Letter: Shame on Surrey County Council for Their Response on Consultation

Published on: 3 Apr, 2025
Updated on: 3 Apr, 2025

From Paul Follows

Lib Dem leader, Waverley Borough Council

In response to: County Council Leader Calls District and Borough Consultation ‘Purposefully Biased’

Even for the Conservative-led Surrey County Council, this is a shameful thing to say.

The districts and boroughs of Surrey that put this survey up share the belief that there should be some resident engagement on such a massive subject as the wholesale reorganisation of all the councils in Surrey. It is hardly surprising that the people who think it was acceptable to seek the cancellation of the local elections object to asking residents about such a fundamental issue.

But – let’s engage with the issues Cllr Oliver at SCC has raised.

“No requirement” to consult does not mean “do not consult”. I think we have a moral and proper justification to do so, and I know many of my fellow council leaders (cross-party, I might add) agree with me.

Let’s also look at “The Gunning Principles” that have been referred to (and thank you to The Dragon for sharing the link to these from the LGA).

First, the Gunning Principles apply to a formal consultation, which this explicitly isn’t.

Second, even if they did apply, it is very clear that we meet the Gunning Principles anyway. There are four of them:

1. The proposals should be at a formative stage – clearly they are, as we won’t finalise until 9 May.

2. There is sufficient information to give “intelligent consideration” – we have linked to our analysis and included a summary, so this is met.

3. There is adequate time for consideration and response – we have given five weeks, which is plenty in the context of the compressed timetables we’re working to.

4. “Conscientious consideration” must be given to the responses before a decision is made – we have timed the end of the survey to allow exactly this.

I think residents will need to ask themselves why Surrey County Council is so afraid of talking about this subject with residents. After all, they literally asked the government to do this (they chose to and did not have to).

I finish how I started – shame on you, SCC, and I urge residents to engage with the consultation that the Districts and Boroughs have provided (it is likely the only opportunity you will get if SCC get their way).

You can perhaps see the early signs of the SCC “commitment to localism” in their attitude to even talking to residents on this matter.