– Episode 22:

"Communities have an expectation"

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Cllr Sophie Cox - Leader of Worthing Borough Council

In this conversation, Richard sits down with Cllr Sophie Cox, Leader of Worthing Borough Council and one of the youngest council leaders in Sussex. Sophie took on the top job just days before the 2024 local elections – and now faces the challenge of steering Worthing through historic structural change.

As district and borough councils prepare to merge into new unitaries by 2028, Sophie offers an honest, on-the-ground perspective on what this means for local democracy, frontline services and community power. She shares why Worthing’s Thriving Together initiative is setting a new benchmark for participatory engagement, and how councils must learn when to lead, when to listen – and when to get out of the way.

This episode asks big questions about how local government reorganisation and devolution intersect, and what’s at stake for towns like Worthing as Sussex heads toward its first ever mayoral election in 2026.

This episode is brought to you in partnership with:

Digital Islands – established in 2017 by Gavin McWhirter, they deliver fully funded business support programmes in partnership with local authorities across Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. From half-day workshops and one-to-one mentoring at the East Sussex Business Hub, to in-person marketing clinics and peer networking, they’ve helped hundreds of small firms start, grow and thrive.

👉 digitalislands.co.uk

“Councils need to evolve and change as communities need us to – and sometimes that’s about just getting out of the way and allowing things to happen naturally and organically.”

• How Worthing’s grassroots cultural energy is shaping a new story of place
• What it means to be a council for the community – and the expectations it creates
• The Thriving Together model of community engagement
• Balancing political leadership with officer-led delivery in times of change
• The looming impact of local government reorganisation on district and borough councils
• How Sussex Bay and Worthing Festival show councils can seed projects, then step back
• Why turnout in the 2026 mayoral election is crucial – and how to get residents to care

“It doesn’t have to start with another layer of government. We need to open up the conversation, look at all the options, and make sure community voice is truly embedded.”

• Worthing Borough Council – Thriving Together

• MHCLG: Local Government Reorganisation Guidance

• Sussex Bay – seascape restoration partnership

🎧 Production credits

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Cllr Sophie Cox Sound design / editing / original music: Chris Thorpe-Tracey Production management: Letitia McConalogue Recorded: Projects, The Lanes - Brighton

Want a joined-up Sussex story? Want to help shape devolution so it actually works for people and places? 👉 https://sussexandthecity.info — episodes, resources and events.