News and events

January events coming soon..

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Release date: 9 January 2025

The Cabinets of the three Sussex upper tier Councils have today agreed to submit an expression of interest to be considered for the Government’s Devolution Priority Programme indicating support for a Sussex Mayoral Strategic Authority which could unlock new powers for the region.

The Government’s white paper on English Devolution states that Mayoral Strategic Authorities will bring funding and local decision-making powers down from central government to deliver on economic growth, jobs and skills, housing and transport.

A Mayoral Strategic Authority could give the people of Sussex a stronger voice in how national decisions affect them and greater power to shape major projects across the area.

If the Government accepts the initial proposal for Sussex to join the devolution priority programme, the Government will run a consultation to obtain residents’ views.

West Sussex County Council Leader, Cllr Paul Marshall, said: “We were pleased to receive the clarity needed from the Government which clearly identified the benefits an elected Mayor and strategic authority would bring to Sussex. By bringing powers down from central government on transport, infrastructure and health, we can join services and plans together that will enable more efficient and strategic decision making which will help boost our economy and the wellbeing of our residents and communities.”

Cllr Bella Sankey, Leader of Brighton & Hove City Council said: “This is an exciting and significant step to unlock new powers and resources for communities across Sussex. I’m keen to move swiftly with the Government and all tiers of local government across the region to take advantage of the opportunities being presented to us.”

Leader of East Sussex County Council, Cllr Keith Glazier, said: “This is historic for Sussex; bringing together the three authorities and our partners to discuss the future of local government in the area and the benefits to our residents, businesses, and communities it could bring. We have all looked closely at the Government’s white paper, together discussed its benefits and what it offers and believe that we have come to the right decision to put forward an expression of interest for a Strategic Mayoral Authority for Sussex.”

The Government’s White Paper set out in detail the key areas that a strategic authority would be in control of to drive growth and provide support on shaping public services. These include:

• Transport and local infrastructure
• Skills and employment support
• Housing and strategic planning
• Economic development and regeneration
• Environment and climate change
• Health, wellbeing and public service reform
• Public safety

Additional information

The expected timeline following the submission of the proposal is:

• A devolution consultation would be held before the end of March 2025.
• The results of the devolution consultation will be assessed in the Spring 2025 following which a Ministerial decision will be taken as to whether to proceed with a Mayoral Strategic Authority (prior to unitary re-organisation).  The Spending Review will then confirm future mayoral investment funds for new mayoral areas.
• relevant legislation will be laid before Parliament in relation to the creation of Strategic Authorities.
• In March 2026 notice of mayoral elections will be given for a Mayoral election in May 2026. A decision whether to move to a Mayoral Strategic Authority under the reorganised arrangements would follow.

The plans for devolution do not change the councils’ commitment to service delivery for communities across Sussex.

There will follow a separate process of Local Government re-organisation

• A formal invitation to submit reorganisation proposals will be issued to all authorities in January. 
• At the end of 2025 and in early 2026 Ministers will consider unitary proposals and delivery phasing with statutory consultations being undertaken on the first tranche of proposals.

Timelines for the remainder of the reorganisation process will be subject to the proposals received.

A new adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s comic and quirky tale “Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime”, a delightfully silly Victorian comedy chock full of muddled murder attempts and comic confusion. Meet Lord Arthur Savile – he has riches, the best of health, complete happiness and is engaged to marry his beautiful fiancé Sybil in just three weeks’ time. But his future mother-in-law invites a fortune teller who reads his palm, exclaiming “I see blood on your hand”. The scene is set! Lord Arthur now believes he is destined to commit a murder, and to avoid any intrigue or inconvenience to his bride to be, he decides to perform the dastardly deed before the wedding takes place. With murder in the offing, his hilarious attempts to avert disaster are more hindered than helped by various servants…. assorted relatives …. passing anarchists …. and a strong sense of upstanding Victorian duty. Which method will Lord Arthur choose, to whom? and will he succeed? Our scene is set for an evening of outstanding comedy, suspense and intrigue!

Book here: Winter Tour Dates

Good afternoon,

I hope this email finds you well.

I wanted to remind you of the mechanisms for reporting a problem with a road or pavement, such as a pothole, flooding or drainage issues and overgrown vegetation.

In the first instance, we ask that residents report these problems directly to us using our online reporting forms: Make an enquiry or report a problem with a road or pavement - West Sussex County Council

Residents can also report the matter to our Customer Services Centre via [email protected] or if the issue is an emergency and presents an immediate risk to public safety, we ask that they phone 01243 642105. This phone number is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Reporting problems via these tools creates a direct enquiry for our officers, enabling them to investigate the issue, ascertain if an intervention level defect is found as per our Highway Inspection Manual and then forward the issue on to the appropriate service specialist for remedial works to be undertaken.

Additionally, our online Pothole reporting tool has been updated, to simplify the process for residents and enable them to easily confirm if the issue has already been reported, prior to entering any other information. You can view these new changes here: Report a pothole online - West Sussex County Council

Following a recent trial on the way in which we communicate with Parishes and our trusted partners, we have created a separate email address, specifically for Parishes to escalate complex issues within your area: [email protected]. For community projects, the installation of wildflower verges and so on please use: [email protected].

I would stress that these email addresses are not to be given to the public and are not to be used for the general reporting of issues with the highway, such as potholes and flooding. In these circumstances, we would direct you to report via the main mechanisms, detailed above.

You may find the following pages on our website useful to share with your residents, including information on our Better Roads Campaign, winter service and severe weather updates.

• Better Roads - West Sussex County Council
• Winter service - West Sussex County Council
• Severe weather update - West Sussex County Council

We are keen to promote the use of our social media pages, including our current X (previously known as Twitter) account and this is where you will find road updates for your area, including road closures, emergency works, severe weather warnings etc on high-speed roads.  Please follow us (@WSHighways) / X (twitter.com)

Finally, I wanted to inform you that I have now recently taken over from Christine Ellison as Assistant Area Highway Manager and to provide you with my contact details for future reference.

I look forward to working with yourselves in the future.

Kind regards

Andy Tuck

Assistant Area Highway Manager – Eastern Area

Economy, Infrastructure & Environment – Highways, Transport and Planning

West Sussex County Council

Location: Eastern Office, Jobs Depot, Pookbourne Lane, Hickstead, West Sussex, BN6 9HD 

Contact: Internal: 25162 | External: +44 (0)330 2225 162| Mobile: +44 (0)7546 763656 | E-mail: [email protected]

Calling All Amateur & Novice Artists! Exhibit Your Work in a Relaxed, Non-Competitive Space

• What: Quarterly art exhibitions showcasing the creativity of local amateur and novice artists.
• Who: Open to all local artists, free of charge.
• When: Exhibits change quarterly on the 1st Tuesday of January, April, July, and October.
• Details: No specific theme—bring any artwork you’d like to display.

This is a wonderful opportunity to share your art in a supportive environment!