East Sussex council leaders react to pause of major shakeup of local government

On Monday (September 7), housing and communities secretary Angela Rayner confirmed the government will be pausing Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) in East Sussex and other areas.

Ms Rayner told parliament the decision had been made “in the light of legal advice”, which will see the proposals reviewed by ministers.

She said local elections scheduled for May 2027 will go ahead as planned, using existing district and borough council boundaries.

The decision was welcomed by East Sussex County Council leader Andy Woolley (Reform), who said he hoped the review may see the government rethink its plans to redraw boundaries.

Cllr Woolley said: “While we’ve been working closely with our partners to build a sound and effective unitary council, we’ll use this pause to ask for more evidence for the reasoning behind the government’s decision in July to separate a part of East Sussex for transfer to Brighton and Hove.

“This review will offer the chance to present the detailed evidence behind that decision. We hope the Secretary of State will permanently think again.

“We are continuing to hold government to account to ensure that decisions on LGR are evidence based and in the best interests of local people and will be seeking to understand how local areas will be involved in the review and the new timelines that we are expected to work towards.”

Lewes District Council leader Zoe Nicholson (Green) voiced hopes for a rethink but added the pause resulted in “more uncertainty” for residents.

Cllr Nicholson said: “In Lewes district, we’ve been asking the minister to explain the decision to separate East Saltdean, Peacehaven and Telscombe from the rest of our district and transfer them into Brighton & Hove, despite overwhelming opposition from local people.

“We have not yet received those answers. [Monday’s] announcement only provides us with more uncertainty which is frustrating and unsettling for residents who simply want to know what the future holds for their communities.”

Cllr Glenn Haffenden, leader of Hastings Borough Council, said: “We are disappointed that the government has yet again moved the goalposts and announced a pause in the local government reorganisation process today.

“Hastings Borough Council did not ask for this re-organisation but, following several Government announcements, members and officers across East Sussex have been working in good faith for more than 18 months to get us to where we are now and we are now once again uncertain about what happens next.”

Rother District Council Leader Doug Oliver (Ind) said: “I want to reassure everyone that, while we wait for further information from government, there will be no immediate changes for our council or the services we provide.

“In the meantime, I will be working with colleagues from the other district and borough councils, as well as East Sussex County Council, to ensure decisions on LGR are evidence-based and in the best interests of local people.

“We will be seeking to understand how Rother and other areas in East Sussex will be involved in the review and the new timescales we are expected to work towards.”

Wealden District Council leader Rachel Millward (Green) said: “We made clear in our initial response that the process was moving too quickly and had not been fully thought through.

“It is disappointing that significant time and public money have been invested before the government reached a similar conclusion. We now need to consider carefully what this decision means for residents, businesses and communities across Wealden, as well as our partners and neighbours throughout East Sussex.”

Councillor Stephen Holt, Leader of Eastbourne Borough Council, said:“After years of discussion and significant work by councils to prepare for local government reorganisation, people quite reasonably want to know what is happening and when decisions will finally be made. But instead, yesterday’s announcement has brought further uncertainty and raises a new set of questions that the Government must answer.

“We will continue to work closely with our partners across East Sussex to understand the implications of this announcement on the future of local services and to ensure local communities have a strong voice in whatever comes next.

“In the meantime, our priority remains the same: delivering for Eastbourne residents and making sure their voice is heard in any future discussions about local government reform.