The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode #40

Most Of Sussex Is Countryside. But Who Speaks Up For It?

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Paul Steedman – CPRE Sussex

🔍 Episode summary

Chats about Sussex often jump straight to the coast, the cities, Gatwick, growth sectors or investment opportunities. But most of the county is not urban and not coastal. It is farmland, woodland, river systems, villages, protected landscapes and the spaces in between.

In this episode, Richard speaks with Paul Steedman from the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) - Sussex Chapter, about why the countryside needs to be taken far more seriously in conversations about growth, devolution and the future shape of Sussex.

This is a good companion episode to our conversation with Jeremy Kerswell at Plumpton College about skills in the rural economy. Recorded at a moment when the region is being asked to think strategically about housing, transport, clean energy and economic growth, this discussion looks at what is at stake for rural Sussex and for the county as a whole.

Paul brings a long view to the conversation. CPRE has spent decades campaigning for the protection, regeneration and long-term future of the countryside. But this is not about saying no to change, rather than what kind of change Sussex needs, where it should happen, and who gets to shape it.

Together they explore the pressures facing the countryside, from housing and planning to food systems, transport, climate adaptation and energy infrastructure, and ask whether devolution could help Sussex think more clearly and more strategically about the relationship between its urban and rural futures.

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This episode is brought to you in partnership with Plumpton College.

Set in the heart of the South Downs, Plumpton College is one of the UK's leading specialist colleges for agriculture, wine, animal management, environmental conservation and sustainable land use.

Celebrating 100 years this year, Plumpton continues to train the next generation of farmers, winemakers, conservationists and food producers who will help shape Sussex's future. From world-class wine education to research in agri-tech, sustainable farming, enterprise and nature recovery, Plumpton combines practical learning with deep expertise.

In a county defined by its countryside, coast and land-based innovation, Plumpton remains one of Sussex's most important institutions.

Find out more at plumpton.ac.uk

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🎯 In this episode

Why the Sussex countryside is too often overlooked in conversations about growth and devolution What CPRE Sussex is really trying to protect, and what it is not How planning policy is shaping pressure on green space and rural communities Why housing need and countryside protection do not have to be in conflict What devolution could mean for transport, energy and strategic planning in Sussex How rural voices could be lost in new governance structures unless they are built in properly Why food security, local supply chains and farming infrastructure matter more than ever What a Sussex mayor should understand about countryside, climate and land use Why public transport remains one of the biggest long-term issues for rural Sussex How the relationship between towns, cities and countryside could define Sussex's future

🧠 Key themes

The countryside is not just a backdrop to Sussex life. It is central to the county's economy, identity, health, food systems and environmental resilience.

Debates about growth in Sussex often lean too heavily towards urban development and headline housing numbers, without fully understanding the wider value of rural land and communities.

There is a strong case for better strategic planning across Sussex, particularly around transport, energy, housing and climate adaptation. Devolution could help with that, but only if environmental responsibilities are built in from the start.

The tension between local democracy and strategic governance is becoming sharper. Rural communities may benefit from joined-up decision-making, but they also risk becoming more remote from power.

Housing is part of the answer, but not in its current form. The discussion highlights the need for the right homes in the right places, including social rent, better options for downsizing, and development that is connected to transport and community need.

Food, farming and countryside infrastructure are too often treated as niche issues, when in reality they are part of Sussex's long-term economic and social stability.

💬 What Paul says

"People have a deep love for the Sussex countryside."

"The countryside is not just economics. It's about health, wellbeing, and what makes Sussex an attractive place to be."

"Growth, per se, is not necessarily a great outcome."

"There's been something missing for a good long while now, which is strategic level planning."

"You can never do democracy on the cheap."

"The housing we need is housing for social rent."

"Rural Sussex bus networks and indeed restoring some train services would make a really big difference to people's lives."

🎧 Production credits

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Paul Steedman Sound design / editing / original music: Chris Thorpe-Tracey Production management: Letitia McConalogue

📣 Get involved

👉 sussexandthecity.info — episodes, resources and events

The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode #40

Why The Sussex Plan Doesn't Yet Add Up

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Peter Lamb MP – Member of Parliament for Crawley

🔍 Episode summary

Local government in Sussex is on the brink of its biggest structural change in decades. Councils may be merged, boundaries redrawn, and a new mayoral authority introduced - but what does that actually mean in practice?

In this episode, Richard Freeman speaks with Peter Lamb, MP for Crawley and former leader of Crawley Borough Council, about the realities behind local government reorganisation and devolution.

Recorded just before the government delayed its decision on Sussex's future structure, this provocative conversation offers a candid, insider perspective on how these reforms are being shaped, and challenged, from within.

Peter brings a rare combination of experience: a former council leader who understands how local government works on the ground, now sitting in Parliament as part of the governing party. His view is direct and, at times, sharply critical of his own government.

Together they explore whether the case for reorganisation still holds, what's at stake for places like Crawley, and whether devolution can genuinely deliver better outcomes for Sussex - or simply add another layer of complexity.

This episode is brought to you in partnership with Crawley Innovation Centre.

Located at the heart of Manor Royal, one of the South East's most significant business districts, Crawley Innovation Centre provides flexible workspace, meeting facilities and on-site support for growing companies.

Designed for start-ups, scale-ups and established teams, it offers a professional base without unnecessary friction, alongside a strong focus on collaboration and community. With excellent transport links, including easy access to Gatwick, it connects Sussex businesses to national and international markets.

Find out more at crawley-ic.co.uk

🎯 In this episode

• Why the original financial case for local government reorganisation is being questioned
• How merging councils could affect accountability and local representation
• The political tensions behind decisions on council size and structure
• What reorganisation could mean for Crawley and similar urban economies
• Why Sussex's geography makes governance particularly complex
• The risks of creating large authorities that don't reflect local identities
• The promise of devolution, and why it still matters
• How a Sussex mayor could reshape investment, transport and growth
• Why transport infrastructure remains one of the region's biggest challenges
• How economic strategy can fail when it ignores real-world geography

🧠 Key themes

Local government reorganisation is being driven as much by politics as by economics. The original argument around cost savings appears weaker when applied to smaller, proposed unitary authorities.

There is a growing tension between efficiency and accountability. Larger councils may streamline services, but risk becoming too distant from the communities they serve.

Sussex is not a single, unified economy. It is a collection of distinct areas - coastal, rural and urban - each with different priorities, which makes a single governance model difficult to get right.

Devolution still offers potential benefits, particularly in transport, housing and economic coordination. But the current approach may not align with how people actually live and work across the region.

The balance between local identity and regional strategy remains unresolved, and will shape whether these reforms succeed or fail.

💬 What Peter says

"The case for reorganisation just doesn't stack up financially in the way it's being presented."

"You end up with local government that's too big to be accountable and too distant to understand communities."

"Crawley is a very different economy to much of Sussex, and that matters when you're designing governance."

"Devolution is the right idea. But the way we're doing it risks missing the point."

"You can't build a strategy if you don't understand how places actually function."

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🎧 Production credits

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Peter Lamb MP Sound design / editing / original music: Chris Thorpe-Tracey Production management: Letitia McConalogue

📣 Get involved

👉 https://sussexandthecity.info — episodes, resources and events

The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode #38

Universities, Knowledge And The Future Of Sussex Prosperity (Part One)

Host: Richard Freeman

Guest: Joanna Havers - Associate Director for Knowledge Exchange, University of Brighton

🔍 Episode summary

Universities are often discussed in terms of teaching and research. But there is a third role that is becoming increasingly important: knowledge exchange.

In this episode, Richard Freeman speaks with Jo Havers, Associate Director for Knowledge Exchange at the University of Brighton, about the role universities play in shaping the Sussex economy, partnerships and innovation.

As the conversation around devolution and a potential Sussex mayoral authority gathers pace, the role of universities as anchor institutions becomes critical. Universities connect research, talent and ideas with businesses, public services and communities - but their contribution to local growth is often poorly understood.

Jo sits right at that intersection between the university and the wider world. Her work focuses on building partnerships that link research, student talent and industry needs with real economic and social outcomes.

Together they explore how universities are hoping to help shape the next chapter of Sussex's economic story.

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This episode is brought to you in partnership with Plus Accounting.

Founded in Brighton in 1992, Plus Accounting is the city's leading B Corp-certified firm of chartered accountants, supporting businesses that are shaping the Sussex economy. Their clients range from video game studios and creative agencies to hospitality brands, life sciences companies, property developers and fast-growing tech firms.

Whether you're launching a start-up, scaling a business, or running a long-established organisation, Plus offers specialist support in tax planning, audit, R&D tax relief, and strategic business advice. They combine technical expertise with a genuine understanding of the local economy — helping businesses grow sustainably and responsibly. To find out more, visit plusaccounting.co.uk

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🎯 In this episode

• Why knowledge exchange is now a central part of what universities do

• How universities support business growth, community organisations and local government

• The role of universities as anchor institutions in regional development

• Why Sussex's economy is diverse but fragmented compared with other regions

• The opportunities and blind spots within the UK Government's Industrial Strategy

• Why graduate talent and higher-level skills must be part of regional growth plans

• The importance of building a shared economic narrative for Sussex

• How universities help students connect with local SMEs and career pathways

• Why productivity should be about better outcomes, not simply "more output"

🧠 Key themes:

Modern universities are no longer simply places of teaching and research. They increasingly act as civic partners, connecting knowledge, research and talent with local economic and social challenges.

Sussex has strong sectors - from creative industries and engineering to green growth and digital technology - but they are dispersed rather than clustered. That creates resilience but makes it harder to tell a clear economic story.

Skills policy often focuses on lower-level training. But a regional growth strategy must also include graduate talent, research capability and innovation capacity.

A Sussex mayor could provide the coordinated leadership and national voice needed to bring together universities, businesses and public institutions around a shared regional strategy.

What Jo says

"Knowledge exchange is really what it says on the tin; taking academic learning and asking how it can benefit society, culture, communities and the economy."

"Sussex isn't a single industrial cluster. It's a conurbation of different strengths, and we need to start telling that story."

"Students want to stay here. The challenge is creating the opportunities that allow them to do that."

"Productivity can't just mean more jobs and more output. It has to mean better outcomes for people and communities."

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🎧 Production credits

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Joanna Havers Sound design / editing / original music: Chris Thorpe-Tracey Production management: Letitia McConalogue

📣 Get involved

👉 https://sussexandthecity.info — episodes, resources and events

The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode #37

Can Dolphins Be A Symbol Of A Prosperous Future Sussex?

Host: Richard Freeman

Guest: Lloyd Gofton – Director, Sussex Dolphin Project

🔍 Episode summary

Richard is joined by Lloyd Gofton, ocean communications specialist, conservation leader and Director of the Sussex Dolphin Project.

Together they explore how dolphins have become more than a remarkable coastal sighting, but instead emerging instead as a symbol of a future Sussex that is environmentally ambitious, science-led and ready to place its natural assets at the heart of its identity and growth.

With more than 25 years' experience in communications, Lloyd began his career in PR, marketing and digital strategy, running his own agency for over a decade and working with global brands and NGOs including WWF, Greenpeace, RSPCA and Médecins Sans Frontières. A mid-career shift into conservation saw him move from corporate storytelling to environmental campaigning, later working with Wildlife Heritage Areas, Conservation Careers and Blue Planet Society.

In Sussex, he is best known as one of the driving forces behind the Sussex Dolphin Project. Since 2018, the volunteer-led initiative has gathered vital data on dolphins, whales and porpoises in the eastern English Channel – an area long overlooked in formal marine research.

What began as a mission to prove cetaceans are present off the Sussex coast has grown into a pan-Sussex citizen science movement spanning Brighton, Worthing, Eastbourne, Hastings and beyond. Pods of up to 500 dolphins, humpback whale sightings and thousands of public reports are reshaping how residents see their own coastline.

Dolphins, Lloyd explains, are the "gateway species" to ocean literacy – a compelling hook that draws people into wider questions about biodiversity, protection and our relationship with the sea.

As Sussex considers devolution and a new era of regional identity, this episode asks whether the ocean could move from backdrop to centre stage; as science, skills, wellbeing and sustainable economic opportunity.

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This episode is brought to you in partnership with Newhaven Enterprise Zone.

Newhaven Enterprise Zone's mission is to transform Newhaven into a thriving and dynamic business destination by 2030, with a repurposed town centre designed to support growth sectors and boost the economy.

Its investment plan includes seven key initiatives, including targeted grant programmes to drive productivity, business growth and inward investment – helping to create sustainable, inclusive jobs that benefit the whole community.

For the wider Sussex economy, this signals a shift towards higher value employment, stronger skills pipelines and enterprise rooted firmly in place. Newhaven Enterprise Zone is working to ensure Sussex leads rather than follows.

Find out more at newhavenenterprisezone.com

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🎯 Why this matters

The English Channel is often framed as a shipping corridor. In reality, it is a biodiverse and globally significant marine environment.

Citizen science projects like the Sussex Dolphin Project are turning community curiosity into usable research data, and local pride into conservation action.

As devolution conversations focus on housing, transport and economic growth, this episode highlights the strategic importance of natural capital, eco-tourism, marine research and environmental identity in shaping Sussex's long-term direction.

If Sussex wants a distinctive regional narrative, the sea may be one of its strongest and most unifying assets.

🧠 Topics covered include:

Lloyd's shift from corporate communications to ocean conservation The role of the National Oceanography Centre in global climate science Why dolphins are the "gateway species" to ocean literacy How citizen science strengthens marine research The evidence for whales and dolphins in the eastern English Channel Building protection through data and storytelling Balancing eco-tourism with conservation ethics Regional identity and the politics of devolution How Sussex could position itself as a marine innovation leader

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Every £ supports production costs.

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🎧 Production credits

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Lloyd Gofton Sound design / editing / original music: Chris Thorpe-Tracey Production management: Letitia McConalogue

📣 Get involved

Have you spotted dolphins off the Sussex coast? Should marine conservation sit at the heart of Sussex's devolved future?

👉 https://sussexandthecity.info — episodes, resources and events

The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode #36

From Vineyards To Data Labs - Don't Underestimate Sussex' Rural Economy

Host: Richard Freeman

Guest: Jeremy Kerswell – Principal & Chief Executive, Plumpton College

🔍 Episode summary

Richard is joined by Jeremy Kerswell, Principal and Chief Executive of Plumpton College, one of the UK's last remaining independent specialist land-based colleges, set across 800 hectares at the foot of the South Downs.

Plumpton is not an ordinary college campus. It is a commercial farm producing millions of litres of milk, a vineyard bottling tens of thousands of bottles each year, a butchery, a dairy, an equine centre, a horticultural hub in Brighton, and a major regional employer serving agriculture, viticulture, forestry and environmental management.

Jeremy, who grew up in Sussex before returning a decade ago to lead the college, reflects on what it means to run an education institution that is also a business, a working estate and a skills engine for a sector facing national shortages.

The conversation explores the productivity challenge in farming and food, the rapid advance of technology in land-based industries, and the growing demand for apprenticeships and higher-level technical skills. It also tackles rural transport barriers, infrastructure gaps and the reality that accessing education in Sussex is often far harder than it looks on a map.

"Feeding the world and saving the planet are the two biggest global challenges we face – and they can be achieved in harmony."

This episode asks whether devolution could finally align transport, housing, skills and economic growth in a way that works for rural Sussex just as much as its towns and cities.

This episode is brought to you in partnership with Gaby Hardwicke Solicitors.

Gaby Hardwicke is one of Sussex's most established law firms, supporting individuals, families and businesses across Eastbourne, Bexhill and Hastings. From commercial and employment law to family, property and dispute resolution, they anchor expert legal services firmly in the region. But a standout strength is their dedicated Rural & Agricultural team, advising farmers, estates and landowners on land management, diversification, succession, environmental schemes and the shifting economics of countryside life.

In Sussex, where our rural economy, landscape and identity are entwined, this expertise matters. Gaby Hardwicke helps the county grow, adapt and protect what makes it unique, blending modern legal knowledge with deep local understanding. Visit gabyhardwicke.co.uk.

🎯 Why this matters

Land-based industries are often dismissed as traditional or declining. In reality, they are technologically advanced, globally connected and facing significant skills shortages.

Sussex's rural economy is central to its identity, landscape and visitor appeal – yet transport, infrastructure and fragmented governance make long-term planning difficult.

Jeremy argues that if Sussex is to lead in sustainable land management, food innovation and environmental technology, it will need joined-up strategy, employer-led skills planning and fewer structural silos.

🧠 Topics covered include:

• What it really means to run a college that is also a farm and commercial estate
• The national skills gap in agriculture, viticulture and environmental management
• Robotics, data and digital literacy in modern farming
• Why land-based industries are more advanced than many assume
• The cost and complexity of rural transport for students
• SEND, socio-economic barriers and access to education in Sussex
• Whether devolution could genuinely join up skills, infrastructure and growth
• Why Sussex should be leading the UK in sustainable land management
• What a successful Sussex in 2035 might look like

🎧 Production credits

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Jeremy Kerswell Sound design / editing / original music: Chris Thorpe-Tracey Production management: Letitia McConalogue

📣 Get involved

Should Sussex lead the UK in green growth and land-based innovation? Can devolution fix transport, skills and infrastructure for rural communities?

👉 https://sussexandthecity.info — episodes, resources and events

The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode #35

Growing A Global Business In Sussex Could Be So Much Easier

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Matt Barker – Founder & CEO, MPB

🔍 Episode summary

Richard is joined by Matt Barker, founder and chief executive of MPB, one of Sussex's biggest global business success stories - built from modest roots in Brighton and now operating at serious international scale.

What began as an eBay side project while Matt was a student has grown into the world's largest platform for buying, selling and trading professional photography and video equipment, employing more than 500 people globally, with over half still based in Brighton.

Matt talks candidly about why MPB succeeded because of Brighton's culture and creativity - and why it often succeeded in spite of the city's infrastructure, property market and lack of meaningful business engagement.

The conversation ranges from devolution and leadership, to skills gaps, transport, commercial space, and his perception that there is a failure to recognise Sussex's own success stories until they're already global.

"I don't think MPB would be what it is if it hadn't been founded in Brighton. But I also don't think Brighton really noticed us until about three years ago."

This episode is about what it really takes to grow a business in Sussex - and what a future Sussex mayor will need to understand if devolution is going to deliver anything more than new structures and old habits.

🎯 Why this matters

Matt argues that Sussex risks missing a once-in-a-generation opportunity if devolution is shaped by the same voices, the same reports, and the same transactional approaches to business.

If Sussex wants growth that sticks, and spreads beyond Brighton, it needs to understand why so many businesses never make it past a certain point, and why those that do often have to look elsewhere for leadership support.

This is a challenge to policymakers, councils and future mayors: listen earlier, engage properly, and fix the basics.

🧠 Topics covered include:

• How MPB grew from a student eBay project into a global platform

• Why Brighton's creativity and diversity mattered more than formal support

• The invisible ceiling facing Sussex businesses at 20–50 staff

• Why CEO-level support networks don't really exist locally

• Commercial property, listed buildings, and the constant fight for space

• What a Sussex mayor should actually understand about growth businesses

• Why devolution risks being shaped by the "usual suspects"

• Brighton's uneasy relationship with the rest of Sussex

• Transport, skills and connectivity; and what really holds growth back

• Why fixing cleanliness, perception and basic infrastructure matters more than shiny strategies

📚 Further reading and references

MPB – company background and global platform

🎧 Production credits

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Matt Barker Sound design / editing / original music: Chris Thorpe-Tracey Production management: Letitia McConalogue

📣 Get involved

Want devolution that actually works for businesses and places? Want Sussex leadership that understands how growth really happens?

👉 https://sussexandthecity.info — episodes, resources and events

The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode #34

Devolution Is Only As Local As It Feels

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Cllr Julia Hilton – Deputy Leader, Hastings Borough Council

🔍 Episode summary

Richard is joined by Cllr Julia Hilton, Deputy Leader of Hastings Borough Council and one of Sussex's most outspoken voices on local government reorganisation and devolution.

Julia brings a fiercely place-based perspective, shaped by her background as a landscape architect, artist and community organiser. The conversation is unapologetically Hastings-first; not as a brand or 'policy problem', but as a lived place with strong neighbourhood identities, deep inequalities, creative energy and a long memory of top-down regeneration that hasn't landed well.

"We don't just accept the status quo. We always want to test stuff … bringing that creativity and that sort of slight edginess to parts of East Sussex that can feel a bit comfortable."

Together, Richard and Julia dig into what devolution could actually mean for Hastings, and what it absolutely must avoid. They explore the risks of losing local knowledge through council reorganisation, the dangers of chasing abstract growth metrics, and why things like retrofitting homes, buses that work, and neighbourhood trust may matter more than glossy skills strategies with acronyms nobody asked for.

This is a conversation about power close to the ground, and whether Sussex's next chapter will be written with towns like Hastings, or merely about them.

This episode is brought to you in partnership with:

Let's Do Business Finance – an accredited British Business Bank delivery partner, providing Start Up Loans and Growth Guarantee loans from £500 to £150,000 to hundreds of Sussex businesses since 2004.

By filling the finance gap left by high street lenders, they've helped new ventures launch, supported businesses to invest in growth, and sustained local jobs across Sussex and beyond.

👉 https://letsdobusinessfinance.co.uk

🎯 Why this matters

"What people want to see in Hastings is … really good quality council housing and affordable housing, upgrading our council stock, celebrating our heritage, celebrating our green spaces, and making the most of all those … Pretty much everyone will agree on that."

Julia's argues that devolution without trust, local knowledge and meaningful measures of success risks repeating the mistakes Hastings has already lived through.

🧠 Topics covered include:

• Hastings' topography — and how hills, green space and fragmentation shape communities

• Why regeneration has often felt done to rather than built with

• The erosion of trust through endless consultation with little change

• Political pluralism in Hastings; and what it says about trust in politics

• Skills, climate work and retrofitting as realistic economic pathways

• Youth employment in a small-business, seasonal economy

• The risk of devolution becoming a "hustle for our patch"

• Why transport and housing are the non-negotiable delivery tests

• The danger of losing neighbourhood knowledge in a new unitary system

• Hastings' role as a challenging, creative force in the Sussex story

📚 Further reading and references

• Hastings Borough Council – shaping places portfolio

• Index of Multiple Deprivation – East Sussex profiles

• Get Sussex Working Plan

🎧 Production credits

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Cllr Julia Hilton Sound design / editing / original music: Chris Thorpe-Tracey Production management: Letitia McConalogue Produced by: always possible

📣 Get involved

Want devolution that actually reflects lived places? Want Sussex leadership shaped from the ground up?

👉 https://sussexandthecity.info — episodes, resources and events.

The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode 33:

Devolution Can Make Us More 'Sussex'. But It Is A Big Leadership Challenge

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Rt Hon Peter Kyle MP – Secretary of State for Business and Trade; MP for Hove & Portslade

🔍 Episode summary

This episode opens a new year and a new series of Sussex And The City, recorded at a moment of political shift but strategic acceleration.

Richard Freeman sits down with Peter Kyle MP – one of the most influential figures in the current government and a long-standing Sussex representative – to explore what devolution could actually mean for Sussex beyond the headlines.

Peter reflects on his own Sussex story, growing up in Bognor Regis and West Sussex, leaving school with no qualifications, experiencing homelessness, and later finding opportunity through work, education and community organising. That lived experience runs through the conversation, shaping how he thinks about power, place, social mobility and leadership.

The discussion ranges from the structural weaknesses of the Sussex economy – where ports, towns, universities and Gatwick all "point to London, not each other" – to the opportunities devolution could unlock if leadership is used to connect rather than centralise.

This episode grapples with big questions:

• Can Sussex ever act as a single region?
• Can growth be genuinely inclusive?
• And what kind of leadership is needed to make devolution work for places that don't look or vote the same?

"It's not about trying to change Sussex – just trying to make us more Sussex."

This episode is brought to you in partnership with:

Kreston Reeves – one of the UK's leading accountancy and advisory firms, and one of the first to achieve B Corp status.

With offices in Brighton, Chichester and across the South East, Kreston Reeves works with ambitious businesses, charities and individuals across manufacturing, education, property, tech and the arts. From tax strategy and audit to succession planning and ESG reporting, their advice combines national expertise with deep local knowledge.

👉 krestonreeves.com

🎯 Why this matters

Sussex is entering a long transition period. The mayoral election timetable may have shifted, but the decisions shaping the region's future are already being made.

Peter argues that devolution is not a tidy fix, but a leadership test; one that requires bridging deep economic, geographic and political divides.

"We are a divided set of communities – and that shouldn't be the case."

The episode challenges the idea that growth alone is enough, asking how infrastructure, skills, housing, transport and opportunity can be aligned so that prosperity spreads rather than concentrates.

🧠 Topics covered include:

• Peter Kyle's Sussex upbringing and route into public life

• Why Sussex's economy fails to "add up to more than the sum of its parts"

• Coastal towns, rural communities and unequal access to opportunity

• Growth vs place: why GDP alone isn't enough

• The role of devolution in connecting ports, towns, universities and Gatwick

• AI, skills and why technology could either widen or close divides

• Leadership, collaboration and working across political difference

• Why devolution is a community enterprise, not a single-leader fix

"The mayoralty isn't going to take power away from everywhere – but it will have the ability to facilitate."

📚 Further reading and references

• UK Government – industrial strategy (10-year framework)
• Peter Kyle visits University of Sussex
• OECD – regional development
• OECD – decentralisation and regional development GOV.UK
• Institute for government – local growth plans (devolution context) OECD
• GOV.UK – secretary of state for business and trade (GOV.UK)
• UK Parliament – spoken contributions (Peter Kyle)

🎧 Production credits

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Peter Kyle MP Sound design / editing / original music: Chris Thorpe-Tracey (Lo-Fi Arts) Production management: Letitia McConalogue

📣 Get involved

Want to understand what devolution really means for Sussex? Want clearer, more human conversations about power and place?

👉 sussexandthecity.info — episodes, resources and events.

The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode 32:

EMERGENCY PODCAST!

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Martin Webb, independent candidate for Mayor of Sussex & Brighton

No Sussex mayor until 2028

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 now be held in 2028, with a formal announcement expected shortly.

🔗 Read the BBC report

These mayoralties are the political centrepiece of the government's drive to devolve power and fast-track regional growth. Mayors will chair new strategic authorities with powers over transport, housing, skills and, in some areas, policing.

Pushing the polls back delays who will set priorities, who will bid for investment, and who will hold authority over major local programmes - just as unitary council reorganisation is being completed.

Government reasoning vs political reaction

The official explanation is that more time is needed to finish local government reorganisation so new authorities are properly set up before voters choose mayors.

Those following the Sussex And The City project since May will recognise this as a familiar concern.

But others think the move is politically charged.

The Conservatives' James Cleverly has already accused the administration of "subverting democracy". Reform UK's Zia Yusuf suggested ministers were trying to blunt his party's chances, while the Liberal Democrats' Zoe Franklin warned "democracy delayed is democracy denied."

What this means for Sussex & Brighton

• Campaigns and candidates: The delay gives parties more time to select and prep candidates, but it also creates a longer campaign window and uncertainty for would-be contenders and local parties. It would not be a surprise if some of the announced candidates change over the next two years.

• Policy and delivery: With mayoral powers on hold, strategic decisions that require a regional political voice - major transport projects, strategic housing plans, and coordinated skills investment - may be deferred or handled piecemeal by existing councils.

• Local reorganisation: The stated reason - finishing unitary reorganisation - underscores how tightly linked the mayoral timetable is to structural changes at council level; Sussex's new mayoralty depended on those legal and administrative building blocks being in place.

• Political arithmetic: A later election could shift the advantage depending on national polling and local campaigning; opponents argue the delay will change the political landscape.

What to watch next

• Formal announcement and rationale: The government's statement will be important for the detail; whether the delay is purely administrative or also strategic.

• Local reaction: Councils, business groups, civic organisations and candidates will respond; look for joint statements calling for clarity on timelines and transitional arrangements.

• Practical continuity: How will work on devolution, bids for investment and partnership arrangements be sustained during the gap? Who will be accountable for interim decisions?

• Election mechanics: Will the delay change the electoral system, timing with other polls, or the way the new authorities transition in 2027–28?

A short verdict

The postponement is a big procedural and political shift. If ministers are right that more time is needed for a lawful, orderly handover from two-tier councils to new unitaries, the delay may be sensible.

But it will only be accepted by local voters if the extra time is used to finish the structural work and to show, with practical, visible plans, that the mayoralty will deliver better services and clearer local leadership.

Sussex And The City

So, this was always a possibility, but is big news we didn't expect today.

You tell us - would you like us to continue this project until the elections take place, or do you think we need to pause until nearer the time?

🎧 Production credits

Host: Richard Freeman Sound design / editing / original music: Chris Thorpe-Tracey Production management: Letitia McConalogue

📣 Get involved

Want a joined-up Sussex story? Want to help shape devolution so it actually works for people and places? 👉 https://sussexandthecity.info — episodes, resources and events.

The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode 31:

Why I Want To Be Mayor (Part Five)

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Martin Webb, independent candidate for Mayor of Sussex & Brighton

🔍 Episode summary

In this wide-ranging conversation, Richard sits down with Martin Webb — a man whose CV could easily be many separate careers.

Martin was a defining figure in Brighton's 90s and 00s nightlife, running clubs, bars and restaurants across the city. He has also ran his own local media empire, been a business mentor on Channel 4, a columnist for The Telegraph, a small business author, and, in a twist that surprises many, a frontline volunteer police sergeant for nearly a decade.

Now he's running as the only declared independent candidate for Mayor of Sussex & Brighton - self-funding the campaign, clocking up millions of TikTok views, and arguing that Sussex needs "a very honest, grounded, authentic approach" untied to party politics.

The conversation explores how his life in hospitality, policing and community work informs his vision for the new mayoralty; a role Martin describes as "not about me at all. It's about getting the best outcomes for Sussex and Sussex people."

He has views on housing, anti-social behaviour, nightlife, farming, collaboration between towns, and the "post-Brighton" identity crisis Sussex needs to solve to make devolution work.

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🎯 Why this matters

"I want to be an independent now. I don't think the mayor needs to be aligned to one particular problem. I want to speak and act to do good for the people of Sussex."

For many voters, the idea of a non-party mayor - one who refuses donors and funds the campaign personally - challenges the assumption that the mayoralty must be run by a big political machine. Martin argues that independence is not a gimmick, but the only way to escape party whipping and focus solely on place first, politics second.

He also speaks frankly about the state of Sussex:

"People are fed up with how dangerous our streets are, how much housing costs, how much of our environment is at risk from massive over-development."

He says his proposed solutions - from Sussex Marshals to a countywide buying group - reflect his entrepreneurial background, his voluntary policing experience, and his belief that 'common-sense' collaboration has been missing.

🧠 Topics covered include:

• What independence really means in a region used to red–blue–yellow politics
• Why Martin left the Labour selection process
• How policing experience fuels his plans for safety, patrols and anti-social behaviour
• "Sussex Marshals" - volunteers to free up police time
• Tackling the housing crisis through brownfield-first development
• AirBnB controls and licensing
• Protecting rural Sussex from "disproportionate" mega-developments
• The future of nightlife and why towns need tailored NTE strategies
• A Sussex buying cooperative for small businesses
• How TikTok has made him unexpectedly popular with younger voters
• Overcoming anti-Brighton sentiment and building one Sussex story
• What Sussex could look like in 2046 if devolution works

"From week one, I'll be tackling the crisis we have got with anti-social behaviour, theft and shoplifting."

📚 Further reading and references

• Martin Webb – campaign website
• Martin Webb on TikTok
• Martin Webb in Facebook
• Martin Webb on Instagram

🎧 Production credits

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Martin Webb Sound design / editing / original music: Chris Thorpe-Tracey Production management: Letitia McConalogue Recorded: Regency Radio, Lancing

📣 Get involved

Want a joined-up Sussex story? Want to help shape devolution so it actually works for people and places? 👉 https://sussexandthecity.info — episodes, resources and events.