The leaders of the six East Sussex councils have met to consider the feedback letter from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) on our interim plan for local government reorganisation, which is available to view through the following link:

Statement

Having considered the letter carefully and been briefed by our chief executives on the meeting they had with Government officials and the Brighton & Hove Chief Executive about the letter, we remain committed to our agreed approach.

Our proposal covers the current East Sussex footprint and is rooted in a set of agreed principles focused on the interests of our residents, communities and businesses, recognises the importance of continuing to provide key services while the proposal is being developed and subsequent changes are implemented, and fits within the guidance the Government has issued.

The views of residents and stakeholders are key to our work and we have launched this week, available on all council websites, a survey to collect views. Everyone is encouraged to participate.

In more detail, the letter reflects the contents of the original statutory invitation to submit a proposal and provides useful detail about what we need to include in our business case in September.  It encourages all councils to work collaboratively and to share data so there is a common evidence base. We already have arrangements in place for this

The feedback letter is addressed, as with the original invitation, to the seven councils in ceremonial East Sussex and asks that each council’s final proposal covers the whole area. This reflects the statutory position that since Brighton and Hove became a separate council in 1997, there are some things we are required to do together, e.g. waste and minerals planning.  As with the interim plan, we will submit our proposal, which will include any impact on other authorities, and expect Brighton and Hove City Council (BHCC) to do the same. The letter also makes clear that it is open to BHCC to explore options with West Sussex if they chose to do so.

We have strong arrangements with partners including regular officer level meetings between representatives from East Sussex, Brighton and Hove and West Sussex and there are also specific workshops planned.

We remain focussed on the best interests of our residents, communities and businesses and on using the strong existing partnerships that exist within the area covered by the 5 East Sussex Districts and Boroughs to best use.  The detail in the letter reinforces the scale of the work to be done and whilst we will explore any other options that are proposed, we will use the scarce resources we have to make the best possible case for a new unitary based on the current East Sussex footprint.