Five-unitary plan in Sussex pitched as £52.4m-a-year saver, BHCC says

Brighton and Hove City Council has unveiled a proposal to replace Sussex’s current borough, district and county councils with five new unitary authorities. The plan argues the change would save about £52.4m a year and would redraw boundaries, expanding the city eastward to include East Saltdean, Telescombe Cliffs, Peacehaven and Falmer parish, while dropping plans to include Newhaven and Kingston. Councils across Sussex must submit final proposals by 26 September to the government; if accepted, the changes would take effect from April 2028.

The Labour-led council said the plan would create a resilient and connected framework for governance and would serve between 300,000 and 400,000 residents across five authorities. Each authority would be large enough to deliver essential services such as adult and children's social care but small enough to stay rooted in the communities it serves. Officials argued the new boundaries would reflect how people actually live, travel and work, and that a future mayor would have equal partners in decision-making.

Reaction was swift from political opponents and some council allies. Zoe Nicholson, leader of Lewes District Council's Green group, criticized BHCC's plan as being drawn up in secret and said it would dismantle communities. East Sussex County Council Conservative leader Keith Glazier said residents should have a say in the future and called the maps bewildering because they appeared to have been drawn up with little discussion with residents or the other councils.

Nicholson and Glazier argued for the One East Sussex plan, a cross-council approach jointly commissioned by all East Sussex authorities, which they said would be based on strong partnerships and would not add complexity or cost. Plans released by East Sussex and West Sussex focus on options within their own counties and do not propose a Sussex-wide reorganization.

In parallel with the unitary plan process, the government has fast-tracked devolution for Sussex. An election for the first mayor of Sussex, who will oversee strategic planning, is slated for May 2026. Under the Devolution Priority Programme, leaders must submit final plans by 26 September. If the plans are accepted, the government would launch a public consultation and issue a final decision in spring 2026. Elections for the new authorities would be held in spring 2027 to allow for a shadow year while services are handed over. All proposals will be debated at meetings of existing councils in Sussex over the coming days as the deadline approaches.