South Thames August Update

Chelgate Local operates in three regions. South Thames covers Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire. To view our South Thames team and projects, please see our South Thames  page. To discuss upcoming projects in the region, please call Michael Hardware, director, on 020 7939 7989 or email.

Sussex

Brighton and Hove City Council (BHCC)

BHCC is currently carrying out a scoping consultation until Monday 7^th September for its new City Plan. This Plan will set out a framework of planning policies to guide future development in the city up to 2044 and will be completed under the new national plan-making system. According to the current timetable, the new plan is expected to be adopted in 2029.

On the 29^th July, BHCC approved plans for the development of the King Alfred Leisure Centre site on Hove seafront at a special meeting of their Planning Committee. The plans will now go to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and, if the Department does not oppose them, building works should commence next Autumn 2027. The scheme includes a replacement leisure centre, to be built next to the existing one, as well as residential housing.

Politically, the Labour led BHCC administration has been the focus of internal discontent, with eight councillor (Cllr) resignations since it took control in 2023. It currently has 31 elected councillors and it would only take five more to resign from the Labour Group for BHCC to be in no overall control.

East Sussex County Council (ESCC) and Lewes District Council (LDC)

Politically, during August there continued to be arguments from both sides about the Local Government Reforms (LGR) within Sussex, which were rubber stamped on Thursday 16th July by the then Secretary of State for MHCLG, The Rt Hon Steve Reed MP. As reported by the BBC, Green Party Cllr Zoe Nicholson, the Leader of LDC, and Reform Party Cllr Andy Woolley, the Leader of ESCC, strongly oppose the extension of BHCC’s administrative boundary to incorporate East Saltdean, Peacehaven and Telscombe, whilst Labour Party Cllr Bella Sankey, the Leader of BHCC, has described the changes as an “important decision for residents”. During August, Cllr Nicholson went further in her opposition to the plans, stating that she was “furious, frustrated and disappointed on behalf of residents”, “people here really don’t want to be part of Brighton and Hove”, she said. As the MHCLG has outlined in the past, a key reason behind the boundary change is to “tackle housing unaffordability and support growth across connected communities”, indicating that the Department feels that residential housing schemes in the new boundary areas are more likely to get approval under a BHCC administration.

During July and August, Cllr Woolley outlined his vision for ESCC in a post on the Council’s website. In stark comment, Cllr Woolley stated that “This year the council is able to spend about £15 million maintaining your roads. To bring them all up to a perfect standard would cost around £350 million – a fantasy figure”.

On the 12^th August, ESCC’s Planning Committee met, approving a new glamping site in Peacehaven. The next meeting is scheduled for the 8th September.

West Sussex County Council (WSCC) and Adur and Worthing Councils (AWC)

In a post on their website on the 16^th July, AWC outlined their frustration in the further delay to final decision making on LGR in West Sussex. “West Sussex local authorities were expecting a decision from the government on local government reorganisation in our area by the end of March 2026”, it said. “Instead, the government wrote to councils in Sussex to advise them that it had not made a decision on which unitary solution to apply”, it went on.

There were no major or significant planning applications discussed at AWC during August, but there were concerns raised by local residents in Shoreham about the extent of the high-rise residential development, either already built or currently being constructed, along the coast by Brighton Road, with complaints that it is an over-development of the area.

Chichester District Council (CDC) and Horsham District Council (HDC)

The Liberal Democrat Cllr Adrian Moss, Leader of CDC, announced in a post on the council website that, with the delay to the implementation of LGR in West Sussex, he was “incredibly disappointed that the Government has still not yet made a decision on the future of local government in West Sussex. We had hoped for greater clarity by now”. HDC expressed similar concerns in their council website statement. In regards to the CDC and HDC Planning Committees, there were no significant applications discussed in what was a quiet month.

Surrey

Surrey County Council (SCC) Elmbridge Borough Council (EBC)

On the 27^th August, it was announced by Surrey County Council that a new 60-pupil school could be built on Green Belt land in Walton on Thames. With the recent relaxation of Green Belt rules outlined in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) allowing for more development on it, and with EBC previously raising objections to the school scheme, the plan is to build the school on grazing land in an area which has seen plenty of development in recent years.

During July and August, EBC residents, as well as people from other councils in the East Surrey region, were invited to help shape the new brand identity of East Surrey Council (ESC), which is being established under LGR plans for Surrey. This initiative is part of a wider programme of engagement being undertaken for both ESC and West Surrey Council (WSC) during the establishment of East Surrey and West Surrey Shadow Authorities. In regards to Planning Committee developments, August was a quiet month with no significant planning applications being decided on.

Kent

Kent County Council (KCC) and Medway Council (MC)

Following the announcement by the former Secretary of State for MHCLG, The Rt Hon Steve Reed MP, that Kent and Medway will be reorganised into four new unitary councils from April 2028, KCC, under its Reform Party leadership, has continued on its cost cutting plans and efficiency drive. In August, KCC launched DOLGE, the Delivery of Local Government Efficiency plan, with the Cabinet Member for Local Government Efficiency and Reorganisation, Cllr Christipher Hespe, stating that it “aims to ensure the best value”. However, at present, KCC cannot put a financial figure on how much the council intends to save. The news about the LGR plans for Kent and Medway come after, earlier this year, there were calls from many senior politicians in the area, to fast track a UK Government decision.

Berkshire

Reading Borough Council (RBC)

Like councils in West Sussex, some councils in Berkshire have expressed their disappointment at the UK Government’s LGR decision for the area. In July, RBC Leader, Labour Cllr Liz Terry, said that “This is obviously a disappointing decision from Reading’s perspective”, going on to say that “Our Western boundary line was created well over a century ago and for many years now it has failed to reflect the reality of patterns of daily living”. Cllr Terry’s comments come as there is an ongoing debate within Reading about Tilehurst residents living in West Berkshire relying heavily on RBC supplied and financed services, and also concern within RBC that the town will miss out on the benefits of LGR in the future.

Hampshire

Hampshire County Council (HCC)

On the 24^th August, HCC announced that it faced a £179.7 million budget shortfall. This is the funding gap being forecast for the 2027/28 period by HCC. This news came despite the council planning £40.8 million in savings in the coming year. The Conservative Leader of HCC, Cllr Nick Adams-King, has already admitted that these savings will not all be met by so-called ‘back-office cuts’ and that front line services will also need to be looked at. In August HCC also announced that it would be selling Eastleigh Museum, retirement flats, a vacant care, as well as a children’s home site in order to meet its budget black hole.