[Sussex] One Sussex - time to unify?

[BadFish]

How come they get to be Duke and Duchess of Sussex? I’d like to strip them of West Sussex and just leave them as Duke and Duchess of East Sussex

They will bring the great kingdoms together for the glory of a united Sussex.

 

[BN9 BHA]

I love the East Sussex/ West Sussex banter.

 

[Anger]

God’s own stadium landed in East Sussex.

When we were looking for a permanent home all that West Sussex could offer was the Shoreham Cement Works site at Upper Beeding. Poor show West Side!

 

[Blue3]

That works because of high population density in a geographical area. Brighton is the only major city with a much smaller population. I can’t see how a large council would create an identity to cover the rural and small town divisions in Sussex there are so many competing demands to make it work.

Yes that’s exactly my thought

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

How it feels reading this thread

"Once you pass Mayberry Garden Centre, you know, on the Old Shoreham Road. Then you is in the West Side"

 

[stewart12]

Tbf after we've gained independence, the Albion would absolutely dominate Sussex football

Constant European football on the horizon

 

[Seagull on the Hill]

......... compulsory cricket and stoolball clubs as well as bonfire societies for every settlement over 500 people.

I am lucky enough to live in a parish that has all three of those.
It is, of course, in EAST Sussex.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

This next decision could be county-defining.

 

[W3D]

This - they’re practically French….

Cheese eating surrender monkies

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

All you West Sussex Superiors, you do realise you support Brighton & Hove Albion? East side forever.

But the training ground is in the west and the owner went to Lancing college.

Tony will eventually move it to Shoreham and replace the airport

 

[Is it PotG?]

East is Least, West is Best

 

[boik]

Don't really care. When I was a kid my address ended....

Horsham,
Sussex.

Can't remember when it was divided up, but it never really meant anything to me. Very proud to be a Sussex boy though.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

I'm all for a re-unified Sussex just as long as Brighton becomes the capital.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

What about us who used to live on the border in 1974.

One day I lived in East Sussex, the next day I was in West Sussex, and I hadn't moved an inch.

No wonder I'm completely f***ed up

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

I'm quite a woke guy I reckon and anything to make the people of West Sussex feel like they are actually from Sussex feels like kind thing to do for them. Make it happen I say

 

[osgood]

From the Sussex Facebook page:

Modern local government areas such as ‘East Sussex’ and ‘West Sussex’ are both artificial inventions, which were manufactured in Whitehall (via the Local Government Act of 1972), can equally, also be scrapped at the will of any incumbent new parliament. Therefore, they may be suitable for the convenience of local administration at one point in time, but ultimately they hold no real substance when it comes to local identity, culture or geography! Unlike the historic County of Sussex - a solely geographical territory, unaffected by government, which has existed for nearly 1,550 years! This year may well see this come to fruition.

2025 is likely to see the greatest change to local government since 1974. The government's new Devolution White Paper, published just before Christmas, could see the end of both East Sussex Council, West Sussex Council and the ‘district’ (or ‘borough’) councils beneath these, plus Brighton & Hove Council .

As reported in Monday’s (30th December) Sussex Express, this White Paper proposes a move to larger authorities. It seeks to consolidate local Councils into single tiers covering larger areas with an elected Mayor. The White Paper lists two size criteria; 1.5 million or 500,000 with no 'islands' to be left behind. The Sussex Express continues to explain that in practical terms this means that a merger of the territories of the current East Sussex Council, West Sussex Council and Brighton & Hove Council into a territory which would be governed by just one Council (excluding ’parish’ councils), and have a population of just over 1.7 million. This combined authority would meet the larger size threshold.

The Sussex Express reports areas wishing to combine have until Friday 10th January 2025 to express their interest and decisions are expected in February. The government is likely to reward areas that seek to move 'at pace.'

From an heraldic point of view, the abolition of the East Sussex County Council would see an end to the council’s red coat of arms and banner of arms. With no ‘armiger’ it becomes obsolete. Likewise, with the less frequently seen arms of West Sussex County Council.

Although the boundaries of this potential new combined authority wouldn’t match perfectly with those of the historic County of Sussex (the inclusion of Gatwick Airport and Eastern Broomhill, and exclusion of Southern Tunbridge Wells and Southern Lamberhurst being notable anomalies), its territory would on the most part be akin with the traditional bounds of Sussex.

This proposal potentially has the possible benefit of giving a greater focus to the much established shared heritage, culture and identity of the County of Sussex.

Let’s see what develops, but it may be time the red banner is condemned to the history books, plus the use of ‘East’ and ‘West’ within postal addresses on a large scale finally a thing of the past!

When organisations get bigger , they get worse ,... imo !

 

[Superphil]

The thinking is that will save money. We're already seeing some councils sharing computer resources, there will be other savings too. Unfortunately, those savings will mainly be in personnel, so I'm not sure this is entirely good news

Considering the state of both east and West Sussex councils perhaps East Sussex should be absorbed by Kent and West Sussex absorbed by Hampshire.

 

[Superphil]

All you West Sussex Superiors, you do realise you support Brighton & Hove Albion? East side forever.

Well it’s that, or Portsmouth

 

[vegster]

West is Best ! Build a wall !

 

[osgood]

I agree, and we should unify ourselves under one name.

From West Sussex, I propose we take the name “West”
From East Sussex, we should use the word “Sussex”

Your just a West Sussex Wnkr !