and Newhaven.

The Green leader of Lewes District Council, Zoe Nicholson, was unimpressed. She told the BBC that she planned to “stand up against this empire-building activity”.

Lewes District Council has started a petition on the Change.org websitewith almost 4,000 signatures at the time of writing. The petition is headed: “Stop Brighton and Hove City Council takeover of Lewes District.”

The government wants Sussex, with a population of about 1.7 million people, to be made up of three or possibly four councils, each serving a population of about 500,000.

Brighton and Hove City Council, with a population of about 278,000, has proposed five new councils but even this would mean that Brighton and Hove would have to extend its territory.

A report to the council’s Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee said that the Minister for Local Government and Devolution, Jim McMahon, was not taking a rigid approach.

The report said: “Government guidance encourages councils to work within existing local authority boundaries, using whole areas wherever possible.

“However, it also recognises that in some cases, the most coherent or viable proposal may involve combining parts of neighbouring authorities.

“Where this arises, proposals must be clearly justified and aligned to functional geographies and service integration.

“In this context, councils may consult using whole wards as building blocks for potential new geographies.

“This ensures clarity and consistency while enabling proposals to reflect real-world patterns of service use and community life.”

The four options are already the subject of a council-run consultation, after almost 600 people responded to a previous exercise earlier this year. An eastward expansion received the highest number of positive responses first time round.

People did not want Brighton and Hove to lose its identity but said that if it had to expand, a modest merger to the east would be the best move.

The report to councillors said: “The eastern corridor was identified as the most viable focus for consultation.

“This reflects strong patterns of service usage, shared public infrastructure, education and health networks and cross-boundary travel along the A259.”

Brighton and Hove City Council appears to favour the option that would bring in East Saltdean, Telscombe Cliffs, Peacehaven, Kingston and Newhaven to create an area with a population of about 316,000.

The consultation document said: “This is the most balanced option in terms of population. It would create a council that is large enough to deliver services efficiently while remaining locally accountable.

“Each area would continue to elect its own councillors, giving communities a clear voice and helping to shape services that work for everyone.
“Many people in these areas already travel into the city for work, health care, schools, shopping and leisure.

“Brighton and Hove already manages land and services near by including Stanmer Park and parts of the downland estate.

“Creating one council for this wider area would allow decisions about shared services to be made in a more joined-up and effective way.”

The consultation is open until Monday 25 August on the council’s website, with the results expected to be presented to the council’s cabinet on Thursday 25 September.

The council’s final proposal is due to be submitted to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government by Friday 26 September.

The council’s Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee is due to meet at 4pm on Thursday (31 July) at Hove Town Hall. The meeting is scheduled to be webcast.