Roles and responsibilites
Introduction
No single organisation will be solely responsible for delivering the East Sussex Freight Strategy. Across the county, multiple organisations have different responsibilities for the provision of transport infrastructure and services and spatial planning and economic development, all of which shape the county’s communities, and influence how goods are moved to, from, within, and through the county. Successful implementation of the Freight Strategy will depend on collaboration among key stakeholders, who must work transparently, cooperatively, and proactively to evaluate and execute identified options.
Key organisations
East Sussex County Council
Where East Sussex County Council does not take a lead role, we will play an advocacy role on all schemes, supporting pre-feasibility work, identifying funding and likely appropriate delivery partners and other key stakeholders. We will work with partners for onward business case and scheme development, and support applications and bids to secure funding. With the creation of the MCCA for Sussex and Brighton and the proposed local government reorganisation across the Sussex and Brighton to create new unitary authorities across the geography, the roles in relation to freight currently undertaken by the County Council will move across to these new organisations.
The County Council are also members of the Wider South East Freight Forum. This forum was developed by Transport for the South East (TfSE), England’s Economic Heartland (EEH) and Transport East (TE) and brings together freight and logistics industry representatives such as Logistics UK, the Road Haulage Association, local authorities, business representatives, and ports and airports, with recognition that the movement of goods does not stop at borders. The County Council was invited to present at the June 2025 meeting to share their learning on the development of the East Sussex Freight strategy.
With proposed local government reorganisation across Sussex and Brighton, the local planning functions will revert to the newly created unitary authorities (see paragraph 5.7 below).
Any updates or changes that arise in relation to the MCCA or local government reorganisation that take place after the Freight Strategy is adopted will be updated as appropriate.
Local planning authorities
At present, the district and borough councils of Eastbourne, Hastings, Lewes, Rother, Wealden, and the South Downs National Park Authority, as local planning authorities (LPAs), have a role to play in delivering the Freight Strategy. Their role is around securing and safeguarding sites for freight related activity including, but not limited to, rest stops and lorry parking (including vehicle charging), consolidation centres, depots, and intermodal goods terminals. They will also help identify any required infrastructure associated with these sites. As set out in paragraph 5.7 below, with proposed local government reorganisation across Sussex and Brighton, the local planning functions will revert to the newly created unitary authorities.
Mayoral Combined County Authority (MCCA) for Sussex and Brighton and new unitary authorities - emerging
The establishment of the MCCA for Sussex and Brighton with an elected Mayor, and local government reorganisation across West Sussex, Brighton & Hove and East Sussex will change the powers and funding for strategic planning, transport and economic growth from central government. Focusing this strategy on the types of freight related measures that the County Council, and in the near future the Mayor and new unitary authorities (alongside partners), can develop and deliver, will ensure that we are in a stronger position to either respond to any changes to local powers. It will also enable us to confidently lobby or apply for future funding from the MCCA and government.
Central Government
Central government will play a significant role in delivering many of the packages of interventions and investment priorities in this plan. This includes the Department for Transport (DfT), but also other government departments and their agencies (e.g. HM Treasury, National Highways, Network Rail and the emerging Great British Railways, and Active Travel England). Central Government’s role will include:
- Setting national policy for wide-ranging topics including climate change and new technology regulation,
- Setting investment and business case development frameworks to guide the planning and delivery of interventions (e.g. Green Book appraisal),
- Guiding the development and delivery of nationally significant infrastructure and networks (e.g. through setting National Policy Statements),
- Regulating the transport system (including economic and safety regulation), and
- In some cases, funding interventions.
The DfT, in their 2022 ‘Future of Freight: A Long Term Plan’, highlight that the most pressing national priorities - from building back after the pandemic and levelling up, to reducing our greenhouse emissions - all rely on the freight sector. Freight contributes £127 billion to the UK economy each year and supports £400 billion in manufacturing sales (National Infrastructure Commission, Better Delivery the Challenge for Freight, P5 and P10). With growth in the number of freight and logistics jobs and the significance of freight in its impact on the UKs overall carbon emissions, it is imperative that new technology is adopted to help reduce carbon emissions.
Network Rail, Great British Railways and freight operators
The British rail industry is currently undergoing one of the most significant periods of structural reform of the last three decades. The Secretary of State (SoS) for Transport will set the rail strategy, and it will be delivered through Great British Railways (GBR).
It is planned that GBR will lead the future development of the rail network in Great Britain and specify future infrastructure and service needs. It will lead delivery of the strategic rail schemes identified to deliver service enhancements which will improve connectivity within, to and from East Sussex and to other regions. However, this is all still subject to the publication of the consultation response and passing of the Parliamentary Bill for Rail Reform.
Freight operating companies operate the freight train services on the rail network. Government is backing the shift of freight from road to rail – with a 75% growth target carried by rail by 2050 (DfT, Rail Freight Growth Target Policy Paper). Each freight train removes 76 lorries from our roads, which could result in around 1 billion fewer HGV miles every year.
National Highways
National Highways (NH) lead the development and delivery of highway interventions on the strategic road network (SRN), which in East Sussex includes:
- A21 north of Hastings to the border with Kent (A21 in Hastings Borough is the responsibility of East Sussex County Council).
- A26 between Lewes and Newhaven.
- A27 between Falmer and Pevensey (Pevensey Bay roundabout).
- A259 from Pevensey (Pevensey Bay roundabout) to the east of Rye (except through Hastings Borough which is the responsibility of East Sussex County Council).
NH’s will support interventions where the SRN interfaces with local transport authority highways. They will utilise their internal project control framework to develop the business cases for highways interventions.
For National Highways, the Road Investment Strategy (RIS) forms the basis of their funding and work programmes in five-year periods, the next starting in April 2026 and running to March 2031. Most monies are pre-committed, and for a project to secure funding, inclusion within a RIS is strongly desirable.
Transport for the South East
Transport for the South East (TfSE) are the sub-national transport body for the South East of England. Their purpose is to determine what investment is needed to transform our region’s transport system and drive economic growth. In respect of freight, TfSE has published a Freight Logistics and International Gateways Strategy (2022) which identifies where and what level of investment is needed to better connect the region’s cities, towns, villages, ports, airports and international rail links, supporting sustainable economic growth in the South East and across the UK, which is supported by their recently adopted 2025 Transport Strategy. It also provides an action plan to deliver the strategy.
The TfSE Intermodal Freight Strategy aims to improve the sustainability, efficiency, and capacity of freight movement in the region, with a key focus on increasing rail-based intermodal transport. Recent studies highlight the region's lack of suitable sites for intermodal rail interchanges, which could constrain efforts to meet rail freight growth targets. The strategy's overall goals include decarbonisation, reducing road congestion, and improving connectivity at/to international gateways, notably ports and airports.
TfSE has also produced a lorry parking study (2024) which identifies the need for more lorry parking across their geography. TfSE are also developing an Intermodal Rail Freight Strategy, the aim of which is to support the Government’s 75% rail freight growth target by identifying potential opportunities for increasing the volume of intermodal freight that can be transferred from road to rail networks across the TfSE area.
Other local authorities
It is important to work closely with those authorities who adjoin East Sussex, since freight movements are not contained within the county. Strategic consideration of freight for longer journeys most likely to be made by road and rail are therefore of importance. Whilst much of this will be covered by TfSE, separate discussions with the counties, unitary authorities and potentially the district and borough councils adjoining East Sussex will need to be undertaken. The other authorities that the County Council liaise with will change over time t with the wider local government reorganisation proposals in these adjacent areas.
Business partnerships
Many businesses are responsible for the transportation of goods into, out of, around and through the county for deliveries to both the business(es) itself, and the customers they serve. It is important for businesses to consider how they contribute to the volume of freight movements on the transport network, and how this can be minimised, or made more sustainable – including by reducing the number and frequency of movements, and the mode of transportation utilised, i.e. how many emissions are generated.
Industry bodies
Logistics UK represent their Members from the UK’s road, rail, air and sea industry, as well as buyers and manufacturers of the freight service. They lobby Government, representing the business needs of logistics, with a unified voice.
The Road Haulage Association (RHA) represent road haulage businesses to manage their operations and protect their commercial interests. They work with Government and local authorities on national and local policy.
The United Road Transport Union (URTU) represents drivers and other distribution and logistics workers in the UK. They represent the workforce by campaigning, negotiating and lobbying for fair pay and improved working conditions including safety, and the conditions to support equal opportunities in the industry.
Freight operators
These companies transport goods from one location to another by road, rail, sea or air. They can be represented and advised by Logistics UK or (in respect of roads specifically) the Road Haulage Association. The operators are responsible for the transport and logistic activities relating to the movement of goods, as well as fleet management and route optimisation. Examples of freight hauliers include supermarkets, removal firms, logistics firms (e.g. Stobart) and smaller independent hauliers. There are also goods delivery firms such as Amazon, DPD, DHL etc. who transport goods over long distances to regional centres for delivery in the county.
Freight decarbonisation
Decarbonisation of the region’s freight networks will require the involvement of a range of specialist organisations. Examples include
- National Energy System Operator (NESO) and UK Power Networks as the areas Distribution Network Operator (DNO),
- the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ),
- the National Highways Climate and Carbon Team,
- Zero Emission Heavy Goods Vehicles and Infrastructure (ZEHID), and
- the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV).
Governance
East Sussex County Council will establish appropriate governance to oversee the development, delivery and benefits realisation arising from schemes and policies included in this strategy.
This approach will utilise the stakeholder groups established as part of the development of LTP4 and this Freight Strategy, which will support the monitoring of the strategy.
The County Council is a member of TfSE’s Partnership Board, and has the ability to guide the development and approval of regional strategies and policies. East Sussex County Council will also continue to engage with central government departments associated with the delivery of transport policy, such as the Department for Transport (DfT), and the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government.
Other national agencies such as NH and NR (alongside the emerging GBR) have responsibilities for freight and logistics within East Sussex. As such, the County Council will advocate for policy and investment that delivers on the objectives of this strategy.
LTP4 sets a range of objectives guiding the management and continued development to local transport across the county. This freight strategy will constitute a vital element of LTP4. The County Council will work collaboratively with its Local Planning Authorities to integrate the needs of freight and logistics within the delivery of their statutory Local Plans and ensure they prioritise the infrastructure required.
The nature of freight and logistics means industry and business, alongside members of the public, influence freight demand and movements. The County Council and partners will engage effectively with these stakeholders to facilitate behavioural change and mitigate impacts. It is important that the vision of the County Council and the stakeholders align to strengthen the future of the freight routeing network in, out of, through and around East Sussex.
This strategy, much like LTP4, will not be ‘owned’ or be the sole responsibility of the County Council, but by all those who are affected by freight operations in the county. Therefore, it is important to understand what our stakeholders can bring to the table which supports their and our aspirations for freight. We recognise that this will not, and cannot be, a one size fits all approach, and must therefore be adaptable to different scenarios and localities.