Eastbourne Borough Council leader says pause to local government shake-up brings 'further uncertainty'
Eastbourne Borough Council leader Stephen Holt has said the decision to pause the major shake-up of local government gives the Labour government more questions to answer.
Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary Angela Rayner announced the government will be pausing Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) in 14 areas, including East Sussex, on Monday, September 7.
Ms Rayner told parliament that the decision was made “in light of legal advice”, and that a review has been launched to consider the plans.
However, she confirmed local elections in May 2027 would still go ahead on existing council boundaries.
Cllr Holt (Liberal Democrats) 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.”
The decision was met differently by other local authorities in East Sussex, with East Sussex County Council leader Andy Woolley (Reform UK) welcoming the decision but other local district and borough council leaders voicing their frustration at the pause.