Government has announced it will consult on a potential modification to the two unitary proposal for the reorganisation of local government in East Sussex and Brighton and Hove.

For East Sussex, a potential modification to the single unitary proposed by East Sussex - one single unitary authority which would see East Sussex County Council and Eastbourne, Hastings, Lewes, Rother and Wealden councils becoming one council - was formally requested by Brighton and Hove City Council in response to an initial consultation and seeks to move four wards and one parish from Lewes into an expanded Brighton and Hove, reducing the size of the East Sussex unitary council.

It would mean that LGR could look like:

• Authority A: Brighton plus the following wards and parish from Lewes (as requested) – East Saltdean & Telscombe Cliffs, Peacehaven West, Peacehaven East, Peacehaven North, Falmer Parish (from Kingston ward). That would give the authority a population of around 308,000.
• Authority B: Eastbourne, Hastings, Rother, Wealden and remaining parts of Lewes. That would give the authority a population of around 537,000.

The Secretary of State wishes to explore whether this potential modification would deliver the positive strengths of the East Sussex proposal in relation to service delivery while facilitating the growth of Brighton and Hove.

The government consultation runs until 23.59pm 15 June 2026.