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 will work with other Surrey councils to submit a proposal for the creation of these new unitary councils.
What happens next?
Interim proposals for Surrey
The interim proposals for Surrey have been developed by Surrey County Council, borough and district leaders and Chief Executives, supported by officers across the county. The interim proposals are in two parts – part A and part B.
- Part A sets 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 is 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.
Tandridge and other Surrey district and borough views
The districts and boroughs proposal considers options for two and three unitary authorities across the county. At a special meeting of Full Council, our councillors supported the three unitary option.
The interim proposals were submitted to government on Friday 21 March. Work is now progressing on detailed business cases and public and stakeholder engagement to inform both options. There will be another special meeting of Full Council on 6 May to sign off the final proposals for submission by 9 May.
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.
Single unitary is ruled out
Surrey's county and district and borough council leaders have agreed not to propose a single unitary council for the entire county. Instead, they are considering two or three smaller unitary councils. The leaders are committed to working together towards submitting one joint proposal for Surrey.
Preferred unitary map
A majority of district and borough councils have expressed support for three unitaries. The map below shows the preferred combination of districts and boroughs for this option.
Potential three or two unitary councils
Below are maps showing some other options for what three or two unitary councils could look like.