Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) in Surrey

Introduction

Residents are being asked for their views on plans for the reorganisation of councils in Surrey as part of a government consultation. The Government wants areas like Surrey to become Strategic Authorities - led by an elected Mayor. To do this, Surrey must first reorganise into unitary councils, which combine county and district and borough services into a single level of government.

This will be the most significant reorganisation of local government in Surrey for 50 years. The government says that ‘it wants local government to be as efficient and effective as possible and that unitary councils will be able to deliver on local priorities and improve outcomes for local people'. Surrey is the first area to have their proposals put to a government consultation since the publication of The English Devolution White Paper in December 2024.

Click to Respond to the Government's Consultation

Consultation ends on 5 August 2025

Background

Stage One: Devolution White Paper

On the 16th December 2024 the government published The English Devolution White Paper – Power and Partnership: Foundations for Growth. The paper sets out a framework for the most significant reorganisation of its local government in 50 years, and promises stronger community engagement and a rewiring of the relationship between Town and Parish Councils and Principal Local Authorities.

Stage Two: Submission of Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) Proposals

At the start of February 2025 the Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution issued a statutory invitation to all Borough, District and County Councils in Surrey to develop proposals which will bring together lower and upper tier local government services into new unitary councils. In other words, the current structure of District, Borough, and County Councils will be abolished, with powers transferred to a small number of Unitary Authorities. Surrey County Council and the 11 Borough and District Councils submitted their final proposals on the 9th May 2025.

Surrey County Council, along with Elmbridge Borough Council and Mole Valley District Council, are proposing two unitary councils:

West Surrey (Guildford, Runnymede, Spelthorne, Surrey Heath, Waverley, Woking)
East Surrey (Elmbridge, Epsom and Ewell, Mole Valley, Reigate and Banstead, Tandridge)

CLICK TO READ THE PROPOSAL FOR TWO UNITARIES

Guildford Borough Council, along with Epsom and Ewell, Reigate and Banstead, Runnymede, Spelthorne, Surrey Heath, Waverley and Woking Borough Councils, and Tandridge District Council, are proposing three unitary councils:

East Surrey (Epsom and Ewell, Mole Valley, Reigate and Banstead, and Tandridge)
North Surrey (Elmbridge, Runnymede, and Spelthorne)
West Surrey (Guildford, Surrey Heath, Waverley, and Woking)

CLICK TO READ THE PROPOSAL FOR THREE UNITARIES

Stage Three: Government Consultation on the Proposals

Government is now conducting a seven-week statutory consultation on Proposals for local government reorganisation in Surrey – GOV.UK. This statutory consultation seeks views of:

the councils which made the proposals
other councils affected by the proposals, including councils in neighbouring areas
public service providers, including health providers and the police
other business, voluntary and community sector and educational bodies
any other persons or bodies interested in these proposals, including local residents, town and parish councils, businesses and the voluntary and community sector

The consultation will last for seven weeks, from 17 June to 5 August 2025.

Proposals for two unitaries are supported by Surrey County Council

Proposals for three unitaries are supported by Guildford Borough Council

Community Forum on Local Government Reorganisation in Surrey

West Horsley Parish Council is hosting a Community Forum on Local Government Reorganisation in Surrey on Thursday 17 July at West Horsley Village Hall. Residents of West and East Horsley, and neighbouring parishes, are invited to attend. We will be joined by our Surrey County Councillor Dennis Booth and Guildford Borough Councillor Joss Bigmore. The aim is to encourage as many residents as possible to respond to the consultation by clearly setting out the pros and cons of each proposal.

Attendance at the Community Forum is free, however seats are limited so we ask you to pre-book at www.ticketsource.co.uk/westhorsleypc. You are also welcome to submit questions for the panel in advance. These can be emailed to the Clerk at clerk@westhorsley-pc.gov.uk (deadline is 5pm on 13 July).

CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS ON THE COMMUNITY FORUM

Further Information

There are a number of valuable sources of information on the Local Government Reorganisation, including:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/local-government-reorganisation-in-surrey/proposals-for-local-government-reorganisation-in-surrey

https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/lgr

https://www.surreylgrhub.org/

How to respond to the Government's Consultation on LGR in Surrey

Online

https://consult.communities.gov.uk/local-government-reorganisation/surrey/

Email

lgreorganisation@communities.gov.uk

Post

LGR Consultation

Fry Building 2NE

Ministry of Housing

Communities and Local Government

2 Marsham Street

London SW1P 4DF