#18: Bridges Not Borders; Rethinking Sussex's Link To The World

The Sussex And The City Podcast – Episode 19: Bridges Not Borders; Rethinking Sussex's Link To The World Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Graham Precey – social impact leader (ex-Head of Sustainability, Legal & General); community convenor for the Newhaven–Dieppe ("Le Havre de Paix") ferry decarbonisation effort; Normandy–Sussex bridge-builder 🔍 Episode summary Richard speaks with Graham Precey from across the Channel in Normandy to unpack why the Newhaven–Dieppe ferry is more than a boat: but a living bridge between Sussex and Normandy that carries tourists, freight, ideas and identity — and a testbed for decarbonising short-sea shipping. Graham traces a career in corporate social and environmental impact long before 'ESG' was a buzzword, and explains how that experience now fuels a community-led, binational mission: cutting ~41,000 tonnes of CO₂ from the route, protecting a 200-year lifeline, and turning Sussex's "over-the-horizon" into an everyday, low-carbon local journey. This is a practical conversation about infrastructure that people can see and use — ferries, ports, pallets and power — and how open, ego-free convening is bringing councils, operators, businesses and residents together to solve a problem that matters. 🎯 Why this matters "It's a bridge. 368,000 people and a whole lot of pallets cross it each year. It's real economy, not just the cloud — and right now about 41,000 tonnes of carbon go straight up the funnel. We need to change that, and we are."  "If I were the Sussex mayor, I'd start with the real assets: Gatwick, Shoreham, Newhaven. They bring in people and trade you can count. Then ask: how do we make them work together — and cleaner — fast?"  🧠 Topics covered include: The ferry as a 200-year "living bridge": culture, tourism, trade and identity Why short-sea decarbonisation (electric, hybrid, hydrogen, fuels) is urgent and doable Who pays (and why): the Normandy case for investment, carbon pricing pressures, fleet renewal Sussex's three strategic gateways — Gatwick, Shoreham, Newhaven — and treating them as a system Open Space convening: dropping egos, myth-busting, and co-creating the agenda in public Practical wins: letters of support from Sussex bodies, technical working groups, Franco-British dialogue Making the route busier and fairer: pricing, signage, language, and lowering friction on both shores Devolution takeaway: how a mission-led mayoral programme could scale this approach to other regional challenges 📚 Further reading and references Newhaven–Dieppe Ferry (DFDS/Transmanche) – timetables, route and operator info 👉 https://www.dfds.com/en/passenger-ferries/ferry-routes/ferries-to-france/newhaven-dieppe Port of Newhaven – port information and development updates 👉 https://www.newhavenport.co.uk/ Département de la Seine-Maritime (Rouen) – the French public owner/funder behind the route 👉 https://www.seinemaritime.fr/ Transport for the South East – regional transport strategy and investment pipeline 👉 https://transportforthesoutheast.org.uk/ The Crown Estate | Marine – UK seabed, offshore energy and marine leasing context 👉 https://www.thecrownestate.co.uk/en-gb/what-we-do/marine/ Open Space Technology (Harrison Owen) – the facilitation method used in the Sussex–Normandy sessions 👉 https://openspaceworld.org/wp2/ International Maritime Organization (IMO) GHG Strategy – global decarbonisation framework for shipping 👉 https://www.imo.org/en/MediaCentre/HotTopics/Pages/Cutting-GHG-emissions.aspx 🎧 Production credits Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Graham Precey Sound design / editing / original music: Chris Thorpe-Tracey Production management: Letitia McConalogue Recorded: Remote (Normandy ↔ Sussex) with thanks to the calm after the storm This episode is brought to you in partnership with: Let's Do Business Finance – powering the ambitions of entrepreneurs and small businesses across Sussex and beyond. As an accredited British Business Bank delivery partner, they've supported hundreds of start-ups and scale-ups with loans from £500 to £150,000 – filling the funding gap left by high street banks. With expert advice and tailored finance packages, they're backing local jobs, boosting business confidence, and helping communities thrive. 👉 letsdobusinessfinance.co.uk     📣 Get involved Care about cleaner, faster, fairer Sussex connectivity? Want the new Sussex mayor to consider ideas like the Newhaven–Dieppe link to become a flagship for green growth? Explore more episodes, resources and events: 👉 sussexandthecity.info