Private firms which will benefit from a regeneration scheme at Newhaven must pay their share of the cost.

They are already benefiting from millions of pounds of public money for the project which will include a business park, an access road and a new outer port.

East Sussex County Council is right to warn them it will pull out of the scheme unless more money is put up front by these firms.

Newhaven is generally down at heel and needs regeneration. It has the land available for exciting schemes that will boost the port and create hundreds of badly needed jobs.

But this can only be achieved through partnership. At present the council feels it is making all the running, and that just isn't right.