Local Government Reorganisation

An extraordinary council meeting was held on Thursday 6 February following the Government's announcement that Surrey would be part of the first wave of Local Government Reorganisation and the cancellation of the Surrey County Council elections planned for May.

Local government reorganisation involves restructuring local authorities to form unitary councils. This means that the Surrey councils will be merged into one, two or three new authorities and that Spelthorne Borough Council as a sovereign authority will cease to exist within three years. Under the plans, the Government is aiming for new unitary councils to cover areas with populations of 500,000 or more.

The Council meeting included lengthy discussions on the preferred number of unitary authorities for Surrey and their possible configuration. After a vote, the following was agreed:

• The preference is for Surrey to be represented by three unitary authorities, with Spelthorne joining Runnymede and Elmbridge Councils, along with the functions transferred from Surrey County Council
• If the Government determine that Surrey is only able to have two unitary authorities, the preference is for Spelthorne to join with Runnymede, Surrey Heath, Woking, Guildford and Waverley Councils, along with the functions transferred from Surrey County Council
• Terms of reference were agreed for a Councillors Board

Leader of Spelthorne Borough Council, Cllr Joanne Sexton, said: "This meeting was an opportunity for councillors to come together to discuss this very significant change and agree the Council's preferred structure. There is clearly an awful lot of work to be done in the coming months, working together with the other Surrey authorities. We are firmly focused on representing the interests of this Borough and be assured we will do everything within our power to deliver the best possible outcome for Spelthorne's residents and businesses.

To read the agenda and background papers issued prior to the meeting, visit https://democracy.spelthorne.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=133&MId=4811

To find out more about Local Government Reorganisation, visit The devolution and LG reorganisation hub | Local Government Association