Council                                                           Agenda Item 71a

 

Subject:                    Devolution Update

 

Date of meeting:    30 January 2025

 

Report of:                 Director of Governance and Law

 

Contact Officer:      Name: Anthony Soyinka

                                    Email: anthony.soyinka@brighton-hove.gov.uk

                                   

Ward(s) affected:   All

 

For general release

 

1.            Purpose of the report and policy context

 

1.1       At its Special Meeting on 9th January 2025 Cabinet considered a report regarding the English Devolution White Paper. Cabinet resolved to submit a joint expression of interest to Government with East Sussex and West Sussex County Councils to join the Government’s Devolution Priority Programme.

 

1.2       This cover report attaches the 9th January Special Cabinet report, the Minutes of that meeting and the joint letter from East Sussex, West Sussex and Brighton & Hove City Council dated 10th  January 2025 for information for full Council.

 

2.            Recommendations

 

That full Council

 

2.1         Notes the report, recommendations and Minutes Extract of the Special Cabinet meeting held on 9 January 2025.

 

3.            Policy context and Implications

 

3.1       As set out in the attached report at Appendix 1.

 

Appendices

 

1.            Appendix 1: Extract from the Minutes of Cabinet 9th January 2025

2.            Appendix 2: Cabinet report 9th January 2025 English Devolution White Paper

3.            Appendix 3: Joint letter to Government dated 10th January 2025 from Leaders of East and West Sussex County Councils and Brighton & Hove City Council.

 

 

Brighton & Hove City Council

 

Cabinet

 

11.30am 9 January 2025

 

Council Chamber, Hove Town Hall

 

MINUTES

 

Present: Councillor Sankey (Chair) Taylor (Deputy Chair), Burden, Daniel, Miller, Muten, Pumm, Robins, Rowkins and Williams

 

Other Members present: Councillor Alexander  

 

 

PART ONE<AI1>

 

 

123        Devolution White Paper Update

 

123.1   Cabinet considered a report that requested approval to confirm to Government an expression of interest to take part in the Devolution Priority Programme, alongside East Sussex County Council and West Sussex County Council, seeking a Mayoral Combined Authority on a Sussex footprint and local government reorganisation for Sussex in line with the criteria set out in the Government White Paper.

 

123.2   Councillors Taylor, Williams, Burden, Pumm, Muten, Robins, Rowkins, Sankey, Miller, Daniel and Alexander asked questions and contributed to the debate of the report.

 

123.3   Resolved-

 

1)         Cabinet agrees to submit to Government their request to take part in the Devolution Priority Programme, by the 10 January 2025, alongside East Sussex County Council and West Sussex County Council, seeking a Mayoral Combined Authority on a Sussex footprint and local government reorganisation for Sussex in line with the criteria set out in the Government White Paper.

 

2)         Cabinet notes that further reports will come to Cabinet and Scrutiny through the period of the Priority Programme to ensure full engagement and consideration of options and impacts on the form of the Mayoral Combined Authority and Local Government Reform.

 

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The meeting concluded at 1.40pm