Jess Brown-Fuller MP: What devolution could mean for Chichester

Firstly, I am in favour of furthering devolution and taking decision making out of Whitehall to give to communities. I would welcome the transfer of power for skills, transport, housing and innovation if there were key social and economic benefits to Chichester residents. However, what is being proposed will not put more power in the hands of communities but instead do the exact opposite.

There are many examples of successful Mayoralties, but fundamentally these work in urban city areas with a logical footprint and a shared identity, like Greater Manchester or the West Midlands.

If a pan-Sussex Mayor is elected to cover the entirety of Sussex and they reside in Crawley, or Brighton, just how much of an understanding and an interest will they have in the particular challenges that Chichester and the surrounding towns and villages face, such as planning, water quality, or flooding?

Secondly, in the process of local government reorganisation, all the services currently delivered by Chichester District Council (and Arun District Council for my Bersted and Pagham residents) like planning, temporary accommodation and waste collection, would combine with the services West Sussex County Council provides, such as education and social care. Chichester District Council is in a healthy financial position compared to many other District and Borough Councils and is currently working on an ambitious regeneration project, alongside making public realm improvements to the playpark facilities and toilets. West Sussex County Council, in contrast, is in a poor financial position, with increased pressures in providing social care and education. By combining authorities and at such a pace, we risk pulling focus away from the delivery of these projects and losing the ability to do them forever.

Finally, voters are due to go to the polling stations this May, with Conservative-run West Sussex County Council (WSCC) facing the judgment of voters. WSCC Councillors have proposed a suspension of these local elections, to be a part of the priority devolution programme to push for the mayoral authority to be in place by 2026. This disenfranchisement of voters, at a time of clear political dissatisfaction of current regimes is unacceptable. They are trying to suspend local democracy under the guise of government reorganisation. I have been speaking to colleagues of all parties across Sussex and will be writing to the Minister urging him to reject the delay and allow the elections to proceed as planned.