Community Councils Proposed to Maintain Local Representation

Published on: 3 Jun, 2025
Updated on: 4 Jun, 2025

By Emily Dalton, local democracy reporter,

and Martin Giles

This article has been updated with a comment from the Guildford Conservative Association. Please see below. The comment was received within deadline and its omission was our error, for which we apologise.

New community councils could be created in Surrey’s smallest borough, Epsom, and Guildford could follow suit.

The acronym LGR (local government reorganisation) has become familiar with all those with an interest in the subject. Now there is also  “CGR” – community governance review.

The LGR will see Surrey councils as we know them dissolved into two or three mega councils. Some people have expressed concern this could leave a “democratic deficit”, meaning residents will not get their voices heard at a local level.

To tackle this, Epsom and Ewell Borough Council (EEBC) could be looking at creating new “community councils” to provide a link between residents and the new mega council authorities.

And there are concerns over local representation in Guildford too. Unlike some boroughs and districts, Guildford Borough has parish councils covering all areas with the exception of Wisley village and Guildford Town.

However, roughly half of the borough’s population lives in Guildford and for at least a decade, some have called for Guildford to follow Godalming and Farnham by forming its own town council. Now following the announcement of the Government’s reorganisation plans those calls have increased.

“Community councils” were first suggested by Tim Oliver, leader of Surrey County Council, as a way of maintaining local representation but details on their exact function and how they may differ from current borough and parish councils are scarce. An EEBC statement suggests they will aim to “enhance local representation” by giving residents a voice, raising awareness of local issues and be involved in decision-making they are affected by.

In fact, parish councils can already call themselves community councils as the council in Shalford has done.

Cllr Hannah Dalton

Hannah Dalton, Leader of EEBC, said: “We are navigating the biggest change in local democracy for more than 50 years. As a priority we are working to ensure that, whatever the outcome of local government reorganisation, the voices of our residents and local communities continue to be heard in years to come – this is a vital element of local democracy.

“We will keep residents informed and updated throughout this process.”

The Liberal Democrat leader of Guildford Borough Council, Julia McShane, said her party was committed to giving residents a voice in how their local community is represented as part of the local government reorganisation.

She said: “The Conservatives at SCC denied residents their vote in May and the Labour government are not providing any clarity on the issue of the future of parish and town councils so Lib Dems in Guildford are leading on giving people a say.

“A community governance review would give residents in the unparished part of Guildford the chance to have their voices heard and the plan is for that review to be decided at full council in July.”

A  spokesperson for Guildford’s Conservatives said: “’Community Boards’ are already planned to be a crucial bridge, connecting residents, councillors, and services like healthcare and public safety in local areas. If a community governance review recommends a town council for Guildford, and this is supported by the majority of Guildford residents, then we will of course support it.

“In the meantime, Guildford Conservatives want to see the formation of Charter Trustees for Guildford, which would preserve the civic heritage of Guildford. This would mean that the role of mayor, honorary aldermen and the civic regalia held for centuries, will not be lost for Guildford.”

But Joss Bigmore, leader of the Residents for Guildford & Villages, was cautious: “The devil will be in the detail – without tax raising powers and responsibilities delegated from the unitary councils these will be little more than talking shops.

“I think the idea is sound in principle but ultimately you are going to be asking residents in un-parished areas to pay more council tax (via a parish precept) for services that they already receive. That’s a difficult argument without belief that those delegated services will improve.”

Patrick Oven, leader of the Guildford Greenbelt Group, referred back to the leader of SCC’s suggestion of “community councils”. Effectively [it was] an admission that reducing 11 boroughs and districts and SCC to two or three unitary councils, would lead to huge wards whose councillors would inevitably have less local knowledge and connection with grass roots issues.

“It is unsurprising that Epsom and Ewell, one of the four boroughs that have no parish councils,  is pushing this idea. However despite being called “Community Councils” councils they will not be, merely a powerless talking shop. Guildford should ignore it, and opt for an elected town council, the urban equivalent of a parish council.”

A spokesperson for Guildford Labour said their party was in favour of the creation of three unitary authorities but added: “It is important that the number of councillors is sufficient to enable residents to voice their concerns and have them addressed.

“Communities within each unitary will still be able to form groups such as Residents’ Associations so issues are raised with the council but if we are to make this change meaningful surely it makes sense for the elected councillors to be responsible – and contactable.

“Some parish councils are very active and effective but there are areas in Guildford which do not have them. Community Associations would serve two purposes – bringing groups together and giving them a louder voice without residents having to bear extra costs.”

Alistair Smith, Chair of the Guildford Society, said: “Seeking to rectify the democratic deficiency in Guildford where Guildford Town has neither a town council nor parish councils for the outer urban area is worthwhile.  A Community Governance Review is a mechanism for establishing whether effective parish councils should be created.”

The Government is rumoured to be bringing more legislation forward to address concerns on local representation.  Asking for a CGR might hasten the government explaining what it is proposing.

Bill Stokoe, member of the Guildford Vision Group, said: Personally, I have always supported having a town council for Guildford. I recognise the instinctive negative reaction any proposal for one, especially from experienced councillors, provokes but it behoves us to find a 21st century mechanism that allows residents and businesses to have real  influence over the direction of the town, its planning and its economic growth.

“Perhaps with a town council in situ we might not have had to wait 30+ years for North Street to be developed, for example.”

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