Surrey councils to be reorganised
On 5 February, the government confirmed Surrey is among the first areas for local government reorganisation. The current two tier system, where services are split between Surrey County Council and district and borough councils like Tandridge, will be replaced with unitary councils, which handle all local services.
We have worked with other Surrey councils to submit a proposal for the creation of these new unitary councils.
Final proposal for Local Government Reorganisation in Surrey
We support creating three unitary councils to replace the current two-tier system of local government. The proposed three unitary councils would look like this:
| New unitary authority |
Former district and boroughs |
| East Surrey |
Tandridge, Epsom & Ewell, Mole Valley, Reigate & Banstead. |
| North Surrey |
Elmbridge, Runnymede, Spelthorne. |
| West Surrey |
Guildford, Surrey Heath, Waverley and Woking. |
Councillor approval
On Tuesday 6 May, at a special meeting of Full Council, district councillors agreed:
- To creating three unitary option, rather than the two being proposed by Surrey County Council.
- Any new unitary within the Surrey boundary should have three councillor wards, rather than two.
- It is not appropriate for Tandridge District residents to contribute towards resolving the debt incurred by other councils.
- To strongly oppose being part of any unitary arrangement with Crawley Borough Council and Reigate & Banstead Borough councils.
For more information, please read the final proposal. This proposal expands on the interim proposals submitted in March. It provides more in-depth information and financial detail and responding to specific feedback provided by the government on the interim proposals.
What happens next?
The proposal must be submitted to government by Friday 9 May 2025, along with other councils proposals, including Surrey County Council.
Over the summer, the government is expected to consult with Surrey partners on the proposals before making a final decision in early autumn. Work will then progress on implementation, with elections to the shadow authorities planned to take place in May 2026 and the new authorities going live in April 2027.
Background
Interim proposals for Surrey
Interim proposals for Surrey were submitted to government on Friday 21 March and we received feedback which informed our final proposal. The interim proposals, developed by Surrey County Council, borough and district leaders, Chief Executives and supported by officers across the county, were in two parts – part A and part B.
- Part A set out how the twelve councils in Surrey will work together as we progress through LGR and devolution. It also highlights opportunities facing residents and businesses across Surrey, and raises some topics that we would welcome further discussion with government on to ensure a smooth transition for any new arrangements.
- Part B was in two parts and sets out proposals for future reorganisation in Surrey. The first proposal has been developed by the districts and boroughs and considers options for two and three unitaries in Surrey. The second proposal has been developed by the county council and focuses on two unitaries, having discounted the single unitary option, and determining from their perspective that the three unitary option is unviable.
At a special meeting of Full Council on 18 March 2025, our councillors supported the three unitary option.
Single unitary is ruled out
In February 2025, Surrey's county and district and borough council leaders agreed not to propose a single unitary council for the entire county.