I WOULD like to suggest a complete review of the local Government arrangements in Sussex.

It has been proposed that the fire services of East and West Sussex are merged into one Sussex authority (The Argus, July 2).

Well, I see no reason why East and West Sussex county council’s could not be merged into a Sussex County Council for the entire ceremonial and historic county of Sussex.

The same thing happened years ago with Suffolk – East and West were merged into one.

I also think that having Brighton and Hove as a unitary authority is wrong, and a waste of money.

This council should be abolished, along with all the other district and boroughs in Sussex, and a new Sussex County Council made into one large unitary authority, which is what happened in Cheshire a couple of years ago.

A new Sussex authority would have responsibility for all major council functions such as social services and education, and then towns like Brighton, Hove and Worthing could set up their own locally elected town and parish councils to run local services.

This would save a fortune and would follow examples set by Cornwall, Berkshire, Suffolk and Cheshire.

It would also effectively abolish the city of Brighton and Hove as this is only a city by virtue of the city status given to it as a local Government district.

Contrary to popular belief, it is only the administrative district that has city status – not the actual towns within it.

Robert Gosling, Balfour Road, Brighton

WHEN you look at the current political make-up of Brighton and Hove, it’s clear how different the voting patterns are in the Hove wards, compared with the Brighton wards.

Hove has always been different to Brighton on many levels, and I think it’s about time we abolished this city and split Hove away from Brighton so they can be governed separately like they used to be.

While I understand reinstating Hove Borough Council would be an expensive affair, I suggest the entire area of the former borough of Hove is either annexed into the neighbouring Adur District in West Sussex, or simply made an enclave of the Lewes District in East Sussex.

That way we could go back to the way it used to be, with county and district councils.

Or we could save a fortune and merge East and West Sussex into a “Sussex County Council” authority and then re-draw the local district councils to incorporate Hove.

The “city” of Brighton and Hove just doesn’t work.

Hove never wanted to be part of it in the first place, but we weren’t listened to.

Letting Brighton become the city it desperately wants to be would benefit both areas.

Brighton is Brighton and Hove is Hove. Both should live side by side but should be geographically and administratively separate.

Sally Davies, Westbourne Villas, Hove