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b|2026-10-26|156||Sussex is a 'thing'. But a single regional economy might not be.||Budget, John Healey, mayoral borrowing, Good Growth Fund, income tax sharing, fiscal devolution, The Guardian, Sussex & Brighton Strategic Authority, SBSA, FHESSA, Further & Higher Education Sussex Strategic Alliance, skills alliance, Bexhill College, BHASVIC, University of Brighton, Chichester College Group, University of Chichester, East Sussex College Group, Plumpton College, University of Sussex, Varndean College, Centre for Cities, good growth, Crawley, Brighton, Worthing, Hastings, Hastings Commons, Jess Steele, Kinship Works, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, civic renewal, neighbourhood renewal, community ownership, John V. Willshire, Bruno Latour, Sussex identity, Be Business Energy Wise, energy efficiency, East Sussex County Council|This week’s edition is about Sussex confronting the fact that there might not be a single regional growth model. Wednesday's Budget will have a lot to say about devolution, and may give mayors new borrowing power; nine Sussex colleges and universities have…|~/sussex-is-a-thing.-but-a-single-regional-economy-might-not-be|1416823063773¶p|2026-10-26|67|34|Sussex Is A 'Thing' And We Wunt Be Druv. But What Do We Want Instead?|John V. Willshire (founder, Smithery)|Strategic design, Devolution, Sussex identity, Participatory democracy, Sussex Futures Network, Sussex Charter, Sussex Day, Chartists, Thomas Paine, Lewes, Serious play|Strategic designer John Willshire and Richard explore Sussex as a 'thing' in Bruno Latour's sense, a gathering around shared concerns. They cover the Sussex Futures Network, a Chartist-inspired democracy card game with 'dreadocracy' and 'dreamocracy', the Sussex Charter, Sussex Day and Thomas Paine in Lewes.|@/67-sussex-is-a-thing-and-we-wunt-be-druv-but-what-do-we-want-instead|¶b|2026-10-19|155||Is devolution changing what Sussex thinks is possible?||Power to Change, community business, Denise Butterell, Rotherham, community engagement, Local Government Lawyer, LGR pause, local government reorganisation, judicial review, council workforce, West Sussex, East Sussex, Brighton & Hove, Arts Council England, National Portfolio, Culture Sussex, cultural investment, culture, Demi Heath, B Corp, responsible business, Brighton & Hove Growth Board, South Downs National Park, Be Business Energy Wise|This week’s edition looks how devolution is becoming a catalyst for how some investment vehicles, policy influencers and institutions are rethinking what is possible and what is needed.|~/is-devolution-changing-what-sussex-thinks-is-possible|1406621331678¶p|2026-10-18|66|39|Is Sussex Becoming The Capital Of Better Business?|Demi Heath (founder, Hearth Sustainability; co-chair, Brighton B Local)|B Corp, Stakeholder capitalism, Sussex economy, Brighton & Hove, South Downs National Park, Devolution, Strategic Authority, Responsible business, Sustainability skills|Asks whether responsible business, especially B Corp certification, could become part of Sussex's economic identity as devolution takes shape. Demi Heath argues sustainable practice should be the norm rather than a niche.|@/66-is-sussex-becoming-the-capital-of-better-business|¶b|2026-10-12|154||Investment is coming. Will the value stay here?||Sussex & Brighton Strategic Authority, SBSA, transport delivery plan, buses, bus priority, fares, £100m buses, Centre for Cities, NEET, young people, youth unemployment, ONS, Brighton & Hove, Crawley, Worthing, adult skills, Adult Skills Fund, FE Week, skills devolution pilot, West Sussex, East Sussex, Ian Jolley, Agricom, Petworth, inward investment, logistics, James Leigh, Expert Opinion, scale-ups, local ownership, Be Business Energy Wise|This week: the Strategic Authority has approved a county-wide transport plan including nearly £100m for buses; Brighton & Hove’s youth inactivity rate looks comparatively strong, but gaps in local data remain; and an adult-skills pilot is exposing uneven…|~/investment-is-coming.-will-the-value-stay-here-2|1397718252777¶p|2026-10-11|65|34|What An Outside Investor Sees In The Sussex Economy|Ian Jolley (entrepreneur and investor; owner, Agricom)|Sussex economy, Agricom, Petworth, Logistics, Transport, Rural infrastructure, South Downs, Small business support, Inward investment, EV skills|Ian Jolley describes how acquiring a rural West Sussex repair business drew him into the county. He contrasts Sussex's deliberate business pace with elsewhere and argues smaller firms, logistics and fragmented support deserve more attention.|@/65-what-an-outside-investor-sees-in-the-sussex-economy|¶b|2026-10-09|153||A big announcement||Sussex And The City tour, 2027, live events, Question Time, BBC, transport, housing, skills, regeneration, health, public services, culture, environment, coastal communities, rural communities, brand partners, sponsorship, speakers, livestream|Sussex And The City is going on tour in 2027: at least 13 Question Time-style live events across Sussex towns and cities, tackling transport, housing, skills, regeneration, health, culture, the environment and coastal and rural communities against the backdrop of devolution. A call for brand partners and speaker suggestions.|~/a-big-announcement|1395685907645¶b|2026-10-05|152||Big ambitions with limited capacity||Mark Rogers, Sussex & Brighton Strategic Authority, SBSA, interim chief executive, devolution capacity, workforce, Labour Party conference, South Yorkshire, Local Government Chronicle, fire and rescue, East Sussex Fire Authority, West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service, West Sussex County Council, The Argus, young people, youth voice, Children's Commissioner, Greater Manchester, North East, youth combined authority, Wired-Gov, Donna Cezair, Worthing Homes, social housing, housing associations, affordable rent, housing crisis, temporary accommodation, Sussex Business Times, experiments, Be Business Energy Wise|This week’s edition is about Sussex being asked to do more, faster, with institutions that are still being built. Mark Rogers is warning about a shortage of people with the right experience; fire governance is transferring earlier than expected; and there…|~/big-ambitions-with-limited-capacity|1389949149377¶p|2026-10-04|64|37|What Would A Sussex Housebuilding Revolution Actually Take?|Donna Cezair (chief executive, Worthing Homes)|Social housing, Housing associations, Worthing Homes, Worthing, Devolution, Strategic Authority, Greater Manchester, Section 106, Place shaping, Construction skills|How social housing works in Sussex: housing association funding, rent types and why the region has 70+ providers. Could housing be planned alongside transport, jobs and health under devolution, with the sector presenting a united offer to a mayor?|@/64-what-would-a-sussex-housebuilding-revolution-actually-take|¶b|2026-09-28|151||Can Sussex afford to wait?||Hampshire, Hampshire & The Solent, mayoral election 2027, mayoral election delay, BBC, Bidwells, planning, local plans, Spatial Development Strategy, transition, unitary councils, Ross Mudie, Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods, PoliticsHome, left-behind neighbourhoods, deprivation, Rob Alcroft, Wayforward, nature recovery, open letter, Sussex prosperity, sustainable tourism, TEDxWorthing, Worthing Pavilion, Sussex Intelligence Unit, cultural events, economic impact, festivals, Sussex Skills 26, American Express Stadium, Falmer, Skills England|Devolution feels like a whirlwind that has hit Sussex from nowhere in the past 18 months. But - now the train is on the tracks - some people are wondering if we're going fast enough.|~/can-sussex-afford-to-wait|1379965009123¶p|2026-09-27|63|31|Sussex Could Become A Global Nature Recovery Hotspot|Rob Alcroft (co-founder, Wayforward)|Nature recovery, Wayforward, Sussex Bay, Local Nature Recovery Strategies, River Adur, Weald to Waves, Sussex Wildlife Trust, Ecotourism, South Downs, Devolution|Recorded in July 2025 and revisited: how devolution could put nature recovery at the centre of Sussex prosperity. With better coordination and a stronger political voice, Sussex could be an international hub for nature recovery, research and sustainable tourism.|@/63-sussex-could-become-a-global-nature-recovery-hotspot|¶b|2026-09-21|150||Edges, boundaries and neighbours||local government reorganisation, LGR review, County Councils Network, CCN, council map, East Sussex, Brighton & Hove, West Sussex, IPPR, youth employment, WorkStart, employment support, Centre for Cities, fiscal devolution, £21.5bn, business rates, corporation tax, Autumn Budget, Hannah Lazell, Hampshire, Havant, Portsmouth, Chichester, cross-border, Local Government Association, South Downs, TEDxWorthing, Sussex Business Times, Sussex Skills 26, Skills England|Devolution is meant to make government fit places better. But this week raises one of the awkward paradoxes - that the harder we draw new boundaries, the more we risk ignoring the economies, communities and services that already spill across them.|~/edges-boundaries-and-neighbours|1368353232118¶p|2026-09-20|62|34|Why Sussex And Hampshire May Need Each Other|Hannah Lazell (political and public affairs consultant; former LGA adviser)|Devolution, Hampshire, Portsmouth, Brighton, A27, Local government reorganisation, Strategic authorities, Northern mayors, South Coast|How devolution could help Sussex and Hampshire collaborate on shared challenges like slow rail links, the A27 and airport access, how identities vary within each county, and what the South Coast could learn from northern mayors.|@/62-why-sussex-and-hampshire-may-need-each-other|¶b|2026-09-14|149||Devolution rolls on, even as LGR hits the brakes||Angela Rayner, LGR pause, local government reorganisation, strategic authorities 2028, shadow unitary councils, May 2027 elections, visitor levy, tourism tax, overnight stays, high streets, John Milne, Horsham, Liberal Democrats, East Sussex, Brighton & Hove, West Sussex, Sussex Intelligence Unit, TEDxWorthing, Dan Thompson, Sarah Hadwen, Sussex Skills 26, Skills England|This week’s bulletin looks at the split-screen emerging in Sussex devolution, as local government reorganisation has been paused and put under review, but the wider devolution timetable is still on track.|~/devolution-rolls-on-even-as-lgr-hits-the-brakes|1358646896828¶p|2026-09-13|61|38|What Political Shake-ups Mean For Sussex|John Milne MP (Liberal Democrat MP for Horsham)|Horsham, Devolution, Local government reorganisation, Housing, Planning, Rural buses, Sussex mayor, Capitol Theatre, Infrastructure, West Sussex|John Milne backs devolution for transport and the economy but opposes local government reorganisation, fearing larger councils weaken accountability. He describes Horsham's housing pressure and the challenge of one mayor representing such a varied region.|@/61-what-political-shake-ups-mean-for-sussex|¶b|2026-09-08|148||The LGR pause: some FAQs||LGR pause, local government reorganisation, Angela Rayner, rapid review, Essex, Hampshire and the Solent, Norfolk and Suffolk, Surrey, Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, East Sussex, Brighton & Hove, West Sussex, May 2027 elections, shadow unitary councils, Sussex & Brighton Strategic Authority, SBSA, £1.14 billion investment fund, mayoral election 2028, rewiring the state, Steve Reed, judicial review, legal challenge, council savings, unitary councils, transition costs, adult social care, children's services, FAQs|Lots of you got in touch yesterday following the news from the Ministry for Housing, Local Government & Communities about local government reorganisation (LGR). So, here are some quick FAQs to update you on what that means for Sussex. And also a special…|~/the-lgr-pause-some-faqs|1352943055064¶b|2026-09-07|147||Sussex devolution starts spending||Sussex & Brighton Strategic Authority, SBSA, East Sussex County Council, business support, Time to Grow, Scale-Up East Sussex, Create East Sussex, Be Business Energy Wise, creative industries, Digital Islands, Sussex Innovation, Studio Zao, Always Possible, Andrew Griffith, Shadow Chancellor, Mel Stride, Kemi Badenoch, Conservatives, Global Technologies Racing, Fontwell, A27, fair funding, Catja de Haas, Chichester Laboratory, Chichester, NatWest Accelerator, University of Brighton, Rob Hopkins, Transition movement, Really Regenerative Centre, Weald & Downland Museum, PlacesForLife, Hastings Area Chamber of Commerce, Hastings|In this back-to-school week, we’re looking at some of the first visible signs of Sussex devolution turning into actual investment, especially via new business support being backed by the Sussex & Brighton Strategic Authority.|~/sussex-devolution-starts-spending|1350142365923¶p|2026-09-06|60|32|Can Chichester Become A Laboratory For The Future?|Dr Catja de Haas (architect and urbanist; director, Chichester Laboratory)|Chichester, Chichester Laboratory, Urban experimentation, Housing density, Cycling, Water pollution, Community engagement, Climate adaptation, Devolution|Could Chichester be a testing ground for housing, cycling, water pollution and climate solutions that shape wider devolution plans? The Chichester Laboratory links local problems with researchers, professionals and communities.|@/58-can-chichester-become-a-laboratory-for-the-future|¶b|2026-09-01|146||Deep tech, nature and the politics of who benefits||Rewiring the State, Andy Burnham, Prime Minister, No 10 North, Wildlife Trusts, Matt Browne, nature, water planning, climate resilience, Duncan Crow, Crawley, Conservatives, fiscal devolution, John Harris, The Guardian, rural, coastal, city-regions, Adam Muirhead, young people, youth work, youth power, Maria Camila Bedoya-Toro, Sussex Innovation, deep tech, inequality, Sussex Intelligence Unit, Rob Hopkins, Hastings Area Chamber of Commerce, Sussex Skills 26|The Government’s Rewiring the State programme promises to move funding and accountability out of Whitehall, with mayors gaining greater control over transport, skills, housing and locally generated revenues.|~/deep-tech-nature-and-the-politics-of-who-benefits|1341486485691¶p|2026-08-30|59|36|Maybe We Should Stop Consulting Young People, And Give Them Some Power Instead|Adam Muirhead (director of youth work services, Trust for Developing Communities)|Young people, Youth work, Youth assembly, Children's precept, Affordable housing, Youth travel, Skills, Brighton & Hove, Trust for Developing Communities, Devolution|Argues devolution should give young people real power, not just consultation. Proposes a permanent youth assembly, a future generations commissioner, a children's precept and a county-wide youth travel concession.|@/59-maybe-we-should-stop-consulting-young-people-and-give-them-some-power-instead|¶b|2026-08-24|145||Whitehall sends the experts. But who’s learning from whom?||Lewes rail derailment, Shoreham, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, civil servants, Whitehall secondments, devolution capacity, Andy Burnham, No 10 North, district and borough councils, Centre for Cities, Anthony Breach, fiscal devolution, council tax, business rates, local taxes, Laura Charge, immigration, Home Office, small boats, skills shortages, international workers, Horsham, Sussex Intelligence Unit, Sussex Business Times, Rob Hopkins, Hastings, Sussex Skills 26|Sussex has been in the national news for all the wrong reasons this past week. The terrifying rail derailment at Lewes, the unfathomably sad family deaths at Shoreham, and our favourite adopted Duke and Duchess coming home (and clogging up 'Sussex' search…|~/whitehall-sends-the-experts.-but-whos-learning-from-whom|1329480210673¶p|2026-08-23|58|36|Small Boats Aren't Sussex's Real Immigration Story|Laura Charge (immigration consultant; former Home Office specialist)|Immigration, Skills shortages, Lawful migration routes, Sponsorship licences, Chagossian community, Crawley, Brighton & Hove, Sussex mayor, Devolution|Looks at immigration through Sussex's economy and communities rather than national small-boats debates. Around 40 lawful routes exist; a mayor would shape skills and growth but not immigration policy.|@/58-small-boats-arent-sussexs-real-immigration-story|¶b|2026-08-17|144||Sussex makes world-class cancer technology. Does anyone know?||Jacob Taylor, Brighton & Hove City Council, deputy leader, Andy Burnham, transport, housing, skills, NAVCA, ACRE, voluntary sector, charities, community organisations, local government reorganisation, Tim Rose, Elekta, Crawley, medtech, radiotherapy, cancer technology, manufacturing, NatWest Accelerator, University of Brighton, Sussex Skills 26, American Express Stadium, WhatsApp community, podcast guest suggestions|We hope you're making it through the relentless heat of this remarkable summer. In this edition, Brighton & Hove Council deputy leader Jacob Taylor makes the case for stronger local powers, new research warns that reorganisation could weaken councils’…|~/sussex-makes-world-class-cancer-technology.-does-anyone-know|1324429692123¶p|2026-08-16|57|32|The Global Medtech Story Hiding In Sussex|Tim Rose (UK general manager, Elekta)|Elekta, Crawley, Manor Royal, Gatwick Diamond, Medtech, Skills, Apprenticeships, Transport, One Sussex, STEM, Devolution|Elekta's Crawley campus builds cancer radiotherapy machines for clients worldwide. Why do Sussex's major employers get so little recognition, and how could devolution, transport, housing and skills build a stronger shared economic identity?|@/57-the-global-medtech-story-hiding-in-sussex|¶b|2026-08-10|143||The arguments over Sussex prosperity||Gatwick, Gatwick Airport, Northern Runway, Coast to Capital, Crawley, open letter, Prosperity Strategy, climate resilience, social equity, nature, Sussex & Brighton Strategic Authority, Chris Hare, Worthing, historian, Worthing Theatres & Museum, Connaught Theatre, Pavilion Theatre, Dan Yates, Expert Opinion, housing, mayor delivery, stalled sites, podcast guest suggestions|This week, Gatwick raises questions about how Sussex handles growth across transport, housing, skills and investment. A new open letter argues that climate resilience and social equity should sit inside the region’s definition of prosperity.|~/the-arguments-over-sussex-prosperity|1310122809547¶p|2026-08-09|56|38|The Letter That Started This Whole Devolution Conversation|Chris Hare (historian, writer, community educator)|Devolution, Local government reorganisation, Worthing, Council finances, Elected mayor, Democratic legitimacy, Sussex identity, Water services|Revisits Chris Hare's open letter in Worthing questioning devolution and council reorganisation, which helped inspire the podcast. Do institutional changes really move power to communities, and why does trust matter as much as structure?|@/56-the-letter-that-started-this-whole-devolution-conversation|¶b|2026-08-03|142||Sussex devolution just got much more serious||Rewiring the State, mayoral powers, skills, employment support, technical education, bus franchising, integrated ticketing, rail, housing, regeneration, innovation funding, Arts Council England, Sport England, culture, sport, policing, fire, health, deputy mayors, business rates, local income tax, Overnight Visitor Levy, Business Advisory Board, bus reform, £564,000, buses, Ian Smith, Surrey & Sussex Integrated Care Board, Vanessa Rowlands, South Downs National Park Authority, Strategic Authority board, @thatisnewstome, TikTok, Instagram, social media, accountability|The big news on Friday was that the Government appears to be contemplating a fundamental rewiring of how England is governed. The proposals published on 31st July would move far bigger powers, budgets and revenue away from Whitehall and towards mayors than…|~/sussex-devolution-just-got-much-more-serious|1304143482082¶p|2026-08-02|55|37|The TikTok Influencer Making Sense Of Sussex Devolution|Charlotte (@thatisnewstome, political content creator)|Devolution, Local government reorganisation, Unitary councils, Brighton boundaries, Housing, Mayoral powers, Civic engagement, Social media|Explaining devolution and council reorganisation in short social videos: competing unitary proposals, Brighton's boundaries, housing growth, identity and the mayor's role, and what it means when people learn about change from independent creators.|@/55-the-tiktok-influencer-making-sense-of-sussex-devolution|¶b|2026-07-27|141||Moving power is easy. Making it work is harder.||Andy Burnham, No 10 North, MHCLG, Manchester, devolution policy, local government reorganisation, East Sussex, Brighton & Hove, Housing Revenue Account, Chartered Institute of Housing, housing officers, affordable housing, Ross Mudie, Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods, ICON, double disadvantage, social infrastructure, Hastings, deprivation, Worthing Homes, Mohammed Asaduzzaman, Expert Opinion, coastal regeneration, independent businesses, multicultural, Sussex Intelligence Unit, energy sector, tourism, visitor economy, land-based industries, productivity, industrial strategy|When power moves, does capacity, confidence and investment move with it? Andy Burnham’s Government has shifted devolution policy into No 10 North, promising a stronger regional focus. In Sussex, however, council reorganisation is already raising practical…|~/moving-power-is-easy.-making-it-work-is-harder|1298599002305¶p|2026-07-26|54|32|The Case For Neighbourhood Power|Ross Mudie (head of research analysis, Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods)|Neighbourhoods, Double disadvantage, Hastings, Social infrastructure, Community organisations, Deprivation, Local government reorganisation, Devolution|Why do some neighbourhoods stay disadvantaged for decades despite regeneration spending? Renewal depends on community institutions and influence, not just funding, and new governance could strengthen or weaken local voice.|@/54-the-case-for-neighbourhood-power|¶b|2026-07-20|140||Half a (contested) plan||unitary boundaries, local government reorganisation, East Sussex, Brighton & Hove, West Sussex, October decision, Sussex & Brighton Strategic Authority website, sussexandbrighton-cca.gov.uk, Cornerstone Community Centre, Hove, Hop 50+, Impact Initiatives, older people, buses, mental health services, affordable housing, Sussex Community Foundation, Mohammed Asaduzzaman, coastal regeneration, inclusive economy|The new map of local government in Sussex is beginning to take shape, but only on one side of the county. East Sussex and Brighton & Hove now know the boundaries of their future unitary authorities, while West Sussex has been told to wait until October.…|~/half-a-contested-plan|1289326904513¶p|2026-07-19|53|37|"You Can't Just Slide This Under The Mat And Say, 'Oh, We're Just Going To Do This, And Nobody's Going To Notice.'"|Irene, Graham, Alan and Alexandra (members, Hop 50+ / Impact Initiatives)|Older people, Hop 50+, Impact Initiatives, Hove, Rural isolation, Public transport, Mental health services, Affordable housing, Airbnb, Local democracy, Devolution|Older residents at Hove's Cornerstone Community Centre discuss what devolution means in daily life: buses, mental health services, housing, second homes, local news and identity, and why residents must shape change rather than have it imposed.|@/53-you-cant-just-slide-this-under-the-mat-and-say-oh-were-just-going-to-do-this-and-nobodys-going-to-notice|¶b|2026-07-13|139||Is this the week? Or more delay?||unitary map, boundaries delay, Andy Burnham, Prime Minister, East Sussex, West Sussex, Brighton & Hove, Local Skills Improvement Plan, LSIP, skills strategy, labour shortages, AI, digital skills, green skills, Adam Stafford, Fresh Egg, Worthing, entry-level jobs, future of work, University of Brighton, Help to Grow, Bowen Tan, Tell Me Lemon, international students, XR, games, creative technology, Expert Opinion|Or it may be pushed back again, as ministers consider whether changes at the top of government should mean another look at the proposed boundaries. After two rounds of consultation, councils, businesses and residents are still waiting to hear what the new…|~/is-this-the-week-or-more-delay|1281477332183¶p|2026-07-12|52|37|Is Sussex Ready For The AI Economy?|Adam Stafford (founder and CEO, Fresh Egg)|AI, Future of work, Entry-level jobs, Worthing, Fresh Egg, Small business, Entrepreneurship, Skills, Devolution|Can Sussex keep up with AI-driven change in its job market? How automation is reshaping entry-level roles, why schools and government struggle to keep pace, and why small businesses and devolution matter.|@/52-is-sussex-ready-for-the-ai-economy|¶b|2026-07-06|138||A many-centred future for Sussex||polycentric, Mark Rogers, Gatwick Diamond, Power of Place conference, Wilton Park, Steyning, prosperity strategy, Sussex & Brighton Strategic Authority, AGM, board, £117m funding, Bella Sankey, rotating chair, Sam Raby, Jacob Taylor, Pete Morley, Andy Woolley, Nicholas Russell, Greater Manchester, Andrew Griffith, Arundel & South Downs, rural, transport, small businesses, You Alright Mate, Different Hats, Sam Thomas, men's wellbeing|The shape of devolution in Sussex is starting to emerge. Not a single city-region model, focused on Brighton, Crawley or Chichester; but a more polycentric system built around many different centres of strength.|~/a-many-centred-future-for-sussex|1276080648403¶p|2026-07-05|51|32|The Problem With One-Size-Fits-All Devolution|Andrew Griffith MP (MP for Arundel and South Downs; Shadow Business Secretary)|Devolution, Sussex mayor, Rural economy, A27, Transport, South Downs National Park, Planning reform, Small business, Sussex wine|Can one national devolution model suit Sussex's mix of cities, market towns, villages and protected countryside? Griffith argues for real funding and powers, not new layers, and discusses the A27, South Downs planning and the rural economy.|@/51-the-problem-with-one-size-fits-all-devolution|¶b|2026-06-29|137||Burnham as next PM: good for Sussex?||Andy Burnham, Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, Labour leadership, mayoral powers, local tax, business rates, income tax, welfare to work, adult skills, Adult Skills Fund, Pathway to Devolution pilot, commissioning, colleges, Centre for Cities, Manchesterism, Polly Mackenzie, place-based experimentation, public services, Whitehall, Sussex Intelligence Unit|Today's newsletter looks at what Andy Burnham’s expected ascent to Prime Minister could mean for a harder-edged phase of mayoral power, why adult skills may become one of Sussex’s first practical tests, and whether Manchesterism has anything to teach…|~/burnham-as-next-pm-good-for-sussex|1267500075251¶p|2026-06-28|50|37|Can Place-Based Experiments Fix Broken Politics?|Polly Mackenzie (public policy thinker; former senior government adviser)|Place-based experimentation, State capacity, Joined-up government, Public sector innovation, Fiscal devolution, Strategic Authority, Political frustration, Devolution|Why political and institutional frustration is widespread, whether devolution could help public services work across silos, and whether Sussex's mayoral authority could become a testing ground for place-based experimentation.|@/50-can-place-based-experiments-fix-broken-politics|¶b|2026-06-22|136||What does Sussex look like to the next generation?||Centre for Cities, Jess Tulasiewicz, delivery, fiscal devolution, institutional capacity, Sussex Day, Westminster, APPG for the South East, Gatwick Diamond, Rye, Chichester, SussexFest, Seaford, Lewes, Bull House, Centre for Democracy, We Wunt Be Druv, Sussex Futures Network, Thomas Paine, English wine, tourism, Joe Herd, young people, Worthing, trust, democracy, Trust for Developing Communities, youth work, Sussex Business Times, Gavin Stewart, Brighton BID, Economic Growth Board, high street|This week, we look at Centre for Cities’ argument that English devolution is moving from deal-making to delivery, and what that means for mayors, institutions and local growth.|~/what-does-sussex-look-like-to-the-next-generation|1257869335762¶p|2026-06-21|49|36|What Sussex Devolution Means To A 20-Year-Old|Joe Herd (20-year-old Brighton student)|Young people, Devolution, Local government reorganisation, Citizens' assemblies, Political trust, Youth participation, Brighton, Worthing, Sussex Futures Network|On Worthing seafront, what devolution means for younger people: more collaborative politics, the trust gap between residents and institutions, and the need for clearer communication and youth participation.|@/49-what-sussex-devolution-means-to-a-20-year-old|¶b|2026-06-15|135||Sussex Day tomorrow, Sussex decisions today||Sussex Day, LGR consultation, local government reorganisation, unitary authorities, West Sussex, East Sussex, Peacehaven, East Saltdean, Telscombe Cliffs, Kingston, Brighton & Hove expansion, East Sussex County Council, Lewes District Council, Wealden, Devolution Framework Explainer, English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act, mayoral powers, Local Government Chronicle, Confidence Survey, council leaders, Sasha Roseneil, University of Sussex, higher education, Civic University Agreement, Symeon Dagkas, University of Chichester, talent ecosystem, Institutes of Technology, skills, Sussex Intelligence Unit|Another Sussex Day rolls around tomorrow, so may the martlets fly around you and raise your spirits. But this week’s Sussex And The City bulletin also lands on a deadline day: today, 15 June, is the final chance to respond to the Government’s consultation…|~/sussex-day-tomorrow-sussex-decisions-today-1|1254445350088¶p|2026-06-14|48|38|Universities, Knowledge And The Future Of Sussex Prosperity (Part Two)|Professor Sasha Roseneil (vice-chancellor, University of Sussex)|University of Sussex, Civic University Agreement, Higher education, Quantum technology, Skills, Regional inequality, Innovation, Devolution, Sussex mayor|Financial pressures on universities, the value of degrees in an uncertain economy, and the university's growing civic role, including the Civic University Agreement, skills collaboration, quantum technology and what a mayor could mean.|@/48-universities-knowledge-and-the-future-of-sussex-prosperity-part-two|¶b|2026-06-08|134||Deciding what gets built, where and by whom||Peacehaven, public meeting, Lewes District Council, Falmer, East Saltdean, Telscombe, Brighton & Hove expansion, LGR consultation, local identity, Prime Minister, mayors, housing delivery, infrastructure, stalled sites, mass transit, planning, CPRE, Grounded Insight, rural proofing, rural growth, urban bias, Mark Beaumont, Lanoguard, Newhaven, sheep's wool, Newhaven Enterprise Zone, Dieppe ferry, port, manufacturing, Steve Neocleous, Expert Opinion, Shoreham, Western Harbour Arm, spatial plan, public trust, housing|This week in Sussex - local government reorganisation continues to dominate the conversation as the consultation deadline looms, with residents making their voices heard on proposals that could redraw district boundaries.|~/deciding-what-gets-built-where-and-by-whom|1247074673878¶p|2026-06-07|47|31|Why Sheep's Wool Might Be Sussex's Secret Innovation|Mark Beaumont (founder, Lanoguard)|Newhaven, Newhaven-Dieppe ferry, Lanoguard, Sheep's wool, Circular economy, Manufacturing, Enterprise Zone, Regeneration, Devolution|Newhaven's overlooked strategic assets: port, ferry, rail freight, manufacturing skills and community. Lanoguard's Newhaven-made, sheep's-wool anti-corrosion product shows how local manufacturing and regenerative land use could support the economy.|@/47-why-sheeps-wool-might-be-sussexs-secret-innovation|¶b|2026-06-01|133||Will devolution reach the people it promises to help?||Savills, Kelly Hewson-Fisher, Adam Lewis, rural England, English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act, strategic authorities, Local Government Association, Louise Gittins, UKREiiF, uneven devolution, Will Callaghan, Tech Resort, Eastbourne, digital exclusion, digital inclusion, LocalGov Drupal, civic tech, Advice Cloud, public procurement, David Brake, Expert Opinion, transport, buses, fares, east-west links, car dependency, youth fares, Sussex Day, Lewes|- Will Callaghan on digital exclusion and social innovation in Eastbourne - and a Sussex Day event in Lewes exploring democracy, identity and local power Savills, the global property adviser, has published a blog by Kelly Hewson-Fisher and Adam Lewis…|~/will-devolution-reach-the-people-it-promises-to-help|1240331274451¶p|2026-05-31|46|34|Why Devolution Should Help Build Better Digital Public Services|Will Callaghan (Tech Resort; local government digital consultant)|Digital inclusion, Digital poverty, Tech Resort, Eastbourne, LocalGov Drupal, Open source, Civic tech, Universal Credit, Digital skills, Devolution|How digital exclusion drives poverty and locks people out of work, benefits and services. Devolution could produce a region-wide digital inclusion strategy and shared, open civic technology such as LocalGov Drupal.|@/46-why-devolution-should-help-build-better-digital-public-services|¶b|2026-05-26|132||New politics, old systems: Sussex faces its next test||county council elections, no overall control, East Sussex, Reform UK, Andy Woolley, Heathfield and Mayfield, Pete Morley, Bexhill, West Sussex, Liberal Democrats, Greens, Labour, Local Alliance, Jay Mercer, Sam Raby, Strategic Authority board, Conservatives, Sussex Intelligence Unit, wellbeing, life satisfaction, Eastbourne, Hastings, Worthing, Adur, Rother, Arun, coastal, Vanessa Rowlands, South Downs National Park, National Parks England, protected landscapes, chalk aquifers, water, farming, flooding, nature recovery, EQ Investors, David Brake, transport|In this week’s Sussex And The City bulletin, we cover the new political reality in East and West Sussex, the latest evidence on life satisfaction and place inequality, Vanessa Rowlands on why protected landscapes matter to devolution, and Dr David Brake on…|~/new-politics-old-systems-sussex-faces-its-next-test|1233638163665¶p|2026-05-24|45|35|Where Does A National Park Fit Into Devolution?|Vanessa Rowlands (chair, South Downs National Park Authority; chair, National Parks England)|South Downs National Park, Water security, Chalk aquifers, Nature recovery, Tourism, Farming, Eastbourne, Lewes, Water neutrality, Devolution|Where the South Downs National Park fits into devolution: water supply, flood management, farming, tourism and housing constraints, and why protected landscapes need a clearer role in regional governance.|@/45-where-does-a-national-park-fit-into-devolution|¶b|2026-05-22|131||What could Andy Burnham as PM mean for Sussex devolution?||Andy Burnham, The Possibility Club, Greater Manchester, mayor, Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, Labour leadership, King of the North, homelessness, young people, mental health, skills, names not numbers, impact measurement, collaboration|We've a little bonus bulletin for the bank holiday weekend, before we resume with a new podcast on Monday and a newsletter on Tuesday. In January 2022, Richard Freeman interviewed Andy Burnham for The Possibility Club podcast.|~/what-could-andy-burnham-as-pm-mean-for-sussex-devolution|1230785777874¶p|2026-05-20|Bonus|31|Andy Burnham in 2022: How A Mayor Measures Impact|Andy Burnham (Mayor of Greater Manchester)|Greater Manchester, Mayors, Westminster, Impact measurement, Homelessness, Skills, Grassroots collaboration, Devolution|Revisits Richard's January 2022 interview for The Possibility Club. Burnham argues power should move away from Westminster, that impact is best measured through people's stories, and that collaboration works best from the grassroots.|@/bonus-andy-burnham-in-2022-how-a-mayor-measures-impact|¶b|2026-05-18|130||Does the future of Sussex start on the high street?||LGR consultation, unitary authorities, Brighton & Hove expansion, East Saltdean, Telscombe Cliffs, Peacehaven, Falmer, West Sussex split, Chichester, health as economic infrastructure, Health Foundation, Katherine Merrifield, West Midlands Combined Authority, Mubasshir Ajaz, NHS, healthy life expectancy, King's Speech, fiscal devolution, Overnight Visitor Levy, tourism levy, rail partnerships, social housing reform, SEND, votes at 16, voter ID, taxi licensing, Sussex Intelligence Unit, voter turnout, county elections, Reform UK, Gavin Stewart, Brilliant Brighton, Business Improvement District, Brighton & Hove Economic Growth Board, city centre, high streets, empty shops, Brighton Hive, Kyriakos Baxevanis|After months of maps, rumours, rows and “surely they won’t actually do that?” conversations, the government has opened fresh consultations on its revised plans for local government reorganisation across Sussex and Brighton.|~/does-the-future-of-sussex-start-on-the-high-street|1224167225535¶p|2026-05-17|43|37|Inside Brighton's Fight For The Future High Street|Gavin Stewart (chief executive, Brilliant Brighton BID; executive director, Brighton & Hove Economic Growth Board)|Brighton, Business Improvement District, High street, Retail vacancy, Independent businesses, Landlords, Inward investment, Economic Growth Board, Devolution|Brighton's city centre economy is more nuanced than decline: how the BID is funded, why retail vacancy is below the national average, pressures from rents and landlords, and Brighton's role under devolution.|@/43-inside-brightons-fight-for-the-future-high-street|¶b|2026-05-11|129||East and West Sussex votes for change. But which change?||local elections, county council elections, Conservatives, Reform UK, Liberal Democrats, Greens, Labour, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hastings, Crawley, Adur, Worthing, no overall control, coalition politics, voter turnout, Strategic Authority board, Sussex Belonging Survey, belonging, Sussex Intelligence Unit, transport, east-west transport, car ownership, Kevin Richmond, Sussex Community Foundation, philanthropy, coastal deprivation, inequality, Bexhill, Eastbourne, East Brighton, Littlehampton, Impact Initiatives, Maria Camila Bedoya-Toro, Sussex Innovation, deep tech|The local election results have scrambled long-standing assumptions about who governs where, just as major devolution decisions edge closer. No single political party emerged as a majority from last week’s county council elections in Sussex, with some…|~/east-and-west-sussex-votes-for-change.-but-which-change|1217128338662¶p|2026-05-10|42|33|"The Antidote To Division Is Community"|Kevin Richmond (former CEO, Sussex Community Foundation)|Sussex Community Foundation, Philanthropy, Grassroots charities, Coastal deprivation, Hastings, Bexhill, Eastbourne, Voluntary sector, Devolution|How Sussex Community Foundation connects local donors with grassroots charities. Coastal deprivation needs long-term investment and community action, and the voluntary sector should be treated as core infrastructure.|@/42-the-antidote-to-division-is-community|¶b|2026-05-05|128||Devolution becomes law, and a new Sussex starts to take shape||devolution briefing webinar, What Do We Know And Where Are We Going, Institute for Government, Akash Paun, Mark Rogers, Natalie Orringe, Sussex Intelligence Unit, English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act, Royal Assent, Strategic Authorities, local growth plans, scrutiny, Community Right to Buy, upwards-only rent reviews, gambling, pavement parking, taxi licensing, e-bikes, Sussex Belonging Survey, Sussex economy, £51.75 billion, GVA, productivity, Louise Blackwell, Creative Crawley, culture, civic infrastructure, Wild Purpose, intergenerational, Sussex Business Times, local elections|In this edition, we’ve brought together some key moments and signals. That includes a link to our devolution briefing webinar last week (with perspectives from the Institute for Government and the emerging Strategic Authority), alongside a plain-English…|~/devolution-becomes-law-and-a-new-sussex-starts-to-take-shape|1208592643276¶b|2026-05-01|127||The Sussex Belonging Survey||Sussex Belonging Survey, belonging, identity, connection, Sussex Intelligence Unit, Enjoolata Foundation, survey, research, insight report|Launch of the Sussex Belonging Survey, new research by the Sussex Intelligence Unit with the Enjoolata Foundation exploring how people across Sussex feel about connection, identity and belonging, with findings to be shared as an open insight report.|~/the-sussex-belonging-survey|1208310484169¶b|2026-04-27|126||Consultation, corrections and next steps||local government reorganisation, LGR, Jens Gemmel von Döllinger, systems thinking, prevention, AI, public service reform, extra consultation, May elections, Lewes, Brighton & Hove, Chichester, Crawley, Horsham, Mid Sussex, Arun, Adur, Worthing, MHCLG, Ruth Miller, population data error, April 2028, English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, House of Lords, ping pong, devolution briefing, Akash Paun, Institute for Government, Mark Rogers, Natalie Orringe, Sussex Intelligence Unit, Louise Blackwell, Crawley, culture, Wild Purpose|Here are your latest Sussex devolution and local government reorganisation (LGR) developments: a further post-election consultation, MHCLG’s correction of population figures, and the revised options now affecting Lewes, Brighton & Hove, Chichester…|~/consultation-corrections-and-next-steps|1202673457380¶p|2026-04-26|41|38|Why Culture Should Be Infrastructure In A Devolved Sussex|Louise Blackwell (cultural producer; founder, Creative Crawley)|Crawley, Creative Crawley, Culture, Public art, Murals, Manor Royal, Cultural strategy, Community participation, Regeneration, Devolution|Treating arts and culture as civic infrastructure: how listening to residents shaped public murals, how culture improves safety and belonging, and how the cultural scene could be organised and funded strategically.|@/41-why-culture-should-be-infrastructure-in-a-devolved-sussex|¶b|2026-04-20|125||The first Strategic Authority meeting: what it tells us||Sussex & Brighton Combined County Authority, first meeting, Strategic Authority board, Keith Glazier, chair, Paul Marshall, Bella Sankey, £30.4m funding, Constitution, Local Assurance Framework, UK Shared Prosperity Fund, business support, employability, Growth Hub, transport funding, Investment Fund, devolution briefing, Akash Paun, Institute for Government, Mark Rogers, Natalie Orringe, Paul Steedman, CPRE Sussex, countryside, rural Sussex, Plumpton College, agriculture, wine|This week, we’re looking ahead to a special online briefing on devolution in Sussex and Brighton, with fresh insight from people at the centre of the story. We'd love to see you there on April 30th!|~/the-first-strategic-authority-meeting-what-it-tells-us|1193543427288¶b|2026-04-13|124||From plans to power: Sussex’s new authority makes its first move||Sussex & Brighton Combined County Authority, first meeting, Brighton Town Hall, Bella Sankey, Jacob Taylor, Keith Glazier, Nick Bennett, Paul Marshall, Deborah Urquhart, West Sussex County Council, judicial review, LGR delay, single unitary, Brighton & Hove, crowdfunder, Paul Steedman, CPRE Sussex, countryside, rural Sussex, Plumpton College, Chris Goodman, Focus Group, Focus Foundation, philanthropy, grassroots organisations, Expert Opinion|With the first meeting of the Sussex & Brighton Combined County Authority taking place this week, the devolution agenda is moving from proposal into early implementation.|~/from-plans-to-power-sussexs-new-authority-makes-its-first-move|1187506929869¶p|2026-04-12|40|34|Most Of Sussex Is Countryside. But Who Speaks Up For It?|Paul Steedman (CPRE Sussex)|Countryside, CPRE Sussex, Rural, Strategic planning, Rural housing, Public transport, Food security, Climate adaptation, Devolution|Rural Sussex, most of the county, is often overlooked in growth and devolution talk. How housing, transport, food systems and climate pressures could be planned strategically so the countryside is represented.|@/40-most-of-sussex-is-countryside-but-who-speaks-up-for-it|¶b|2026-04-08|123||A quick one||crowdfunder, Easter, Peter Lamb, Crawley, Labour, local government reorganisation, Crawley Innovation Centre, Manor Royal, Gatwick|We reached our crowdfunding target with your help and generous support. We'll do our best to keep holding everyone's hand through the unknown! And if you haven't listened to our candid interview with Peter Lamb yet, do check it out this week.|~/a-quick-one|1182306368735¶b|2026-03-30|121||Chaos or considered approach? The Sussex rollercoaster continues.||LGR delay, four unitary model, East Sussex, Eastbourne, Hastings, Rother, Wealden, coastal West Sussex, Arun, Adur, Worthing, Brighton & Hove expansion, Lewes, Peacehaven, Saltdean, inland West Sussex, Crawley, Horsham, Mid Sussex, Chichester, Miatta Fahnbulleh, Devolution Minister, Sussex and Brighton Combined County Authority, legal entity, Devolution Priority Programme, West Sussex Cultural Prospectus, Culture East Sussex, Sussex Culture, Arts Council England, University of Sussex, culture, crowdfunder, Peter Lamb, Crawley Innovation Centre, Chris Goodman, Focus Foundation, philanthropy|The direction of travel is becoming clearer, even if the destination isn’t fully settled and the journey is very bumpy. Recent developments in Sussex’s devolution and local government reorganisation programme point to a growing alignment around structures…|~/chaos-or-considered-approach-the-sussex-rollercoaster-continues|1171023671522¶p|2026-03-30|39|32|Why The Sussex Plan Doesn't Yet Add Up|Peter Lamb MP (MP for Crawley; former leader, Crawley Borough Council)|Local government reorganisation, Crawley, Council mergers, Accountability, Sussex mayor, Transport, Devolution|Peter Lamb critiques planned council reorganisation, mergers and the mayoral authority, arguing the financial case is weaker than presented and larger councils could be less accountable. Recorded just before the government delayed its decision.|@/40-why-the-sussex-plan-doesnt-yet-add-up|¶b|2026-03-25|120||BREAKING NEWS: Government rejects current Sussex proposals||breaking news, local government reorganisation, MHCLG decision, Essex, Hampshire, Norfolk & Suffolk, unitary councils, mega councils, 500k population, Sussex decision delayed, Brighton expansion eastwards, West Sussex split, government chaos, shadow elections 2027, 2028, negotiation, crowdfunder|Sussex faces a bump as government rejects all current local reorganisation options The Department for Housing, Communities & Local Government has made the following decisions on local government reorganisation (LGR):|~/breaking-news-government-rejects-current-sussex-proposals|1167226542299¶b|2026-03-23|118||New mayor powers on parking, culture and high streets||English Devolution Bill amendments, pavement parking, taxi licensing, high streets, community assets, arts and culture, mayoral responsibility, Local Scrutiny Committees, LGR timetable, devolution white paper, Devolution Priority Programme, unitary councils May 2027, April 2028, mayoral election 2028, crowdfunder, Joanna Havers, University of Brighton, knowledge exchange, anchor institutions, Plus Accounting, B Corp, Sussex Business Times, rural economy, Cara Courage, Jeremy Kerswell, Plumpton College, agriculture, land management, rural transport|New devolution plans: more control over parking, taxis, culture and high streets And devolution in Sussex is edging into delivery mode, with government now setting out more of the expected powers on offer.|~/new-powers-for-a-mayor-on-parking-taxis-culture-and-high-streets|1160858807521¶b|2026-03-16|116||Will devolution in Sussex actually happen?||Mark Rogers, interim chief executive, devolution outlier, foundation strategic authorities, Treasury, Richard Vahrman, open letter, Hove, Katy Bourne, mayoral candidates, AI, climate change, Martin Webb, Ben Dempsey, Liberal Democrats, crowdfunder, Joanna Havers, University of Brighton, knowledge exchange, Plus Accounting, Jo Sutherland, Magenta Associates, employee ownership, Expert Opinion, Sussex Futures Network, democracy game|Sussex devolution may be on track, despite past (and inevitable future) hurdles, but is the rest of the country losing momentum? In some ways, Sussex might be becoming an increasingly rare outlier in a process that is stalling elsewhere.|~/will-devolution-in-sussex-actually-happen|1153761200343¶p|2026-03-16|38|36|Universities, Knowledge And The Future Of Sussex Prosperity (Part One)|Joanna Havers (associate director for knowledge exchange, University of Brighton)|University of Brighton, Knowledge exchange, Anchor institutions, Graduate talent, Regional economy, Industrial Strategy, Productivity, Devolution|How universities shape the Sussex economy through knowledge exchange, the region's scattered industrial strengths, universities as anchor institutions under devolution, and productivity as better outcomes for people.|@/38-universities-knowledge-and-the-future-of-sussex-prosperity-part-one|¶b|2026-03-09|114||A youth manifesto PLUS candidate updates||Sussex Youth Manifesto, YMCA DownsLink Group, youth homelessness, mental health, young people, 16-25, Paul Marshall, West Sussex County Council, clarity, timetable, mayoral candidates, Caroline Baxter, Labour, Worthing, Katy Bourne, Conservatives, Police & Crime Commissioner, Crowborough, Ben Dempsey, Liberal Democrats, Mid Sussex, Paul Linehan, Reform UK, Rachel Millward, Green Party, Wealden District Council, Martin Webb, independent, Southwick, crowdfunder, Lloyd Gofton, Sussex Dolphin Project, dolphins, marine, Newhaven Enterprise Zone, employee ownership|A youth manifesto is pushing Sussex politicians to act on homelessness and mental health. And new thinking on employee ownership raises questions about what kind of economy Sussex actually wants to build.|~/a-youth-manifesto-candidate-watch-and-a-business-idea1|1132535587009¶b|2026-03-05|113||Come and play a game on 18th March||How to Understand Sussex in the 21st Century, game, Colonnade House, Worthing, Sussex Futures Network, democracy, economy, culture, placemaking, Our House, People's Charters, citizens' assemblies, Adur & Worthing Trust, Jenny Andersson, Really Regenerative Centre, Jenni Lloyd, Natalie Orringe, John V Willshire, Smithery|Invitation to 'How to Understand Sussex in the 21st Century', an interactive game and conversation on democracy, economy, culture and placemaking at Colonnade House, Worthing, with Sussex Futures Network and drawing on the Our House People's Charters initiative.|~/come-and-play-a-game-on-18th-march|1137180617919¶b|2026-03-02|111||Savings vs strategy: the arguments behind council reform||Peter Lamb, Crawley, LGR pause, council savings, PwC, County Councils Network, Steve Reed, two-tier councils, Jacob Taylor, Brighton & Hove City Council, Fabian Society, inequality, welfare, school admissions, transport, crowdfunder, Lloyd Gofton, Sussex Dolphin Project, dolphins, English Channel, Newhaven Enterprise Zone, Sussex Business Times, Sarah Willcox, Chirantan Chatterjee, Michael Wang, good jobs, Worthing, Sussex identity|With decisions looming on both local government reorganisation and devolution in Sussex, the arguments are getting sharper. This week we look at complex debate over the financial case for council reorganisation, alongside a counter-view that deeper the…|~/savings-vs-strategy-the-real-argument-behind-council-reform|1125261963463¶p|2026-03-02|37|32|Can Dolphins Be A Symbol Of A Prosperous Future Sussex?|Lloyd Gofton (director, Sussex Dolphin Project)|Sussex Dolphin Project, Marine, English Channel, Citizen science, Ocean literacy, Marine conservation, Eco-tourism, Regional identity, Devolution|Could dolphins signal a Sussex that puts its marine environment at the centre of identity and growth? The volunteer-led Sussex Dolphin Project has gathered cetacean data in the eastern Channel since 2018.|@/37-can-dolphins-be-a-symbol-of-a-prosperous-future-sussex|¶b|2026-02-23|109||Coordination or chaos?||council elections reinstated, May 2026 elections, East Sussex, West Sussex, Worthing, Adur, Crawley, Hastings, Norfolk, Essex, BBC, democratic legitimacy, Sussex Innovation, tech economy, tech cluster, £45bn GDP, advanced manufacturing, advanced engineering, coordination, crowdfunder, Jeremy Kerswell, Plumpton College, rural economy, farming, rural transport, Gaby Hardwicke, Sussex Business Times, Sarah Willcox, Chirantan Chatterjee, Michael Wang, Institute for Government, unitary size, Kay Mason Billig, Bella Sankey, Baroness Taylor of Stevenage, Colonnade House|Council elections reinstated in East and West Sussex and what new mandates mean for reorganisation and devolution; Sussex Innovation on a tech economy with strong assets but no joined-up system; podcast #36 with Jeremy Kerswell of Plumpton College on the rural economy; Sussex Business Times experts on delivery and trust.|~/coordination-or-chaos-|1110896776393¶b|2026-02-16|107||Money, mayors, music and milk||Sussex and Brighton Combined County Authority, final legal step, £1.14 billion, £30.4 million, £9 million set-up, UK Town of Culture, Worthing, Eastbourne, Bexhill-on-Sea, Hastings, culture, Jeremy Kerswell, Plumpton College, farming, milk, vineyard, land-based skills, apprenticeships, rural transport, Gaby Hardwicke, rural and agricultural law, Cara Courage, placemaking, civic identity, Expert Opinion, Institute for Government, unitary size, Kay Mason Billig, Norfolk, Grant Thornton, Bella Sankey, Baroness Taylor of Stevenage|The Sussex And Brighton Combined County Authority has cleared its final legal hurdle to coming into existance, which means devolution is no longer a slide deck, but now becoming infrastructure.|~/money-mayors-music-and-milk|1100128360683¶p|2026-02-15|36|37|From Vineyards To Data Labs - Don't Underestimate Sussex' Rural Economy|Jeremy Kerswell (principal and chief executive, Plumpton College)|Plumpton College, Rural economy, Land-based skills, Agritech, Viticulture, Rural transport, SEND, Sustainable land management, South Downs, Devolution|Plumpton College runs a working farm, vineyard and enterprises across 800 hectares. Skills shortages and technology in farming, the cost of rural transport for students, and whether devolution could join up skills, transport and growth.|@/36-from-vineyards-to-data-labs-dont-underestimate-sussex-rural-economy|¶b|2026-02-09|106||Sussex devolution: the test isn’t structure, it’s impact||scale-ups, Scale Up Brighton & Hove, Momentum, Sussex Innovation Centre, Josh Robson, Scale Up Institute, Newhaven-Dieppe ferry, impact study, Newhaven, tourism, campervans, Matt Barker, MPB, Brighton, Magenta Associates, Julia Hilton, Peter Kyle, Rachael Dines, Cara Courage, civic identity, Expert Opinion|Devolution is often discussed as simply a power shift or a funding opportunity. But for Sussex, the more interesting question is what it changes in practice - for businesses trying to grow, for places trying to matter, and for communities that want more…|~/sussex-devolution-the-test-isnt-structure-its-impact-|1088797726966¶b|2026-02-02|105||Is Sussex really more prosperous than the rest of the UK?||living standards, Centre for Cities, Brighton & Hove, Worthing, disposable income, prosperity, West Sussex County Council, budget, council tax, £16.3m gap, adult social care, SEND, Council Plan, Alison McGovern, local government minister, Centre for Cities Outlook, local outcomes framework, underbounded cities, Matt Barker, MPB, Magenta Associates, Jo Clarke, Age UK West Sussex Brighton & Hove, older people, ageing, age-friendly, Older People's Commissioner, Expert Opinion|This week’s round-up sits at our usual sweet spot of optimism and reality. New data puts Sussex at the top of the UK league table for living standards growth, just as devolution and local government reorganisation start to move from abstract idea to into…|~/is-sussex-more-prosperous-than-the-rest-of-the-uk|1064758553838¶p|2026-02-02|35|34|Growing A Global Business In Sussex Could Be So Much Easier|Matt Barker (founder and CEO, MPB)|MPB, Brighton, Scale-ups, Business growth, Skills gaps, Transport, Commercial property, Leadership networks, Sussex mayor, Devolution|How MPB grew from an eBay side project into a global marketplace for camera kit with 500+ staff, mostly in Brighton. The obstacles to scaling in Sussex, from infrastructure and property to weak leadership networks.|@/35-growing-a-global-business-in-sussex-could-be-so-much-easier|¶b|2026-01-26|104||Navigating disruption as we move forward||council elections postponed, East Sussex, West Sussex, Crawley, Hastings, Worthing, legal challenge, democratic accountability, Steve Mannix, Mercury Theatre, Colchester, Arts Professional, arts and culture, non-statutory services, The Guardian, letters, Veronique Poutrel, Lewes Town Council, town and parish councils, Sue Carroll, Rodmell, Julia Hilton, Hastings Borough Council, Let's Do Business Finance, British Business Bank, Shiv Misra, Steve Creed, Lesley Samms, Sussex Business Times, Peter Kyle, fragmentation|Sussex' journey towards devolution is already having knock-on impact on routine processes. We can expect a lot more of this. And most communities, businesses and households can handle change, even disruption, if the destination is understood.|~/navigating-disruption-as-we-move-forward|1048320422117¶b|2026-01-19|103||Meetings of minds||Civic University Agreement, University of Sussex, University of Brighton, University of Chichester, colleges, NHS, police, sustainability, inclusive growth, skills, health, culture, APPG for the South East, Gatwick Diamond Growth Gateway, MPs, Croydon, Crawley, Worthing, Hastings, Eastbourne, Julia Hilton, Hastings, Let's Do Business Finance, Sarah Willcox, Fairisle, change management, Expert Opinion|If nothing else, it does look like devolution in Sussex and Brighton has started to focus collaboration and attention. With real powers over transport, skills, housing and growth on the table, networks, businesses and institutions across Sussex are…|~/meetings-of-minds|1034805392613¶p|2026-01-19|34|31|Devolution Is Only As Local As It Feels|Cllr Julia Hilton (deputy leader, Hastings Borough Council)|Hastings, Local government reorganisation, Regeneration, Community trust, Housing, Retrofitting, Transport, Youth employment, Devolution|What devolution and reorganisation could mean for Hastings and its neighbourhoods. Local knowledge and trust matter more than abstract growth targets; housing and transport are the key tests, with potential in skills and retrofitting.|@/34-devolution-is-only-as-local-as-it-feels|¶b|2026-01-12|102||The messy art of democracy||local elections cancelled, elections postponed, mayoral election 2028, democratic rights, unitary councils, Solent, Peter Kyle, Bognor Regis, homelessness, Gatwick, ports, universities, point to London, Kreston Reeves, Martin Webb, Donna O'Toole, Emma Norledge, Sussex Business Times, Graham Precey, Jenny Andersson, Steve Creed, nature recovery, green skills, climate|Everyone understand it’s happening, but not everyone yet agrees on the shape. Or even the process for agreeing the shape. Across the country in 2026, regions are being promised real power over transport, skills, housing and growth, but only after councils…|~/the-messy-art-of-democracy|1017182069948¶b|2026-01-06|101||An acronym, a budget, and Peter Kyle on Sussex leadership||Sussex & Brighton Combined County Authority, SBCCA, Wikipedia, LGR consultation, MHCLG, unitary proposals, Centre for Cities, Brighton underbounded, three unitaries, Brighton-Crawley, Chichester, Hastings-Eastbourne, Devolution Priority Programme, £38m a year, 30 years, housing, jobs, high streets, Peter Kyle, Bognor Regis, Kreston Reeves, Michael Wang, Liberal Democrats, housing delivery, trust, Expert Opinion, Saltdean public meeting, East Sussex County Council, Brighton & Hove City Council|If you're on this distribution list, then you'll receive this bulletin each Monday (starting next week), unless you tell us otherwise. We tread into a new reality, with the Sussex & Brighton Combined County Authority (SBCCA) being established even without…|~/an-acronym-a-budget-and-peter-kyle-on-sussex-leadership|1007065059528¶p|2026-01-05|33|46|Devolution Can Make Us More 'Sussex'. But It Is A Big Leadership Challenge|Rt Hon Peter Kyle MP (Secretary of State for Business and Trade; MP for Hove & Portslade)|Devolution, Peter Kyle, Gatwick, Coastal towns, Inclusive growth, Regional leadership, Skills, AI, Mayoral powers, Infrastructure|How devolution could give Sussex a more unified identity and economy and spread prosperity beyond the big centres. A demanding leadership task connecting divided communities, ports, universities and Gatwick.|@/32-devolution-can-make-us-more-sussex-but-it-is-a-big-leadership-challenge|¶b|2025-12-12|100||Sussex And The City in 2026: an update||end of year update, mayoral election 2028, podcast downloads, roundtables, national case study, Peter Kyle, One Sussex, thinktank, Sussex Futures Network, democracy, environment, culture, education, Sussex & Brighton Combined Authority, growth strategy, inward investment, spatial development, local plans, unitary councils April 2028|End-of-year update: mayoral elections pushed to 2028, what Sussex And The City has achieved so far, and plans for 2026 including a Peter Kyle interview, the One Sussex thinktank and the Sussex Futures Network, plus the revised devolution and reorganisation timetable.|~/where-we-have-got-to-and-whats-next-|969606381809¶b|2025-12-05|99||What the mayoral candidates think of the news||mayoral election delay, 2028, mayoral candidates, Caroline Baxter, Labour, Katy Bourne, Conservatives, Ben Dempsey, Liberal Democrats, Paul Linehan, Reform UK, Rachel Millward, Green Party, Martin Webb, independent, democracy, devolution funding, £38m a year, skills, high streets, voting system, emergency podcast|Following yesterday's announcement that the mayoral elections for Sussex & Brighton will now be postponed until 2028, we contacted each of the current candidates for their take. Here is what they said, either directly to us or through their own social…|~/what-the-mayoral-candidates-think|955382115548¶b|2025-12-04|98||STOP PRESS! No Sussex mayor until 2028||mayoral election delay, 2028, Greater Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk, Hampshire and the Solent, Sussex and Brighton, BBC, strategic authorities, local government reorganisation, James Cleverly, Conservatives, Zia Yusuf, Reform UK, Zoe Franklin, Liberal Democrats, democracy, candidates, transport, housing, skills, transition|The government is set to delay the first elections for newly created regional mayors in four areas - Greater Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk, Hampshire and the Solent, and Sussex and Brighton. The BBC reports that ballots originally scheduled for May 2026 will…|~/stop-press-no-sussex-mayor-until-2028|954909512916¶p|2025-12-04|32|8|EMERGENCY PODCAST!|Martin Webb (independent mayoral candidate)|Mayoral election delay, Mayoral elections, Devolution, Local government reorganisation, Unitary councils, Strategic authorities|Reacts to government plans to delay the first Sussex & Brighton mayoral election from May 2026 to 2028, the official reason (finishing reorganisation), the political criticism, and what it means for campaigns and councils.|@/32-emergency-podcast|¶b|2025-12-03|97||Sussex money matters: tackling debt and building trust||Emma Norledge, Wave Community Bank, East Sussex Credit Union, credit unions, financial exclusion, loans, savings, banks, high streets, digital exclusion, loan sharks, debt, common bond, Treasury, deposit guarantees, bus-ticket loans, retrofit finance, financial education, coastal deprivation, YMCA DownsLink Group, youth homelessness, mental health, Hove|Emma Norledge on how local, ethical finance keeps people in Sussex afloat - and what any new mayor needs to know about it. This episode of Sussex And The City podcast is a practical, properly human conversation about money; the everyday kind that decides…|~/sussex-money-matters|950983778550¶b|2025-12-02|96||Can we build 25 into 50 by Christmas?||Sussex And The City partners, Always Possible, Brighton Hive, City Girl Network, Creative Crawley, Different Hats, Digital Islands, DMH Stallard, Gaby Hardwicke, Galloways Accounting, Kreston Reeves, Let's Do Business Finance, Magenta Associates, Morgan Sindall Construction, Newhaven Enterprise Zone, Plus Accounting, Projects, Shake It Up Creative, Silverstone Communications, SimplyVAT, SMN Planning, Strategy + Impact, Sussex Food Partnership Alliance, Brighton & Hove Food Partnership, food partnerships, TechNative Digital, Worlds Better, YMCA DownsLink Group, One Sussex summit, sponsorship|The devolution journey in Sussex & Brighton is heading into a new phase. Hundreds of grassroots and network conversations are happening in every corner of Sussex - about what this all means for growth, sustainability and identity.|~/can-we-build-25-into-50-by-xmas|948239097041¶b|2025-12-01|95||Paul Linehan wins Reform UK nomination||Paul Linehan, Reform UK, mayoral candidate, West Sussex County Council, Bramber Castle, Army, Surrey Police, detective, Adam Mickiewicz University, psychology, public safety, planned growth, housing, local skills, ITV Meridian|Dr Paul Linehan is Reform UK party's candidate for Mayor of Sussex & Brighton Paul Linehan has been chosen by Reform UK to lead the party’s campaign to become the first directly elected Mayor of Sussex and Brighton ahead of the 7 May 2026 poll.|~/paul-linehan-wins-reform-uk-nomination|947043379391¶p|2025-12-01|31|36|Why I Want To Be Mayor (Part Five)|Martin Webb (independent candidate for Mayor of Sussex & Brighton)|Mayoral candidates, Independent politics, Brighton, Anti-social behaviour, Housing, Nightlife, Sussex Marshals, Rural development, Devolution|Former nightlife operator, media owner and volunteer police sergeant Martin Webb on his plans for policing, housing, nightlife, rural development and building a shared Sussex identity.|@/31-why-i-want-to-be-mayor-part-five|¶b|2025-11-28|94||Ideas For A Future Sussex #5: Alex Young||Ideas For A Future Sussex, Alex Young, Projects, B Corp, workspaces, coworking, civic infrastructure, prototyping labs, university partnerships, self-employment, East Sussex, freelancers, micro-businesses, affordable workspace, rural, coastal, planning, graduates, talent retention|Ideas For A Future Sussex #5: Alex Young of Projects on why shared workspaces, prototyping labs and university partnerships should be treated as civic infrastructure, with a county-wide network of affordable hubs, especially in rural and coastal towns.|~/ideas-for-a-future-sussex-5|935071518946¶b|2025-11-26|93||Mayors given power to charge tourism tax||tourism tax, visitor levy, overnight stays, hotels, B&Bs, holiday lets, short-term rentals, Steve Reed, consultation, Sadiq Khan, London, Steve Rotheram, Liverpool City Region, Andy Burnham, Greater Manchester, Barcelona, Paris, New York, visitor economy, Gatwick, buses, rail, culture, festivals, high streets, coastal management, day-trippers, small accommodation providers|The government has announced plans to give England’s mayors the power to introduce a levy on overnight hospitality stays so local leaders can invest in transport, infrastructure and the visitor economy.|~/power-to-charge-tourism-tax|935085916389¶b|2025-11-24|92||Why Sussex needs to look after its shopkeepers||Shiv Misra, Kindly, Brighton, Hove, HISBE, refill shop, zero waste, plastic-free, independent retail, shopkeepers, sustainable shopping, shared logistics, delivery hub, business rates, rate relief, Covid, inclusive growth, Creative Crawley, Shake It Up Creative|Shiv Mishra’s shop, Kindly, is a practical answer to a big question: how do you make sustainable shopping easy for busy people? During a chat on the Sussex And The City podcast Shiv explains how his two stores in Brighton and Hove try to combine the…|~/sussex-needs-to-look-after-its-shopkeepers|931171953896¶p|2025-11-24|30|31|Opportunity In Sussex Starts With Being Seen|Donna O'Toole (founder, August Recognition; co-founder, Rewards App)|Arundel, Resilience, Business recognition, Awards, Small business, Storytelling, Entrepreneurship, Sussex mayor, Devolution|From growing up at Arundel Castle and entering care to running a national recognition consultancy. Why many Sussex businesses stay small for lack of visibility, and how a mayor could champion ambition and storytelling.|@/30-opportunity-in-sussex-starts-with-being-seen|¶b|2025-11-21|91||Is art Sussex' civic superpower?||Lesley Samms, Pure Arts Group, Battle, visual arts, artists, artists in residence, arts hubs, grants, cultural strategy, cultural leadership, rural, coastal, festivals, public art, wellbeing, Creative Crawley, Creative Playground, Creative Village, Arts Council England|Lesley Samms is a Battle-resident and founder of Pure Arts Group. Award winning contemporary art mentoring specialists, recognised for discovering, mentoring and supporting talent in contemporary art.|~/is-art-sussex-civic-superpower|923190870254¶b|2025-11-20|90||Government consultation now live: unitary proposals for Sussex & Brighton||LGR consultation, unitary proposals, MHCLG, gov.uk, Citizen Space, East Sussex single unitary, Eastbourne, Hastings, Lewes, Rother, Wealden, Brighton & Hove five unitaries, West Sussex single unitary, West Sussex two unitaries, Adur, Arun, Chichester, Worthing, Crawley, Horsham, Mid Sussex, statutory tests, financial resilience, boundary changes, named consultees, April 2028|The UK Government’s seven-week consultation on new unitary authority maps for East Sussex, Brighton & Hove and West Sussex is now open. The Department for Housing, Communities & Local Government has published the statutory consultation on the four…|~/government-consultation-now-live|922841580733¶b|2025-11-19|89||Devolution debate at the Gatwick Economic Summit||Gatwick Economic Summit, Gatwick, Airport Economic Zone, Surrey, Kent, south London, Gill Morris, Devo Agency, Mark Rogers, interim chief officer, Megan Carter, AtkinsRéalis, Julie Capsalis, North East College of Technology, social mobility, apprenticeships, Northern Runway, business voice, fiscal levers, rural, coastal, urban bias, East Sussex County Council, budget shortfall, £56m, Exceptional Financial Support, social care, BBC|200 of the south east's key decision makers, business leaders and politicians gathered for the 4th London Gatwick Economic Summit, in the same week that East Sussex County Council warned that money is running out very fast.|~/devolution-debate-at-the-gatwick-economic-summit|916759582928¶b|2025-11-17|88||Ideas For A Future Sussex #4: David Bailey||Ideas For A Future Sussex, David Bailey, DMH Stallard, Saltdean Lido, young people, slash careers, insecure work, opportunity, affordable transport, bus fares, college, training, housing, low wages, cost of living, Hastings, Littlehampton, deprivation, talent retention|Ideas For A Future Sussex #4: David Bailey of DMH Stallard argues devolution should be judged on the basics of opportunity for young people, from affordable transport to college to training and housing, from Hastings to Littlehampton.|~/ideas-for-a-future-sussex-4-david-bailey|913395619052¶p|2025-11-17|29|30|Sussex Money Matters: Tackling Debt And Building Trust|Emma Norledge (deputy CEO, Wave Community Bank)|Credit unions, Wave Community Bank, Financial exclusion, Community finance, East Sussex, Brighton, Kent, Loan sharks, Financial literacy, Devolution|How credit unions keep savings circulating locally. Wave Community Bank's work on fair lending, financial exclusion and financial education across East Sussex, Brighton and Kent, and what devolution could mean for community finance.|@/29-sussex-money-matters-tackling-debt-and-building-trust|¶b|2025-11-14|87||Caroline Baxter wins Labour nomination||Caroline Baxter, Labour, mayoral candidate, Hove, Worthing, Sompting Parish Council, West Sussex County Council, brownfield regeneration, Montague Gardens, housing, starter homes, transport, bus-rail links, A27, skills, local jobs, health and care, climate, Gatwick, Falmer, Brand Sussex|Caroline Baxter is Labour party's candidate for Mayor of Sussex & Brighton Caroline Baxter has been chosen by Labour members to lead the party’s campaign to become the first directly elected mayor of Sussex and Brighton ahead of the May 2026 poll.|~/caroline-baxter-is-labour-partys-candidate|911073225939¶b|2025-11-12|86||Can Sussex lead on closing the loop?||Steve Creed, Circular Brighton & Hove, Adur Community Land Trust, circular economy, forest floor, citizens' assemblies, community land trusts, food networks, procurement, Earth Overshoot Day, scorecard, metrics, Brand Sussex, Gatwick, Falmer, rural producers, trust, DMH Stallard|Steve Creed is co-founder of Circular Brighton & Hove, vice-chair of Adur Community Land Trust and a long-time sustainability practitioner across Sussex. He has spent years joining up food networks, citizens’ assemblies, community land trusts and council…|~/can-sussex-lead-on-closing-the-loop|904870090979¶b|2025-11-10|85||Should the Sussex mayoral election be delayed?||mayoral election delay, James Joughin, Sussex Bylines, supplementary vote, first past the post, voting system, mandate, plurality, Compass, John Hewitt, Brighton & Hove, Cumbria, Cheshire & Warrington, unitary elections 2027, turnout, democracy, legitimacy|On James Joughin's Sussex Bylines case for delaying the first mayoral election: first past the post versus the supplementary vote, the risk of a mayor elected on a small plurality, and precedents for delay in Cumbria and Cheshire & Warrington.|~/should-the-sussex-mayoral-election-be-delayed|902680739036¶p|2025-11-10|28|30|Why Sussex Needs To Look After Its Shopkeepers|Shiv Misra (founder, Kindly)|Brighton, Kindly, HISBE, Independent retail, Shared logistics, Business rates, Refill retail, Local loyalty, Devolution|Kindly, a Brighton supermarket built on fair pricing, plastic-free shopping and refills. The challenges independent retailers face, from rates to shared logistics, and how Sussex could use devolution to back small businesses.|@/28-why-sussex-needs-to-look-after-its-shopkeepers|¶b|2025-11-07|84||Integrated transport: what is the size of the prize for mayors?||Centre for Cities, integrated transport, buses, bus frequency, multi-modal ticketing, journey times, Southern, Thameslink, Gatwick Express, rail nationalisation, agglomeration, productivity, Liverpool, modal shift, congestion charging, parking, bus corridors, bus priority, Gatwick, Falmer, ports, coastal towns, mayoral powers|A new Centre for Cities report, released this week, argues that the biggest gains from devolution for big urban economies won’t come from shiny new tram lines alone, but from making the transport we already have work as one joined-up system.|~/integrated-transport-what-is-the-size-of-the-prize-for-mayors|889493411006¶b|2025-11-05|83||Expert Opinion #1: Professor Chirantan Chaterjee||Expert Opinion, Chirantan Chatterjee, University of Sussex Business School, World Bank, World Health Organisation, innovation, research commercialisation, early-stage capital, grow-on space, scale-ups, good jobs, Rampion 2, offshore wind, clean coastal power, Gatwick, health innovation, missions, Brighton|Expert Opinion #1: Professor Chirantan Chatterjee of the University of Sussex Business School on six levers a mayor could pull so Sussex research and firms scale and stay local, from early-stage capital to grow-on space, clean coastal power and health innovation.|~/expert-opinion-1-professor-chirantan-chaterjee|887947579617¶b|2025-11-04|82||Tonight! A new devolution network for climate and nature||Mayoral Climate and Nature Network, Friends of the Earth, South East Climate Alliance, SECA, climate, nature, climate justice, campaigning, mayoral race, network launch|Invitation to the launch of a Sussex-wide Mayoral Climate and Nature Network by Friends of the Earth and the South East Climate Alliance, aiming to keep climate and nature central to the mayoral race.|~/tonight-a-new-devolution-network-for-climate-and-nature|887902099644¶b|2025-11-03|81||What just happened in Surrey?||Surrey, East Surrey, West Surrey, unitary councils, Surrey County Council, Elmbridge, Epsom & Ewell, Mole Valley, Reigate & Banstead, Tandridge, Guildford, Runnymede, Spelthorne, Surrey Heath, Waverley, Woking, Woking Borough Council debt, £500 million, shadow authorities, vesting day, Mayoral Strategic Authority, local government reorganisation|Last week, the government confirmed one of the most significant shake-ups of local governance in decades; splitting our neighbours in Surrey into two new unitary councils: East Surrey and West Surrey; and setting the stage for a new Mayoral Strategic…|~/what-just-happened-in-surrey|887615214830¶p|2025-11-03|27|35|Is Art Sussex' Civic Superpower?|Lesley Samms (artist mentor, curator; founder, Pure Arts Group)|Visual arts, Pure Arts Group, Charleston, Farleys House, Coastal Currents, Hastings, Crawley public art, Culture, Artist residencies, Devolution|How visual arts shape Sussex identity, from Charleston and Farleys House to Hastings' Coastal Currents. The case for a Sussex-wide cultural strategy backing grassroots artists, young talent and space to experiment.|@/27-is-art-sussex-civic-superpower|¶b|2025-10-31|80||Why Ben Dempsey wants your vote in May||Ben Dempsey, Liberal Democrats, mayoral candidate, Haywards Heath, Ditchling, University of Sussex, WWF, Mid Sussex District Council, nature recovery, biodiversity, buses, bus network, first 100 days, housing, low-carbon homes, Brand Sussex, bonfire societies, listening, Shake It Up Creative, Worthing|Lib Dem mayoral candidate Ben Dempsey on a strategic, collaborative and green Sussex, with a bus network overhaul as his first-100-days priority.|~/why-ben-dempsey-wants-your-vote-in-may|862176741577¶b|2025-10-29|79||Sussex microbusinesses are hiding in plain site||Rachael Dines, Shake It Up Creative, Worthing Chamber, West Sussex Growth Board, microbusinesses, small businesses, self-employment, freelancers, solo traders, Worthing, manufacturing, industrial estates, creative industries, digital, Brand Sussex, grassroots, business support, DMH Stallard|Podcast #24 with Rachael Dines of Shake It Up Creative on Sussex's micro-business economy: 97% of firms employ under 50 and 15% of workers are self-employed. Why devolution must reach freelancers, creatives and solo traders, not just big players.|~/sussex-microbusinesses-are-hiding-in-plain-site|862132999391¶b|2025-10-27|78||Planning, devolution and the power to shape Sussex||planning, Brighton Chamber, Construction Voice, Flo Powell, Midnight Communications, PLATF9RM, Hove, Nicola Hurley, Brighton & Hove City Council, Liz Hobden, Planning Advisory Service, Kelvin MacDonald, Brighton Housing Trust, Planning Peer Review, planning backlog, local plans, mayoral call-in powers, planning committees, housing numbers, design, strategic planning, trust|Has planning lost its purpose? Takeaways from a Brighton Chamber panel with Nicola Hurley, Liz Hobden and Kelvin MacDonald on a system under strain, reforms due in 2026, and what a Sussex mayor will inherit on housing and strategic planning.|~/planning-devolution-and-the-power-to-shape-sussex|861969378507¶p|2025-10-26|26|31|Can Sussex Lead On Closing The Loop?|Steve Creed (co-founder, Circular Brighton & Hove; vice chair, Adur Community Land Trust)|Circular economy, Brighton & Hove, Earth Overshoot Day, Circular Brighton & Hove, Adur Community Land Trust, Sussex Bay, Beyond GDP, Devolution|Can Sussex lead on circular-economy practice? Linking food, housing, transport and climate policy, measuring progress beyond GDP, and whether grassroots groups should rebuild trust before devolution.|@/26-can-sussex-lead-on-closing-the-loop|¶b|2025-10-24|77||Ideas For A Future Sussex #3: Louise Blackwell||Ideas For A Future Sussex, Louise Blackwell, Creative Crawley, Crawley Creative Playground, Fuel, Arts Council England, West Green Studios, County Mall, Crawley, cultural spaces, listening, civic identity, democratic infrastructure, Creative People and Places, £1m, culture, trust|Ideas For A Future Sussex #3: Louise Blackwell of Creative Crawley on why cultural spaces, from West Green Studios to a pop-up in County Mall, are where people practise listening, and why cultural infrastructure should be part of democratic infrastructure.|~/ideas-for-a-future-sussex-3-louise-blackwell|859806751972¶b|2025-10-22|76||Sussex leaders form new mayoral Partnership Board||Informal Partnership Board, Mayoral Combined County Authority, MCCA, Bella Sankey, Keith Glazier, Paul Marshall, Brighton & Hove City Council, East Sussex County Council, West Sussex County Council, universities, emergency services, NHS, colleges, Devolution Priority Programme, economic development, integrated transport, active travel, affordable housing, regeneration, climate adaptation, public services, interim chief executive, shadow years, districts and boroughs|Leaders from Brighton & Hove, East and West Sussex, plus universities, NHS, colleges and emergency services, meet as an Informal Partnership Board to prepare the new mayoral combined authority: shared priorities, an interim chief executive and shadow years.|~/sussex-leaders-form-new-mayoral-partnership-board|851321102548¶b|2025-10-20|75||Minding the gap: Sussex transport and transparency||Paul Bromley, transport, buses, rail, integrated transport plan, bus and road networks, Bee Network, Manchester, Beeching, north-south rail, congestion, cycling, local journalism, scrutiny, accountability, community rail, Sussex wine, Worthing stations, Chichester, Hastings, Morgan Sindall, University of Sussex|Podcast #23 with transport journalist Paul Bromley on why getting around Sussex is so hard, what an integrated transport plan from a mayor could do, lessons from Manchester's Bee Network, and why local journalism matters for scrutiny.|~/minding-the-gap-sussex-transport-and-transparency|851185581271¶p|2025-10-19|25|34|Why I Want To Be Mayor (Part Four)|Dr Ben Dempsey (Liberal Democrat candidate for Mayor of Sussex & Brighton)|Mayoral candidates, Liberal Democrats, Bus reform, Housing, Biodiversity, Knepp, Devolution|Ben Dempsey on his background in international development and conservation, uniting a politically divided region, and early priorities such as bus reform, housing and biodiversity.|@/25-why-i-want-to-be-mayor-part-four|¶b|2025-10-16|74||Labour reveal their Sussex mayoral hopefuls||Labour, mayoral selection, Cat Arnold, Adur, National Executive Committee, Adur Community Café, Caroline Baxter, Worthing, West Sussex County Council, Margi O'Callaghan, Hastings, Dan Yates, Brighton & Hove City Council, housing, green jobs, youth services, transport, policing, LabourList, one member one vote|The four candidates seeking Labour's nomination for Sussex & Brighton mayor, Cat Arnold, Caroline Baxter, Margi O'Callaghan and Dan Yates, and what each is offering.|~/labour-reveal-their-mayoral-hopefuls|847789191414¶b|2025-10-15|73||What a recent poll could mean for the 2026 mayoral race||YouGov MRP poll, Reform UK, voting intentions, general election, Crawley, Bognor Regis and Littlehampton, Worthing West, East Worthing and Shoreham, Bexhill and Battle, Hastings and Rye, Sussex Weald, Liberal Democrats, Chichester, Mid Sussex, Lewes, Horsham, Eastbourne, Labour, Hove and Portslade, Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, Conservatives, Arundel and South Downs, East Grinstead and Uckfield, Greens, Brighton Pavilion, mayoral race, turnout, tactical voting|What a YouGov MRP poll projecting Reform UK as the largest party could mean for the first Sussex mayoral race, seat by seat across Sussex, with caveats on turnout, tactical voting and local campaigns.|~/what-a-recent-poll-could-mean-for-the-2026-mayoral-race|838677655785¶b|2025-10-13|72||Ideas For A Future Sussex #2: Natalie Orringe||Ideas For A Future Sussex, Natalie Orringe, Strategy + Impact, London Borough of Newham, communications, consultation, trust, plain language, Together Co, loneliness, partnership, civic engagement, storytelling, local government|Ideas For A Future Sussex #2: Natalie Orringe of Strategy + Impact on why devolution is a communications test, why consultation is broken, and how to treat residents like adults to build trust.|~/ideas-for-a-future-sussex-2-natalie-orringe|838371390703¶p|2025-10-12|24|30|Sussex Microbusinesses Are Hiding In Plain Sight|Rachael Dines (director, Shake It Up Creative)|Microbusinesses, Brand Sussex, Creative sector, Manufacturing, Worthing, Local supply chains, Creative clusters, Burnout, Sussex mayor, Devolution|The small firms driving the county's economy often lack visibility and support. How devolution could improve business support, connect creative and manufacturing sectors and define 'Brand Sussex', plus burnout and local leadership.|@/24-sussex-microbusinesses-are-hiding-in-plain-sight|¶b|2025-10-08|71||What happens when your council is being deleted?||Sophie Cox, Worthing Borough Council, council leader, local government reorganisation, LGR, April 2028, Thriving Together, Adur & Worthing, participatory engagement, housing, regeneration, culture, neighbourhood power, Worthing Festival, Sussex Bay, South Downs, apathy, mayoral election, Digital Islands, Gavin McWhirter, business support, East Sussex Business Hub, Isle of Wight, Hampshire, SATC+|Podcast #22 with Cllr Sophie Cox, Leader of Worthing Borough Council, on leading a council that will cease to exist in 2028, the Thriving Together engagement model, Worthing Festival and Sussex Bay.|~/what-happens-when-your-council-is-being-deleted|831641008328¶b|2025-10-06|70||Rachel Millward wins Green nomination||Rachel Millward, Green Party, mayoral candidate, deputy leader, Wealden District Council, Hartfield, affordable housing, local resilience, climate action, nature, culture, community, rural transport, council commercial space, Birds Eye View, Reclaim the Frame, The Nest Collective|Rachel Millward, Green Party deputy leader and co-leader of Wealden District Council, is selected as the Greens' candidate for Sussex mayor, pitching affordable housing, climate action, rural transport and a vision rooted in nature, culture and community.|~/rachel-millward-wins-green-nomination|831173726454¶p|2025-10-05|23|30|Minding The Gap - Sussex Transport And Transparency|Paul Bromley (community rail line officer, Southeast Communities Rail Partnership)|Transport, Buses, Rail, Bus and rail integration, Rail nationalisation, Bee Network, Community rail, Local journalism, Accountability, Sussex mayor|Sussex's fragmented transport network and what a mayor could do to join up buses, trains and roads. Also the decline of local journalism and whether new structures could strengthen accountability.|@/23-minding-the-gap-sussex-transport-and-transparency|¶b|2025-10-03|69||Ideas For A Future Sussex #1: Graham Marley||Ideas For A Future Sussex, Graham Marley, Let's Do Business Finance, Let's Do Business Group, small businesses, scale-ups, steady growth, 5% growth, Hastings, Lewes, Bexhill, inward investment service, commercial space, planning, venture capital, place-based investment, inclusive growth, SATC+|Ideas For A Future Sussex #1: Graham Marley of Let's Do Business Finance on why steady growth in existing small businesses matters more than scale-ups in places like Hastings, Lewes and Bexhill, and the case for a Sussex-wide inward investment service.|~/ideas-for-a-future-sussex-1-graham-marley|820343505145¶b|2025-10-02|68||What it really takes to build a new council from scratch||local government reorganisation, LGR, Institute for Government, IfG, Norse Group, district council mergers, Vesting Day, North Yorkshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, waste, housing services, culture clash, staff, HR, IT systems, contracts, back office, £60m savings, devolution, state capacity, double devolution, youth voice, area committees|Lessons from an Institute for Government and Norse Group panel on merging district councils: harmonising services, supporting staff, preparing back-office systems early, and why Sussex should design new councils for the geography it wants, not the one it inherited.|~/what-it-really-takes-to-build-a-new-council-from-scratch|820107818188¶b|2025-10-01|67||Could a Sussex mayor be in charge of schools?||Steve Reed, MHCLG, Labour Together, mayoral powers, health, NHS budgets, health commissioners, education, academy schools, schools, criminal justice, probation, social care, Devolution Bill, Angela Rayner resignation, Josh Simons, Cabinet Office, The Guardian, social infrastructure|New local government secretary Steve Reed signals far bigger mayoral powers, from NHS budgets and health commissioners to academy schools and probation, drawing on a Labour Together report. What that could mean for a future Sussex mayor.|~/could-a-sussex-mayor-be-in-charge-of-schools|800990056635¶b|2025-09-29|66||The messy edges of Sussex creativity||Nick Connaughton, The Old Market, TOM, Hove, Brighton & Hove, creative infrastructure, live performance, National Portfolio Organisations, cultural ecosystem, #TomTech, immersive, 360 projection, wellbeing, nightlife, night-time economy, night tsar, venue closures, noise complaints, Galloways Accounting, culture|Podcast #21 with Nick Connaughton of The Old Market in Hove on the 'messy edges' of Sussex creativity: a cultural ecosystem rather than competing venues, arts and tech, and why the region needs a night-time economy champion before nightlife hits a tipping point.|~/the-messy-edges-of-sussex-creativity|791651402971¶p|2025-09-28|22|28|"Communities have an expectation"|Cllr Sophie Cox (leader, Worthing Borough Council)|Worthing, Worthing Borough Council, Local government reorganisation, Thriving Together, Community engagement, Mayoral election, Sussex Bay, Devolution|One of Sussex's youngest council leaders on merging district and borough councils into unitaries by 2028, Worthing's Thriving Together approach to engaging residents, and the first mayoral election.|@/22-communities-have-an-expectation|¶b|2025-09-26|65||The East Midlands inclusive growth experiment||East Midlands, Inclusive Growth Commission, East Midlands Combined County Authority, EMCCA, Andy Haldane, RSA, polycentric region, inclusive growth, place-based, youth progression, community capital, health equity, net zero, innovation, lived experience, theory of change, data, evaluation, Greater Manchester, West Midlands|What Sussex can learn from the East Midlands Inclusive Growth Commission, chaired by Andy Haldane: a polycentric model built on wide engagement, with the combined authority acting as enabler rather than owner.|~/the-east-midlands-inclusive-growth-experiment|788323998928¶b|2025-09-24|64||A vision for a different kind of Sussex||Jenny Andersson, Really Regenerative Centre, regeneration, regenerative economy, bioregion, polycrisis, regenerative agriculture, nature-based housebuilding, biodiversity, soil, food systems, oyster-shell concrete, sheep's wool insulation, visionary mayor, participatory leadership, local supply chains, Fife, young farmers, Kreston Reeves, B Corp|Podcast #20 with Jenny Andersson of the Really Regenerative Centre on thinking of Sussex as a bioregion, regenerative food and housing, and why the county needs a visionary rather than managerial mayor.|~/a-vision-for-a-different-kind-of-sussex|787651932384¶b|2025-09-22|63||Devolution debate: key takeaways from parliament||English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, committee stage, Parliament, Sam Chapman-Allen, District Councils' Network, democratic deficit, 500,000 threshold, Matthew Hicks, Suffolk, Catriona Riddell, Spatial Development Strategies, strategic planning, local plans, housing delivery, Kevin Bentley, Essex, Bev Craig, Greater Manchester, scrutiny, Justin Griggs, National Association of Local Councils, Nick Plumb, Power to Change, neighbourhood governance, Ion Fletcher, British Property Federation, upward-only rent reviews, high streets, health in all policies, Local Nature Recovery Strategies, Liverpool City Region, Robbie Whittaker, Football Supporters Association, sporting assets, community right to buy, Mayoral Council, Siân Berry, Brighton Pavilion|Key takeaways from the Commons committee stage of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill: district councils' democratic deficit, the 500k threshold, spatial development strategies, scrutiny of mayors, neighbourhood governance, rent reviews and right to buy.|~/devolution-debate-key-takeaways-from-parliament|782014575819¶p|2025-09-21|21|28|Why Brighton's Nightlife Matters For All Of Sussex|Nick Connaughton (co-CEO, The Old Market)|The Old Market, Hove, Brighton nightlife, Night-time economy, Culture, Independent venues, Arts funding, Devolution|Running The Old Market in Hove under financial pressure. Is Sussex's arts and nightlife scene joined up or competing for audiences, and how could devolution and a night-time economy strategy help?|@/21-why-brightons-nightlife-matters-for-all-of-sussex|¶b|2025-09-19|62||Brighton & Hove makes a radical proposal||Brighton & Hove City Council, five unitary authorities, local government reorganisation, unitary authority, Greater Brighton, Lewes, East Saltdean, Telscombe Cliffs, Peacehaven, Falmer, East Sussex Coastal, Eastbourne, Hastings, Rother, Seaford, Newhaven, Wealden, Pevensey Bay, Polegate, Hailsham, High Weald & Lewes, Mid Sussex, Uckfield, Crowborough, Heathfield, Ringmer, Ditchling, Gatwick to Chichester, Chichester, Horsham, Crawley, Coastal West Sussex, Arun, Adur, Worthing, population scale, mayor's cabinet|Brighton & Hove City Council proposes five new unitary authorities for Sussex, redrawn at ward level: Greater Brighton, East Sussex Coastal, High Weald & Lewes, Gatwick to Chichester and Coastal West Sussex. What's proposed and the reasoning.|~/brighton-hove-makes-a-radical-proposal|782035877061¶b|2025-09-18|61||Martin Webb standing as independent candidate||Martin Webb, independent candidate, mayoral candidate, Labour, Special Sergeant, entrepreneur, Midhurst, businesses, red tape, local supply chains, start-ups, homelessness, shoplifting, Sussex Community Plan, Katy Bourne, Ben Dempsey|Martin Webb, former Special Sergeant and entrepreneur, switches from seeking the Labour nomination to standing as an independent mayoral candidate, with a public Q&A and a co-created 'Sussex Community Plan'.|~/martin-webb-standing-as-independent-candidate|781685064911¶b|2025-09-16|60||Ben Dempsey wins Liberal Democrat nomination||Ben Dempsey, Liberal Democrats, mayoral candidate, Michael Wang, Stewart Stone, housing reform, integrated transport, local services, nature-led economy, YouGov, Reform UK, by-elections, Queen's Park, Brighton, Haywards Heath, Ditchling, Mid Sussex, University of Sussex, WWF, conservation|Ben Dempsey, a conservation expert from Ditchling who works for WWF, wins the Liberal Democrat nomination for Sussex mayor over Michael Wang and Stewart Stone, with a pitch on housing, integrated transport and a nature-led economy.|~/ben-dempsey-wins-liberal-democrat-nomination|778560344313¶b|2025-09-15|59||Lessons from the north||James Farrar, York & North Yorkshire Combined Mayoral Authority, North Yorkshire, mayor, officer team, quick wins, cross-party cabinet, town plans, accountability, Whitehall, multi-year funding, integrated settlements, Galloways Accounting, West Sussex business case, single unitary, two unitaries, £48.8m, public survey, East Sussex business case, three unitaries, £32m savings, children's services, adult social care, Brighton & Hove|Lessons from James Farrar of York & North Yorkshire's mayoral authority (quick wins, cross-party cabinets, plans for every town), plus a rundown of the West Sussex and East Sussex reorganisation business cases, savings forecasts and public preferences.|~/lessons-from-the-north|776072623314¶p|2025-09-14|20|37|From Polycrisis To Possibility: A Regenerative Sussex Vision|Jenny Andersson (founder, The Really Regenerative Centre)|Regenerative economy, Bioregionalism, Food systems, Bio-based construction, Participatory governance, Polycrisis, Doughnut Economics, Devolution|Shifting Sussex from bolting green measures onto an old system to a regenerative economy aligning economy, culture and ecology, with leadership in food, climate-friendly housing and bio-based materials, and a mayor as visionary convener.|@/20-from-polycrisis-to-possibility-a-regenerative-sussex-vision|¶b|2025-09-12|58||Something big is missing from the mayor's role||climate duty, nature duty, environment, English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, statutory duty, economic growth, Wildlife and Countryside Link, Local Government Association, District Councils' Network, ADEPT, UK100, Office for Environmental Protection, Climate Emergency UK, Isaac Beevor, council climate scorecards, Greater London Authority, NHS, Ofwat, Crown Estate, Sally Barnard, South East Climate Alliance, coastal erosion, water stress, biodiversity, Climate Change Act, Environment Act|The Devolution Bill mentions economic growth 54 times, climate once and nature not at all. The case from environmental groups, councils and businesses for giving Sussex's mayor a statutory duty on climate and nature.|~/something-big-is-missing-from-the-mayors-role|767790664912¶b|2025-09-10|57||The ferry, the mayor, and the Sussex Onions||Graham Precey, Newhaven-Dieppe ferry, Newhaven, Dieppe, Normandy, decarbonisation, CO2 emissions, Sussex Onions, cross-Channel, tourism, freight, open space, University of Brighton Business School, Shoreham, Gatwick, infrastructure spine, South Downs National Park, French funding, Let's Do Business Finance|Podcast #18 with Graham Precey on decarbonising the 200-year-old Newhaven-Dieppe ferry, getting Sussex to co-invest alongside France, and why the route is a ready-made test of cross-Channel leadership for a Sussex mayor.|~/the-ferry-the-mayor-and-the-sussex-onions|767594057924¶b|2025-09-08|56||Hove in the headlines – but what now for Sussex devolution?||Hove, Angela Rayner, resignation, tax affairs, national media, Sussex image, MHCLG, Jim McMahon, cabinet reshuffle, Steve Reed, Croydon, Florence Eshalomi, devolution minister, English Devolution Bill, local government reorganisation, Croydon-Gatwick-Brighton corridor, Shoreham Port|Angela Rayner's resignation over her Hove flat puts Sussex on the front pages and changes who runs devolution: Steve Reed and Florence Eshalomi take over at MHCLG just as Sussex's reorganisation business cases are due.|~/hove-in-the-headlines-but-what-now-for-sussex-devolution|768435732669¶p|2025-09-07|19|32|The Lessons From North Yorkshire|James Farrar (chief executive, York & North Yorkshire Combined Mayoral Authority)|York & North Yorkshire, Combined authorities, Local government reorganisation, Elected mayor, Integrated settlements, Town centres, Affordable housing, Devolution|How York & North Yorkshire completed reorganisation, launched its mayoral combined authority and moved quickly to delivery. Practical lessons for Sussex on trust, quick wins, governance and housing.|@/19-the-lessons-from-north-yorkshire|¶b|2025-09-05|55||How devolution might reshape housing in the South East||housing, planning, South East, Planning and Infrastructure Bill, Spatial Development Strategies, Mayoral Community Infrastructure Levy, strategic referral powers, affordable housing, Homes England, Development Orders, Brighton & Hove, Peacehaven, Telscombe, Newhaven, boundary extension, unmet housing need, Surrey, East and West Surrey, green belt, Kent, Medway, Ebbsfleet, Ashford, Savills|How mayoral strategic authorities could reshape housing and planning across the South East, from spatial development strategies and a mayoral CIL to Brighton's eastward boundary proposal, Surrey's unitary options and Kent's slower path.|~/how-devolution-might-reshape-housing-in-the-south-east|760054793428¶b|2025-09-03|54||The missing middle: what Sussex entrepreneurs say devolution must deliver||scale-ups, missing middle, Simon Chuter, Scale Up Sussex, Sussex Innovation, Maddy Cooper, Flourish, sustainability marketing, high-growth businesses, talent, finance, risk capital, leadership, mentoring, Cambridge, growth symposium, medium-sized employers, good jobs, Hastings|What Sussex entrepreneurs say devolution must deliver: Simon Chuter and Maddy Cooper on the barriers to scaling (talent, finance, leadership, coordination) and why the region lacks medium-sized employers.|~/the-missing-middle-what-sussex-entrepreneurs-say-devolution-must-deliver|759934716111¶b|2025-09-01|53||Harlow’s case for public advice under devolution||Citizens Advice Harlow, Greater Essex, manifesto, advice services, Advice Guarantee, advice on prescription, GP surgeries, family hubs, social care, Local Advice Partnerships, NHS, DWP, debt, housing, benefits, employment, inclusion, prevention, lived experience, social infrastructure|Citizens Advice Harlow's manifesto for Greater Essex's mayor (an Advice Guarantee, advisers in GP surgeries, multi-year funding) and whether Sussex should treat free advice as civic infrastructure too.|~/harlows-case-for-public-advice-under-devolution|756370938064¶p|2025-08-31|18|30|Bridges Not Borders; Rethinking Sussex's Link To The World|Graham Precey (social impact leader; convenor, Newhaven-Dieppe ferry decarbonisation)|Newhaven, Newhaven-Dieppe ferry, Normandy, Decarbonisation, Shipping, Gatwick, Shoreham, Open Space, Devolution|The Newhaven-Dieppe ferry as a long-standing link between Sussex and Normandy, efforts to cut around 41,000 tonnes of CO2 from the route, and community-led Open Space convening.|@/18-bridges-not-borders-rethinking-sussexs-link-to-the-world|¶b|2025-08-28|52||Where are we at? The story so far.||devolution explained, Mayoral Combined County Authority, timeline, Devolution White Paper, priority region, mayoral powers, transport, housing, planning, skills, public health, policing, fire, mayor's cabinet, deputy mayors, local government reorganisation, LGR explained, two-tier councils, unitary councils, East Sussex single unitary, West Sussex options, Shaping West Sussex survey, Crawley, Surrey, Gatwick, Brighton & Hove expansion, East Saltdean, Telscombe Cliffs, Peacehaven, Kingston, Newhaven, Bella Sankey, Lewes District Council, petition|A back-to-basics recap after the summer: what Sussex devolution and a mayor involve, the timeline, how local government reorganisation differs, and the options for East Sussex, West Sussex and Brighton & Hove's proposed expansion.|~/where-are-we-at-the-story-so-far|752418316495¶p|2025-08-25|17|23|The Case For Bold, Female-led Climate Entrepreneurship In Sussex|Maddy Cooper (founder, Flourish)|Flourish, Brighton, Sustainable marketing, Greenwashing, Scale-ups, Female entrepreneurship, Climate, AI, Devolution|Maddy Cooper left big-brand marketing to start Flourish, helping firms turn real sustainability efforts into compliant marketing. Greenwashing, greenhushing, and why Sussex should back ambitious scale-ups.|@/17-the-case-for-bold-female-led-climate-entrepreneurship-in-sussex|¶p|2025-08-18|16|29|Why I Want To Be Mayor (Parts Two & Three)|Tim Loughton (former MP for East Worthing & Shoreham); Paul Marshall (leader, West Sussex County Council)|Mayoral candidates, Conservatives, West Sussex County Council, A27, Connectivity, Productivity, Housing, Talent drain, Devolution|Two West Sussex Conservatives on why they backed a Sussex mayor and what it could mean for infrastructure, productivity and collaboration, treating Sussex as one county while warning of over-politicisation.|@/16-why-i-want-to-be-mayor-parts-two-three|¶p|2025-08-10|15|29|Small Is Beautiful - But Sussex Needs Scale|Simon Chuter (founder, Scale Up Sussex; formerly Sussex Innovation)|Scale-ups, Business growth, Good jobs, Mentoring, Investment, University of Sussex, Sussex Innovation, Brighton, Devolution|How devolution could build a more connected business environment and scale up companies. Sussex has strong ingredients but needs to link them, and the mayoralty's first job should be funding what already works.|@/15-small-is-beautiful-but-sussex-needs-scale|¶b|2025-08-08|51||Communications, tech skills, manufacturing and summer holidays||summer break, phase two, SATC+, subscription, arts and culture roundtable, Glyndebourne, Weald & Downland Museum, Hastings Borough Council, Lighthouse, Creative Crawley, Plus Accounting, manufacturing roundtable, Kreston Reeves, Slake Distillery, Boutique Modern, Mel Butcher, Akrovalve, Sussex Business Times, Dan Wallman, TechNative Digital, bootcamps, tech skills, Natalie Orringe, communicating complexity, Different Hats, Be Well Live Well|Summer round-up: launch of SATC+, roundtables on Sussex arts and culture and on sustainable manufacturing, podcasts with Dan Wallman of TechNative Digital on tech skills and Natalie Orringe on communicating complexity.|~/communications-tech-skills-manufacturing-and-summer-holidays|728347101405¶b|2025-08-05|50||Katy Bourne selected for the Conservative Party||Katy Bourne, Conservatives, mayoral candidate, Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner, PCC, Mid Sussex, housing, spatial strategy, countryside, transport, Silicon Pier Strategy, innovation, skills, apprenticeships, Safer Sussex, Healthy Sussex, prevention, Tim Loughton, Sally-Ann Hart, Paul Marshall|Katy Bourne, Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner since 2012, wins the Conservative nomination for mayor over Tim Loughton, Sally-Ann Hart and Paul Marshall, with six priorities from homes and transport to a 'Silicon Pier' innovation strategy.|~/katy-bourne-selected-for-the-conservative-party|723876315344¶p|2025-08-03|14|28|We Can Be Better At Communicating Complexity|Natalie Orringe (founder, Strategy + Impact)|Communications, Public engagement, Public trust, Consultation, Storytelling, Regional identity, Local government, Devolution|The first CMO of a London borough on how clear communication, early honest consultation and better storytelling can rebuild public trust as Sussex prepares for a mayor.|@/14-we-can-be-better-at-communicating-complexity|¶b|2025-07-31|49||More mayoral hopefuls emerge||mayoral hopefuls, Ben Dempsey, Stewart Stone, Michael Wang, Liberal Democrats, manifestos, Martin Webb, Labour, Katy Bourne, Sally-Ann Hart, Tim Loughton, Paul Marshall, Conservatives, Dan Yates, inequality, integrated transport, nature recovery, housing, health and care, policing, Greens, Reform UK, independents|More hopefuls seek party nominations for Sussex & Brighton mayor: Liberal Democrats Ben Dempsey, Stewart Stone and Michael Wang, and Labour's Martin Webb, alongside the Conservative and Labour names already declared.|~/more-mayoral-hopefuls-emerge-updated|717523534069¶b|2025-07-29|48||What is the point of Sussex And The City?||Sussex And The City, project goals, engagement, Sussex Business Times, LGR vs devolution, trust, networks, tech, climate action, public health, culture, skills, Richard Freeman, Always Possible, Letitia McConalogue, Sarah Freeman, Amelia Hodgetts, Haniyyah Nauzeer, Chris Thorpe-Tracey, Lo Fi Arts, Sussex And The City 100, partners, sponsorship, Be Well Live Well, City Girl Network, Creative Crawley, Different Hats, Digital Islands, DMH Stallard, Galloways Accounting, Kreston Reeves, Let's Do Business Finance, Magenta Associates, Morgan Sindall, Plus Accounting, Plus X Innovation, Projects, Shake It Up Creative, Silverstone Communications, SMN, Strategy & Impact, The Werks Group, Worlds Better|Three months in: who's engaging with Sussex And The City, the key takeaways so far (confusion between LGR and devolution, appetite for joined-up networks, the need to rebuild trust), the project's goals and the team and partners behind it.|~/what-is-the-point-of-sussex-and-the-city|713487333619¶p|2025-07-27|13|28|Sussex Is Full Of Talent. But Employers Aren't Finding It.|Dan Wallman (founder, TechNative Digital)|Digital skills, Bootcamps, Employer-led training, LSIP, Junior careers, Neurodiversity, DV8 Sussex, Labour market, Devolution|Why the region's tech skills system falls short, and what employer-led training, digital bootcamps and junior career pathways could do to connect local people with jobs.|@/13-sussex-is-full-of-talent-but-employers-arent-finding-it|¶b|2025-07-25|47||If no one understands devolution, what's the point?||Flo Powell, Midnight Communications, communications, plain language, jargon, trust, public engagement, consultation, surveys, accountability, trusted messengers, AI, tourism, Plus Accounting, B Corp, manufacturing roundtable|Podcast #12 with Flo Powell of Midnight Communications on why plain, honest, human communication will make or break devolution in Sussex.|~/if-no-one-understands-devolution-whats-the-point|708704252116¶b|2025-07-24|46||Last week's roundtable||roundtable, tech and digital playbook, digital strategy, freelancers, micro-businesses, skills gaps, bootcamps, mentoring, digital inclusion, AI, coastal communities, Rohun Bouri, Barclays Eagle Labs, Will Callaghan, Tech Resort, Maria Camila Bedoya-Toro, Sussex Innovation, Mark Crowter, Galloways Accounting, Paul Doran, Mark Ford, WorthingDigital, Sussex Digital, Julia Hilton, Hastings, Victoria King, Plus Accounting, Fiona MacNeill, Ladies that UX, Natalie Orringe, Peter Sharp, Josh Smith, Olivia Stamp, New Citizen Project, Gavin Stewart, Brighton BID, Rose Tighe, Brighton AI, Dan Wallman, TechNative Digital, Chalk Eastbourne, Silicon Brighton, Future Skills Sussex, techUK, Greater Brighton Digital Strategy, West of England, Manchester tech commissioner, Digital Sussex manifesto|Write-up of the roundtable 'How A Sussex Mayor Could Use A Tech And Digital Playbook': fragmentation, overlooked freelancers, skills gaps, digital inclusion and AI, with recommendations for a Sussex-wide digital playbook.|~/last-weeks-roundtable-1|707194047720¶b|2025-07-21|45||Sussex gets the green light||mayoral election confirmed, May 2026, Mayoral Combined County Authority, MCCA, Devolution Priority Programme, English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, unitary councils, local government reorganisation, Shaping West Sussex, East Sussex, Brighton & Hove, Bella Sankey, Paul Marshall, Keith Glazier, The Argus, BBC, public consultation, 23% agree, scepticism, Brighton-centric, LGC|Government confirms a May 2026 mayoral election and a new Mayoral Combined County Authority for Sussex and Brighton, kicking off local government reorganisation. Leaders call it historic, but only 23% of consultation respondents expected real benefits.|~/sussex-gets-the-green-light|699233897685¶p|2025-07-20|12|29|If No One Understands Devolution, What's The Point?|Flo Powell (co-managing director, Midnight Communications)|Communications, Public trust, Elected mayor, Consultation, Surveys, Democracy, Brighton, Devolution|Communication around devolution is failing residents: jargon-heavy consultations, poorly designed surveys and an unclear picture of the mayor's role. A call for plain language and transparent engagement.|@/12-if-no-one-understands-devolution-whats-the-point|¶b|2025-07-18|44||Key changes announced on how mayors will be voted in||English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, Parliament, Angela Rayner, supplementary vote, first past the post, mayoral elections, Police and Crime Commissioners, independent candidates, fire and rescue authorities, Community Risk Management Plan, East Sussex Fire & Rescue, West Sussex Fire & Rescue, scrutiny, ministerial powers, combined authorities|The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill in Parliament: a return to the supplementary vote for mayors, mayoral fire and rescue powers, and wider ministerial powers to reshape combined authorities, and what it means for Sussex.|~/key-changes-announced-to-how-sussex-will-vote-for-a-mayor|693403360494¶b|2025-07-16|43||Why Sally-Ann Hart wants to be mayor||Sally-Ann Hart, Conservatives, mayoral candidate, Hastings & Rye, visible mayor, accountability, dashboard, jobs, economic growth, coastal, rural, Brighton, Bognor, Horsham, Crawley, Camber Sands, pandemic, mental health, Digital Islands, tech playbook roundtable, arts and culture roundtable|Podcast #11 with former Hastings & Rye MP Sally-Ann Hart, one of the first to declare for Sussex mayor, on visibility, accountability, jobs and growth, and treating every Sussex place as unique.|~/why-sally-ann-hart-wants-to-be-mayor|692713472199¶b|2025-07-15|42||Land, sea, and power: Sussex’s big ask||roundtable, land sea and environment, mayor, empty homes, land banking, chalk aquifers, circular economy, ecotourism, spatial planning, brownfield, CPRE Sussex, social housing, nature recovery, Sussex Climate and Nature Commission, Surrey Climate Commission, Natural Capital Investment Plan, green skills, youth engagement, citizens' assemblies, community land trusts, Sussex First, tourism, Rob Alcroft, Wayforward, South East Climate Alliance, Circular Brighton & Hove, Steve Creed, Adur Community Land Trust, Galloways Accounting, Nancy Duckels, Create51, Climate Change Brighton & Hove, Catherine Fisher, Sarah Hadwen, Julia Hilton, Hastings, Steve Neocleous, Hanover Action, Cathy Shutt, Kevan Smith, Brighton United, Really Regenerative Centre, Samantha Smithson, Experience Sussex, Olivia Stamp, New Citizen Project, Paul Steedman, Ann Stewart, Green Party, Gavin Stewart, Brighton BID, Sussex Wildlife Trust, South Downs Local Plan, Weald to Waves, Sussex Bay, Trust for Developing Communities, Deep Green|Write-up of the second roundtable on how a new mayor can champion a land, sea and environment story: brownfield-first housing, a Sussex climate and nature commission, circular economy, ecotourism and community voice in planning.|~/land-sea-and-power-sussexs-big-ask|691555877084¶p|2025-07-13|11|34|Why I Want To Be Mayor (Part One)|Sally-Ann Hart (former Conservative MP for Hastings & Rye)|Mayoral candidates, Conservatives, Hastings, Coastal regeneration, Blue economy, Green jobs, Inequality, Devolution|Sally-Ann Hart, seeking her party's nomination for mayor, on representing a deprived coastal constituency, tackling inequality and infrastructure gaps, coastal regeneration and regional identity.|@/11-why-i-want-to-be-mayor-part-one|¶b|2025-07-11|41||Podcast #10: Investment In Sussex Skills Needs More Than Goodwill||Dan Shelley, Sussex Local Skills Improvement Plan, LSIP, skills system, further education, adult education, technical training, employers, skills data, innovation funding, microbusinesses, transport links, Liverpool, Netherlands, Let's Do Business Finance, British Business Bank, tech playbook roundtable, arts and culture roundtable|Podcast #10: Richard meets Dan Shelley, Chair of the Sussex Local Skills Improvement Plan board, on fixing the skills system and preparing for devolution.|~/podcast-10-investment-in-sussex-skills-needs-more-than-goodwill|688499546332¶b|2025-07-09|40||Why the Deputy PM wants more fiscal devolution||Angela Rayner, Deputy Prime Minister, fiscal devolution, Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, local taxes, borrowing, investment, transport, housing, regeneration, single mayor, unitary councils, inequalities, Local Government Chronicle, urban and rural|Deputy PM Angela Rayner calls for a bigger push on fiscal devolution, letting regions raise and keep more of their own money, and what that could mean for Sussex councils and the balance between urban and rural areas.|~/why-the-deputy-pm-wants-more-fiscal-devolution|684158331108¶b|2025-07-07|39||What does the Sussex Skills Improvement Plan tell us?||Local Skills Improvement Plan, LSIP, Sussex Chamber of Commerce, skills, post-16 technical education, colleges, employers, LSIF, £4.5m, curriculum, careers, Brighton & Hove, Crawley, Chichester, Rye, ageing workforce, net zero skills, Clean Growth UK, AI, VR training, BodySwaps, job-matching app, green skills, digital skills|What the Sussex Local Skills Improvement Plan progress report shows: employer-led collaboration across colleges is working, but uptake is patchy, the geography is complex, and net zero and AI skills are rising up the agenda.|~/what-does-the-sussex-skills-improvement-plan-tell-us|676969883850¶p|2025-07-06|10|30|Investment In Sussex Skills Needs More Than Duct Tape And Goodwill|Dan Shelley (chair, Sussex LSIP Board)|Skills, LSIP, Adult education, Further education, Apprenticeships, Bootcamps, Liverpool City Region, Microbusinesses, Devolution|How adult education, technical training and the skills system can better serve Sussex: the Local Skills Improvement Plan, aligning skills with economic strategy under devolution, and lessons from other regions.|@/10-investment-in-sussex-skills-needs-more-than-duct-tape-and-goodwill|¶b|2025-07-04|38||Land, sea and environment in Sussex: what does a new mayor need to prioritise?||roundtable, land sea and environment, mayor, planning, nature recovery, climate resilience, environmental policy, housing, sustainability, construction, land use, VCSE, economic development, tickets|Invitation to the online roundtable on planning, nature recovery, climate resilience and environmental policy under a Sussex mayor.|~/land-sea-and-environment-in-sussex-what-does-a-new-mayor-need-to-prioritise|676869655759¶b|2025-07-03|37||Podcast #9: “If You Want To Talk About Devolution, Turn Up At The Food Bank”||Kaia Allen-Bevan, Youth The Gap, Black Lives Matter, activism, young people, youth voice, marginalised communities, trust, food bank, inequality, anti-racism, schools, co-creation, protest, class, Projects, Brighton, The Lanes, coworking, B Corp, land sea and environment roundtable, tech playbook roundtable|Podcast #9: Richard meets activist Kaia Allen-Bevan, founder of Youth The Gap, on grassroots power, youth voice and trust in devolution.|~/podcast-9-if-you-want-to-talk-about-devolution-turn-up-at-the-food-bank|675626765506¶b|2025-07-02|36||How did our first roundtable go?||roundtable, business growth, Galloways Accounting, Philippa Batting, Buckinghamshire Business First, Business Board Network, Sussex Innovation, Eve Banks, Maria Camila Bedoya-Toro, Anna Champion, Graham Christie, Simon Chuter, Scaleup Sussex, Steve Creed, Rachael Dines, Shake It Up Creative, Paul Doran, Nancy Duckels, CPRE Sussex, Mark Fisher, Sussex Business School, Amanda Green, Samantha Harland, James Leigh, Graham Marley, Let's Do Business Group, Peter Sharp, Brighton & Hove Economic Growth Board, Cathy Shutt, Hannah Withey, Brighton Chamber, Growth Hubs, business support, postcode lottery, micro businesses, scale-ups, inward investment, foreign direct investment, Bognor Regis, Eastbourne, Littlehampton, universities, Sussex Business Commissioning Board, Small Business Manifesto, FSB, Hull & Humber, BRITE programme, apprenticeships, AI, graduate retention, Logical Progression, West Midlands Business Growth, Greater Manchester Growth Company|Write-up of the first roundtable on how devolution can help more businesses grow: fragmented support, micro businesses, inward investment and a small business manifesto.|~/how-did-our-first-roundtable-go|673800326337¶b|2025-06-30|35||New report calls for rethink of local economic planning||Institute for Government, IfG, local economic plans, economic strategy, fragmentation, LEPs, spatial planning, infrastructure, skills, evidence base, data, business engagement, public engagement, Greater Brighton, Gatwick Economic Zone, combined authority|An Institute for Government report warns devolution deals can fail without far better local economic plans. Sussex risks a mayor inheriting a tangle of legacy strategies; the fix is one long-term plan with shared data and real business and public input.|~/new-report-calls-for-rethink-of-local-economic-planning|667885115635¶p|2025-06-29|9|28|If You Want To Talk About Devolution, Turn Up At The Food Bank|Kaia Allen-Bevan (activist, poet, education reformer; founder, Youth The Gap)|Young people, Whitehawk, Brighton, Youth The Gap, Activism, Racial justice, Community spaces, Inclusion, Devolution|Growing up in Whitehawk and leading Brighton's Black Lives Matter protests as a teenager, Kaia discusses how devolution affects young people and marginalised communities, policy language, protest and co-creation.|@/9-if-you-want-to-talk-about-devolution-turn-up-at-the-food-bank|¶b|2025-06-25|34||Podcast #8: Why Sussex Culture Punches Above Its Weight||Stewart Drew, De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill-on-Sea, culture, culture as infrastructure, creative skills, apprenticeships, jobs fair, Talent Accelerator, Coastal Catalyst, tourism, high street, cash machines, Creative Crawley, Creative Playground, Arts Council England, land sea and environment roundtable, tech playbook roundtable|Podcast #8: Richard meets Stewart Drew of the De La Warr Pavilion on culture as infrastructure, creative skills and devolution.|~/podcast-8-why-sussex-culture-punches-above-its-weight|667335587050¶b|2025-06-24|33||What we learned from Brighton Chamber’s devolution debate||Brighton Chamber, devolution debate, The Old Market, Hove, Natalie Orringe, Strategy + Impact, Jess Gibbons, Brighton & Hove City Council, Richard Freeman, Sarah Springford, Brighton & Hove Youth Council, Leon Treasure, Lila Crockett, young people, housing, transport, skills, inclusivity, trust, Brighton-centric, communications, Flo Powell|What we learned from Brighton Chamber's devolution debate at The Old Market: housing, transport, skills and trust topped the list, communications so far were called 'appalling', and Youth Council members stole the show.|~/what-we-learned-from-brighton-chambers-devolution-debate|662045510845¶p|2025-06-22|8|28|Why Sussex Culture Punches Above Its Weight|Stuart Drew (CEO and director, De La Warr Pavilion)|Culture, De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill, Sussex Modern, Coastal Cultural Trail, Cultural tourism, Creative skills, Regeneration, Devolution|How Sussex's cultural institutions drive growth, skills, tourism and public value with little recognition, and why devolution leaders should treat the arts as central to regional development.|@/8-why-sussex-culture-punches-above-its-weight|¶b|2025-06-20|32||Podcast #7: It's Time For A Sussex Digital Strategy||Rose Tighe, Brighton AI, digital strategy, tech cluster, open data, data infrastructure, no-code, low-code, digital inclusion, freelancers, coders, Amazon, Sky, Magenta Associates, B Corp, responsible AI, University of Sussex, business growth roundtable, land sea and environment roundtable|Podcast #7: Richard meets Rose Tighe, co-lead of Brighton AI, on a Sussex-wide tech and digital strategy and open data infrastructure.|~/podcast-7-its-time-for-a-sussex-digital-strategy|660317605072¶b|2025-06-19|31||Will Crawley leave Sussex and join Surrey?||Crawley, Surrey, Gatwick, Gatwick Diamond, Reigate & Banstead, cross-border unitary, rejected proposal, Surrey local government reorganisation, Surrey County Council, Jim McMahon, boundary changes, business rates, West Sussex, LGC|Government rejects a joint Crawley and Reigate & Banstead bid for a cross-border unitary around Gatwick, though the minister leaves the door open to future boundary changes. Why it matters: Crawley and Gatwick raise about a quarter of West Sussex's business rates.|~/will-crawley-leave-sussex-and-join-surrey|657902683362¶b|2025-06-18|30||Was the spending review better for mayors?||Spending Review, mayors, integrated settlements, district councils, District Councils' Network, Jeremy Newmark, social care, SEND, transport, £15.6 billion, Greater Manchester, Liverpool, South Yorkshire, Doncaster-Sheffield Airport, West of England, Helen Godwin, housing, £39 billion, affordable homes, skills, employment support, Richard Parker, West Midlands, Paul Bristow, Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, BHT Sussex, David Chaffey|Was the Spending Review better for mayors? Integrated settlements, £15.6bn of transport money and employment pilots largely flowed to mayoral areas, raising the bar for what Sussex will need to show to win investment.|~/was-the-spending-review-better-for-mayors|655362564299¶b|2025-06-16|29||Happy Sussex Day!||Sussex Day, 16 June, St Richard of Chichester, Sussex Charter, John V Willshire, We Wunt Be Druv, Bay of Sussex, Beachy Head, Selsey Bill, rapes of Sussex, martlets, Sussex flag, identity, history|Happy Sussex Day: the story of St Richard of Chichester, the full text of the Sussex Charter, the six historic rapes and martlets, and what Sussex identity could mean for devolution.|~/happy-sussex-day|652384387297¶p|2025-06-15|7|26|It's Time For A Sussex Digital Strategy|Rose Tighe (innovation strategist; co-lead, Brighton AI)|Digital strategy, Brighton AI, AI ethics, Low-code, Regional coordination, Civic innovation, Brighton, Devolution|Do Sussex and Brighton already function as a tech region, and why does no one coordinate it? How devolution could support an ethical, data-informed, community-led regional digital strategy.|@/7-its-time-for-a-sussex-digital-strategy|¶b|2025-06-13|28||Podcast #6: The Ocean Doesn't Care About Politics||Lewis White, Sussex Bay, marine science, coastal recovery, nature recovery, natural capital, sea swimming, fishing, flood resilience, tourism, green careers, marine careers, Be Well Live Well, Little Jasmine Therapies, Nostos, business growth roundtable|Podcast #6: Richard meets marine scientist Dr Lewis White of Sussex Bay on coastal recovery, natural capital and green careers.|~/podcast-6-the-ocean-doesnt-care-about-politics|650184051948¶b|2025-06-12|27||Send us your questions||questions, readers' questions, business growth, built environment, natural environment, culture, tourism, technology, AI, digital infrastructure, manufacturing, live Q&A, online events|A call for readers' questions about what devolution could mean for business, environment, culture, tech and manufacturing, to be answered at live sessions.|~/send-us-your-questions|651134667001¶b|2025-06-12|26||Can devolution bring a new blueprint for scaling business?||Logical Progression, scale-ups, Alirity, Sussex Innovation, ScaleUp Sussex, Always Possible, The Goldenacre, startups, commercial rents, growth capital, mentoring, talent retention, house prices, Greater Brighton GVA, productivity, digital jobs, creative sector, Scale-Up Playbook, growth plan, business growth roundtable|Logical Progression, a business-led partnership, sets out why Sussex is strong at start-ups but weak at scale-ups (rents, capital, talent retention, fragmented support) and plans an open-source Scale-Up Playbook a mayor could use.|~/can-devolution-bring-a-new-blueprint-for-scaling-business|642223601888¶b|2025-06-10|25||New waves of devolution: ‘progress, but not yet transformation’||Clive Betts, Levelling Up Select Committee, Centre for Cities, webinar, devolution progress, combined authorities, Greg Clark, Greater Manchester, West Midlands, economic geography, travel-to-work areas, Liverpool, mayors, austerity, local government finance, adult social care, SEND, homelessness, council tax, fiscal devolution, Treasury, bus franchising, West Yorkshire, east-west transport, Spending Review|Clive Betts MP on devolution: real progress, but not yet transformation. Deals drawn around county lines, hollowed-out councils and stalled fiscal reform, and why bus franchising could be an early visible win for Sussex.|~/new-waves-of-devolution-progress-but-not-yet-transformation|641483430133¶b|2025-06-09|24||One Sussex, many voices: where does collaboration begin and end?||Insider Magazine, One Vision, Emma Ormiston, SHW, Richard Freeman, Paul Marshall, single West Sussex unitary, Keith Glazier, East Sussex, investment, infrastructure, local identity, Brighton, coastal, rural, green innovation, Shoreham, Crawley, advanced manufacturing, visitor economy, Sussex Bay, Gatwick Diamond, further education, business growth roundtable|Highlights from Insider Magazine's 'One Vision' feature: what council and business leaders across Sussex think devolution could unlock, from investment and infrastructure to green growth, and the challenge of uniting city, coast and countryside.|~/one-sussex-many-voices-where-does-collaboration-begin-and-end|638280778986¶p|2025-06-08|6|25|The Ocean Doesn't Care About Political Boundaries|Dr Lewis White (marine scientist and research lead, Sussex Bay)|Sussex Bay, Marine conservation, Natural capital, Nature recovery, Ocean literacy, Regional planning, Living Coast Biosphere, Devolution|Sussex Bay, a coalition for marine and coastal nature recovery along ~100 miles of coast. How healthy coastal ecosystems support jobs, wellbeing and growth, and building environmental goals into planning.|@/6-the-ocean-doesnt-care-about-political-boundaries|¶b|2025-06-06|23||Podcast #5: Being Braver About Housing||Dick Shone, Boutique Modern, modular housing, B Corp, Newhaven, factory-built homes, offsite construction, waste, local supply chains, Lewes, Hastings, Adur & Worthing, Brighton & Hove, spatial strategy, construction skills, centre of excellence, Silverstone Communications, stakeholder engagement, business growth roundtable|Podcast #5: Richard meets Dick Shone of Boutique Modern on modular housing, local supply chains and construction skills.|~/podcast-5-being-braver-about-housing|638545669338¶b|2025-06-04|22||Live, online events to answer big questions about devolution||online events, roundtables, summer 2025, business growth, Galloways Accounting, land sea and environment, tech and digital playbook, arts and culture, manufacturing, Richard Freeman, SATC 100, partnership|The summer 2025 programme of live online roundtables on business growth, environment, tech, culture and manufacturing.|~/live-online-events-to-answer-big-questions-about-devolution|638477716688¶b|2025-06-03|21||Who will pay for the transition period?||transition costs, Brighton & Hove News, Devolution on a Sixpence, Brighton & Hove City Council, Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee, capacity funding, £7.6 million, council reserves, asset sales, timeline, devolution deal, 30-year investment fund, local government reorganisation, boundary expansion, Saltdean, Peacehaven, Southwick, five unitaries, Katy Bourne, Sally-Ann Hart, Tim Loughton, Paul Marshall, Daniel Yates, referendum, public consent|Who will pay for the transition? Brighton & Hove council papers show government is offering about £362,000 per council for reorganisation and devolution costs, far below estimates, leaving councils to dip into reserves. Plus the timeline and the first mayoral hopefuls.|~/who-will-pay-for-the-transition-period|639352064208¶b|2025-06-02|20||What do Sussex residents *actually* want?||NatCen, National Centre for Social Research, Society Watch, deliberative workshop, residents, devolution, accountability, combined authority, mayor, water pollution, housing, public transport, health and care, economic growth, citizens' assemblies, participatory budgeting, trust, Worthing, Hastings|What NatCen's deliberative workshop with 31 Sussex residents found about devolution: cautious optimism, demands for accountability, and priorities on water, housing, transport and care.|~/what-do-sussex-residents-actually-want|631698462928¶p|2025-06-01|5|28|We Know Sussex Can Be Braver About Housing|Dick Shone (founder and MD, Boutique Modern)|Housing, Newhaven, Boutique Modern, Modular housing, Offsite construction, Social housing, Circular supply chains, Hidden homelessness, Devolution|Boutique Modern, a B Corp modular housing manufacturer in Newhaven, on locally sourced factory-built homes that are affordable and sustainable, and why Sussex needs a bolder housing and skills strategy.|@/5-we-know-sussex-can-be-braver-about-housing|¶b|2025-05-29|19||Podcast #4: "Devolution Is  A No-Brainer"||Bella Sankey, Brighton & Hove City Council, Brighton takeover, combined authority, regional planning, transport, housing, skills, health, rural areas, coastal towns, democracy, Strategy + Impact|Podcast #4: Richard meets Cllr Bella Sankey, Leader of Brighton & Hove City Council, on why devolution is not a Brighton takeover.|~/podcast-4-devolution-is-a-no-brainer|629943735538¶b|2025-05-27|18||Can devolution improve Sussex' social mobility crisis?||social mobility, Impetus, Youth Jobs Gap, Sutton Trust, Opportunity Index, NEET, young people, Brighton & Hove, East Sussex, SEND, disadvantage, Kemptown & Peacehaven, Worthing West, Hastings & Rye, free school meals, Youth Guarantee, post-16 education, transport, digital access, Newhaven, Bognor, Hastings, inclusive growth|Two reports from Impetus and the Sutton Trust show young people in Brighton & Hove and East Sussex are twice as likely to be NEET, and no Sussex constituency ranks in the top 100 for social mobility. The case for a Sussex Youth Guarantee.|~/can-devolution-improve-sussex-social-mobility-crisis|621427431662¶p|2025-05-25|4|23|Devolution Is A No-Brainer... And This Is Not A Brighton Takeover|Cllr Bella Sankey (leader, Brighton & Hove City Council)|Brighton & Hove City Council, Greater Brighton Economic Board, Combined authority, Greater Manchester, Public transport, Skills, Energy independence, Inclusive growth, Devolution|Brighton & Hove's role in starting the devolution process. Moving power and funding from Westminster is a clear benefit, and East Sussex, West Sussex and Brighton need to work together.|@/4-devolution-is-a-no-brainer-and-this-is-not-a-brighton-takeover|¶b|2025-05-23|17||Podcast #3: "We Need To Be Hungry"||Kyriakos Baxevanis, Little Jasmine Therapies, Nostos, Be Well Live Well, entrepreneurship, mindset, Greece, wellbeing, hospitality, innovation, Projects, coworking, City Girl Network, Plus Accounting|Podcast #3: Richard meets entrepreneur Kyriakos Baxevanis on mindset, ambition and growth in Sussex.|~/podcast-3-we-need-to-be-hungry|619964828890¶b|2025-05-22|16||Who wants to be mayor?||mayoral candidates, Katy Bourne, Police and Crime Commissioner, Sally-Ann Hart, Hastings and Rye, Tim Loughton, East Worthing & Shoreham, Sussex Mayoral Charter, three unitaries, Paul Marshall, West Sussex County Council, single unitary, Dan Yates, Labour, Brighton & Hove, inequality, climate action, Conservatives, transport, housing, coastal regeneration|Who wants to be mayor? The first declared hopefuls a year before the planned 2026 election: Conservatives Katy Bourne, Sally-Ann Hart, Tim Loughton and Paul Marshall, and Labour's Dan Yates, and what each is standing for.|~/who-wants-to-be-mayor|621482150084¶b|2025-05-21|15||The Adur & Worthing experiment||Adur & Worthing Councils, Thriving Together, participatory engagement, co-design, I wish we could, online platform, community facilitators, young people, local government reorganisation plan, unitary authority, civic design, Worthing, Adur|Adur & Worthing Councils' Thriving Together experiment invites residents to co-design the future of their places ('I wish we could…'), feeding directly into their local government reorganisation plan.|~/the-adur-worthing-experiment|613750793418¶b|2025-05-19|14||🎭 Devolution and culture in Sussex – what's next?||culture, devolution and culture, What Next? Brighton & Hove, Philip Clifford, Local Government Association, Dave Moutrey, Manchester City Council, creative industries, experience economy, tourism, Zoom|Signposting two What Next? Brighton & Hove sessions on devolution and culture, with the LGA and Manchester City Council.|~/devolution-and-culture-in-sussex-whats-next|608222844116¶p|2025-05-18|3|25|We Need To Be Hungry - We Need To Be Challenged|Kyriakos Baxevanis (entrepreneur; founder, The Brighton Hive and others)|Brighton & Hove, Hospitality, Wellbeing, Entrepreneurship, Housing, Economic ecosystems, Sussex mayor, Devolution|Two decades of people-focused businesses in Brighton & Hove, from wellness and hospitality to housing, and the case for a joined-up, systems-based economic vision with hospitality corridors and local incentives.|@/3-we-need-to-be-hungry-we-need-to-be-challenged|¶b|2025-05-15|13||Podcast #2: Devolution Will Fail Without More Trust||Emily O'Brien, Green Party, Lewes, trust, accountability, centralisation, localism, elected mayor, scrutiny, transparency, housing numbers, climate duties, sustainable food, Strategy + Impact|Podcast #2: Richard meets Emily O'Brien on trust, accountability and whether devolution moves power up rather than down (fixed-link resend).|~/podcast-2-devolution-will-fail-without-more-trust|613231958254¶b|2025-05-13|12||Brighton, Sussex and the ‘left behind’ myth?||Centre for Cities, left behind myth, towns, cities, political discontent, Brexit, General Election, commuter flows, Brighton, Crawley, productivity, wages, Lewes, Adur, Wealden, Mid Sussex, Eastbourne, Worthing, Bexhill, connectivity, creative, tech, visitor economy, logistics|A Centre for Cities report argues towns aren't 'left behind' by cities but held back by underperforming ones. What that means for Sussex: strengthen Brighton and Crawley, and connect surrounding towns to their jobs.|~/brighton-sussex-and-the-left-behind-myth|598303333581¶p|2025-05-11|2|26|Devolution In Sussex? It Will Fail Without More Trust|Cllr Emily O'Brien (Green Party councillor, Lewes District Council)|Elected mayor, Combined authority, Local democracy, Scrutiny, Proportional representation, Climate, Nature, Lewes, Public engagement, Devolution|Devolution proposals could centralise power in one mayor and a small board, weakening accountability. A call for stronger scrutiny, proportional representation, climate and nature duties and genuine engagement.|@/2-devolution-in-sussex-it-will-fail-without-more-trust|¶b|2025-05-09|11||🏭 How could a Sussex mayor approach manufacturing?||manufacturing, engineering, micro businesses, skills shortages, apprenticeships, T-levels, CNC machining, automation, decarbonisation, manufacturing image, universities, photonics, advanced materials, green tech, West Midlands, Coventry & Warwick Gigapark, Greater Manchester, Tees Valley, Liverpool City Region, clusters, Shoreham Port, Hastings, Crawley, Gatwick, A27, coastal rail, industrial strategy, investment zones|What a Sussex mayor could learn from other regions about manufacturing (3,700 firms, 83% micro): clusters, employer-led skills, freight-friendly transport and a clear industrial plan, drawing on the West Midlands, Greater Manchester, Tees Valley and Liverpool.|~/how-could-a-sussex-mayor-approach-manufacturing|590719569132¶b|2025-05-07|10||Podcast #1: Sussex Is Changing - But Is Anyone Paying Attention?||Geri Silverstone, Silverstone Communications, two-tier system, unitary authorities, mayor, mayoral powers, Greater Manchester, West Midlands, Cambridgeshire, identity, devolution literacy, turnout, housing, transport, place-making, first episode|Podcast #1: Richard meets political communications strategist Geri Silverstone on the end of two-tier councils, a Sussex mayor and building devolution literacy.|~/podcast-1-sussex-is-changing-but-is-anyone-paying-attention|601342585020¶b|2025-05-05|9||The Big Devolution Debate: 17th June||Big Devolution Debate, Brighton Chamber, The Old Market, Hove, Jessica Gibbons, Brighton & Hove City Council, Brighton & Hove Youth Council, Sarah Springford, Natalie Orringe, Strategy + Impact, Silverstone Communications, funding, skills, climate, Brighton identity|Invitation to the Big Devolution Debate with Brighton Chamber at The Old Market, 17 June 2025.|~/the-big-devolution-debate-17th-june|595744628926¶p|2025-05-05|1|31|Sussex Is Changing - But Is Anyone Paying Attention?|Geri Silverstone (founder, Silverstone Communications; Devo Agency)|Local government reorganisation, Unitary authorities, Elected mayor, Combined authority, Brighton, Housing, Transport, Greater Manchester, Devolution|The first episode: local government reorganisation, unitary authorities and a directly elected mayor, the powers a mayor would have, how Sussex compares with other regions, and the risks of low public engagement.|@/1-sussex-is-changing-but-is-anyone-paying-attention|¶b|2025-05-02|8||Devolution in England: where are we now?||Annual Report on Devolution, devolution coverage, 72%, mayoral combined authorities, Greater Lincolnshire, Hull and East Yorkshire, devolution everywhere 2030, devolution framework, Level 3 deal, elected mayor, integrated settlements, Greater Manchester, West Midlands, health, net zero, skills, housing|The government's Annual Report on Devolution: 72% of England now covered or about to be, 15 mayoral authorities, a three-level framework, and why Sussex will need a Level 3 deal with an elected mayor to unlock serious powers.|~/devolution-in-england-where-are-we-now|595664134340¶b|2025-04-30|7||The Hull manifesto for small businesses||Hull, Hull and East Yorkshire, Humber, Federation of Small Businesses, FSB, Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce, Small Businesses and Inclusive Growth Manifesto, small businesses, micro businesses, inclusive growth, procurement, skills, digital infrastructure, transport, climate resilience, Jeremy Taylor, mayoral elections May 2025, Greater Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, West of England, Doncaster, North Tyneside|Lessons from Hull and Humber's Small Businesses and Inclusive Growth Manifesto, built from listening sessions with hundreds of small firms, and whether Sussex needs a similar bottom-up plan before its mayoral election.|~/the-hull-manifesto-for-small-businesses|595579409635¶b|2025-04-28|6||👋 What powers would a Sussex and Brighton Mayor have?||mayoral powers, Combined Mayoral Authority, transport, bus franchising, Local Transport Authority, housing, planning, Spatial Development Strategy, Mayoral Development Corporations, Brighton Marina, Gatwick, skills, Adult Education Budget, investment, economic growth, net zero, climate strategy, retrofit, nature recovery, public health, NHS, Police & Crime Commissioner, public safety|What powers a Sussex and Brighton mayor could hold: transport, housing and planning, skills, investment, net zero, public health and possibly policing.|~/what-powers-would-a-sussex-and-brighton-mayor-actually-have|589799619816¶b|2025-04-24|5||🌍 Will devolution accelerate climate action in Sussex?||climate action, climate emergency, net zero, Spatial Development Strategy, South Downs National Park Authority, transport, bus franchising, A27, Arundel Bypass, motorway, green investment, retrofit, flood defences, community energy, circular economy, greentech, climate justice, fuel poverty, air quality, Brighton & Hove Food Partnership, food strategy, Friends of the Earth, Institute for Government|Will devolution accelerate climate action? Integrated planning, transport, green investment and climate justice under a combined authority.|~/-will-devolution-accelerate-climate-action-in-sussex|576182346983¶b|2025-04-22|4||Devolution and LGR: what's the difference?||devolution explained, local government reorganisation, LGR explained, combined authorities, directly elected mayors, unitary authorities, two-tier councils, Local Government Association, LGA, MHCLG, decentralisation, accountability|A plain explainer on the difference between devolution (powers moving from Whitehall to a mayor and combined authority) and local government reorganisation (replacing county and district councils with unitaries), and how the two are linked in Sussex.|~/devolution-and-lgr-whats-the-difference|576162379995¶b|2025-04-18|3||Is it time for Sussex economic clusters?||economic clusters, growth sectors, creative industries, digital, cultural industries, Brighton, Lewes, Hastings, logistics, e-commerce, Eastbourne, professional services, financial services, Crawley, Horsham, green economy, Rampion, offshore wind, Newhaven, circular economy, Sussex Bay, South Downs National Park, visitor economy, Sussex LVEP, manufacturing, Worthing, Uckfield, Manor Royal, Gatwick, youth unemployment, ageing workforce, Wealden, Chichester, Spatial Development Strategy, investment zones, wine tourism|Is it time for Sussex economic clusters? A tour of the county's strengths, from creative and digital to logistics, offshore wind and the visitor economy, plus the benefits and risks of planning growth regionally under a mayor.|~/is-it-time-for-sussex-economic-clusters|579840441561¶b|2025-04-16|2||Who runs Sussex now – and what next?||two-tier system, county councils, district councils, borough councils, West Sussex County Council, East Sussex County Council, Adur, Arun, Chichester, Crawley, Horsham, Mid Sussex, Worthing, Eastbourne, Hastings, Lewes, Rother, Wealden, Brighton & Hove unitary, education, highways, adult social care, waste, public health, housing, planning, single unitary, £34 million savings, town and parish councils|Who runs Sussex now? A guide to the current two-tier system (which council does what across West Sussex, East Sussex and unitary Brighton & Hove) and the early reorganisation proposals.|~/who-runs-sussex-now-and-what-next|576175752430¶b|2025-04-14|1||Why is Sussex considering local government reorganisation now?||local government reorganisation, two-tier system, Devolution Priority Programme, English Devolution White Paper, West Sussex, interim case for change, unitary council, £34 million savings, East Sussex County Council, Brighton & Hove City Council, Coast to Capital, combined authority, financial pressures|Why Sussex is considering local government reorganisation now: the Devolution White Paper and the positions of West Sussex, East Sussex and Brighton & Hove.|~/who-cares-about-the-sussex-coast|574695004348

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