#35: Growing A Global Business In Sussex Could Be So Much Easier
Sussex And The City
The Sussex And The City Podcast – Episode #35 Growing A Global Business In Sussex Could Be So Much Easier Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Matt Barker – Founder & CEO, MPB 🔍 Episode summary Richard is joined by Matt Barker, founder and chief executive of MPB, one of Sussex’s biggest global business success stories - built from modest roots in Brighton and now operating at serious international scale. What began as an eBay side project while Matt was a student has grown into the world’s largest platform for buying, selling and trading professional photography and video equipment,...
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#34: Devolution Is Only As Local As It Feels
Sussex And The City
The Sussex And The City Podcast – Episode #34 Devolution Is Only As Local As It Feels Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Cllr Julia Hilton – Deputy Leader, Hastings Borough Council 🔍 Episode summary Richard is joined by Cllr Julia Hilton, Deputy Leader of Hastings Borough Council and one of Sussex’s most outspoken voices on local government reorganisation and devolution. Julia brings a fiercely place-based perspective, shaped by her background as a landscape architect, artist and community organiser. The conversation is unapologetically Hastings-first; not as a brand or 'policy problem',...
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#33: Devolution Can Make Us More ‘Sussex’. But It Is A Big Leadership Challenge
Sussex And The City
The Sussex And The City Podcast – Episode 33: Devolution Can Make Us More ‘Sussex’. But It Is A Big Leadership Challenge Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Rt Hon Peter Kyle MP – Secretary of State for Business and Trade; MP for Hove & Portslade 🔍 Episode summary This episode opens a new year and a new series of Sussex And The City, recorded at a moment of political shift but strategic acceleration. Richard Freeman sits down with Peter Kyle MP – one of the most influential figures in the current government and a long-standing Sussex representative – to explore what devolution...
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#32: EMERGENCY PODCAST!
Sussex And The City
The Sussex And The City Podcast – Episode 32: EMERGENCY PODCAST! Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Martin Webb, independent candidate for Mayor of Sussex & Brighton No Sussex mayor until 2028 The government is set to delay the first elections for newly created regional mayors in four areas - Greater Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk, Hampshire and the Solent, and Sussex and Brighton. The BBC reports that ballots originally scheduled for May 2026 will now be held in 2028, with a formal announcement expected shortly. 🔗 These mayoralties are the political centrepiece of the...
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#31: Why I Want To Be Mayor (Part Five)
Sussex And The City
The Sussex And The City Podcast – Episode 31: Why I Want To Be Mayor (Part Five) Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Martin Webb, independent candidate for Mayor of Sussex & Brighton 🔍 Episode summary In this wide-ranging conversation, Richard sits down with Martin Webb — a man whose CV could easily be many separate careers. Martin was a defining figure in Brighton’s 90s and 00s nightlife, running clubs, bars and restaurants across the city. He has also ran his own local media empire, been a business mentor on Channel 4, a columnist for The Telegraph, a small business author,...
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#30: Opportunity In Sussex Starts With Being Seen
Sussex And The City
The Sussex And The City Podcast – Episode 30: Opportunity In Sussex Starts With Being Seen Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Donna O’Toole — founder of August Recognition; co-founder of Rewards App 🔍 Episode summary In this week’s episode, Richard meets Donna O’Toole - multi-award-winning entrepreneur, awards strategist and lifelong Sussex resident - whose journey from Arundel Castle to global business owner is as remarkable as it is rooted in place. Donna grew up in the grounds of Arundel Castle, where her family worked as part of the staff, before entering care at aged 15 and...
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#29: Sussex Money Matters: Tackling Debt And Building Trust
Sussex And The City
The Sussex And The City Podcast – Episode 29: Sussex Money Matters: Tackling Debt And Building Trust Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Emma Norledge - Deputy CEO, Wave Community Bank 🔍 Episode summary What if the future of devolution wasn’t just about power – but about money that stays in Sussex? In this episode, Richard Freeman talks to Emma Norledge, Deputy Chief Executive of Wave Community Bank, a not-for-profit credit union helping thousands of people across East Sussex, Brighton and Kent access fair, local finance. Credit unions aren’t really banks as we know them; they’re still...
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#28: Why Sussex Needs To Look After Its Shopkeepers
Sussex And The City
The Sussex And The City Podcast – Episode 28: Why Sussex Needs To Look After Its Shopkeepers Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Shiv Misra - founder of Kindly 🔍 Episode summary In this episode, Richard Freeman talks with Shiv Misra, founder of Kindly, a Brighton homegrown supermarket with a difference; fair prices, no plastic, and no gimmicks. Shiv’s story is one of grit, optimism and retail reform, building something sustainable in every sense of the word. From taking over the old HISBE store to juggling a day job in IT and and growing a new model of retail, Shiv explains what independent...
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#27: Is Art Sussex' Civic Superpower?
Sussex And The City
The Sussex And The City Podcast – Episode 27: Is Art Sussex' Civic Superpower? Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Lesley Samms - founder of Pure Arts Group 🔍 Episode summary In this conversation, Richard Freeman sits down with artist mentor, curator and Pure Arts Group founder Lesley Samms – a powerhouse advocate for visual artists across Sussex and beyond. Lesley shares her journey from leaving behind corporate success at Coca-Cola to becoming a champion of grassroots creativity, community connection and artistic confidence. Based in Battle, she has built networks that help artists find...
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#26: Can Sussex Lead On Closing The Loop?
Sussex And The City
The Sussex And The City Podcast – Episode 26: Can Sussex Lead On Closing The Loop? Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Steve Creed - co-founder of Circular Brighton & Hove 🔍 Episode summary In this conversation, Richard Freeman sits down with Steve Creed – a Canadian-born sustainability consultant and leading voice in Sussex’s circular-economy movement. Steve has spent decades connecting the dots between food, housing, transport, climate and culture, helping councils, housing groups and social enterprises to think differently about waste and regeneration. As co-founder of Circular...
info_outlineThe Sussex And The City Podcast
– Episode 5:
We Know Sussex Can Be Braver About Housing
Host: Richard Freeman
Guest: Dick Shone – Founder and Managing Director, Boutique Modern
This episode is brought to you in partnership with:
Silverstone Communications – Sussex’s specialists in stakeholder engagement for planning, development and infrastructure. Helping councils, developers and communities shape more inclusive, transparent growth.
silverstonecommunications.co.uk
🔍 Episode summary
In this ground-level episode of Sussex And The City, Richard Freeman visits the world of modular construction, circular supply chains and pragmatic social housing – by way of a brilliant conversation with Dick Shone, the founder of Boutique Modern, the UK’s first B Corp certified modular housing manufacturer.
From a Newhaven-based factory, Boutique Modern is quietly building one of the most forward-thinking models for affordable, sustainable housing in the country. Their work with councils across Sussex is already proving that locally-built, high-quality homes don’t need to cost the earth – environmentally or financially.
Dick explains why modular is not prefab, why his company insists on sourcing within 25 miles, and how modern housebuilding should start with listening to how people actually live. He also makes a strong case for a Sussex-wide skills and housing strategy that’s rooted in real opportunity – and calls on all future mayoral candidates to see what’s happening in his factory before they make big promises.
This episode is about what our economy is for, and what it means to build places we’re proud of.
Topics include:
- What modular housebuilding actually is (and isn’t)
- How Boutique Modern slashed building waste to under 4%
- Working with local authorities across Sussex
- The power of hyper-local supply chains and job creation
- Challenges and opportunities in a devolved commissioning landscape
- The desperate need for homes that match how people really live today
- Rethinking value: affordability, sustainability, and wellbeing
- Tackling hidden homelessness with offsite manufactured solutions
- Plans for a modular construction skills hub in Newhaven
- Why Sussex should be shouting louder about its regional innovation
This is essential listening for:
- Council leaders, housing officers and planning professionals
- Developers and housing associations looking for next-generation models
- Devolution watchers tracking how powers over housing might shift
- Skills and education leads working on workforce pipelines
- Anyone who cares about building fair, affordable, sustainable places to live
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👉 Sign up for regular updates on devolution and change in Sussex
📚 Key references and further reading
Boutique Modern – Sussex-based modular housing pioneers
Modernise Or Die – The Farmer Review of UK Construction Labour Model (2016) – Report referenced in the episode
Homes England Strategic Plan – Guidance on regional housing investment
Newhaven Enterprise Zone – Supporting local innovation and growth
Sussex And The City project hub
Explore resources, blogs and events connected to this podcast and the wider public engagement programme >> sussexandthecity.info
Sussex And The City LinkedIn page
🎧 Production credits
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Host: Richard Freeman
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Guest: Dick Shone
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Sound design / editing / original music: Chris Thorpe-Tracey
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Production management: Letitia Mc Conalogue
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Recorded at: Projects: The Lanes, Brighton
📣 Get involved
Want to contribute your voice to the debate on devolution in Sussex?
Visit sussexandthecity.info to find out more, sign up for future events, and access resources.