Council leader: Lewes district ‘at real risk of becoming part of Brighton & Hove’

The Leader of Lewes District Council has issued a renewed call for residents to take part in the government’s latest consultation on local government reorganisation, warning that the future of several coastal towns, and Lewes district more broadly, is ‘at a real risk of becoming part of Brighton & Hove’.

The government is consulting for a second time on a modified proposal, the fifth consultation of its kind, that would see Falmer, East Saltdean, Telscombe and Peacehaven removed from Lewes district and placed under the control of the city council.

Councillor Zoe Nicholson, Leader of Lewes District Council, said:

“Residents in Lewes district have been absolutely clear in every consultation that they do not want to become residents of Brighton & Hove, yet the government is asking the question again.

“Added to this, we are still to see the results of the government’s first consultation with residents from many months ago.

“Where we call home is at a real risk of becoming part of Brighton & Hove, but as I have said all along, we will challenge any decision that redraws the current boundaries of Lewes district and every option remains on the table to do so.”

With Brighton & Hove facing major infrastructure pressures, including a government requirement to build nearly 40,000 new homes by 2040, there is widespread concern that Lewes district could be targeted for large‑scale development to satisfy the city’s housing needs.

Councillor Nicholson said:

“Everyone knows Brighton & Hove is struggling to meet its housing targets, and I’ve no doubt they see Falmer, East Saltdean, Telscombe and Peacehaven as helping to solve that failure.

“Our residents would lose their local identity, their local voice and their agency to influence their future if this proposal goes ahead. Services would inevitably be reshaped around the needs of a city, not small towns and villages.

“It would mark a fundamental shift in who makes decisions about their homes, their services and their way of life, and it could be pushed through despite overwhelming evidence that residents oppose it.”

The Deputy Leader of Lewes District Council, Councillor Christine Robinson, is urging all residents to respond to the government consultation.

She said:

“We entered this process of local government reorganisation in good faith and worked hard with our local authority partners in East Sussex to meet all the requirements demanded of us.  However, having done all that it feels like the rules have suddenly changed.

“I urge people to visit the council website to see a full explanation of the reorganisation, what is at stake and a link to the government consultation.

“Above all, they must make their voices heard if they value being part of Lewes district.”

For more information visit: www.lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk/LGR  or watch this short video on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/lewesdistrictcouncil