Updated: South Middlesex Will Not Feature in the Name of the New West Surrey Council

Published on: 10 Oct, 2026
Updated on: 10 Oct, 2026

By Martin Giles

South Middlesex will not be included in the name of the new unitary authority for West Surrey.

It had been proposed that the new name should be “West Surrey and South Middlesex Council”.

The news came last night (October 9) when a letter received by the leader of the West Surrey Shadow Council from the Minister for Local Government was published on social media.

Updated with leader of the opposition’s comment below.

The Minister stated that “the Secretary of State has no role in a decision of a council to change its name…”

“On a practical point” the Minister noted that the necessary supplementary legislation for Surrey was unlikely to be until March 2027, too late for the Shadow council to make the necessary preparations, creating communication templates, ordering signage etc.

Then effectively passing the buck back to the Shadow council, the Minister concluded: “I do not consider changing the Structural Changes Order to be an appropriate route for changing a council’s name, especially as the advice I’ve received indicates that there is a more direct route for the council to take.

However, Paul Follows (Lib Dem, Godalming South, Milford & Witley), leader of West Surrey Shadow Council, appears to have interpreted the letter as the Government’s refusal to authorise the change, saying in a comment accompanying a copy of the letter on Facebook: “The change of name to include ‘South Middlesex’ has been denied.

Cllr Paul Follows

“I received this right at the end if the day today and I will draft a response over the weekend.”

The name change proposal was debated by the West Surrey Shadow Council in July and a motion to propose the change to West Surrey and South Middlesex Council, supported by a majority of shadow councillors including those from Spelthorne, a borough historically in Middlesex, was passed.

Cllr Follows was asked about the proposed name change by The Dragon in an interview in September. He did not deny that the proposal was agreed to by him in return for promises of support in the leadership election, in May, from councillors wishing the name change to be effected.

Considering the opposition the proposed name change has faced in some quarters, it is thought that the Government’s “denial” might be a relief to the Lib Dem leadership and seen as a convenient way out.

Cllr Jane Austin

Jane Austin (Con, Waverley Eastern Villages) leader of the opposition in the Shadow council commented: “The Lib Dem leader may well be relieved by the minister’s response, as while we recognise this is an important issue for some residents in the Spelthorne area, many people across the other five boroughs have struggled to understand why the Lib Dem administration was pursuing a name change in the first place – and why this was being prioritised over tackling council debt and ensuring the successful transfer of vital public services.

“The minister’s letter raises serious questions about why the proposal was advanced before establishing the legal basis for doing so, and without giving residents a proper opportunity to have their say.

“West Surrey Conservatives maintain that any decision affecting the identity of West Surrey must be based on clear legal advice, proper scrutiny, a full understanding of the costs and meaningful public consultation.”