Lewes District

Lewes is a local government district in East Sussex in southern England covering an area of 113 sq mi (290 km2), with 9 miles (14.5 km) of coastline.[1] It is named after its administrative centre, Lewes. Other towns in the district include Newhaven, Peacehaven, Seaford and Telscombe. Plumpton racecourse is within the district. There are 28 parishes in the district.

Lewes District
Non-metropolitan district
Lewes shown within East Sussex
Lewes shown within East Sussex
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Constituent countryEngland
RegionSouth East England
Non-metropolitan countyEast Sussex
StatusNon-metropolitan district
Admin HQLewes
Incorporated1 April 1974
Government
 • TypeNon-metropolitan district council
 • BodyLewes District Council
 • LeadershipLeader & Cabinet
Area
 • Total112.74 sq mi (292.00 km2)
 • Rank134th (of 309)
Population
 (2021)
 • Total99,905
 • Rank244th (of 309)
 • Density890/sq mi (340/km2)
 • Ethnicity
97.9% White
Time zoneUTC0 (GMT)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (BST)
ONS code21UF (ONS)
E07000063 (GSS)
OS grid referenceTQ420104
Websitelewes-eastbourne.gov.uk
Lewes District Council
Logo
Type
Type
HousesUnicameral
History
Founded1 April 1974
Leadership
Leader of the Council
James MacCleary,
Liberal Democrats
since 18 July 2022
Deputy Leader of the Council
Zoe Nicholson,
Green Party
since 18 July 2022
Structure
Seats41
Political groups
  Green (17)
  Liberal Democrats (15)
  Labour (9)
Elections
First past the post
Website
lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk

The district was formed on 1 April 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, and was a merger of the former borough of Lewes along with Newhaven and Seaford urban districts and Chailey Rural District.

Politics
See also: Lewes local elections

Elections to the council are held every four years, with all of the 41 seats, representing 21 wards, on the council being filled.

Since July 2019, following the May election, an alliance of councillors from the Green, Liberal Democrat, and Labour parties, plus two Independents, has controlled the council, with Green Councillor Zoe Nicholson and Liberal Democrat Councillor James MacCleary holding the leader and deputy leader roles alternating each year.[2][3]

After being controlled by the Liberal Democrats since 1991, the Conservative party regained a majority at the 2011 election.[4] However, subsequent defections of Conservative councillors to UKIP[5][6] and the Liberal Democrats[7] left the council in no overall control. In the subsequent council election on 7 May 2015, the Conservatives regained control with an increased majority and heavy losses for the Liberal Democrats.[8] The May 2019 elections returned 19 Conservatives, 9 Green Party, 8 Liberal Democrats, 3 Labour Party and 2 Independent councillors. In March 2020, Cllr Sean Macleod resigned from the Green Party,[9] joining the Liberal Democrats in June 2020.[10] A by-election on 12 May 2022 saw Labour gain a seat in Peacehaven West ward from the Conservatives. The 4 May 2023 local elections saw the Conservatives and Independents lose all of their seats on Lewes Council.

The current composition is as follows:

YearConservativeLiberal DemocratGreen PartyIndependent LabourIndependent (Green)
2018 19 11 3 6 0 1
2019 19 8 9 2 3 0
2020 19 9 8 2 3 0
2023 0 15 17 0 9 * 0

Note: * the 9 Labour Party councillors have been elected for the 4 wards adjacent to Brighton - the three Peacehaven wards (2 councillors in each) and East Saltdean & Telscombe Cliffs (3 councillors) - which are part of the Brighton Kemptown constituency. All the other Lewes Council seats lie within the Lewes constituency and have all been won in 2023 by the Greens or Liberal Democrats.

Geography

The district wards, with their populations at the 2021 Census, are:

WardPopulation
(2021 Census)		Number of
Councillors		Population
per Councillor
Chailey, Barcombe and Hamsey5,20422,602
Ditchling and Westmeston2,55412,554
East Saltdean and Telscombe Cliffs7,39432,461
Kingston1,90411,904
Lewes Bridge4,83422,417
Lewes Castle3,96421,982
Lewes Priory7,91632,639
Newhaven North4,87722,439
Newhaven South7,81422,605
Newick2,44612,446
Ouse Valley and Ringmer6,51332,171
Peacehaven East5,37722,689
Peacehaven North5,18622,593
Peacehaven West4,87222,436
Plumpton, Streat, East Chiltington
and St John (Without)		2,22212,222
Seaford Central5,02322,512
Seaford East4,77622,388
Seaford North5,20722,604
Seaford South4,38822,194
Seaford West4,47122,236
Wivelsfield2,96412,964
Total Lewes99,905412,437

The civil parishes within the district are:

ParishTypePopulation
(2021 Census)		Area
(sq km)		Pop Density
per km2
BarcombeParish Council1,49117.8183.7
BeddingtonParish Council27315.7117.4
ChaileyParish Council2,97517.81119.4
DitchlingParish Council2,26515.50146.1
East Chiltington & St John Without ‡Parish Council45813.5833.7
Falmer & St Ann Without ‡Parish Council25017.0214.7
FirleParish Council26713.8719.3
Glynde & Tarring Neville ‡Parish Council1949.7220.0
HamseyParish Council73411.4464.2
IfordParish Meeting1779.7118.2
Kingston near LewesParish Council8165.70143.1
LewesTown Council16,72311.421,464.4
NewhavenTown Council12,6937.181,767.6
NewickParish Council2,4457.80313.4
PeacehavenTown Council15,4425.182,979.4
PiddinghoeParish Council2343.8061.5
PlumptonParish Council1,5999.66165.5
RingmerParish Council4,76525.91183.9
Rodmell & Southease ‡Parish Council42911.2738.1
SeafordTown Council23,86517.311,378.7
South HeightonParish Council1,0158.49119.6
StreatParish Meeting1645.1831.6
TelscombeTown Council7,3924.731,563.5
WestmestonParish Council2908.4834.2
WivelsfieldParish Council2,96010.79274.3
Total Lewes99,905292.10342.0

‡ St John Without, St Ann Without, Tarring Neville and Southease are separate Parish Meetings but have been merged with their neighbouring parishes for the population statistics.

The Sussex Police has its head office in Lewes, Lewes District.[11]

The Prime Meridian passes through the district.

References
  1. "Lewes District Council: News and local information". Lewes District Council. 2009. Archived from the original on 2 July 2009. Retrieved 12 August 2009.
  2. "Co-operative Alliance takes control of Lewes District Council from Conservatives". lewes.greenparty.org.uk/.
  3. "Agenda and minutes; Lewes District Council Full Council - Thursday, 15th July, 2021 6.00 pm". democracy.lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk. 15 July 2021. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  4. "Election 2011 - England council elections - Lewes". BBC News.
  5. "Lewes Cllr Donna Edmunds defects to UKIP". www.bloggers4ukip.org.uk.
  6. "Defection leaves Tories in minority". www.bloggers4ukip.org.uk.
  7. "Former Tory Council leader joins Liberal Democrats in Lewes".
  8. "District Council Elections - 7 May 2015". Archived from the original on 10 May 2015. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  9. "Council's mental health champion resigns from Lewes Green group". Sussex Express.
  10. "CCouncillor Sean MacLeod joins Liberal Democrats". Lewes Lib Dems.
  11. "Non-emergency enquiries." (Archive) Sussex Police. Retrieved 13 February 2011. "Sussex Police Headquarters Church Lane, Lewes East Sussex, BN7 2DZ."

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