The English Devolution White Paper
On Monday 16 December 2024, the UK Government shared the English Devolution White Paper.
This paper outlines plans for two changes to how local councils work:
- Devolution
- Local Government Reorganisation
The two processes are explained below.
What is devolution?
Devolution means giving some powers and money from the national government to regional councils. This lets areas make decisions that are closer to the people, communities, and businesses they affect.
More than half of people in England already live in areas with devolution and the government plans to bring devolution to all parts of the country.
Most areas will have a directly elected mayor. The mayor will help to lead their region and make important decisions about strategic issues like transport, skills and employment, economy, health and public safety.
More information about devolution is available in the Plain English guide to devolved powers on the gov.uk website.
What does devolution mean for Sussex?
In July 2025, the government confirmed plans for a Sussex and Brighton Combined County Authority (SBCCA). This new council will cover East Sussex, West Sussex, and Brighton.
Elections for Sussex and Brighton’s first mayor were due to take place in May 2026. In late 2025, it was announced that the elections would be delayed. They will now take place in May 2028.
What is local government reorganisation?
Local government reorganisation will see the current two levels of councils replaced with one bigger authority for each area. This means that instead of having county, borough and district councils, each area would have a single council to cover services like waste collection, education, homelessness prevention, adult social care and highways. This is called a unitary council.
What does local government reorganisation mean for Rother?
For residents in Rother, this change would mean there are three levels of local government:
- A strategic council, led by a mayor
- A unitary council (to replace East Sussex County Council and Rother District Council)
- Town or parish councils
At the moment, nothing is changing for residents. We’ll continue to provide all the services you receive from us. After local government reorganisation, you’ll receive all the services you do now, but from a new unitary council. The new council will come into effect from 1 April 2028.
UPDATE 26 SEPTEMBER 2025
At their meeting on 24 September 2025, Rother’s Cabinet agreed to submit a business case for One East Sussex – a single unitary authority covering the existing East Sussex county boundary, with Brighton and Hove remaining as a separate unitary authority. The business case was submitted to the government on 26 September 2025 and is available to view on the following links:
What happens next?
On devolution, elections for the Sussex and Brighton Combined County Authority will take place in May 2028.
On reorganisation, the government is expected to announce its decision on what the new council will look like by the end of March 2026.
Indicative timescales
| Devolution | Local government reorganisation |
|---|---|
| 13 April 2025: Government-led consultation closed. | 21 March 2025: Interim Plan submitted to government. |
| July 2025: Government’s confirmation of the Sussex and Brighton Combined County Authority (SBCCA). | 26 September 2025: Final business case for One East Sussex submitted to government. |
| May 2028: Elections for mayor. | Autumn 2025: Ministers consider proposals for new unitary councils. Launch of government consultation on options for East Sussex. |
| Spring 2026: Decision from government on what the new unitary council will look like. | |
| 1 April 2028: Vesting day of the new unitary authority. |
This page was last updated on: 30 January 2026
