A neighbouring council is using inflammatory language and veering into conspiracy theories over the proposed expansion of Brighton and Hove’s boundaries, councillors say.
Brighton and Hove could take in parts of Lewes District Council under plans to form new unitary councils to replace the rest of the county’s district and county councils.
Each new council is expected to serve a population of between 300,000 and 500,000, and with a population just short of 280,000, Brighton and Hove would need to draw in neighbouring council wards.
On 25 July, Brighton and Hove City Council launched a consultation asking for views on bringing East Saltdean, Telscombe Cliffs, and Peacehaven into its control – plus other areas including Kingston and Newhaven.
But two weeks before, on 10 July, the leader of Lewes District Council launched a petition both announcing and opposing the plans, accusing Brighton of planning to make Peacehaven into a “dumping ground” with plans to build thousands of homes there to solve its housing crisis.
At last Thursday’s Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Rottingdean and West Saltdean councillor Bridget Fishleigh said: “People are being whipped up on social media by the MP for Lewes and the leader of Lewes District Council, using inflammatory and irresponsible language.
“I don’t think that Change.org petition indicates anything because it takes 10 seconds to sign, but to register on [the council’s website] and go through the whole process requires a bit more effort.”
Council leader Bella Sankey said she has “quite deliberately” not responded publicly to the elected officials in Lewes.
She said: “I think it’s important our residents don’t think it’s something councils are fighting over.
“There’s a responsibility for all elected members to conduct themselves responsibly in this process.
“I have looked at the petition and the way it has been worded is in the realms of conspiracy theory. It’s not accurate, not factual. It really does count for nothing.”
Healthwatch chair and former councillor Geoffrey Bowden noted Brighton’s consultation is taking place during the peak holiday season, and had received 433 responses in six days, compared with more than 4,300 signatures on Lewes’ petition.
Councillor Sankey confirmed both Lewes District and East Sussex County Council are running consultations on the Brighton and Hove proposals.
She said a Change.org petition does not have the same nuanced data collection as the multi-question survey on the Your Voice Section of the council’s website.
Chief executive Jess Gibbons said the Your Voice platform prevents bots and trolls from skewing the responses.
Councillor Sankey has met with Newhaven Town Council, as two of the proposals in the current consultation include bringing the town into Brighton and Hove.
She said there were concerns, but also concerns that communities in the area had been left behind by the two-tier system.
Labour councillor Theresa Fowler said she has family who live in Peacehaven and Telscombe, who were initially worried about the changes.
Councillor Fowler said: “They had visions of tower blocks and more council tax. After I spoke with them, all they were really interested in was if their council tax will be the same as ours, not more, and if their bins will be emptied.
“They have a lack of leisure facilities like a swimming pool, and they’re lacking a large supermarket.”
Councillor Sankey said there are many links between the towns along the coast and Brighton and Hove, giving a shared sense of place and identity.
She argued that leaking the information rather than waiting for proper publication added to people’s fears.
On council tax, Councillor Sankey said people living in Lewes District pay among the highest council tax in the region, whereas in Brighton and Hove the rate is hundreds of pounds lower.
In Lewes District, the average band D property pays £2,627.39 a year in council tax, compared with £2,338.06 for the same band in Brighton and Hove.
The bulk of Lewes District council tax payment goes to East Sussex County Council, with precepts to Lewes, East Sussex Fire Authority, Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner, town and parish councils.
As a unitary authority Brighton and Hove receives the bulk of the council tax, with part of the bill heading to the fire authority and the police and crime commissioner.
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.
As the Brighton and Hove council is doing such a good job for residents, regularly topping league tables of comparable councils and having no problems with potholes, overgrown pavements, rubbish collections, or graffiti, I’m sure others will be keen to join us. Oh, wait…..
LDC doesn’t have to deal with costly services like social care or highways, so you have to factor that into any comparison you’re trying to make, even sarcastically.
Bella tries to take the moral high ground by saying “There’s a responsibility for all elected members to conduct themselves responsibly in this process” then goes on to talk in Trumpian tropes herself about conspiracy theories.
She fails to actually explain what exactly it is about the Lewes petition she thinks is not accurate or factual. If she spent more time actually doing that and giving a reasoned answer, rather than just whipping things herself by attacking others who dare to have a different opinion to her, them I’d have more time to listen. All the time she insists on this kind of childish response to people who disagree with her, rather than on actually answering residents’ questions and concerns with meaningful content and information, people will continue to be turned off and stop listening.
Pretty fair criticism. I’m not one for dismissive tones and attack lines. I’d rather have a reasoned conversation with people, and explain my thoughts and perspective, and I would expect all our politicians, regardless of their colour, to do the same.
Councils are fighting over it regardless of Bella ignoring other MPs. Other areas don’t want to become part of B&H. That’s why most.of their residents live there and not here!
Newhaven will become a dumping ground for Brighton plus they will house the boat people in the new part of the city
Should the way services are governed reflect the way people actually live? I think that’s the question you actually want to be asking, since these communities have become increasingly integrated with Brighton.
Why should other councils be bullied by Ms Sankey and her co-horts who have NO JURISDICTION over them?
Not yet and hopefully not ever. Whatever the government wants, they have not asked the people so they cannot assume it’s a foregone conclusion. Many pundits are now predicting Starmer will be out on his ear, possibly within a year, since no PM in living memory has ever become so unpopular so quickly, so the unitary council plan may not even have time to happen before we have a new government, whatever form that takes.
And PS. Brighton and Hove is ALREADY a unitary Council which cannot even run and look after its own city properly, never mind taking on and swallowing up neighbouring councils. This smacks of wanting to get their mitts on other council’s budgets, just like Brighton leached all Hove Council’s money when Brighton and Hove became a city.
Highly unlikely, unless you read the spectator or other such dribble.
Labour have an enormous majority and this is coming like it or not. It’s going to affect not much other than bins and roads and last time I checked the roads of peacehaven were hardly something other than 3rd world standard.
I think there are a few more aspects that will be affected, for example, ESCC are really struggling with their ASC budget, economies of scale will help them.
I think you’re conveniently forgetting the election that had devolution in the manifesto, which I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned to you before. It’s also incorrect to say people haven’t been asked. Residents are being consulted right now. It also undermines most of your conspiracy, since it was going to happen regardless of whether BHCC wanted to take part in it or not.
Opposing the proposal is absolutely valid. But it’s best to carefully read and understand what it means and base the debate on facts; otherwise, it comes across as being a bit silly.
Lewes district council will cease to exist.
The question is therefore whether the residents in this area are better off with Brighton and Hove or with Hastings
Neither
It’s a sharp observation. Maybe the question is which arrangement puts residents in a stronger position when it comes to healthcare, social care, infrastructure, and jobs?
Would it not make sense for that part of the Brighton Kemptown parliamentary constituency in Lewes District to join the Brighton and Hove Council area. That way the council area would be that of the 3 constituencies. I can see no logic in Kingston joining Brighton as you almost have to go into Lewes to get out of Kingston.
At least the bins in Lewes council gets emptied when they are scheduled. In Brighton it’s a mess. Not to mention BHCC is massively in debt and raises costs everywhere to recoup this. What do you think will happen with the new areas. Down the drain, ignored and charged through the nose for the councils toys on the seafront
BHCC can’t even organize their current affairs let alone take on more
I don’t have confidence in a council that appoints Steve Bassem to an important qwango!
What has Mr Bassam ever done for Brighton and Hove? is a very good question.
The main thing I remember is him over claiming travel expenses when he was Labour’s Chief Whip, and being forced to apologise and repay about £15,000 of tax payers money.
It’s a very political point moving boundaries
So the Labour Party can gain more gound
It’s nice to see them not taking notice of the people of Lewes District who do not want to be apart of Brighton and Hove city or unitary authority. What happened to the Labour Party
They used to listen to the people a take notice
It’s become a power hungry Angela Rayner devolution party.
Why would anyone trust Brighton council under this administration? It is the gaslighting council. They lie at every opportunity. God help our neighbours if Bella Snakey succeeds in her land grab.
Disinformation
At least the bins in Lewes council gets emptied when they are scheduled. In Brighton it’s a mess. Not to mention BHCC is massively in debt and raises costs everywhere to recoup this. What do you think will happen with the new areas. Down the drain, ignored and charged through the nose for the councils toys on the seafront
BHCC can’t even organize their current affairs let alone take on more
LDC has no room for growth and limited room for maintenance or new-build projects, and limited ability to raise funds themselves, though. It also operates as a two-tier system; Brighton has to provide all those services. The honest answer is that Brighton does more, for more people, with fewer resources per head. Reform would help fix that by levelling responsibilities and ensuring fairer funding across the board.
Have a look at the consultation and national govt plans on this. It’s being proposed for reasons of efficiency and increasing local devolved power. You may believe what you want about how local politicians are behaving and responding but having worked in local government I welcome a sensible consultation on how we get rid of the inefficiencies built into District, Borough, & County councils and how you can get more streamlined services which work together better.
Cllr Sankey’s plans omit a westward grab of land – why is that?
Why isn’t she asking Worthing, Arun, Shoreham etc to join Brighton and Hove instead of going east?
Seems weird don’t you think, or is it because her Labour colleagues there have point blankly said no?
Hi Robert, the suggestion that this is some kind of selective “land grab” doesn’t really hold up when you look at how these proposals actually work.
The eastward focus isn’t about party politics; it’s about functional geography and existing service links. Areas like Peacehaven, Telscombe, Newhaven and Saltdean are already closely connected to Brighton in terms of:
Transport (many residents commute daily), Healthcare (shared NHS catchment), Education (Brighton schools serve many pupils from the east), and Housing (demand pressure and overspill are intertwined).
There’s no such integration westward. Worthing, Shoreham and Arun sit within a very different infrastructure corridor and are economically and logistically tied to West Sussex County Council and its coastal growth strategy.
You can’t build a coherent unitary authority by drawing arbitrary lines on a map. You need to reflect how people actually live, work, and move through their communities. Rather than reducing this to party lines, we should be asking: what structure gives residents the best chance of well-funded, locally accountable services that match how their lives actually function?
Please can you explain more on the schools point – I’m not aware of kids travelling into B&H schools from the East Sussex – in fact I understand it’s the reverse with kids now travelling out of East Brighton at secondary stage to Peacehaven and Lewes?
Certainly, according to the East Sussex School Organisation Plan, Longhill, despite being in Brighton, draws a large proportion of pupils from Saltdean and Telscombe Cliffs. Similarly, Varndean, Blatchington Mill, and even some primary schools have intakes that include families from Peacehaven, Newhaven, and beyond.
It would be useful if Brighton and Hove Council had provided any information and data to support the consultation. Having searched through the Council website, although there is reference to a technical assessment, it doesn’t seem to have been published anywhere. And the consultation itself is an evidence free zone (in common with other recent B&H consultations).
Personally I think reducing the number of tiers of local government could be a positive move – but it should be based on facts and evidence. And that should be shared transparently with the public as part of the consultation. It is just a shame that Bella (previously a champion of freedom of information) and the rest of the Council don’t seem to agree.
Reading between the lines, it appears options to the West were excluded mostly because they are actually more similar to Brighton and Hove in terms of the pressures on local public finances – meaning there would be more pressure on Council tax. But the Council should have put all the options on the table – along with a ‘do nothing’ option.
Just on the point about transport corridors – Worthing, Shoreham and beyond are very much part of the same transport corridor as Hove.
A really balanced argument there, Natasha. It’s refreshing to see!
I am in complete agreement that there should be a lot more data and information out there to base a decision on, at the very least to avoid the emotive. It’s hard to make an informed decision without the information, right?
My understanding of Westward being excluded is a bit different. The natural logistics and economics of people align more with East of Brighton, rather than West, which ties more closely with WSCC. According to BHCC, an analysis was produced, and it would be good to have this either shared publicly, or at least with the other council bodies – I think that’ll go a long way in creating a constructive approach to this.
The “do nothing” approach has been taken out by central government, which has pretty much dictated that devolution must happen. So I’d gently suggest that supplying a “do nothing” option would be disingenuous within a consultation, as it’s not an option that can be taken!
Debt wise the expansion makes sense for BHCC….a problem shared and all that!
Debt-wise, the expansion makes sense for ESCC as they are facing a projected £55 million funding gap for 2025/26, alongside ongoing financial pressures from rising costs and demographic change…a problem shared and all that indeed!
If I lived in outside of Brighton would not want to join it. Too many homeless, poor service, really strange behaviour and ideas the list goes on…
It’s disappointing to see how much political heat is being generated by a proposal that, in reality, could offer substantial benefits to Lewes District as well.
At the moment, residents in places like Peacehaven, Telscombe and Newhaven are stuck between two councils, one handling bins and planning (LDC), the other responsible for roads, social care and schools (ESCC). This two-tier system is confusing, inefficient, and often slow to respond. And if it’s something in the middle? Good luck with one of them taking ownership.
We don’t talk about the benefits to Lewes District much, and I think it is important to consider them to bring balance to this conversation.
Stronger control over local services, instead of decisions being made by a remote county council; more direct access to government investment, which increasingly flows through combined authorities and elected mayors; a voice in regional strategy, rather than being on the receiving end of decisions made elsewhere.
ESCC would be dissolved under this reform. That means more local power, not less, if leaders are willing to engage constructively rather than fall back on fearmongering about Brighton.
The idea that this is a “land grab” ignores the fact that LDC itself would be strengthened under a reformed governance model. Residents deserve a grown-up conversation, not an arms race of petitions and political posturing.
I’ve not replied to the Brighton Consultation because it doesn’t offer the option of East Saltdean joining Sussex rather than Brighton. It is not a genuine consultation and it will be subject to JR.
The petition on the otherhand genuinely expresses residents views despite these petty attempts to undermine it.
I have replied to the East Sussex consultation to say I do not want join the badly run Brighton & Hove Council.
Why are we being forced against our will to suffer greater parking restrictions, an increase to our council tax, and forgoing our bin collections? Not to mention the endless waste of money on the Black Rock site that never completes, failure to restore the King Alfred, and the i360 money pit.
#SayNoToBrightonAndHove!
BHCC’s consultation can’t offer stay in East Sussex that’s covered in the county’s own survey.
Thanks for balanced comments above.
I live in Leicestershire and exactly the same squabbling is going on there. Leicester (unitary) is surrounded by a big urban fringe which is divided between several district councils. The city council and mayor want to incorporate the urban fringe into Leicester unitary but the residents are up in arms for the same reasons as those in Sussex (the city is physically and morally squalid, the city will siphon off our council tax to pay for things we don’t approve of, etc.)
The same debate must be going on all over the country. The outcome will, I think, be the same in both Sussex and Leicestershire – the city will absorb outlying communities in order to bring it up to a cost effective or viable population size.
Leicester is a bit of a sore word for people around here!
But that’s really interesting to hear that the same discussions and contentions are happening elsewhere in quite different demographics. It’d be interesting to revisit areas that have already progressed further and see what their solutions and outcomes were.
Perhaps “Benjamin” should identify himself, before going into bat for 1 side of this discussion?
The 5 district councils of East Sussex all voted and agreed to be abolished and join the unitary council of East Sussex and West Sussex has done the same. Why B&HCC has taken it upon themselves to create 4 options, all expanding East without asking or notifying the people living in East Sussex, is beyond democracy. Unless you wanted to build lots of houses to raise the population, there is no reason to expand East. It kind of makes sense East Saltdean joins Saltdean and thus B&H, but even the local residents there are angry and do not want to join B&HCC.