Last day to have say on controversial consultation ending today to absorb Lewes villages into Brighton
Kingston Ward could become part of the city as part of devolution plans.
A controversial consultation's ending today on absorbing seven Lewes villages into Brighton council boundaries.
Kingston Ward could become part of the city as part of devolution plans.
BHCC is currently consulting on four options for expansion as part of its wider response to Local Government Reorganisation — an ongoing process, which is expected to see the county, district and borough councils in East Sussex replaced with a new unitary authority in the next few years.
Each of the four options presented by the city council propose expansion into East Saltdean, Telscombe Cliffs and Peacehaven, while some of the options also propose expansions into Newhaven and the Kingston area.
At the same time, Lewes District Council and East Sussex County Council are holding a joint consultation on the same four proposals — with an added option to make no change.
Councillors who represent the areas which could be affected by the boundary changes have called on their residents to respond to both consultations before the deadline.
They include Lewes MP James MacCleary (Lib Dem), whose parliamentary seat includes Newhaven and Kingston. Mr MacCleary is also a county councillor representing Newhaven and Bishopstone.
Mr MacCleary said: “Brighton’s Labour-run council proposals make no sense; Newhaven is a distinct community ten miles from Brighton.
"Kingston and surrounding villages are rural, and much of the area lies in the South Downs National Park.
"These are not Brighton communities, and residents do not want to be ruled from Hove Town Hall.
“It is unclear what, if any, benefits this brings to our communities — the benefits to Labour’s debt-ridden administration in Brighton are a lot clearer.
“Lots of residents have contacted me to express their reasonable concerns and confusion.
"The government wants Sussex to move forward quickly and the East Sussex proposal enables that by sticking to current boundaries and keeping communities together.
“Brighton’s unwelcome plan has turned the whole thing into a real dog’s breakfast and risks delaying the whole process.”
Similar comments have been made by Cllr Zoe Nicholson (Green), Leader of Lewes District Council, who said: “We really need people to respond to both consultations. Both ours and Brighton and Hove City Council’s.
“I remain really concerned about Brighton and Hove’s attempted land grab and decision to put forward these proposals without any meaningful prior consultation with us.
“It is clear from the response we’ve had to our petition, which has now been signed by more than 5,000 people, that people in Lewes district don’t want to be subsumed by Brighton and Hove.”
In a statement included on the petition’s webpage, district council’s deputy leader Christine Robinson (Lab) also criticised BHCC’s proposals.
Cllr Robinson, who represents said: “We will vigorously resist any attempts to annex our communities against the will of residents. We are here to serve the people of Lewes district, and we will not allow our green spaces to become a backdoor solution to Brighton’s housing crisis.
“We believe in local democracy and ensuring our residents have a genuine say in what happens to their homes and communities.”
Similar comments have been made by Stella Spiteri (Lib Dem), Lewes District ward councillor for Kingston.
Cllr Spiteri said: “I don’t think anyone involved in this bizarre bid to add our villages to Brighton’s council area has stepped foot in our villages. They don’t seem to understand our rural needs and identity. This shows how poorly the people of Kingston would be governed from a council chamber in the city.
“As a Kingston resident, I regularly walk into Lewes — as people have been doing for centuries. To say that going to Lewes would be leaving our area is farcical, and I hope Brighton and Hove City Council will reconsider and withdraw its proposal.”