On 29 March, Hastings Assembles held a community assembly for two hours in Hastings Town Centre, for local people to meet and discuss the planned changes to local government, including the plan to abolish Hastings Borough Council and bring in a new elected mayor for all of Sussex.
The afternoon kicked off with Julia Hilton, leader of Hastings council, explaining the overall government agenda, and she described the proposal favoured by the Green Party and the Conservative Party which is to have one unitary council for all of east Sussex. John Cannan, a councillor from the Hastings Independent Group, outlined their proposal for a smaller unitary council in Hastings, working as part of a federation of five councils across East Sussex.
Dawn Dublin, who hosted the assembly, invited someone from the Labour Party to explain their proposal for a “coastal unitary council” but there was no Labour representative. Finally, Grace Lally, one of the organisers of the assembly explained the government’s plan for an elected mayor and outlined her concerns about the role of mayors in other parts of the country.
Over the rest of the afternoon, people broke into smaller groups of five or six people with a facilitator to take notes and there was an open mike where people shared what was discussed in their group or put forward their own individual views.
Hastings Assembles organisers produced basic factsheets which they distributed on an info stall. Free soup and hot drinks had kindly been donated for the event, which also attracted a steady stream of passers-by.
There were nine small groups that wrote up notes, and Hastings Assembles estimate about 100 people in total took part in either the group discussions or just stopping to chat and take leaflets.
Below are the summaries of those discussions, which give a flavour of the mood and the kind of conversations that took place.
Hastings council will be running an open online consultation on the various options under consideration over the summer, and many people are hoping there will be more assemblies where folk can discuss the proposed changes (or how to oppose them all!) so get in touch via hastingsassembles@proton.me if you would like help to organise one in your area.
The Mayoralty Debate: Power Without Oversight?
One major proposal is the creation of a directly elected mayor for East Sussex, but many question whether this will truly serve local needs. Critics argue that without a referendum, the public is being denied a say in whether they even want such a position.
Democratic Concerns
- Worry over lack of a referendum on whether a mayor is wanted.
- Concerns about the first past the post system; call for single transferable vote (STV) for fairer representation.
- Call for a citizens’ assembly with real power and a constitution.
Accountability and Power
- Lack of clarity on who the mayor is accountable to.
- Fear of excessive, unchecked power in the hands of a single individual.
- Potential for corruption and lack of oversight.
- Concern that mayors may represent party interests, not the people.
Representation and Inclusion
- Worries that Hastings and deprived areas will be sidelined in favour of affluent areas.
- Question over how Hastings is represented to the mayor.
- Perceived imbalance of power between mayor and other elected representatives.
Practicality and Accessibility
- Fee to stand as a mayoral candidate considered prohibitively high.
- Doubt over whether a single mayor can represent such a large, diverse region.
- Questioning the allocation of resources and possible bias toward high-profile individuals.
Skepticism of the Model
- Model seen as untested and unsuitable for the area’s traditions and needs.
- Comparison with existing ceremonial mayors and large urban conurbations reveals mismatch.
Unitary Authority: A Threat to Local Democracy?
The proposal to replace district and borough councils with a single unitary authority has sparked fears of further centralisation, stripping decision-making from towns like Hastings.
Local Democracy & Representation
- Fear of losing local voices and direct representation.
- Concern that fewer councillors means less grassroots contact.
- Emphasis on the need to retain local councils, not just absorb them into a larger body.
- Preference for federated models to retain local identity and control.
- Concerns over upholding current housing strategy involving the council and local people/organisations – will this go ahead or is all this work for nothing?
Fairness & Equity
- Deep concern over funding allocation – whether Hastings would receive its fair share.
- Highlighting the different needs of Sussex towns; one-size-fits-all seen as inappropriate.
- Need for equitable representation and investment, especially for deprived and coastal areas.
Effectiveness & Services
- Questioning whether “bigger is better” or more efficient.
- Fear that homelessness, essential services, and nature protection may suffer.
- Scrutiny and transparency likely to decrease with less local control.
- Concerns over access to truly affordable housing with providers like Southern Housing, who are already failing to provide adequate service to existing tenants.
Democratic Reform & Alternatives
- Strong support for single transferable vote and more participatory governance.
- Proposal for a permanent citizens’ assembly with real power, budget, and recall mechanisms.
- Calls for public oversight of budgeting and procurement.
Resistance & Distrust
- Skepticism about the consultation process – seen as too short or disingenuous.
- Discussion of resistance strategies, e.g., withholding council tax.
- Perception that devolution proposals are top-down and designed to disempower citizens.
- Fear that it’s a move to benefit big business and the wealthy, not local communities.
Vision for the Future
- Desire for green growth industries, especially in Hastings.
- Emphasis on climate resilience, retrofitting, and energy ownership.
- Urging joined-up efforts across civil society, business, and authorities.
- Rejecting economic growth as the sole driver – need focus on social and environmental wellbeing.
- A sustainable long-term plan to tackle the housing crisis, giving space to local housing groups to realize resilient models e.g. housing co-operatives and developing brownfield sites with actual social rents.
- Developing and growing initiatives around food sovereignty as a means to tackle to cost of living crisis and food insecurity
Thanks again to all who attended, spoke, cooked, sewed, helped pack up (and down again) and generally made this a really positive event! Visit hastingsassembles.org to find out what’s next!