Your council
East Sussex: what’s happening where you live
What the council itself has published on the five things it most shapes for a household: homes, getting about, the bill, the local environment and schools. Each line is quoted from the council’s own document, with the link. This page says what was decided or proposed; it never says whether it was right.
East Sussex County Council: County (upper tier), England, South East. GOV.UK lists it as a county council.
Council website · Publication scheme
Do it online
- Road maintenance: Reporting
- Street lighting: Reporting
- Primary school places: Applications for service
- Secondary school places: Applications for service
- Library facilities: Providing information
- Parking permits: Providing information
- Councillors directory: Providing information
- Complaints procedure: Providing information
Housing
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
Transport
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
Council tax
Band D set by East Sussex for 2026–27: £1,960.29.
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
Environment
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
Education
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
Changes to schools recorded by the Department for Education Updated automatically
No school here is currently recorded as proposed to open or close.
In the last twelve months: 5 opened (2 new provision, 1 change in status, 1 fresh start, 1 academy converter), 4 closed (2 fresh start, 1 academy converter, 1 closure)
- Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Hastings (primary) — closed; reason recorded: academy converter, 30 April 2026
- The St Leonards Academy (secondary) — closed; reason recorded: fresh start, 28 February 2026
- The Workplace — closed; reason recorded: fresh start, 31 March 2026
- Virtue Therapeutic School Sussex VTSS — closed; reason recorded: closure, 1 February 2026
- Ashdown Garden School — open; reason recorded: new provision, 13 October 2026
- Bexhill Independent Special School — open; reason recorded: new provision, 3 March 2026
- East Sussex Skills Academy — open; reason recorded: change in status, 1 April 2026
- Mulberry Academy St Leonards (secondary) — open; reason recorded: fresh start, 1 March 2026
- Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School (primary) — open; reason recorded: academy converter, 1 May 2026
What the council plans to spend, 2026–27
| Service | Budget |
|---|---|
| Education services | £381.3 million |
| Highways and transport services | £41.7 million |
| Children's social care | £173.4 million |
| Adult social care | £370.2 million |
| Public health | £37.7 million |
| Housing services (general fund only) | £2.2 million |
| Cultural and related services | £8.4 million |
| Environmental and regulatory services | £46.5 million |
| Planning and development services | £1.7 million |
| Police services | none budgeted |
| Fire and rescue services | none budgeted |
| Central services | £13.4 million |
| Other services | none budgeted |
| Total service expenditure | £1,076.6 million |
Life in East Sussex: the official facts
- People living here
- 561,855 people
- Typical age
- 48 years
- Money to live on, per person, per year
- £28,166
- Typical weekly pay, before tax
- £605
- Children growing up in poverty
- 26.3%
- People claiming unemployment-related benefits
- 3.5%
- Average price of a home
- £315,247
- How many years of pay a home costs
- 8.6 times yearly pay
- Years in good health: women
- 59.9 years
- Years in good health: men
- 59.2 years
- Greenhouse gases, per person
- 3.3 tonnes per person
- Homes and businesses that can get the fastest broadband
- 79.6%
- Public chargers for electric cars
- 101.1 per 100,000 people
- Businesses trading here
- 23,650 businesses
Who runs the council
50 seats in 2026. Run by: Conservatives, as a minority administration.
Councillors by party: Reform UK 22, Liberal Democrats 13, Green Party (E&W) 11, Conservative and Unionist 3, Independent / Other 1.
Next scheduled council election: 2 May 2030.
All 50 councillors, by ward
- William Boone (Reform UK) — Arlington, East Hoathly & Hellingly
- Aidan Fisher (Reform UK) — Ashdown & Conquest
- Jo Walker (Green Party (E&W)) — Baird & Ore
- Kathryn Field (Liberal Democrats) — Battle & Crowhurst
- Martin Kenward (Reform UK) — Bexhill East
- Donald Walmsley (Reform UK) — Bexhill North
- Victoria Carson (Reform UK) — Bexhill South
- Pete Morley (Reform UK) — Bexhill West
- Becca Horn (Green Party (E&W)) — Braybrooke & Castle
- Daniel Lach (Reform UK) — Brede Valley & Marsham
- Amanda Jobson (Green Party (E&W)) — Central St. Leonards & Gensing
- Charlotte Keenan (Green Party (E&W)) — Chailey
- Catherine Fielding (Reform UK) — Crowborough North & Jarvis Brook
- Sarah Jury (Reform UK) — Crowborough South & St. Johns
- Stephen Holt (Liberal Democrats) — Devonshire
- Georgia Taylor (Green Party (E&W)) — Forest Row & Groombridge
- Neil Cleaver (Reform UK) — Hailsham Market
- Paul Soane (Reform UK) — Hailsham New Town
- Colin Swansborough (Liberal Democrats) — Hampden Park
- Andy Woolley (Reform UK) — Heathfield & Mayfield
- Mark Estcourt (Reform UK) — Hollington & Wishing Tree
- Alan Shuttleworth (Liberal Democrats) — Langney
- Wendy Maples (Green Party (E&W)) — Lewes
- Christina Coleman (Green Party (E&W)) — Maresfield & Buxted
- Karen Simnett (Green Party (E&W)) — Maze Hill & West St. Leonards
- Jack Morrell (Liberal Democrats) — Meads
- Lesley Boniface (Liberal Democrats) — Newhaven & Bishopstone
- Paul Redstone (Conservative and Unionist) — Northern Rother
- Julia Hilton (Green Party (E&W)) — Old Hastings & Tressell
- Peter Diplock (Liberal Democrats) — Old Town
- Sarah Osborne (Liberal Democrats) — Ouse Valley West & Downs
- Tracy Pedro (Reform UK) — Peacehaven
- Roger Lincoln (Reform UK) — Pevensey & Stone Cross
- Mickey Caira (Reform UK) — Polegate & Watermill
- Colin Belsey (Conservative and Unionist) — Ratton
- Johnny Denis (Green Party (E&W)) — Ringmer & Lewes Bridge
- Mark Ashdown (Reform UK) — Rother North West
- Daniel Bradley (Reform UK) — Rye & Eastern Rother
- Jane Reeves (Liberal Democrats) — Seaford North
- Carolyn Lambert (Liberal Democrats) — Seaford South
- Roy Peché (Reform UK) — Sovereign
- Hugh Parker (Liberal Democrats) — St. Anthony's
- Shaun Dowling (Green Party (E&W)) — St. Helens & Silverhill
- Stephen Chapman (Reform UK) — Telscombe
- Kelvin Williams (Liberal Democrats) — Uckfield North
- Peter Griffiths (Reform UK) — Uckfield South with Framfield
- Kathy Ballard (Liberal Democrats) — Upperton
- Stephen Potts (Reform UK) — Wealden East
- Michael Lunn (Conservative and Unionist) — Wealden North East
- Stephen Shing (Independent / Other) — Willingdon & South Downs