Foreword to East Sussex Freight Strategy
Foreword
We are pleased to introduce East Sussex’s Freight Strategy, which looks to connect people to places, providing freight connectivity for all.
This strategy is underpinned by a robust evidence base and has been developed with the public and stakeholders across the county, including representatives from the freight industry, Transport for the South East (TfSE), council officers and local planning authorities, and young people. This engagement has resulted in a strategy that reflects the freight aspirations of a wide range of stakeholders and will foster further partnership working with key stakeholders to help promote and progress freight initiatives and opportunities in the county.
The strategy is coming forward at a time of great change, with the establishment of the Mayoral Combined County Authority (MCCA) for Sussex and Brighton anticipated to be in place from May 2026. This is running in parallel with local government reorganisation, which is expected to see the county, district and borough councils replaced with a new unitary authority from April 2028.
The strategy and its investment priorities have been developed to consider the varying characteristics of the county, including densely populated urban centres and large rural areas, and the differing needs of the users from these significantly different local contexts, and those affected by freight movements.
We are mindful of actual and perceived impacts of freight on local communities, and this has been incorporated into the strategy in respect of better understanding these impacts and the potential for addressing and alleviating these where possible. It is also important to engage and provide information to those affected by freight movements to better understand why particular routes are used, share knowledge on the variety of ways freight can be transported and delivered, and identify opportunities for more sustainable freight transportation.
Implementing the strategy will have its challenges, and we have a responsibility to future generations to help deliver interventions which align with our fourth Local Transport Plan (LTP4), to help improve the transportation of freight into, out of, and around East Sussex for all.
Councillor Claire Dowling - Lead Member for Transport and Environment
Rupert Clubb - Director of Communities, Economy and Transport
