One East Sussex - the business case

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One East Sussex is a detailed proposal for a single council for the county, to serve its 555,000 residents and its businesses from 2028.

The evidence-based business case was developed over several months following the government’s decision to replace the present two-tier structure of county council and borough/district councils. It was worked up by all six existing councils in East Sussex and draws on detailed evidence, analysis and the views of local people.

One East Sussex shows that a single unitary council would be simpler for residents, would save money, and would avoid the extra complexity of splitting up existing services.

It would also meet the government’s guidelines for new unitary councils and would preserve the partnerships between councils, NHS, emergency services and government so that we could continue to develop services with our communities.

The proposal was submitted to government on 26 September 2025. On 25 March 2026 Government announced they are not ready to make a decision about the future shape of Local Government in East Sussex, but will instead consult on a variation of the One East Sussex proposal, after the elections in May.

Their variation would see Peacehaven, Telscombe, East Saltdean and Falmer parish transferred to Brighton and Hove to bolster its footprint.

One East Sussex - read the full business case

Appendix

Annexes

  1. Brighton and Hove maps [1.6 MB] [pdf]

  2. Demographic insights pack [938.8 KB] [pdf]

  3. Engagement summary [5.4 MB] [pdf]

  4. Letter from Telscombe Town Council [137.4 KB] [pdf]

  5. Letter from Kingston Parish Council [162.4 KB] [pdf]

  6. Letter from Rodmell Parish Council [225.2 KB] [pdf]

  7. Letter from Peacehaven Town Council [386.0 KB] [pdf]

  8. Letter from Newhaven Town Council [373.8 KB] [pdf]

  9. Letter from Iford Parish Council [210.1 KB] [pdf]

  10. Letter from Parishes of the Lower Ouse [217.8 KB] [pdf]

  11. Public focus groups write-up [150.2 KB] [pdf]

  12. User Voice groups write-up [217.9 KB] [pdf]

If you find you cannot easily access any of the documents on this page, you can request them in a different format. Please email the communications team .