Sussex And The City

The Sussex And The City Podcast Episode #69

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Jane Davidson – former Welsh Government minister, author and sustainability leader

What if the decisions we make about Sussex today had to take account of people who won't be born for another fifty years?

As the Sussex and Brighton Strategic Authority prepares to agree its draft prosperity strategy, it's a particularly timely question. The decisions being made now about housing, transport, infrastructure, investment and economic development could shape the region for generations.

The Sussex And The City Podcast Episode #68

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Chris Todd – campaigner, activist and founder of Transport Action Network

Sussex is changing the way it governs itself. But will that change the decisions we make about where we build homes, how we travel and what prosperity actually means?

Or are we about to repeat decades of planning mistakes, only on a much bigger scale?

Our guest this week is Chris Todd, an environmental and transport ca...

The Sussex And The City Podcast Episode #67

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: John V. Willshire – strategic designer, writer and founder of Smithery

Sussex is a thing.

Obviously. But what sort of thing? And who gets to decide?

My guest this week is John V. Willshire, a strategic designer, writer and founder of Smithery, a consultancy that has spent 15 years helping organisations think differently about change.

John's guiding principle is to help people make th...

The Sussex And The City Podcast

Episode # 66

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Demi Heath – Founder of Hearth Sustainability, B Corp consultant and Co-Chair of Brighton B Local

What if the thing that makes Sussex economically distinctive isn't simply what our businesses produce, but how they choose to operate?

We spend a great deal of time talking about growth. How to attract investment, create jobs, increase productivity, support entrepreneurs and make Sussex more competitive. These are central questions for the emerging Sussex and Brighton Strategic Autho...

The Sussex And The City Podcast

Episode #65

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Ian Jolley – entrepreneur, investor and owner of Agricom

What does Sussex look like to somebody who doesn't already live here, work here or know how the local economy operates?

We spend an enormous amount of time talking about how Sussex should present itself to the outside world. We want to attract investment, develop a stronger economic identity, champion our businesses and persuade people that this is somewhere they should come to build...

The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode #64

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Donna Cezair – Chief Executive, Worthing Homes

Sussex has a housing crisis. That is easy to agree on.

Thousands of households are waiting for social housing, living in temporary accommodation or trying to survive in a private housing market that has become unaffordable to people on perfectly ordinary incomes. At the same time, Sussex is under pressure to build substantially more homes while protecting some of the most valuable landscapes in the country.

T...

The Sussex And The City Podcast

Episode 63

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Rob Alcroft – co-founder of Wayforward

This is a conversation we recorded more than a year ago. Oddly, it feels more relevant now than it did then.

Back in July 2025, Sussex devolution was still largely something we talked about in the future tense. One of the questions Rob Alcroft and I wrestled with was whether a new strategic authority – and eventually a mayor – would see nature as something sitting off to the side of the gr...

The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode #62

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Hannah Lazell – political and public affairs consultant and former Local Government Association adviser

For someone growing up in Havant in Hampshire, as Hannah Lazell did, Portsmouth (Hampshire) and Chichester (West Sussex) were simply two nearby places you went to. Jobs cross the border. Businesses cross it. The defence and aerospace economy around Portsmouth spills into West Sussex. The South Downs crosses it. And anyone who has attempted the A27 through Chichester and Arundel knows that tr...

The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode #61

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: John Milne MP – Liberal Democrat MP for Horsham

This conversation was recorded when the argument about local government reorganisation in Sussex was mostly about what shape the new councils would take.

Since then, the argument has changed.

The Government has paused the process and put proposals back under review, including plans affecting East Sussex, Brighton & Hove and West Sussex. That makes this conversation with John Milne, Liberal Democrat MP for Horsham, unexpectedly timely...

The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode #58

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Dr Catja de Haas – architect, urbanist and co-founder of Chichester Laboratory

Sussex is being encouraged to think bigger. One strategic authority. Sussex-wide approaches to growth, housing, transport and prosperity. Decisions that previously sat within individual councils will increasingly need to make sense across a region stretching from Chichester to Hastings.

But where does that leave the small, local and experimental?

Dr Catja de Haas thinks Chichester might provide part of...

The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode #59

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Adam Muirhead – Director of Youth Work Services, Trust for Developing Communities

Sussex devolution is a 'once-in-a-generation opportunity'. But for which generation?

If the decisions being made now will shape housing, transport, skills, jobs and public services for decades, the people who will live with them longest need more than an occasional invitation to tell adults what they think.

Perhaps we need to stop talking quite so much...

The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode #58

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Laura Charge – Immigration Consultant and former Home Office immigration specialist

For all the heat around immigration, the national debate has become remarkably narrow. Small boats, asylum hotels and border control dominate the conversation. But look at immigration from Sussex rather than Westminster and there is a different picture.

International workers are staffing care services, hospitals, hotels and restaurants. Farms and horticultural businesses rely on overseas labour. Schools recruit internationally. Technology and gaming companies compete...

The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode #57

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Tim Rose – UK General Manager, Elekta

Does Sussex really understand the scale of the businesses, technologies and expertise already operating here?

Sussex is often described as a small business economy; a place of SMEs, freelancers, independents and microbusinesses. That is certainly part of the story. But it can obscure another Sussex economy; one built around advanced manufacturing, engineering, medical technology and businesses operating on a genuinely global scale.

In this episode, Richard...

The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode #56

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Chris Hare – historian, writer, community educator

This episode goes back to where Sussex And The City effectively began.

Well over a year before this episode was released, Worthing historian Chris Hare distributed an open letter to thousands of local households questioning the rapidly emerging plans for Sussex devolution and local government reorganisation. One of those letters landed on Richard Freeman's doormat, and helped prompt the conversations that eventually became this podcast.

Much...

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– Episode #55

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Charlotte (@thatisnewstome) – Political content creator

Can TikTok explain local government reorganisation better than official comms teams?

As England undergoes its biggest programme of local g...

The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode #54

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Ross Mudie – Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods (ICON)

In this episode, Richard Freeman speaks with Ross Mudie from the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods (ICON) about some of the biggest questions facing Sussex as local government is reorganised and a new mayoral authority begins to take shape.

ICON, chaired by former Cabinet Minister Baroness Hilary Armstrong, is examining why some neighbourhoods continue to experience poor health, low opportunity and entrenched disadvantage despite decades of regeneration programmes and public...

The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode #53

Host: Richard Freeman Guests: Irene, Graham, Alan and Alexandra - Members of Hop 50+ at Impact Initiatives

In this special community edition of Sussex And The City, Richard Freeman visits the Cornerstone Community Centre in Hove to hear directly from members of the Hop 50+ programme run by Impact Initiatives about the future of Sussex.

Rather than debating constitutional reform, the conversation focuses on bu...

The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode #52

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Adam Stafford – Founder & CEO, Fresh Egg

Artificial intelligence might be reshaping the Sussex labour market faster than education, government and business can adapt. Is this a priority for devolution?

In this episode, Richard Freeman speaks with Adam Stafford, founder and CEO of Worthing-based digital agency Fresh Egg, about the future of work, entrepreneurship and what Sussex needs to do if it wants to remain competitive in a rapidly changing economy.

Having built F...

The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode #51

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Andrew Griffith MP – Member of Parliament for Arundel and South Downs; Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade

Can one model of devolution work for every part of England?

In this episode, Richard Freeman speaks with Andrew Griffith MP about what devolution could mean for Sussex, and why he believes Whitehall often underestimates the diversity of places it is trying to reform.

Drawing on experience in both business and government, Andrew reflects on repr...

The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode #50

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Polly Mackenzie – public policy thinker, former senior government adviser

Can devolution do more than simply move power around? Could it fundamentally change how Britain solves problems?

In this episode, Richard Freeman speaks with one of Britain's leading public policy thinkers, Polly Mackenzie, about why many of today's biggest challenges cannot be solved by traditional government structures alone.

Drawing on experience inside Whitehall, think tanks, universities and social innovation, Polly argues that Britain's institu...

The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode #49

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Joe Herd

What does Sussex devolution look like through the eyes of someone who will live with its consequences for the next 50 years?

Most Sussex And The City episodes feature politicians, academics, business leaders or public sector decision-makers. This conversation takes a different approach.

Recorded on Worthing seafront, Richard Freeman is joined by 20-year-old Brighton resident Joe Herd for an open discussion about devolution, democracy, trust and political participation.

The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode #48

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Professor Sasha Roseneil – Vice-Chancellor, University of Sussex

🔍 Episode summary

What role should universities play in the future of Sussex?

As devolution reshapes local decision-making and the higher education sector faces mounting financial pressures, universities are being forced to think differently about their purpose, their partnerships and their place within local economies.

In this episode, Richard Freeman speaks with Professor Sasha Roseneil, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sussex, about the fut...

The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode #47

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Mark Beaumont – Founder of Lanoguard, community entrepreneur and Newhaven advocate

🔍 Episode summary

When people talk about Sussex's economic future, they often focus on Brighton, Gatwick, Crawley or the region's larger towns and cities. But what if one of Sussex's most strategically important places has been hiding in plain sight?

In this episode, Richard Freeman speaks with entrepreneur, manufacturer and community leader Mark Beaumont about Newhaven's future and why he believes the town could b...

The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode #46

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Will Callaghan – Tech Resort / local government digital consultant

🔍 Episode summary

Richard Freeman speaks with Will Callaghan, a public sector digital specialist and volunteer leader at Eastbourne-based Tech Resort, about digital exclusion, local government reform and why being offline now means being locked out of work, benefits, healthcare, education and everyday services.

Will explains how Tech Resort supports people who cannot afford devices, data or basic digital confidence, and why demand...

The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode #45

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Vanessa Rowlands – Chair, South Downs National Park Authority; Chair, National Parks England

🔍 Episode summary

The South Downs National Park is one of Sussex's core systems for water, climate resilience, biodiversity, tourism, farming, health and long-term prosperity.

Richard Freeman speaks with Vanessa Rowlands, Chair of the South Downs National Park Authority and Chair of National Parks England, about where protected landscapes fit into devolution. As Sussex prepares for new regional governance, the conversation asks wh...

The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Bonus episode

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Andy Burnham – Mayor of Greater Manchester

🔍 Episode summary

This special bonus episode goes back into the archive, sharing Richard Freeman's January 2022 interview with Andy Burnham, originally recorded for The Possibility Club.

At the time, Burnham was already one of the most prominent voices in English devolution. Today, his arguments about Westminster centralisation, regional power, transport, homelessness, young people, skills and public trust feel directly relevant to Sussex as it begins its own dev...

The Sussex And The City podcast

– Episode #43

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Gavin Stewart – Chief Executive, Brilliant Brighton BID / Executive Director, Brighton Economic Growth Board

🔍 Episode summary

Brighton and Hove has always had a complicated relationship with its own story. To some, it is one of the UK's most creative, entrepreneurial and culturally alive cities. To others, it is a place under pressure from rising rents, empty shops, homelessness, graffiti, changing consumer habits and a fragile public realm.

In this episode, Richard Freeman speaks with Ga...

The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode #42

"The Antidote To Division Is Community"

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Kevin Richmond – former CEO, Sussex Community Foundation

🔍 Episode summary

Sussex is full of wealth, talent, creativity and civic energy. It is also home to deep inequality, entrenched coastal deprivation, loneliness, mental health pressures and communities facing rising need.

In this episode, Richard Freeman speaks with Kevin Richmond, founding CEO of Sussex Community Foundation, about what he has learned from nearly 20 years connecting local philanthropy with grassroots organisations across the county.

...

The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode #41

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Louise Blackwell – producer, cultural strategist and founder of Creative Crawley

🔍 Episode summary

Culture is often treated as the product of a vibrant place, and a thriving economy. A mural here, a festival there, something colourful once the serious work of housing, transport and economic growth has been done.

This episode makes a very different argument.

Richard Freeman speaks with Louise Blackwell, one of the most influential cultural producers working in Suss...

The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode #40

Most Of Sussex Is Countryside. But Who Speaks Up For It?

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Paul Steedman – CPRE Sussex

🔍 Episode summary

Chats about Sussex often jump straight to the coast, the cities, Gatwick, growth sectors or investment opportunities. But most of the county is not urban and not coastal. It is farmland, woodland, river systems, villages, protected landscapes and the spaces in between.

In this episode, Richard speaks with Paul Steedman from the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) - Sussex...

The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode #40

Why The Sussex Plan Doesn't Yet Add Up

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Peter Lamb MP – Member of Parliament for Crawley

🔍 Episode summary

Local government in Sussex is on the brink of its biggest structural change in decades. Councils may be merged, boundaries redrawn, and a new mayoral authority introduced - but what does that actually mean in practice?

In this episode, Richard Freeman speaks with Peter Lamb, MP for Crawley and former leader of Crawley Borough Council, about the realities behind...

The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode #38

Universities, Knowledge And The Future Of Sussex Prosperity (Part One)

Host: Richard Freeman

Guest: Joanna Havers - Associate Director for Knowledge Exchange, University of Brighton

🔍 Episode summary

Universities are often discussed in terms of teaching and research. But there is a third role that is becoming increasingly important: knowledge exchange.

In this episode, Richard Freeman speaks with Jo Havers, Associate Director for Knowledge Exchange at the University of Brighton, about the role universities play in shaping the Sussex econo...

The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode #37

Can Dolphins Be A Symbol Of A Prosperous Future Sussex?

Host: Richard Freeman

Guest: Lloyd Gofton – Director, Sussex Dolphin Project

🔍 Episode summary

Richard is joined by Lloyd Gofton, ocean communications specialist, conservation leader and Director of the Sussex Dolphin Project.

Together they explore how dolphins have become more than a remarkable coastal sighting, but instead emerging instead as a symbol of a future Sussex that is environmentally ambitious, science-led and ready to place its natural assets at the heart o...

The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode #36

From Vineyards To Data Labs - Don't Underestimate Sussex' Rural Economy

Host: Richard Freeman

Guest: Jeremy Kerswell – Principal & Chief Executive, Plumpton College

🔍 Episode summary

Richard is joined by Jeremy Kerswell, Principal and Chief Executive of Plumpton College, one of the UK's last remaining independent specialist land-based colleges, set across 800 hectares at the foot of the South Downs.

Plumpton is not an ordinary college campus. It is a commercial farm producing millions of litres of milk, a vineyar...

The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode #35

Growing A Global Business In Sussex Could Be So Much Easier

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Matt Barker – Founder & CEO, MPB

Richard is joined by Matt Barker, founder and chief executive of MPB, one of Sussex's biggest global business success stories - built from modest roots in Brighton and now operating at serious international scale.

What began as an eBay side project while Matt was a student has grown into the world's largest platform for buying, selling and trading professional photography and video equipme...

The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode #34

Devolution Is Only As Local As It Feels

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Cllr Julia Hilton – Deputy Leader, Hastings Borough Council

Richard is joined by Cllr Julia Hilton, Deputy Leader of Hastings Borough Council and one of Sussex's most outspoken voices on local government reorganisation and devolution.

Julia brings a fiercely place-based perspective, shaped by her background as a landscape architect, artist and community organiser. The conversation is unapologetically Hastings-first; not as a brand or 'policy problem', but as a lived place with strong...

The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode 33:

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Rt Hon Peter Kyle MP – Secretary of State for Business and Trade; MP for Hove & Portslade

This episode opens a new year and a new series of Sussex And The City, recorded at a moment of political shift but strategic acceleration.

Richard Freeman sits down with Peter Kyle MP – one of the most influential figures in the current government and a long-standing Sussex representative – to explore what devolution...

The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode 32:

EMERGENCY PODCAST!

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Martin Webb, independent candidate for Mayor of Sussex & Brighton

The government is set to delay the first elections for newly created regional mayors in four areas - Greater Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk, Hampshire and the Solent, and Sussex and Brighton. The BBC reports that ballots originally scheduled for May 2026 will now be held in 2028, with a formal announcement expected shortly.

🔗 Read the BBC report

These mayoralties are the political centrepiece of the gover...

The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode 31:

Why I Want To Be Mayor (Part Five)

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Martin Webb, independent candidate for Mayor of Sussex & Brighton

In this wide-ranging conversation, Richard sits down with Martin Webb — a man whose CV could easily be many separate careers.

Martin was a defining figure in Brighton's 90s and 00s nightlife, running clubs, bars and restaurants across the city. He has also ran his own local media empire, been a business mentor on Channel 4, a columnist for The Telegraph, a small busines...

The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode 30:

Opportunity In Sussex Starts With Being Seen

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Donna O'Toole — founder of August Recognition; co-founder of Rewards App

In this week's episode, Richard meets Donna O'Toole - multi-award-winning entrepreneur, awards strategist and lifelong Sussex resident - whose journey from Arundel Castle to global business owner is as remarkable as it is rooted in place.

Donna grew up in the grounds of Arundel Castle, where her family worked as part of the staff, before entering care at aged 15 and being given a...