RESIDENTS have kicked out after a major UK city announced plans to expand, in a move dubbed by an MP as “empire-building”.
A petition to prevent the city from expanding into a nearby local district has amassed thousands of signatures.
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Brighton and Hove Council currently has a population of 278,000 but shocked residents in Sussex when it announced the plans to expand.
The county has a population of 1.7 million – meaning that the city will need to widen its territory to accommodate its residents.
Five councils have been earmarked for incorporation into Brighton and Hove City Council – each one located in Lewes.
The affected areas reportedly include East Saltdean, Telscombe Cliffs, Peacehaven, Kingston and Newhaven.
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However, Zoe Nicholson – Green Leader of Lewes District Council – has decided to hit back against the plans.
She says that she plans to “stand up against this empire-building activity”.
The politician has launched a petition on Change.org which has already reached 4100 signatures.
Some have described the move as “absolutely outrageous”, with another saying: “It seems having spoken with the District Councils in West Sussex and decided there’s no benefit for them in taking over any of these, Brighton and Hove City Council has now set its sights on expanding east.”
The expansion comes as the UK Government plans to split the county into only three or four councils – each of which would serve a population of around 500,000.
However, a report to the council’s Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee said that Jim McMahon – the Minister for Local Government and Devolution – was taking a flexible approach to the plans.
The report said: “Government guidance encourages councils to work within existing local authority boundaries, using whole areas wherever possible.
“However, it also recognises that in some cases, the most coherent or viable proposal may involve combining parts of neighbouring authorities.
“Where this arises, proposals must be clearly justified and aligned to functional geographies and service integration.
“In this context, councils may consult using whole wards as building blocks for potential new geographies.
“This ensures clarity and consistency while enabling proposals to reflect real-world patterns of service use and community life.”
A consultation regarding the expansion is open on the council’s website until August 25.
After that, the results will be presented to the council on September 25.
Before the final decision though, a Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee will meet at 4pm on July 31 at Hove Town Hall – in a meeting which will be webcast.
The council is planning to expand the area in a bid to improve connections between areas in Sussex.
Also, it says that feedback was positive about efforts to improve services and financial savings through reorganising local government.
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