The Rother Labour Group is calling for both major local government reform proposals to be sent to Government, ensuring residents across Sussex have a genuine choice between a single East Sussex unitary authority and a five-council Sussex-wide model.
The Labour Group of Rother District Council (RDC) will advocate at Full Council and Cabinet for both the five-council Sussex-wide model and the single East Sussex unitary authority model to be put forward for statutory consultation, allowing communities to make informed comparisons.
“Sussex is at a once-in-a-generation turning point,” said Cllr Christine Bayliss, Deputy Leader of RDC and Rother Labour Group Leader. “Residents deserve the opportunity to consider all viable options before such significant changes are made to their local government.”
The Group acknowledges the extensive work undertaken by Rother officers in developing the business case for a single East Sussex unitary authority model.
However, they also recognise the five-council Sussex-wide proposal, drafted by the Labour leadership at Brighton and Hove Council, offers a different approach to balancing local connection with service resilience. It is the Rother Labour Group’s view that the five-council model would:
Create Balanced Authorities: Each council serving 300,000-400,000 residents across Sussex’s 1.72 million population, avoiding extremes of scale while ensuring effective service delivery.
Strengthen Coastal Communities: Establish one authority for the continuous coastal area, reflecting the reality of shared journeys and communities between Brighton, Hove, and coastal towns.
Improve Daily Life: Align boundaries with how people actually live and work, making services easier to access and better coordinated with partners like the NHS, schools, and police.
Enhance Democracy: Keep councils large enough to be financially resilient but small enough to remain rooted in local communities, where local voice can shape decisions.
The Rother Labour Group emphasises that this decision should not be made behind closed doors. They want residents in Rother, across East Sussex, and throughout Sussex to have their voices heard during the statutory consultation process later this year. Both models should be tested through proper public consultation.
As Government reshapes local government across England and introduces new devolved powers over transport, skills, growth, and net zero, Sussex needs to be positioned for success.
“This is not just about lines on a map,” concluded Cllr Christine Bayliss. “It’s about creating the foundations for Sussex to thrive for the next generation, with every community recognised and every voice heard in the process.”
The Rother Labour Group now calls on members across the chamber from all parties to work together in sending both models to the Minister for consideration, ensuring residents have a genuine democratic choice in this historic decision about their local government’s future.
For more information contact: Rother Labour Group – Cllr Christine Bayliss cllr.christine.bayliss@rother.gov.uk 01424 218250
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
- The Rother Labour Group represents Labour councillors serving on Rother District Council (RDC)
- Both reform models are being considered as part of Government’s nationwide local government restructuring and can be found at https://democracy.brighton-hove.gov.uk/documents/s210148/Appendix%201_Representative%20Councils%20for%20a%20Devolved%20Sussex_%20a%20five%20unitary%20proposal.pdf and https://democracy.eastsussex.gov.uk/documents/s70074/Appendix1toAppendixA.pdf
