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Economic growth, housing and infrastructure delivery
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- New unitary authorities that align local government boundaries with Surrey’s three distinct economic clusters, creating the conditions for economic growth and strong place-based leadership.
- Improved housing delivery through integrating decisions on infrastructure investment and local planning.
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Devolution
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- The creation of strong, sustainable unitary councils that cover Surrey’s three functional economic areas and are well placed to take the lead on the government’s devolution agenda.
- An appropriate balance of unitary authorities and effective representation within the future Mayoral Strategic Authority, ensuring the benefits of devolution are equitably felt.
- Alongside the new Mayor and Mayoral Strategic Authority, the new councils will leverage their powers and local place leadership to achieve the government’s ambitions for devolution through enhancing strategic planning, infrastructure investment, economic development and employment support.
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Values and advocates for Surrey’s unique local identities and places
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- Unitary authority boundaries that align with local identity and that address the specific challenges and opportunities faced by each of Surrey’s communities.
- The maintenance of strong local connections and decision making, heightening responsiveness and accountability.
- Alignment of new unitary population numbers and boundaries with Surrey’s distinct places.
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Strong democratic accountability, representation and community empowerment.
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- New unitary authorities that, through being close to the communities they serve, enhance local connections, accountability and community empowerment.
- Strong and effective local place leadership and accountability, with clarity on decision making and an appropriate ratio of electors to elected councillors.
- Strengthening the local voice through meaningful local engagement and deliberative decision-making.
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Financial efficiency, resilience and the ability to withstand financial shocks
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- Through reducing duplication and increasing economies of scale, improve financial performance and value for money from one-off and ongoing savings.
- Further financial benefits from service transformation opportunities arising from unitarisation.
- To create authorities of the right size to balance important considerations of financial efficiency with serving populations that align with Surrey’s distinct local identities.
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High-quality, innovative sustainable public services
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- Integrate upper- and lower-tier services, as well as those provided at the Mayoral Strategic Authority level, to provide holistic, needs based services that improve outcomes for Surrey’s communities.
- Minimised disruption to key services as we go through LGR, including adults’ and children’s social care.
- Public sector service delivery transformation that improves outcomes for Surrey’s residents, including innovative models for delivering services now and in the future.
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