Letter: How Will Local Government Reorganisation Pass On the £Billions of Debts?

Published on: 19 Mar, 2025
Updated on: 19 Mar, 2025

From John Harrison

Guildford Residents Association

In response to:Two or Three Unitaries for Surrey? Councils Remain Divided

Guildford Residents Association is actively involved in this issue to ensure the new system is fair and that there is proper consultation, notwithstanding the first deadline on March 21.

We have written to the leader of Guildford Borough Council and its Chief Executive and are currently seeking meetings this week with the latter and also our MP.

In particular, we are looking to Guildford Borough Council to immediately establish a Community Governance Review to enable the creation of a town council for Guildford town centre, and parish councils for the surrounding residential areas that currently lack this tear of democratic representation that will become crucial once GBC ceases to exist.

One concern is how the debt of certain authorities is spread about. Each £1 billion represents about £2,000 per Surrey household and it is known that there are several billion pounds of debt. It would not be right if up to £10,000 was heaped on each Surrey household in a rushed deal, cobbled together between the county council and the Government.

Please see our letter dispassionately setting out the issues here:

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