County Council Set To Formalise Two-unitary Proposal to the Government

Published on: 1 May, 2025
Updated on: 3 May, 2025

The SCC proposal would leave Surrey divided east and west, with two unitary authorities overseen by a mayor.

Surrey County Council plans to submit to the Government a proposal for two unitary councils for local government reorganisation in the county.

The two councils, one for west Surrey and one for the east, would replace SCC and the 11 boroughs and districts. SCC says this would “unlock further devolution in Surrey”.

In published papers, the county council outlines detailed analysis which it claims shows that two councils would be the most beneficial model for Surrey’s future.

The proposal, still subject to Cabinet approval, sets out a robust plan for local community engagement, includes letters of support from key partners, business and community leaders, as well as Elmbridge Borough Council.

Tim Oliver – Leader of Surrey County Council

Tim Oliver, leader of Surrey County Council, said: “Two councils, in partnership with a Mayor for Surrey, would save money, strengthen and simplify local government and with an East and West arrangement both councils would be in a strong position to continue to deliver high-quality services to all Surrey residents.

“Of course, consideration must be given to the differing levels of debt that the authorities would potentially inherit, and we’re in talks with Government about our request that the stranded debt be written off as well as providing financial support to those borough councils that need it.

“Most importantly, this proposal strengthens local community engagement. We know that residents want high-quality services that are easy to access, and they want a real say in services and decisions that affect them. That’s why we’re proposing the creation of community-level boards across Surrey.

“These community boards will be locally determined but we would expect them to include representation from health partners, Surrey Police, voluntary groups, councillors, council staff, local Town and Parish Councils and Residents Associations. We plan to pilot these boards over the coming months, and residents will have a say in how they are set up and delivered.

“We’re in a strong position as a county council, with good quality services and an excellent track record of stable finances after years of successful transformation. And working together with our residents and partners, we are well placed to deliver this important reorganisation. Ultimately, this work will unlock further devolution, meaning Surrey can elect a mayor which will bring more power, flexibility and funding closer to communities.”

The proposal includes a recommended geographical model for the two councils, dividing the county east and west, using current borough and district council geographies with Spelthorne, Surrey Heath, Runnymede, Woking, Guildford and Waverley residents in West Surrey, and Elmbridge, Mole Valley, Epsom & Ewell, Reigate & Banstead and Tandridge residents in the east.

This model, says SCC, has similar levels of population, land area, total household numbers, homelessness, house-building targets, waste collection, business activity, pupil distribution, number of birth and death registrations, and total miles of public highways.

Demand and budget requirements would also be similar for Adult Social Care and Children Social Services across both councils and this geography makes use of the neighbouring economic benefits of London, Heathrow and Gatwick airports, with a similar mix of the urban and rural landscape that makes Surrey a fantastic place to live and work.

The overall population of each new council would exceed the government’s minimum size of 500,000 residents.

Cllr Mike Rollings, the new leader of Elmbridge Council (centre)

Cllr Mike Rollings, Lib Dem leader of Elmbridge Borough Council, said: “While Elmbridge, like other districts and boroughs, is not overly enamoured with the government’s local government reorganisation, throughout this process, we have maintained an open-minded stance regarding the optimal number of new unitary authorities.

“Our primary goal is to ensure the best interests of Elmbridge, as well as Surrey as a whole. We have always said that our decision will be grounded in robust evidence and data and we will continue to analyse, research, and scrutinise all options until we are confident that the best solution for unitarisation in Surrey has been identified.”

Responses to the SCC proposal are being sought from other parties.