SRA - Saltdean Boundary Referendum



  • Contents
    · Introduction
    · Why was the Referendum held?
    · A Brief History of the Boundary
    · Saltdean Today
    · A United Saltdean
    · The 2001 Referendum
    o What we did
    o The Count
    o The Results
    o Results Analysis
    · The Boundary
    · Appendix
    o The Voting Card
    The Referendum Leaflet

  • Introduction

Since 1934, the Saltdean Residents’ Association (previously the Saltdean Residents’ and Property Owners’ Association) has striven for Council unity in Saltdean.
This document highlights the history of the boundary, the various opinions expressed over the years and the results of the Association’s Boundary Referendum held in February 2001.

The residents living west of Longridge Avenue (the main Saltdean shopping area) fall under Brighton & Hove City Council. To the east of Longridge Avenue residents fall under three councils, Telscombe Town Council, Lewes District Council and East Sussex County Council.


Local residents, generally accept the boundary line between the two local authority areas, as the middle of Longridge Avenue. However, the boundary line runs along the centre of Longridge Avenue until it approaches the South Coast Road, at approximately ‘The Spanish Lady’ public house where it cuts off to the east. Brighton and Hove City Council area therefore includes the first three houses on the South Coast Road in what is termed as East Saltdean.
This has confused residents and visitors to the area over the years.

  • Why was the Referendum held?

The unification of East and West Saltdean would ensure that the area is represented as a WHOLE, under ONE authority.
A unified approach to the needs and requirements of Saltdean would strengthen our voice in the community. The residents would have more influence on the issues that affect the community such as the beaches, the seafront, public transport, local facilities, amenities and the problems encountered with Longridge Avenue.
The referendum was held to confirm the belief that residents still wanted a United Saltdean.
As the document reveals, the majority of residents who voted from both East and West Saltdean in the year 2001 are in favour of being united under Brighton and Hove City Council.

  • A Brief History of the Boundary

Before 1928 Newhaven Rural District Council administered the whole of Saltdean.
1928 County Borough of Brighton was extended to Longridge Avenue.
East Saltdean remained with Newhaven.
1933 A re-arrangement of District Councils. Chailey Rural District Council took over the rural coastal areas including East Saltdean. West Saltdean remained with Brighton.
1935 Telscombe Parish Council petitioned Brighton Corporation to take steps to incorporate parish within the County Borough.
1939 Chailey RDC in favour of East Saltdean, but not Telscombe Cliffs going into Brighton. Opinion remained same in 1950.
1953 SRA referendum in East Saltdean 74.95% in favour of going into Brighton.
1955 Chailey RDC referendum, 76.30% East Saltdean Residents in favour of going into Brighton. Brighton changed its mind about transferring East Saltdean, until Chailey carried out coastal protection works. Work not carried out until 1964.
1967 Telscombe Parish Council in favour of East Saltdean going into Brighton.
1969 The creation of the Anglican Parish of St. Nicholas, Saltdean independent of Rottingdean, and including East Saltdean.
1972 Local Government re-organisation. Chailey RDC disbanded. Lewes District Council formed. Brighton no longer a County Borough.
1974 Telscombe Town Council formed.
1976 Local Government Commissioners visit area and conclude in their 1979 report: ‘it is…quite clear that Saltdean and Telscombe Cliffs are two distinctly separate residential areas, widely separated by Telscombe Tye……’ Saltdean is to ‘to all intent and purposes one common community with strong local ties despite being at present in two different local government districts,’
1979 Telscombe Council in favour of East & West Saltdean to unite as one parish within the Lewes District Council area.
1996 Local Government Re-organisation. Brighton & Hove Unitary Authority created.
1999 New ecclesiastical boundaries for Telscombe Village, and Telscombe Cliffs. Telscombe Cliffs Parish Church now in Peacehaven.
2001 Brighton and Hove granted City Status.
Saltdean Residents’ Association Boundary Referendum.

  • Saltdean Today

There are already things that are common to both sides of Saltdean. These are:

· The Emergency Services boundaries (ambulance, police, fire service).
· The Member of Parliament.
· The Anglican Parish of St Nicholas, Saltdean.
· The BN2 8** Postcode, giving a postal address of Brighton.
· The local newspapers ‘The Argus’ (daily) and ‘The Leader’ (weekly) deliver the Brighton and Hove editions to East Saltdean. (The rest of Telscombe Town receives the South Coast editions, thus variations of local news.)
· Residents from East Saltdean use community facilities in West Saltdean such as the Community Centre, The Oval Park and The Saltdean Library.

  • United Saltdean

There are obvious advantages of East and West Saltdean joining together under one local authority boundary. Any issue which at present affects the entire Saltdean Community may involve contact with four authorities - Brighton & Hove City Council, Telscombe Town Council, Lewes District Council, and East Sussex County Council.

Some of the advantages may be:

· A stronger community voice, with one contact point.
· More influence in our affairs.
· A united approach to the seafront, the Undercliff Walk, the sea defences, beach cleaning, public conveniences, life guards, A259.
· Resolution of the problems in Longridge Avenue - parking, traffic control, maintenance.
· A larger cohesive population may access more services - public transport, schools, a health centre/clinic.
· The same Council Tax rate.
· A unified approach to planning applications and requirements.
· The whole area represented by the same Councillors.
The 2001 Referendum

  • What we did

After consultation with our members at a Quarterly General Meeting we contacted the local press, radio and through the Association’s journal, notice board and meetings highlighting that a referendum on the boundary would be held; to find out the residents’ opinions on whether they wished the Association to pursue a United Saltdean.

A Residents’ Surgery was held on Saturday 3rd February 2001 at the Community Centre where residents could drop in to ask questions about the referendum. The chart below indicates the attendance.

The Royal Mail was employed by the Association to deliver a sealed envelope with effect from Monday 5th February to each household in the BN2 8** postcode area.

The envelope contained:
· A leaflet explaining the referendum
· A map of Saltdean illustrating the boundaries
· A voting card
· A FREEPOST envelope

Residents were invited to return the card by Monday 19th February. Every household was requested to give its opinion and if there was a divergence of opinion between members of the household they were requested to state this on the reverse.

The Voting Card asked residents to answer three questions: whether Saltdean should be united, if so, to which Council, and to which authority the respondent paid their Council Tax. A copy of the card and leaflet appear in the appendix.

  • The Count

This took place on Thursday 1st March at the Saltdean Community Centre. The Community representatives from each side of Saltdean who oversaw the count were:
· Michael Thorne - Lewes District Councillor
· John Cooper - A Vice President of the Rottingdean Preservation Society.

Other representatives of the Community and Political Parties attended. Four members of the Residents’ Association, two from the West and two from the East, actually conducted the count of all the voting cards. In total six counts were taken to give a full breakdown of the results. There were 10 spoiled responses.

The Results

  • Question:Do you think East & West Saltdean should be united under one Council?

Yes 1237
No 312
Total Responses =1549

  • Question:If you said yes, which Council should it be?

1018 responses said Brighton & Hove Unitary Authority
196 responses said Lewes District Council
23 responses did not state a preference

  • Question:Which Council do you pay your Council Tax to?

955 responses said Brighton & Hove Unitary Authority
567 responses said Lewes District Council
27 responses did not state an answer

  • Results Analysis

A United Saltdean? Yes 1237 No 312 Total =1549

Yes to A United Saltdean

West 838 East 388 Unstated 11 =1237

No to a United Saltdean

West 117 East 179 Unstated 16 =312

Yes to a United Saltdean in Brighton & Hove

West 768 East 250 = 1018

Yes to a United Saltdean in Lewes District Council

West 59 East 137 =196

A United Saltdean…..How the sides of Saltdean Voted

West Yes 838 No 117 =955

East Yes 388 No 179 =567

Responses from Households in Saltdean

Responses ......No Responses............Total
West... 955....................1624.....................2579
East..... 567.....................708.......................1275
Total....1522..................2332......................3854

  • The Boundary

It is important to remember how the division was created and why this has little relevance to the community in 2001.

The ecclesiastical boundary was the basis of the division in Saltdean, at Longridge Avenue for the Parish of Rottingdean, with East Saltdean being included in the Parish of Telscombe Village.

  • This is highlighted in the first edition of the Telscombe Town Guide (1977):

“In 1933 East Saltdean and Telscombe were transferred to Chailey Rural District Council very much against the wishes of the inhabitants who wished then to become part of Brighton. The bi-section of Saltdean at Longridge Avenue, which now appears so wrong geographically, was more logical at the time, when little building had yet taken place, for this was the ecclesiastical boundary between the two parishes of Rottingdean and Telscombe. It was then the easiest policy to draw the administrative boundary along the same line.”

Since 1933 a lot of building has taken place in East Saltdean, Chailey Rural District Council no longer exists, and the ecclesiastical boundaries are no longer the same. It is logical that the natural dividing line should be Telscombe Tye. Even Telscombe Town Council acknowledged that the boundary as it stands is illogical.

The Parish of St. Nicholas, Saltdean was created in the 1960s to include East Saltdean. In 1999 the Parish of St. Laurence, Telscombe Village and Telscombe Cliffs was changed. Telscombe Cliffs’ Parish Church is now the Church of the Ascension, Bramber Avenue, Peacehaven. Telscombe Village now has its own parish at St. Laurence.

The Tye is the boundary for many functional bodies such as the post office and the police. Therefore if the 1,275 homes in East Saltdean were to be transferred to Brighton and Hove City Council, the remaining 1,670 homes in Telscombe Cliffs could easily be incorporated into Peacehaven Town Council, making this a cohesive area.

A strong sense of community exists in Saltdean and it is time that this was recognized as one community under one council with a clear-cut boundary.

It is time for change ! It is time for a United Saltdean !

Copies of this report have been sent to the following people:

Stephen Byers MP The Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions

Mrs Barbara Stephens Chief Executive, Local Government Commission for England

Dr Des Turner MP Member of Parliament for Brighton Kemptown
(Including Saltdean, Telscombe Cliffs and Peacehaven)

Mr Glynn Jones &
Mr David Panter Chief Executive, Brighton & Hove City Council
Cllr Ken Bodfish Leader, Brighton & Hove City Council
Cllr Brian Oxley Leader of the Opposition, Brighton & Hove City Council
Cllr Linda Hyde Councillor for Rottingdean, Brighton & Hove City Council
Cllr David Smith Councillor for Rottingdean, Brighton & Hove City Council
Cllr Brian Hunt Councillor for Rottingdean, Brighton & Hove City Council

Mr John Commin Chairman, Rottingdean Parish Council

Mr John Cooper Vice President, Rottingdean Preservation Society

Mrs Cheryl Miller Chief Executive, East Sussex County Council
Cllr Peter Jones Leader, East Sussex County Council
Cllr David Neighbour Councillor for Telscombe, East Sussex County Council

Mr John Crawford Chief Executive, Lewes District Council
Cllr Ann De Vecchi Leader, Lewes District Council
Cllr Michael Thorne Councillor for East Saltdean, Lewes District Council
Cllr Victor Clayton Councillor for East Saltdean, Lewes District Council

Mrs Kathleen Verrall Town Clerk, Telscombe Town Council
Cllr Roy Goodall Mayor, Telscombe Town Council

Mr John Shepherd Town Clerk, Peacehaven Town Council
Cllr Tony Howard Leader, Peacehaven Town Council

The Argus
The Leader
Sussex Express
BBC Southern Counties Radio
Appendix

  • 1 The Voting Card


This card was enclosed in all envelopes delivered by the Post Office.

They were returned in a replied paid Freepost envelope to the Chairman of the Residents’ Association who kept them unopened until the count.