Angela Rayner, Deputy Prime Minister, announced today that county council elections scheduled for May in Surrey, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Sussex and Hampshire will be postponed.
The reason she gave that it would be an "expensive and irresponsible waste of taxpayers money" to hold elections to bodies that won’t exist. This is a reference to the government’s expectation that Surrey and these other county councils will by 2027 have converted to unitary authorities, i.e. the unitary authorities will have taken over the responsibilities and powers both of the county councils and of the borough and district councils within each county.
The outline timetable for Surrey County Council is, so far as we are aware, that Surrey CC must submit its proposals for the creation of one or more unitary authorities by the end of April this year. The government will evaluate these proposals during May and June and then consult with the existing borough and district councils in Surrey (including Elmbridge). In the Autumn the government will make a decision and if that decision is to proceed with the proposals then the statutory process to establish the new authority or authorities will begin. In that event it is anticipated that elections to the new “shadow” authority or authorities will take place in May 2026 with the aim of them going live in Spring 2027, replacing Surrey County Council and replacing also the 11 borough and district councils in Surrey under the current two-tier system of local government.
We have referred to “authority or authorities” as we believe it likely that the county of Surrey will be divided into two or maybe three unitary authorities which co-operate as “combined” authorities. We have to await more information about the proposals being worked on by Surrey County Council.
As regards elections to Elmbridge Borough Council, the next scheduled elections are for May 2026. We have no information at the moment as to whether or how those elections will be impacted.
We will continue to monitor this evolving situation and keep you updated as it develops.
Weybridge & St. George's Independents
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