Sussex And The City

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.

This episode is brought to you in partnership with:

THE GIFT @ The Old Market

Home of THE GIFT, a bold new winter feast-game-ritual-show running 3–21 December, step inside The Old Market in Hove for a 360° world of live music, cabaret artists, clowns, communal play and Sussex-made food from Mallow, Pio Mai and CLOUD NINE.

Inspired by Columbia's Theatre of the Senses, America's Burning Man and Berlin's Social Muscle Club, THE GIFT is about connection, mischief and the messy joy of being alive. Get tickets this Christmas from 👉 theoldmarket.com

🎯 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.

The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode 30:

Opportunity In Sussex Starts With Being Seen

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Donna O'Toole — founder of August Recognition; co-founder of Rewards App

🔍 Episode summary

In this week's episode, Richard meets Donna O'Toole - multi-award-winning entrepreneur, awards strategist and lifelong Sussex resident - whose journey from Arundel Castle to global business owner is as remarkable as it is rooted in place.

Donna grew up in the grounds of Arundel Castle, where her family worked as part of the staff, before entering care at aged 15 and being given an unusual, life-shaping choice: foster care, a children's home, or what she recalls as "a home for girls with potential". She took the third option, kickstarting a life defined by resilience, ambition and a razor-sharp instinct for spotting opportunity.

By 19 she had founded Sussex's first dental nurse agency; in her 30s she returned to education, graduating in English Linguistics from the University of Sussex; and today she runs an international recognition consultancy from the tiny village of Chailey — proving, quite happily, that world-class businesses don't need glass towers.

Richard and Donna explore Sussex's confidence problem, the county's quietly world-class business ecosystem, and why a future Mayor must pay attention to the overlooked arts of storytelling and narrative. Donna argues that too many Sussex businesses stay small not for lack of potential, but for lack of visibility, and that giving people the courage to "pitch up, not shrink down" could change the shape of our local economy.

This episode is a generous, grounded and surprisingly emotional reminder that recognition isn't always vanity, it can be fuel for bigger things.

This episode is brought to you in partnership with:

YMCA Downslink Group -

For over a century, the YMCA has been supporting young people across Sussex and Surrey. Every night, they provide safe housing for more than 650 young individuals facing homelessness, offering not just shelter but also the support needed to rebuild their lives.

Beyond housing, this charity delivers a range of services including mental health counselling through YMCA Dialogue, family mediation, and youth advice centres in Brighton & Hove and Crawley. Their e-wellbeing platform offers digital mental health resources tailored for young people.

They reach over 7,000 children, young people, and families each year, helping them navigate challenges and achieve their potential.

To learn more or support their mission, visit ymcadlg.org.

🎯 Why this matters

Sussex will soon elect its first ever Mayor; someone expected to champion the county, raise its national profile, and create space for ambition, growth and innovation across places that haven't always been encouraged to think big.

Donna argues that starts with confidence:

"You can achieve anything that you want to achieve, just so long as you believe in yourself and you set some goals and you work at it."

And with visibility:

"Aim high and pitch up. You don't need to always think local… you're serving your clients nationally. So why are you not getting national recognition?"

Sussex isn't short of creativity, entrepreneurship or grit. But we are short of a shared narrative about success, and as Donna wants devolution to support a new strategy, confidence and culture change.

🧠 Topics covered include:

• Growing up in Arundel Castle, and how early instability shaped Donna's resilience
• The extraordinary "home for girls with potential" and its lifelong impact
• Starting Sussex's first dental nurse agency as a teenager
• Why awards can matter for business growth, leadership confidence and community impact
• How Sussex founders underplay their achievements
• The barriers holding back small businesses from competing nationally
• What the King's Awards for Enterprise tell us about real economic trends
• How the pandemic shifted recognition from financial metrics to people-first stories
• Why a Sussex Mayor must understand the power of storytelling, ambition and visibility
• How she thinks her new business will make recognition more inclusive
• The need for county-wide consistency in employer support
• Why success for Sussex must be defined by more than GDP or headcount

"It's hard to read the label when you're sitting inside the jam jar."

📚 Further reading and references

• Donna's website
• August Recognition – awards & recognition consultancy
• The King's Awards for Enterprise
• Dent Global / Key Person of Influence

🎧 Production credits

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Donna O'Toole Sound design / editing / original music: Chris Thorpe-Tracey Production management: Letitia McConalogue Recorded: At Projects The Lanes, Brighton

📣 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 29:

Sussex Money Matters: Tackling Debt And Building Trust

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Emma Norledge - Deputy CEO, Wave Community Bank

🔍 Episode summary

What if the future of devolution wasn't just about power – but about money that stays in Sussex?

In this episode, Richard Freeman talks to Emma Norledge, Deputy Chief Executive of Wave Community Bank, a not-for-profit credit union helping thousands of people across East Sussex, Brighton and Kent access fair, local finance.

Credit unions aren't really banks as we know them; they're still fully regulated by the Financial Services Authority but act as people-powered cooperatives that keep savings circulating in local economies.

In an era of financial exclusion, payday loans and disappearing high street banks, Emma explains how Wave's model of 'people helping people' is focused on transforming lives, from rent deposit schemes to small loans and financial education.

They explore what devolution might mean for community finance, why money and wellbeing are inseparable, and how a Sussex mayor could champion smarter, fairer funding systems that rebuild trust from the ground up.

"Credit unions get in your soul and you believe in what you do; and it's not an industry, it's a movement."

This episode is brought to you in partnership with:

YMCA Downslink Group -

For over a century, the YMCA has been supporting young people across Sussex and Surrey. Every night, they provide safe housing for more than 650 young individuals facing homelessness, offering not just shelter but also the support needed to rebuild their lives.

Beyond housing, this charity delivers a range of services including mental health counselling through YMCA Dialogue, family mediation, and youth advice centres in Brighton & Hove and Crawley. Their e-wellbeing platform offers digital mental health resources tailored for young people.

They reach over 7,000 children, young people, and families each year, helping them navigate challenges and achieve their potential.

To learn more or support their mission, visit ymcadlg.org.

🎯 Why this matters

"Councils will come to us and say, 'We'd like to do this – what do you think?' And we might say, 'Well, that won't work for that reason, but we could do it this way.'"

🧠 Topics covered include:

• What credit unions are and how they keep money local
• The evolution from East Sussex Credit Union to Wave Community Bank
• How local savings can finance local loans and community wellbeing
• The challenge of financial exclusion and the need for inclusive banking
• Partnerships with councils, advice networks and housing providers
• What devolution could mean for community finance and social investment
• How structural change might affect local accountability and support systems
• The role of credit unions in preventing crime and tackling loan sharks
• Financial literacy as a public health issue
• Lessons from Manchester's 'Sound Pound' initiative for Sussex

"There hasn't been a bank in Newhaven for years… and that is an opportunity for the credit unions to step in and say, 'We are here, and we do help you, and we do care.'"

📚 Further reading and references

• Wave Community Bank
• Association of British Credit Unions (ABCUL)
• Illegal Money Lending Team
• Greater Manchester Credit Unions: Sound Pound Network

🎧 Production credits

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Emma Norledge Sound design / editing / original music: Chris Thorpe-Tracey Production management: Letitia McConalogue Recorded: On location

📣 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 28:

Why Sussex Needs To Look After Its Shopkeepers

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Shiv Misra - founder of Kindly

🔍 Episode summary

In this episode, Richard Freeman talks with Shiv Misra, founder of Kindly, a Brighton homegrown supermarket with a difference; fair prices, no plastic, and no gimmicks. Shiv's story is one of grit, optimism and retail reform, building something sustainable in every sense of the word.

From taking over the old HISBE store to juggling a day job in IT and and growing a new model of retail, Shiv explains what independent retailers really need to survive: lower rates, shared logistics, smarter supply chains and genuine support from local government.

Could a region built on small business pride could use devolution to back its entrepreneurs; the grocers, cafés, makers and market traders who give Sussex its identity?

This episode is a good companion to #24 with Rachael Dines.

"If the big players don't do it, then more of the small players need to — so people still get the convenience and choice they need."

This episode is brought to you in partnership with:

Shake It Up Creative – the Worthing-based marketing and web agency helping organisations stand out with style, strategy and substance. From brand builds and slick websites to demystifying PR and SEO, they're known for straight-talking advice and a collaborative mindset.

The team runs free online help sessions via #ShakeItHub and offers pro bono mentoring through BIPC, Community Works and Enterprise Nation. Finalists at the 2025 Independent Agency Awards for Best Promotional Campaign, they prove bold, beautiful marketing is possible with small teams and smart budgets.

👉 shakeitupcreative.com

🎯 Why this matters

"People want to do good, but they don't want to do it at the cost of either convenience or choice. We're trying to bring in a food revolution where we change the way we consume things."

🧠 Topics covered include:

• How independent retail defines Sussex's economic identity
• Why small shops need joined-up business support post-devolution
• The case for shared logistics hubs and collective delivery schemes
• Rate relief, rent reform and how councils can reward sustainable practice
• The untapped potential of farm-to-shelf supply networks
• Building a county-wide loyalty scheme to connect towns and traders
• Learning from HISBE's legacy and what Kindly is doing differently
• Surviving cost-of-living crises as a micro-retailer
• What local leadership could do to protect small business resilience
• Making refill and repair retail part of mainstream shopping, not the niche

  "Unity is power — Sussex's small shops could speak with one voice if councils did the same."

📚 Further reading and references

• Kindly – Brighton's refill-first, plant-based supermarket

• Federation of Small Businesses – Sussex

🎧 Production credits

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Shiv Misra Sound design / editing / original music: Chris Thorpe-Tracey Production management: Letitia McConalogue Recorded: On location

📣 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 27:

Is Art Sussex' Civic Superpower?

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Lesley Samms - founder of Pure Arts Group

🔍 Episode summary

In this conversation, Richard Freeman sits down with artist mentor, curator and Pure Arts Group founder Lesley Samms – a powerhouse advocate for visual artists across Sussex and beyond.

Lesley shares her journey from leaving behind corporate success at Coca-Cola to becoming a champion of grassroots creativity, community connection and artistic confidence. Based in Battle, she has built networks that help artists find purpose, audiences and each other.

The conversation explores what Sussex's visual-arts story reveals about the county's identity; from Charleston and Farleys Farm to Hastings Fat Tuesday, Coastal Currents and beyond. Lesley calls for a new regional strategy for the arts, one that values experimentation, supports young artists, and ensures the creative economy doesn't just survive but thrives under devolution.

"Don't wait to be discovered - lift up the talent that's already here."

This episode is brought to you in partnership with:

Creative Crawley – since becoming a charitable trust in 2021, Creative Crawley has transformed Crawley into a creative hub with a year-round programme of public performances, exhibitions and workshops across pop-up venues and makerspaces.

Their flagship Creative Playground initiative, backed by a £1 million Arts Council England grant, has supported artist residencies and community co-creation projects, while the pilot Creative Village is testing the potential for a permanent cultural hub to sustain local artists and drive economic growth.

Through partnerships with local, national and international artists, educators and creative organisations, Creative Crawley is nurturing new creative economies, inspiring civic pride, and redefining cultural leadership in the South East.

👉 creativecrawley.com

🎯 Why this matters

"Visual artists aren't decoration. They're what make places human; they connect us, they challenge us, they make us think."

🧠 Topics covered include:

• The visual arts DNA of Sussex
• Why Brighton doesn't own all the creativity in Sussex
• The human networks that sustain the arts outside big cities
• How visual artists fuel wellbeing, identity and local economies
• The funding gap: making grants and opportunities accessible
• The need for a Sussex-wide cultural strategy under devolution
• Why grassroots creativity deserves national attention
• Public art as problem-solving – lessons from Crawley and elsewhere
• The call for every Sussex town to have an 'artist of the year'
• Residencies, mentoring and the importance of space to experiment

"Art isn't just there to look pretty. It's there to make you feel something; to remind you that there's more than one way to see the world."

📚 Further reading and references

• Pure Arts Group – Lesley's artist network and consultancy
• Towner Eastbourne – Turner Prize host and regional anchor
• Charleston Trust – home of the Bloomsbury set
• Farleys House & Gallery – Lee Miller & Roland Penrose
• De La Warr Pavilion – cultural icon of Bexhill
• Phoenix Art Space – Brighton's artist-led studios
• Coastal Currents – Hastings and St Leonards arts festival
• South East Open Studios – regional artist showcase

🎧 Production credits

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Lesley Samms Sound design / editing / original music: Chris Thorpe-Tracey Production management: Letitia McConalogue Recorded: Projects, The Lanes - Brighton

📣 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 26:

Can Sussex Lead On Closing The Loop?

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Steve Creed - co-founder of Circular Brighton & Hove

🔍 Episode summary

In this conversation, Richard Freeman sits down with Steve Creed – a Canadian-born sustainability consultant and leading voice in Sussex's circular-economy movement.

Steve has spent decades connecting the dots between food, housing, transport, climate and culture, helping councils, housing groups and social enterprises to think differently about waste and regeneration. As co-founder of Circular Brighton & Hove and Vice Chair of the Adur Community Land Trust, he's long argued that Sussex could be a test-bed for joined-up, low-waste, regenerative growth – if it stops treating every issue in isolation.

The discussion (a good companion to episode 20, and our chat with Jenny Andersson) explores Earth Overshoot Day, trust in politics, measuring real progress, and why the circular economy is less about jargon and more about people, compost and community power. Steve believes devolution is not a tidy fix, but a rare window to design something better — if civil society leads the charge before the politicians do.

"In the forest, there's no waste. Trees fall, rot, feed the soil - everything has a purpose. The circular economy is just learning from that."

This episode is brought to you in partnership with:

DMH Stallard – one of the South East's most respected full-service law firms, combining technical expertise with a pragmatic, human approach.

With offices across Sussex, DMH Stallard advises individuals, businesses and public bodies across property, planning, dispute resolution, employment and private client services, and is particularly active in real-estate development and public-sector growth.

The firm also proudly supports community and cultural projects across the region, investing time and expertise in the places where its teams live and work.

👉 dmhstallard.com

🎯 Why this matters

"Trust is missing. Maybe the grassroots have to rebuild it first - business, civil society, local innovators - before the politicians catch up."

🧠 Topics covered include:

• What the circular economy really means beyond policy buzzwords
• How Circular Brighton & Hove helped shape a city-wide sustainability roadmap
• Why Earth Overshoot Day could be a Sussex-wide performance indicator
• The role of the mayor in connecting food, transport, housing and climate policy
• How devolution could enable joined-up, systems-level innovation
• Re-thinking Gross Value Added and other economic measures
• Trust and accountability in the new mayoral structure
• Lessons from Sussex Bay and community-led regeneration
• The potential of Sussex's micro-business ecosystem to drive growth
• "Pragmatic radicalism" - how small shifts across every sector add up

"Any mayor who wants to succeed will need new ways to measure progress — not just GDP, but how long it takes Sussex to reach Earth Overshoot Day."

📚 Further reading and references

Circular Brighton & Hove – local hub for sustainable systems change

Brighton & Hove City Council – Circular Economy Route Map

Adur Community Land Trust

Brighton & Hove Food Partnership – Community Composting and Food Networks

Global Footprint Network – Earth Overshoot Day Data and Country Dashboards

Sussex Bay – Seascape Restoration Partnership

West of England Combined Authority – Green Innovation

🎧 Production credits

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Steve Creed Sound design / editing / original music: Chris Thorpe-Tracey Production management: Letitia McConalogue Recorded: Projects, The Lanes - Brighton

📣 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 25:

Why I Want To Be Mayor (Part Four)

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Dr Ben Dempsey - Liberal Democrat candidate for Mayor of Sussex & Brighton

🔍 Episode summary

In this special episode, Richard Freeman sits down with Ben Dempsey, the newly selected Liberal Democrat candidate for Mayor of Sussex & Brighton – and only the second confirmed name on the ballot paper for the 2026 election.

Born and raised in Haywards Heath, educated at the University of Sussex, and with a career spanning international development, humanitarian aid and environmental conservation, Ben makes the case that he can link global experience with deep local roots.

They discuss why he's running, how he plans to unite a politically fragmented county, and why he believes fairness, civility and practical action must define Sussex's new devolved future.

From housing and buses to biodiversity and local democracy, this is a grounded conversation about what leadership might look like for a county ready to reinvent itself.

"If we can capture a proud Sussex identity - radical, creative, beautiful - that's our untapped economic power."

This episode is brought to you in partnership with:

Shake It Up Creative – the Worthing-based marketing and web agency helping businesses stand out with style, strategy and substance.

Whether it's building a slick website, crafting a brand from scratch, or demystifying PR and SEO, Shake It Up brings clarity and confidence to marketing. Known for their collaborative mindset and straight-talking advice, they've supported hundreds of startups, charities and SMEs through their #ShakeItHub initiative and mentoring with BIPC, Community Works and Enterprise Nation.

🏆 Finalists at the 2025 Independent Agency Awards for Best Promotional Campaign. 👉 shakeitupcreative.com

🎯 Why this matters

"A Sussex mayor will only work if we show early wins - and buses are the place to start."

🧠 Topics covered include:

• Ben's journey from Save the Children to Sussex environmental researcher
• What motivated him to stand as the first Mayor of Sussex & Brighton
• The challenge of uniting a politically diverse and divided region
• How transport connectivity and bus reform could be Sussex's biggest early win
• Why housing fairness and environmental recovery can (and must) coexist
• Lessons from Sussex's natural capital – Knepp, Ashdown Forest, and Sussex Bay
• How to build public trust in devolution after years of political fatigue
• Why tone and civility matter as much as policy in rebuilding trust
• His first 100-day priorities: buses, biodiversity, and quick wins for local councils

"We can weave nature into a landscape that contains people. That's what Sussex has always done."

📚 Further reading and references

• Ben Dempsey – Liberal Democrat Candidate for Mayor of Sussex & Brighton

• Liberal Democrat Voice – "We Will Win With Unity, Not Division"

• Knepp Wilding Project

• Sussex Bay – Seascape Restoration Partnership

• Ashdown Forest Research and Conservation

🎧 Production credits

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Ben Dempsey Sound design / editing / original music: Chris Thorpe-Tracey Production management: Letitia McConalogue Recorded: Projects, The Lanes - Brighton

📣 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.