Fresh Brighton devolution deal talks to start

The Greater Brighton Economic Board has been lobbying for extra powers to be transferred by ministers to the region including Brighton and Hove, Adur, Worthing, Mid Sussex, and Lewes.

A devolution prospectus was submitted to central Government in September 2015, with members of the project board meeting ministers and civil servants in January and June 2016.

However the pace of work on devolution ‘slowed’ in the summer due to a change in Government following the EU Referendum result and a lack of spare officer capacity.

The Greater Brighton Economic Board is due to meet on Tuesday (January 31) and ask the officer programme board to resume negotiations with the Government about a deal using a revised proposition document.

A report due to be discussed by the board said: “As a result of the possibility of a change in Government focus, the proposition document has been written to enable further discussions with Government to either agree a Devolution Deal, a further City Deal or to provide a clear position document that can positively respond to any emerging changes in Government’s growth policy, such as the development of the Industrial Strategy.”

The report continues: “Greater Brighton remains committed to developing its devolution proposals, so as not to become disadvantaged in terms of its powers and funding in the future.

“At the same time, the Board will continue to demonstrate its ability to deliver by taking forward work on priority areas that are non-devolution dependent.”

A devolution bid covering East Sussex, West Sussex, and Surrey, called Three Southern Counties is progressing in parallel to the Greater Brighton proposals.