Foreword

This document sets out our shared vision for the future of local government in Surrey. We have worked together, across the county, across councils, and across the political spectrum, to develop a proposal that delivers the best outcome for the people and businesses of Surrey.

Our objective has been to pull together a proposal that will drive economic growth, deliver housing, and improve value for money, while respecting our residents’ stated desire for a set of councils that recognise local identities, and are close enough to communities to enable the place-based solutions that are so critical to delivering best value.

Our proposal paves the way for the creation of a Mayoral Strategic Authority for Surrey, led by an elected Mayor of Surrey who will work alongside local leaders to support a strategic and coordinated vision across the county, opening up the opportunities to take advantage of the Government's devolution offer to further improve outcomes for the residents and businesses of Surrey.

Underpinning our proposal is the assumption that Surrey’s stranded debt, mainly related to Woking Borough Council, will be addressed to enable a successful transition to the new, unitary framework.

Our proposal outlines six essential principles for local government reorganisation, ensuring that it:

• Supports economic growth, housing and infrastructure delivery.
• Unlocks devolution.
• Values and advocates for Surrey’s unique local identities and places.
• Provides strong democratic accountability, representation and community empowerment.
• Secures financial efficiency, resilience and the ability to withstand financial shocks.
• Delivers high-quality, innovative and sustainable public services that are responsive to local need and enable wider public sector reform.

Having robustly and comprehensively considered each of these principles, we have concluded that three unitary authorities is the best configuration for Surrey.

These new councils, East Surrey, West Surrey and North Surrey, are more than just lines on a map. They reflect the county’s real economic and human geography. They reflect the lived reality of our residents, and the practical considerations of our businesses.

Surrey’s residents also told us that they overwhelmingly supported the creation of three unitary authorities by more than a 3:1 ratio.

When we examined the evidence, we found that two unitary authorities would be remote from the communities they serve, disconnected from residents and partners, reactive in service delivery, and reliant on outdated means of engagement to overcome a significant democratic deficit.

But the impact is greater than just identity. There is no two-unitary option for Surrey that would not divide and fragment the county’s recognised three functional economic areas, baking in strategic inconsistency and economic incoherence from the start, and so significantly hindering economic growth.

We acknowledge the risks of change, particularly in statutory services for children and adults, whilst noting the status quo is not delivering for service users consistently or council taxpayers efficiently. Our approach will be to continue our positive collaboration to manage these risks by changing step-by-step incrementally, leveraging economies of scale and scope through shared services where it makes sense, whilst eliminating waste and directing resources to the frontline service providers locally in our communities.

This proposal offers the chance to redesign not only how services are delivered by local authorities, but also to achieve the best outcomes for residents - working together with our partners across the county. It places local leaders in Surrey in the strongest possible position to deliver on the government’s national mission for growth, empower local people, and deliver high-quality, innovative public services.

This is just the beginning. We look forward to continuing to work together to improve local government in Surrey.