Hastings councillors to discuss local government reorganisation and devolution

Councillors will be discussing the government’s invitation to submit proposals to create new structures of unitary authorities – which is a single tier of local government responsible for all local services in an area.

The government’s intended aim is to create more efficient and effective local government, potentially leading to streamlined services and cost savings for residents. They have expressed a preference for one single proposal from each group of councils with guidance that population size should be around 500,000 to provide financial sustainability.

Councillors will be discussing three options:

• a unitary on the current East Sussex county footprint which fulfils the current population criteria;
• smaller unitaries with Hastings as part of a coastal unitary with similar areas, such as Eastbourne, parts of Rother;
• a federal model with five unitary councils all working together on issues that affect the whole area but keeping their local focus.

Councillors will also be discussing Devolution. Sussex, including all of East and West Sussex and Brighton and Hove, was accepted onto the government’s priority programme to become a Mayoral Strategic Authority. The council will be discussing a response to the government’s consultation on Devolution which closes on 13 April.

Cllr Julia Hilton, leader of the council, said: “We have had to come up with outline proposals that all leaders across East Sussex can live with and comply with the current government guidance in an incredibly short timescale. It should be seen as an update on our initial views, rather than the end of any process. Alongside this, in Hastings there have been extensive cross-party discussions on what would be the best option for Hastings and these will be discussed at Full Council. Before we arrive at a final option it is essential we consult with our residents, businesses and the local community and voluntary sector and the plan is to do this in detail from April to September when the final submission needs to be agreed with government. We will also be answering questions from the public on Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation at our Full Council meeting.

“Councillors will also have the chance to discuss the plans for Hastings to become part of a Sussex-wide Mayoral Strategic Authority through the Devolution priority programme ahead of our formal response to the government’s consultation on this.”

If approved by government, a shadow new council would be elected in May 2027 and the date the new unitary council would formally take over, and East Sussex County, Eastbourne, Lewes, Hastings, Rother and Wealden councils would cease to exist – would be April 2028.

For further information on Local Government Reorganisation please read https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/english-devolution-white-paper-power-and-partnership-foundations-for-growth/english-devolution-white-paper

You can read the reports for Full Council online at https://hastings.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=168&MId=5318