County council elections due to take place in May in East and West Sussex have officially been postponed, following approval from central government.
East Sussex County Council and West Sussex County Council are among 29 councils across England that have been granted permission to delay their scheduled elections. The move is intended to allow local authorities to focus on the reorganisation of local government structures in their areas.
The decision has been confirmed by the Local Government Secretary, Steve Reed, who said he had “carefully considered the arguments” put forward by councils requesting a postponement. He said the changes underway were significant and that allowing councils time to concentrate on restructuring would help ensure more effective local government in the long term.
Local government reorganisation can involve major changes, including the reshaping of council boundaries, governance arrangements and the way services are delivered. Supporters of the delay say that holding elections during such a period of transition could create confusion for voters and place additional strain on council resources.
However, the postponement means voters in East and West Sussex will not head to the polls as originally planned this spring, extending the terms of existing councillors. Some critics have raised concerns about democratic accountability, questioning whether delaying elections risks weakening local representation.
Both East Sussex County Council and West Sussex County Council say they remain committed to transparency and to keeping residents informed as reorganisation plans progress. They have also stressed that essential services will continue to be delivered as normal during the transition period.
The government says the postponements are temporary and that elections will be rescheduled once reorganisation work has reached a more stable stage. Further details on revised election dates are expected to be confirmed at a later time.
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