Government devolution plans and Sussex proposals
Very soon, Adur & Worthing Councils will be inviting staff, councillors, local organisations, and communities to come together to shape a shared vision for the future of our places and inform our devolution plans.
The challenge
The government has launched a consultation on devolution in Sussex, looking at how local decision-making could be shaped in the future:
At Adur & Worthing Councils, we want to go further. This isn't just about councils getting more powers - it's about ensuring that our communities and partners have a real say in shaping the future of the places we live, work or study.
We believe that devolution should reflect what makes our places special - our people, our creativity, and the unique strengths of Adur and Worthing. That's why we're inviting residents, local organisations, businesses, and public sector partners to join the conversation and shape the proposals we put forward.
This is an opportunity to think beyond council structures and focus on what our places need - whether it's enabling communities to support each other, developing thriving local economies, or tackling the big challenges together.
Watch this space as we launch a programme of participation for you to get involved in and have your say! In the meantime, we will be holding sessions with our local organisations and business partners in March.
Check out more, see our:
What is devolution?
Devolution empowers local communities by transferring decision-making from central government to local leaders, allowing for tailored solutions that address specific regional needs, such as on transport, housing, education and economic development. Further information is outlined in the Government Devolution White Paper:
What is local government reorganisation?
Reorganisation means changing how councils are structured to make them work better. This often involves replacing two-tier systems (county and district councils) with single-tier unitary authorities.
For residents this means that instead of dealing with multiple councils for different issues, a single-tier authority creates clearer accountability, faster decision-making, and better coordination of services.
The key difference is that reorganisation changes the structure of councils, while devolution gives them more power and funding to make decisions locally.
What have the upper tier authorities in Sussex proposed?
The Cabinets of the Sussex upper tier authorities - East Sussex County Council, West Sussex County Council and Brighton & Hove City Council have proposed a Mayoral Strategic Authority covering all of Sussex. This has now been agreed by the government, and will cover West Sussex, East Sussex and Brighton & Hove, with a population of 1.7 million, aligning with the Sussex Police and Integrated Care System (ICS) areas.
What is the difference between a unitary authority and a strategic combined authority?
A unitary authority would bring the services that lower (district/borough) and upper tier (county) councils currently provide to better tackle issues in a holistic way - ie bringing supported housing, social care and homelessness together.
The strategic combined authority will have strategic regional powers - such as around transport, skills & employment, strategic planning, regeneration and devolution of funding. Examples such as Greater Manchester, West Midlands and Greater London show the different roles between a regional combined authority and unitaries within it.
The government has published a Devolution Framework summary table to outline which level of local authority would do what. Sussex will be a Mayoral authority. See:
What has been announced about devolution in Sussex and Brighton?
Sussex and Brighton have now been accepted onto the government's priority programme for devolution, meaning discussions will take place on transferring new powers and resources from central government to the region. This is a significant step towards securing greater local decision-making powers. You can read the full government announcement and see the list of priority areas here:
What does this mean for Adur & Worthing Councils?
As part of Sussex and Brighton's inclusion in the priority programme, Adur & Worthing Councils will be actively planning engagement with staff, elected members, communities, and partners to explore what devolution could mean for our area. This will ensure local voices are heard and shape the approach as discussions progress. Watch this space for further updates on how you can get involved.
Will this mean a new Mayor for Sussex and Brighton?
As Sussex and Brighton have been included in the government's priority programme for devolution, discussions will take place around potential governance models, which may include a directly elected mayor. However, these discussions are at an early stage, and more details will emerge as the process develops.
What are the timescales?
- 10th January 2025: East Sussex, West Sussex and Brighton & Hove Councils submitted an expression of interest to join the priority devolution programme to the government.
- 5th February 2025: Government has announced the areas that will join the priority devolution programme, including Sussex & Brighton:
- End of March 2025: West Sussex Authorities are working together to outline to the government the progress being made towards the submission of reorganisation business cases in the autumn, aligned with the Government Devolution White Paper:
- Spring 2025: Devolution consultation on the plans following which a Ministerial decision will be taken as to whether to proceed with a Combined Authority.
- Spring-Summer 2025: Adur & Worthing Councils will engage with staff, members, communities, and partners to ensure local perspectives inform the detailed plan and provide a long term vision for the future of our local area.
- End of September 2025: Councils must develop and submit a detailed plan for how the new structures will help ensure the area is economically viable, provide better public services for residents and show how community views have shaped the plan.
- End of 2025 to early 2026: Ministers will consider proposals for the unitary authorities and the phasing of implementation of these with statutory consultations being undertaken on the first tranche of proposals.
- 2026: Mayoral elections for Sussex as a region and decision to move to Mayoral Strategic Authority.
- 2027: Elections for a new unitary shadow authority.
- 2028: Reorganisation completed and unitary councils go live.
What are the next steps?
For now, we encourage you to read more about devolution and its potential benefits via the GOV.UK announcement (below) and keep an eye out for upcoming engagement opportunities.
Page last updated: 06 March 2025