Brighton boundary change is back on

The council reorganisation plans which will see Brighton expand to the east is back on after the government unpaused plans today.

Brighton and Hove and East Sussex are one of five areas which have had their local government reorganisation plans confirmed.

However, the starting time has been put back a year, with shadow elections now due to be held in May 2028, ahead of the new authorities coming into force in May 2029.

Brighton and Hove’s elections next year will still take place.

A decision for West Sussex, where the government previously consulted on plans to split the area into two unitary authorities, has yet to be made.

The changes will see limited changes in Brighton and Hove, which is already a unitary authority, other than the boundary change, which will see East Saltdean, Telscombe Cliffs and Peacehaven become part of the city.

In East and West Sussex, the current system of two county councils with a tier of smaller borough councils is set to be replaced with three unitary authorities.

Across the county, a new mayoral authority headed by an elected mayor will be given more powers, mostly devolved from Westminster.

Local government minister Jim McMahon said ministers had found the original criteria for the reorganisations was “robust”. They were reviewed after Andy Burnham became Prime Minister.

The changes are part of the government’s flagship local government policy announced when Sir Keir Starmer was Prime Minister.

Eamonn O’Brien, chair of the Local Government Association, said councils were “frustrated” by the process and needed “urgently clarity”.

Councils and bodies can give further feedback on the plans in the next three weeks.

Mr McMahon said: “These decisions are for the same council structure that were previously announced in July, but they are new decisions following full and thorough considerations.”

The areas remaining for council reorganisation will have “an outcome by early next year”, he added.

He told MPs: “We will move faster where we can, and some of the remaining areas may receive an outcome decision before others.

“I commit to coming back to the House with updates for another set of areas by Christmas, and every area will have an outcome by early next year.”

Mr O’Brien said: “While today’s announcement provides some certainty for some areas, many councils remain frustrated by the situation they have been placed in.

“All councils affected need urgent clarity on next steps and how costs already incurred will be met.

“Councils have already committed significant time, capacity and resources to this process and all costs must be fully funded. Councils cannot be expected to bear the financial and staffing consequences of decisions beyond their control.

“As the review progresses, we urge government to provide clarity on the process, decision-making framework and legal position.

“The review also needs to consider the impact on essential services, taking account of the cumulative effect of wider reforms, and avoids delaying devolution where proposals can strengthen local leadership, deliver value for money, drive growth and improve outcomes for communities.

“Moving forward, there needs to be a reset in the relationship between government and councils on LGR, with local government fully engaged in shaping decisions from the outset.”

Brighton and Hove Independent councillor Bridget Fishleigh, who represents Rottingdean and West Saltdean, has lived in West Saltdean for nearly 21 years.

She said: “The campaign to unify Saltdean stretches back to 1955 when 76 per cent of East Saltdean residents voted in favour of going into Brighton.

“In 1976, local government commissioners visited Saltdean and concluded in their report: ‘It is … quite clear that Saltdean and Telscombe Cliffs are two distinctly separate residential areas, widely separated by Telscombe Tye … (Saltdean is) to all intent and purposes one common community with strong local ties despite being at present in two different local government districts.’

“Having to deal with multiple authorities makes life more difficult for Saltdean Primary School, Longhill secondary school and the GP surgery, which is located in West Saltdean but serves people in East Saltdean, as well as the many pan-Saltdean community organisations including The Saltdean Residents’ and Community Association and Saltdean Climate Action Network.

“The unification of Saltdean under Brighton and Hove City Council as part of local government reorganisation would enable our area to finally have a sense of completeness and its own single strong voice.”