“We wunt be druv”

In this day and age of trans-boundary partnerships, there’s something rather arbitrary about a focus
on the twin counties of East and West Sussex, since they and their subsidiary partners are working
together and beyond to secure growth for the future

They won’t be pushed around in Sussex; so says the unofficial county motto, expressed in the local dialect – “we wunt be druv” – although it’s an attitude that didn’t really do Harold much good in the end.

Sussex, of course, sits heavily in English history. It was in this county, after all, where the last K ing of Saxon England finally got the Duke of Normandy’s point about why he ought to be the monarch of this green and pleasant land. And so William the Bastard became William the Conqueror and thus began the long, turbulent emergence of modern Britain.

Understandably, 1066 and all that is an important part of the county’s heritage and consequently the tourism industry. Hastings resides at the heart of it all, of course, for giving its name to the historic battle that took place at nearby Senlac Hill, but the wider county was heavily touched by the Norman
influence.

The victorious Duke-come-King created Battle Abbey at the site of his rival’s defeat, and many a fortification, castle and site of religious grandiosity was constructed in Sussex, although the Norman influences predate the era of Conquest. There was a time when Anglo-Saxon/Norman relationships were conducted on much friendlier terms, but one way or another, the Norman influence has left a strong architectural legacy in Sussex.

Traditionally the county has been split in two since the 12th Century, but it was in 1888 when the divide gained its modern administrative form with the creation of the two county councils, although it remained as a singular entity as a ceremonial county until 1974. In terms of political administration, the two flanks of Sussex are split into an array of district and borough councils, while the city of Brighton & Hove exists as a separate unitary authority. A rich history is all very well – certainly for the tourism industry and the boost that gives the local economy – but no town, city or county can live on its past alone.

Both as individual authorities, and as a varying tapestry of partnerships, the councils and agencies tasked with stewarding East and West Sussex’s growth and development – spatially, environmentally, economically and socially – are busy mapping out their respective paths to help consolidate and develop the future for its diverse urban and rural communities.

For instance, SELEP – the South East Local Enterprise Partnership – is looking to put £32 million of Government funding to good use to “unlock” development and growth opportunities within its territory. This strategic partnership is said to be the first of its kind outside of London
and it takes in not just local authorities and partners in East Sussex but also Essex and Kent.

“This funding will enable SELEP to breathe new life into schemes that will provide a significant boost to both the local and the national economies,” said the partnership’s chairman John Spence. “We will be able to fund innovative ways of removing the barriers that have prevented the progress of some
key projects across the SELEP area. This will help us continue to support and develop our urban, rural and coastal communities. Our idea is a key driver of economic growth for the whole country and we are committed to creating the most enterprising economy in England. This funding helps to create a solid foundation to achieve this.”

Lewes D istrict Council (LDC) is one of the East Sussex authorities involved in SELEP. The partnership came into effect in April 2011 and takes in some 156,000 businesses and covers an area with a population of around 3.9 million people. More recently the district has become a member of the Coast to Capital Local Economic Partnership (CCLEP). “We are delighted to be a part of the SELEP as their size alone has set them as a ‘test bed’ for a number of exciting initiatives filtering down from central Government. We have also received excellent news that we are now confirmed as a partner on the Coast to Capital LEP,” said Councillor Tony Nicholson, leader of the district council. “The Coast to Capital board agreed unanimously the district’s proposal for inclusion. This proposal has the support of the businesses within the Lewes district, for which connections, in terms of workforce and business networking in particular, are strongest within the Coast to Capital area.

“The proposal is that Lewes becomes an area of ‘overlap’ between SELE P, of which the district currently forms a part, and Coast to Capital. Many of our businesses look west to Brighton & Hove, or north up the A23/M23 and the railway to Mid-Sussex, Gatwick and London. We want to work with Coast to Capital partners to exploit these links, for the benefit of local firms in Lewes district and, as a consequence, create wider benefit to our entire community.”

The Chairman of the Coast to Capital board, John Peel, said: “Inclusion of Lewes district in the Coast to Capital LEP will strengthen business relationships and enhance opportunities for delivery of our twin focus on enterprise and international trade. Inclusion will provide a skilled workforce, land and space for businesses to grow, and complimentary facilities at Newhaven Port to the existing hubs at Gatwick Airport and Shoreham.”

Just as county and trans-county entities are striving towards the area’s collective futures, so too are the two counties’ district and borough councils putting together their own more locally-focused roadmaps towards tomorrow.

Rother district, for example, is currently debating its future course, pondering the question of what the district will look like in a decade’s time. It’s a pertinent question, not just for this locality, but each and every locality nationwide. At a recent meeting of its key partners, delegates mulled over key questions relating to regeneration, deprivation, education and skills, and maintaining a “clean and safe” environment for its communities. It’s all part of the process of putting together its next strategic plan and it plans to consult with the public shortly.

“[We] need to recognise that times have changed both in terms of finance available but perhaps more importantly that the needs of our communities are changing and we need to reflect these key differences in our plans as we move forward,” said Derek Stevens, Rother District Council’s chief executive.

“We are aware that that main challenges the district faces are around jobs, skills, employment and training, particularly for young people. We know that we have a further challenge in providing for an ageing population where traditional social, community and family bonds are changing and health and care issues increasing. We know too that some of our most precious assets in the countryside and on the coast are under threat from a variety of external pressures.”

Eastbourne Borough Council provides another example of forward planning, as it pursues its path towards becoming – in its own self-confessed aspiration – the “premier coastal and seaside destination within an enhanced green setting” by 2027. The Core Strategy is currently under public consultation prior to being submitted for central Government approval in early 2012. I t seeks to lay down the ‘blueprint’ for the resort town’s growth and development, taking in housing, education, employment, and the effects of climate change.

“We are determined to ensure that Eastbourne retains its reputation as a premier seaside destination and a healthy and thriving place to live and work and this plan is crucial to that process,” said Councillor David Tutt, leader of the council. “The plan has been shaped over the last five years by a huge amount of public consultation and as a result, what we have arrived at is a robust and
deliverable strategy that will allow the town to evolve and grow while never losing its heritage, outstanding environmental quality or tourism appeal.”

The old Duke might have conquered England down there in Sussex and shaped the country for centuries afterwards, but today, the stalwart burghers and citizens of the county, borough and districts are no less determined to conquer their own futures – even if only for a more modest measure of decades.