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Lieutenancy of East Sussex

Personal Profile of the Lord Lieutenant

Peter Field was appointed by The Queen to be Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant for East Sussex on the 19th August 2008, having served as Her Majesty’s Vice Lord Lieutenant from 2000.

A Chartered Surveyor by profession, he has always used his skills to support and help the single homeless, notably he helped in the introduction of the Foyer Federation to the UK and in the development of several major Sussex Housing Associations including Brighton Housing Trust and Southdown Housing Association.

A Magistrate for more than 20 years before becoming Lord Lieutenant, he also chaired the highly successful Brighton and Hove Business Community Partnership since its inception in 1994, and for many years served on the South East Leadership Team for the Prince of Wales’ charity Business in the Community (BITC) being appointed the Prince of Wales’ Ambassador for the South East in 2003. For over ten years in the 1990s he chaired the City of Brighton and Hove’s Regeneration Partnership which contributed to many of the changes to the fabric and culture of the City that are visible today.

Not withstanding his considerable duties representing HM The Queen, he takes seriously the Monarch’s request that he provides encouragement and support for all sectors of the community. This includes supporting and encouraging military organisations, the business sector, statutory undertakings, and charitable and voluntary groups (he is Patron or President of some 40 local organisations), He sits on the board of several commercial companies in the County and is currently also interested in developing and supporting Social Enterprise, Youth employment and Environmental initiatives in particular.

The Role of the Lord Lieutenant

  • Lord-Lieutenants are appointed by the Sovereign on the recommendation of the Prime Minister.
  • The Lord-Lieutenant represents the Sovereign in the County of East Sussex, which includes the administrative areas of East Sussex County Council, Brighton and Hove City Council as well as the three District Councils of Lewes, Wealden and Rother and the Boroughs of Eastbourne and Hastings.
  • The duties include looking after members of the Royal Family and Heads of State when they pay official visits to the County of East Sussex.
  • The Lord-Lieutenant chairs the County’s Advisory Committee on Justices of the Peace and their appointment (now as joint chairman for the Counties of East and West Sussex) – and there are more than 600 JPs in Sussex.
  • Lieutenancy duties also include presenting honours on behalf of the Crown, and involvement in the honours system.
  • The Lieutenancy maintains close relationships with the Armed Forces, reflecting the ancient office’s original responsibility for the maintenance of order and local defence of the County. There are no active service units in East Sussex (see separate post for Reserves) but the Lord Lieutenant is regularly briefed on activity.
  • The Lord-Lieutenant leads the 40 or so influential Deputy Lieutenants County-wide and is increasingly providing the organisation for their individual networks to interlock for the benefit of East Sussex’s varied communities.
  • The role of the Lieutenancy is entirely non-political. The appointment carries no pay.