The East Sussex County Council Cabinet is scheduled to meet to discuss a proposal for local government reorganisation, the council's monitoring report, a transport strategy refresh, and the Ashdown Forest Trust Fund. The meeting will take place in the Council Chamber, County Hall, Lewes.

Local Government Reorganisation in East Sussex

The Cabinet will consider a report regarding local government reorganisation (LGR) in East Sussex, specifically a proposal for a single tier of local government. The report, titled Report -LGR business case - Cabinet 24.09.25, recommends that the Cabinet approve the submission of a business case to the government for a single unitary council for East Sussex, based on a Continuing Authority model. The business case itself is provided as Appendix 1 - One East Sussex business case for LGR in ES.

The proposal suggests that the government be requested to cancel or postpone the county council elections scheduled for May 2026. The report also recommends delegating authority to the Chief Executive, Becky Shaw, in consultation with Councillor Keith Glazier, OBE, Leader of the Council and Leader of the Conservative Group, to finalise and submit the business case and a covering letter formally requesting the cancellation or postponement of the county elections and for the County Council to have Continuing Authority status.

The report notes that the 'One East Sussex' proposal is the only option for LGR in East Sussex that:

• Aligns with existing service delivery footprints
• Minimises disruption to statutory services and partnerships
• Builds on established collaboration across the six councils
• Meets the government's population guidance and maintains a coherent geographic identity
• Creates operational savings and avoids the substantial costs of disaggregation

The proposal has been discussed by the East Sussex County Council Devolution and LGR Member Reference Group and Full Council, and has been considered by the Leader as Lead Member for Strategic Management and Economic Development. The views of the Devolution and LGR Member Reference Group are set out in Appendix 2 - MRG views to Cabinet.

The report also mentions that there has been some engagement with Brighton & Hove City Council as proposals have been developed. The report states that all the options moving communities in Lewes District into Brighton and Hove are strongly opposed by the East Sussex councils.

Appendix 3 - East Sussex LGR equality considerations sets out the equality considerations for the LGR proposal.

Council Monitoring Report Q1 2025/26

The Cabinet will review the Council Monitoring Report for the first quarter of 2025/26, as detailed in the Cover Report Q1 - 24.09.2025. The report provides an overview of the Council's performance against its Council Plan targets, revenue budget, capital programme, and savings plan. It also highlights strategic risks.

The report notes a projected overspend of £25.8m by 31 March 2026, with most departments overspending. Children's Services is forecast to overspend by £16.7m, mainly due to pressures in Looked After Children placements, child protection, and home to school transport. Adult Social Care is forecast to overspend by £9.0m, largely related to the Independent Sector.

The report also notes that the council is ensuring adherence to guidance from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) regarding decisions that could fetter the future decisions of new councils during the LGR process.

Transport for the South East (TfSE) Transport Strategy Refresh 2025

The Cabinet will consider a report regarding the Transport for the South East (TfSE) Transport Strategy Refresh 2025. The report, titled East Sussex County Councils support for TfSEs Transport Strategy Refresh 2025_Cabinet, recommends that the Cabinet note the updated refreshed TfSE Transport Strategy 2025 and the continued support from East Sussex County Council towards the refreshed strategy as a constituent authority of TfSE's geography.

The report notes that the refreshed transport strategy has been updated to reflect a review of the evidence base, national and local policy changes, intensified decarbonisation efforts, post-Brexit trade dynamics, and shifts in travel behaviour due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The report also notes that the refreshed TfSE Transport Strategy aligns with the East Sussex Local Transport Plan 4 (LTP4). The TfSE geography is shown in Appendix 1 - TfSE Geograp.

Ashdown Forest Trust Fund

The Cabinet will discuss the Ashdown Forest Trust Fund, as detailed in the CET Ashdown Forest Cabinet Report Sept 2025. The report recommends that the Cabinet note the final accounts for the Ashdown Forest Trust and approve the allocation of £99,200 from the General Reserve.

The report notes that the Ashdown Forest Trust, a registered charity, was set out by declaration of Trust in 1988. East Sussex County Council is the trustee and agrees grants made to the Ashdown Forest Conservators, from the Ashdown Forest Trust Fund.

The report includes the Examiner's Report (Appendix 1 - Examiners Report) and the Expenditure Account and Balance Sheet (Appendix 2 - Expenditure Account and Balance Sheet).

The report also includes a proposal from the Conservators (Appendix 3 Proposal - ESCC Ashdown Forest Trust Tree safety 03.09.25) highlighting a £113,700 programme of tree surveys and works required across the forest. The Conservators have requested to draw £99,200 from the General Reserve to fund the programme. The Ashdown Forest is a former royal hunting forest in East Sussex, known for its heathland and woodland.