Honest spending
Your money and council tax
We will show where local money goes, challenge waste, and be honest about what councils can and cannot afford.
Policy focus
What we stand for, at a glance
These are the core issues in plain terms: where the pressure is, what needs fixing, and what matters most for Sussex communities.
Everyday standards
Refuse, recycling and street cleanliness
We will push for reliable basics, clearer standards, and faster action when services slip.
Safer communities
Crime and anti-social behaviour
We will back practical local action, better reporting, and stronger pressure on the agencies responsible.
Growth with limits
Planning and development
We will challenge bad development, demand infrastructure first, and say plainly when powers sit elsewhere.
Local economy
High streets and local traders
We will support town centres and independents with practical local measures, not empty grandstanding.
Open decision-making
Parish democracy and representation
We will push for clearer decisions, proper scrutiny, and residents being heard before deals are stitched up.
Real green action
Countryside, wildlife and green spaces
We will vehemently protect Sussex countryside and habitats with practical policy, not party-machine slogans or box-ticking.
Shared places
Culture, heritage and community spaces
We will defend local heritage, children's centres, and community venues that keep Sussex towns and villages together.
Policy Hub · Straight Answers
What we can change, what we can’t, and what we will actually do
This page levels with you. Some issues are controlled locally, others are tied to national rules, regulators, or long contracts. For each topic, we set out the honest truth first, then the realistic action Sussex First will take.
Is Council Tax too high?
The honest truth
Yes, absolutely. But can anyone cut it overnight? No — and anyone promising that is lying to you. Councils across the UK face massive historical debt, soaring statutory social care costs, and inflation.
What we will realistically do
Audit every penny of council spending ruthlessly. Halt costly vanity projects, strip out administrative red tape and top-heavy management costs, and fight relentlessly to keep annual tax rises down to the absolute minimum.
Could the Council move back to weekly general waste collections?
The honest truth
No — and anyone promising to return to weekly general rubbish pickups alongside mandatory weekly food waste collections isn’t telling the truth. The budget simply does not exist without imposing massive, punishing Council Tax hikes that residents cannot afford.
What we will realistically do
Guarantee weekly food waste bins are collected reliably, optimise collection routes to eliminate missed bins, maintain zero-friction access at local household recycling centres, and stop sneaky price spikes on annual garden waste subscriptions.
Can local councillors stop crime and put 100 more police on the beat?
The honest truth
No — anyone promising that from a council seat is lying to you. Local councils do not recruit or deploy police officers; that power sits with the Police & Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable.
What we will realistically do
Fund parish and community wardens directly, deploy targeted CCTV at anti-social behaviour hotspots (high streets, parks, village halls), enforce Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs), hold problematic licensed premises to account, and protect youth spaces and sports facilities.
Can councillors simply ‘veto’ every bad housing development?
The honest truth
No. National planning rules (NPPF) mean most planning decisions are delegated to non-elected officers behind closed doors, while developers appeal to the Planning Inspectorate in Bristol if councils vote No without ironclad legal grounds, hitting taxpayers with massive legal bills.
What we will realistically do
Use every legal tool available: call officers to account in open public committee meetings so decisions are not made behind closed doors, enforce legally binding Grampian infrastructure conditions so not a single spade hits dirt until roads and drainage exist, and give real teeth to parish Neighbourhood Plans.
Can local councils really protect Sussex’s countryside, green spaces and wildlife?
The honest truth
Not on their own, and not by magic. Local councils cannot simply overrule national planning policy or guarantee every field, South Downs view, habitat, and public green space is safe forever while Whitehall keeps pushing top-down housing targets and planning rules. Anyone claiming one councillor can single-handedly stop all of that is not telling you the truth. Sussex’s countryside, public spaces, and rare and protected wildlife are under real pressure right now.
What we will realistically do
Fight harmful schemes at every planning stage, demand rigorous ecological surveys and real enforcement instead of box-ticking reports, strengthen neighbourhood plans, and insist on hard infrastructure and environmental conditions before approval. We will use every lawful planning objection available, publicly back resident campaigns, and stand with peaceful, visible public opposition where local representatives can lawfully do so.
Why are our town centres and high streets struggling?
The honest truth
Because local councils treat independent small businesses as cash cows while giving preference to out-of-town retail parks and corporate developers.
What we will realistically do
Use district and county levers directly: introduce free short-stay parking schemes to bring shoppers back, apply discretionary local business rate relief schemes for independent high street traders, redirect council procurement to local Sussex suppliers, and halt out-of-town retail expansion that guts village centres.
Do parish and town councils actually have a voice?
The honest truth
Right now? Barely. District and County councils regularly ride roughshod over parish objections, treating local community consultation as a box-ticking exercise.
What we will realistically do
Restore real weight to parish councils. Ensure parish council objections and local Neighbourhood Plans carry genuine voting authority in district planning committees, forcing top-tier representatives to stand up for their communities.
Can councils protect local heritage, culture and community spaces like children’s centres?
The honest truth
Too often councils talk about community, then wave through developments that strip out the very places families rely on. Once a community centre, children’s facility, or local cultural asset is removed or watered down, getting it back is brutally hard. Meanwhile, existing services are already oversubscribed, and long waiting lists only get worse.
What we will realistically do
Force community infrastructure to stay in major schemes, challenge applications that hollow out local provision, and push for binding Section 106 and CIL commitments that cannot be quietly diluted later. We will demand replacement facilities are delivered before homes are occupied, scrutinise officer recommendations in public meetings, and mobilise residents early so decisions cannot be slipped through unnoticed.
Why are our roads always broken and full of potholes?
The honest truth
Because county highways rely on cheap, short-term ‘squirt-and-run’ pothole patches that wash away in the first winter rain, leading to endless repeat spending.
What we will realistically do
Mandate full-depth road resurfacing contracts with strict, long-term contractor warranties. Do the job properly once rather than patching the same hole ten times.
Why is rural fly-tipping getting worse across our countryside?
The honest truth
Because bureaucratic recycling centre booking systems and DIY waste restrictions make legal disposal frustrating, while enforcement takes months.
What we will realistically do
Scrap restrictive tip booking rules, deploy covert mobile CCTV cameras at rural dumping hotspots, and issue maximum Fixed Penalty Notices, using fine revenue directly to fund rapid cleanup crews.
Can local councils hire more NHS doctors or build hospitals?
The honest truth
No. Local councils have zero statutory control over NHS medical recruitment or GP contracts.
What we will realistically do
Use planning powers (Section 106 and CIL levies) to force developers to pre-fund and construct physical GP surgery space before new housing estates are occupied, and use Health Scrutiny Committees to hold health boards publicly accountable whenever village services are threatened.