GREATER BRIGHTON
ECONOMIC BOARD
WORTHING TOWN HALL - 22.10.25
MINUTES
Attendees:
Cllr Bella Sankey (Chair), Cllr Martin Lury, Cllr Jeremy Gardner,
Cllr Sophie Cox,
Cllr Robert Eggleston, Jess Gibbons, Andrew Swayne, Karl Roberts,
Paul Brewer, Kathryn Hall, Dan Power, Peter Sharp, Lewis Church,
Stan Lucas, Steve Skelton, Dean Orgill Annie Roebuck, Tom Cottam,
Natasha Bridge, Andy Hill, Francis Mitchell,
1 – Procedural Business
A) There were no declarations of substitution.
B) There were no declarations of interest
C) There were no exclusions of press or public.
2 – Minutes of the Previous Meeting
2.1 The minutes of the previous meeting were agreed as correct record.
3 – Chair’s Communications
3.1 The chair stated the following:
Good morning, everyone,
I’d like to begin today’s meeting by addressing two important developments that impact our region’s economic landscape.
Devolution
In December, the government released the much-anticipated English Devolution White Paper, which outlines the framework for transferring greater powers and resources to regional authorities with a clear ambition for devolution to reach every part of the country to support local growth.
This initiative aims to empower local governments, enhance economic autonomy, and tailor policies more closely to our unique needs.
Following special cabinet meetings in East and West Sussex and Brighton & Hove on 9th January, all three councils agreed to submit an expression of interest to the Government to form a Mayoral Strategic Authority for Sussex and to join the Devolution Priority Programme which would put us on an accelerated timeframe. A decision from Government is expected in the coming weeks.
This Board was born from a City Deal in 2014, which was a form of devolution. As this new chapter in the devolution journey evolves, the Board will keep close to the developments in Sussex and work to support collaboration to drive economic growth in the region.
DBT Tech Team Visit: Outcomes
In November we hosted a successful 2-day visit of colleagues from the Technology Investment Team at the Department of Business & Trade. The team work with overseas investors to attract investment into the UK. This visit was a great opportunity for us to showcase why this region is such a fantastic place for businesses, particularly technology businesses. The visit was received positively and the DBT team were impressed by the presence and participation of senior representatives of the universities, colleges, business support organisations, businesses and local authorities throughout the visit, demonstrating the importance Greater Brighton places on inward investment. Thank you all for your support with it.
They recognized our region’s burgeoning strength in quantum computing, a field where we have demonstrated remarkable progress and potential. Our region can help the UK to capitalize on its research excellence in quantum computing to give rise to a world-class industry sector. To realise this ambition, government funding is needed. I raised this to Peter Kyle, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, and as a result, a ministerial visit has been scheduled for him to see the quantum computing potential of the region first hand. The Board will provide a quote and photo to include on the day, send a letter of support following the visit to demonstrate the importance of the sector to the region and continue our dialogue with DSIT. Following our meeting today please stick around so we can take this photo.
Kathryn Hall presented an overview of Burgess Hill’s Science and Technology Park, emphasizing the significant growth being delivered at Burgess Hill, as well as local facilities, services and its gigabit connectivity. The primary request was assistance from government to enable delivery by increasing capacity at the key A23/A2300 junction. In response, departments across government are working with the Council. It is hoped this approach will enable collaborative support from multiple government departments, to fully realise the region’s growth potential.
Papers for today
NHS Sussex ICB
In July I received a letter from the NHS Sussex ICB formally requesting to join the Board. Last Board meeting we heard from Amy Galea, their Chief Integration & Primary Care Officer about the rationale for them joining the Board. In that meeting we agreed that we were supportive of including them as a Board member. Since then, each Council has formally ratified this membership extension. This topic is coming back to the Board today to officially approve that the NHS Sussex ICB should join the Board.
Sussex Energy
The Board launched the Sussex Energy Mission in July. The Sussex Energy update paper highlights the progress made since the last Board meeting in October. Building a Sussex-wide network of sustainability networks to co-create the Sussex Energy Programme is critical to its success and to build towards this there has been engagement with a wide group of sustainability experts across Sussex, including all Local Authorities. The key development has been the establishment of a Core Network of sustainability experts to steer the programme, which includes representation from each of the Sussex upper tier authorities and the South Downs National Park Authority. Building these relationships has been achieved through a diligent effort within a complex and sensitive environment. The Core Network are developing a proposal for a forum to enable engagement of a wider group of sustainability stakeholders, for knowledge sharing and to shape the Sussex Energy programme.
4 – Unleashing Potential-Creative Industries
4.1Lewis Church introduced the report
for this item and delivered a presentation providing an overview of
the Creative Industries Strategic Industry Plan, stating that
Sussex is a major hub of creativity and industry in the UK.
4.2Lewis Church provided further
overview of the growth of the sector as well as providing a
breakdown of the sectors workforce within Sussex.
4.3Lewis Church stated that the
sector was growing faster than both the local economy and other
hubs for the creative sector across the UK.
4.4Lewis Church outlined the
challenges faced by creative industries and provided three areas of
focus to support the industry (Ensure understanding, ensure
training, and offer support).
4.5Lewis Church outlined how each
area of focus would be delivered locally, and stated that Central
Government would be providing further support.
4.6Andrew Swayne stated that he was
pleased with the report and its compatibility with the forthcoming
Combined Sussex County Authority.
4.7 It was stated the number of
students studying to enter creative sectors in Sussex and explained
that more work could be done to advertise careers and development
in the industry.
4.8 It was stated the importance
of freelance work in creative industries.
4.9 Sophie Cox welcomed the
report and suggested looking into how local education could feed
into creative industries.
4.10
Sophie Cox also
emphasised the importance of transport links in unlocking
opportunities for locals wishing to enter creative
industries.
4.11
Martin Lury commended
the report and suggested that schools could refocus towards the
arts to both assist local creative industries and improve the
mental health of students.
4.12
The Chair questioned
what else could be done to assist people entering the creative
industries in the county.
4.13
Dan Power suggested
that success stories be shared to advertise the achievements,
impact and contribution of the sector.
4.14
The Chair invited
further action on creative comms to advertise the sector.
4.15
The Chair commended
the report and emphasised the importance and impact of the
sector.
4.16 A vote was moved that unanimously agreed the recommendations of the report.
5 – Sussex Energy Update October 2025
5.1Natasha Bridge introduced the
report for this item and delivered a presentation.
5.2Natasha Bridge provided a detailed
overview of the focuses of Sussex Energy, as well as the milestones
achieved and further development goals of the organisation.
5.3Natasha Bridge stated the success
of the first Sussex Energy Forum meeting in July 2025, and shared
details of collaborative organisations that had joined the
forum.
5.4The Chair provided an overview of
the history and foundation of Sussex Energy and emphasised the
importance of local energy independence.
5.5The Chair stated that the
Government was keen to expand local energy infrastructure that
could lead to 4000 new jobs in the sector nationally.
5.6Andrew Swayne stated that he was
pleased to see Sussex Energy taking shape and requested a future
update on the number of jobs created locally by Sussex
Energy.
5.7Andrew Swayne stated the need for
a good local energy settlement for the country from Central
Government.
5.8 It was stated that the
Sussex region was focused on the expansion of the clean energy
sector.
5.9The Chair stated that they were
please to host the Secretary of State for Energy and Net Zero and
obtained a commitment from him to support the local energy
sector.
5.10 A vote was moved that unanimously agreed the recommendations of the report.
6 – Economic Opportunities Study
6.1Andy Hill delivered a verbal
update on this item and invited Kieran and Luke to present the
economic opportunities study.
6.2Kieran stated that the study was
approximately 50% complete and provided an overview of the studies
objectives (to understand, identify, and recommend).
6.3Kieran provided an overview of the
work completed to date, as well as outlined the themes of
devolution and how devolution could benefit project delivery within
the county ahead of the foundation of the Combined Sussex
Authority.
6.4Kieran provided an additional
overview of the counties international industry gateways and stated
their importance in the development of the local economy, citing
examples such as Gatwick Airport, Shoreham Port, Newhaven Port, and
Brighton City Airport).
6.5Luke provided a brief overview of
what devolution could mean for the area as well as a breakdown of
local development opportunities in skills and employment.
6.6The Chair commended the
presentation.
6.7Martin Lury questioned how A-roads in Sussex could be unlocked in the context of the counties growing population and suggested that a radical solution could be required.
6.8Steve Skelton commended the
presentation and stated the need to progress conversations and
build on collaborative strengths across the region.
6.9Steve Skelton provided an overview
of the inclusive growth strategy and stated the huge potential of
the Sussex Combined Authority.
6.10
Kieran stated that
lessons had been learned from other Mayoral Combined Authorities
and emphasised the need for ambition in delivering projects that
could be adopted as policy by a future Sussex Mayor.
6.11
Kieran stated that the
Greater Brighton Area had been waiting for a fully integrated mass
transport plan for decades, further stating the need for a
multi-faceted approach through rail and bus contracts to bring the
county together.
6.12
Luke stated that local
transport was a substantial barrier to local educational, career,
and economic development.
6.13
Karl Roberts
questioned what additional strategic problems could be resolved by
a future Sussex Mayor to unlock further development, using water
infrastructure as an example.
6.14
Jeremy Gardner
suggested broadening the scope of the proposed transport policy to
include more methods of transport.
6.15
Sophie Cox stated that
the ‘how’ was missing from the report and questioned
how, for example, transport could materially be improved in Sussex.
Sophie Cox requested more information on this in future.
6.16
Kieran stated that
Combined Authority Mayors have a unique ability to facilitate
dialogue for development and emphasised the importance of allowing
skills to develop within the county.
6.17
Andrew Swayne
highlighted the demographic differences across the geographies of
Sussex and suggested the identification of risks to development and
delivery of the project to ensure robust business cases, especially
in the context of obtaining funding from Central Government.
6.18 Kieran agreed the importance of a risk register to identify potential issues and obstacles. Kieran thanked members for their questions and comments and highlighted the importance of engaging younger people in project delivery, as well as bolstering and developing the visitor economy in the wider Greater Brighton region.
6.19
The Chair thanked
members for their contributions and commended representatives from
Litchfields.
6.20 The Chair suggested the investigation of regional development opportunities in terms of health, mental health, and substance abuse.
The meeting concluded at 15:42.