GBC Reports Improvements All Round with Few Red Flags Remaining

Published on: 5 Feb, 2026
Updated on: 5 Feb, 2026

GBC offices at Millmead

By Emily Dalton

local democracy reporter

Guildford Borough Council said today (February 5) that it has turned a corner after a rocky period and has made “great progress” from two years ago.

In 2023, Guildford Council had narrowly avoided declaring itself almost bankrupt after a scandal in its housing department. There were also concerns about weak oversight, unclear priorities and patchy performance across different services.

Now in 2026, the council is ready to shout about its improvement, claiming its services, finance and trust in the authority is on the up.

Pedro Wrobel

“We are in a completely different place from two years ago,” said Pedro Wrobel, Joint Chief Executive of Guildford and Waverley Borough Council. “There were some really difficult conversations to have. But we’ve to confront some quite difficult stuff […] this is a point in time and there are going to be more challenges coming up.”

In 2024, GBC was criticised for not having an overall strategy or direction of travel. Officers said good work was not shared across the organisation and problems went unnoticed for too long. Better data and more transparency are now key parts of the recovery.

The council has introduced a new corporate strategy, a formal improvement plan and clearer performance tracking. That means services are now monitored more closely by an independent assurance panel: both to spot problems and to recognise what’s working.

Cllr Julia McShane

Council Leader Julia McShane (Lib Dem, Westborough) said: “We know it’s a three-year journey but we were all committed to continuing on that journey.”

She added: “It’s not a destination either. Councils should continually assess what they’re doing, whether they are doing it well, how that’s impacting their residents and continuing to learn and continuing to improve.”

What it means for residents

Money was the biggest worry in 2023. The council now said it is ready to pass a balanced budget for 2026/27, it has improved its reserves and tightened financial controls. Pressures remain, especially with rising demand for services and looming local government reorganisation in Surrey, but leaders say the authority is now on a far firmer footing.

The council’s latest performance report shows strong results in several everyday services. Recycling rates remain high at nearly 62 per cent (among the best in the region) despite Guildford’s large number of flats and students, which can make recycling harder.

Fly-tipping is usually cleared within a day of being reported, and most areas meet air quality targets. Leisure centre use is up, and community services supporting vulnerable residents continue to see strong demand.

In council housing, safety checks on gas, fire and electrical systems are close to 100 per cent compliance, and tenant satisfaction has been improving. Guildford’s town centre is also showing signs of recovery, with shop vacancy rates at a four-year low and footfall up by around 15 per cent.

Still work to do

Not everything is improving. Some housing benefit claims have taken longer to process this year, mainly due to staffing pressures, though officers say performance is recovering. Staffing remains a worrying issue, especially with the threat of local government reorganisation and structural changes. But the council said it hopes to continue to pool resources to support the small teams.

The borough is also missing government targets for the number of new homes built, something the council said is largely outside its direct control as they are not the ones putting the spade in the ground.

Complaint numbers have risen, but the council argues that reflects a more open culture where residents feel more confident raising issues. The leader said they are more concerned when people do not get in touch because they are worried the council will not respond.

The end of GBC

All this progress is happening as Surrey councils prepare for major reorganisation, with two new unitary authorities expected to replace the current system by April 1, 2027.

Surrey is to be divided into two unitary authorities. SHBC

Guildford leaders said they are determined that the improvements made locally will carry over into whatever new council takes its place. Cllr McShane rebutted the idea about coasting until reorganisation. She said: “It’s about building strong foundations so the new authority starts from a better place than we did.”

For residents, the real test will be if the data improvements translate to real-life bin collections in the new authorities.