Making the South East
an even better place to
live, work and do business
- Efficient Transport to keep our region moving
- Affordable, decent Housing to grow sustainably
- Collaboration for a Smarter and Greener future
- Adequate Skills provision to compete successfully
- Practical Devolution to empower our region
Councils in partnership
South East Councils
South East Councils (SEC) is a cross-party membership association that works to ensure the South East England region is a great place to live, work and do business.
With most local authorities as members, we seek to provide a unified democratic voice on South East interests.
South East Councils is an associate member of the Local Government Association (LGA).
Our members
Most councils in the South East are active SEC members
Latest meetings
News
South East APPG launches transport infrastructure inquiry
The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the South East has launched an inquiry into transport infrastructure. This follows the unanimous decision of the group’s officers …
South East Councils submit to Left Behind Neighborhoods APPG inquiry into levelling up
Responding to the Left Behind Neighborhoods APPG‘s inquiry into levelling up, Cllr Nicolas Heslop, Chair of South East Councils said: “We hear about the ‘affluent’ …
South East Councils respond to Levelling Up Fund Round 2
Over 100 projects were awarded a share of £2.1 billion from Round 2 of the Government’s flagship Levelling Up Fund today. In response, Chair of …
South East Councils write to Labour Leader Keir Starmer following the Brown report
South East Council’s Chair Cllr Nicolas Heslop, Deputy Chair Cllr Paul Bettison OBE, and Vice-Chair Cllr Tony Page have written to Rt Hon Sir Keir …
SEC welcomes new Transport Committee Chair Iain Stewart MP
South East Council’s Chair Cllr Nicolas Heslop and Deputy Chair Cllr Paul Bettison OBE have written to congratulate Iain Stewart MP, the Conservative MP for …
What we're talking about
The latest local government finance settlement demonstrates, yet again, the need to move away from “wait and see” 1-year settlements to multi-year arrangements that provide for longer term planning by councils.
@SallyAnn1066 @carolinenokes @StephenMorganMP @pauljholmes @TanDhesi @JonathanLord @HenrySmithUK @MariaMillerUK @JamesSunderl @CarolineLucas
@TransportfSE @CBItweets @fsb_policy @Gatwick_Airport @HeathrowAirport @SOU_Airport @Port_of_Dover @PortsmouthPort @PortofSoton @Localis @SussexChamber @ChamberMK @SurreyChambers @hantschamber @OxonChamber @wberkschamber @iwchamber @themjcouk @lgcplus @TransportTimes @railnews
APPG South East has launched its second inquiry: “The South East and ‘Global Britain’: what role for transport infrastructure in underpinning Britain’s plan to trade and grow?”
Written submissions are invited by 4pm on Friday 24th February 2023.
South East Councils have submitted to the @appgleftbehind's inquiry into levelling up. Thank you Co-Chairs @DianaJohnsonMP @PaulHowellMP for the opportunity to share the experience of "left behind" communities in the South East.
Find out more here:
More lottery than levelling?
Following the Levelling Up Round 2 awards, South East councils @SECouncils (who claim that most local authorities are members) talk of the "broken funding model for English Local Government..." https://twitter.com/SECouncils/status/1616122905930395648
I see from media stories that the Government is being criticised that the South East is getting an unfair proportion of the levelling up fund monies. This is not the case; there are parts of the South East which suffer severe deprivation, including Hastings. 1/2
South East Councils has welcomed the much-needed funding to level up left behind areas in the South East. However, Government must address the elephant in the room by taking steps to fix the broken funding model for English Local Government.
See our latest report, with polling on financing local government and devolution of powers here:
https://www.secouncils.gov.uk/media/2022/11/South-East-1000-Doc-Autum-2022.pdf
The South East Strategic Partnership for Migration (SESPM) provides a leadership, coordination and advisory function for migration in the South East. SESPM is hosted by South East England Councils, with all SESPM work funded by the Home Office.
The South East Strategic Partnership for Migration (SESPM) provides a leadership, coordination and advisory function for migration in the South East. SESPM is hosted by South East England Councils, with all SESPM work funded by the Home Office.