From: Weybridge Independents <weybridgeindependents@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 8 Jan 2025 at 17:14
Subject: UPDATE: Local Government Reform. Implications for Surrey.
Dear Subscriber,
We emailed you on Monday about the proposal by Surrey Council to apply to the government for unitary authority status and to seek the postponement of the County Council elections scheduled for this May. We attached to that email a copy of a draft letter from Surrey CC to the government which was to be considered by the full Council.
Surrey County Council held a meeting this morning to consider that draft letter and after lengthy debate the proposal was put to the vote and the motion was carried by a majority vote (42 for; 22 against; and 6 abstentions).
It was generally recognised that this local government reorganisation will happen come what may in accordance with government policy and the main issues upon which there were differences of views were the speed with which the change should occur and, linked with this, whether the County Council elections scheduled for May should be postponed.
The draft letter requests that Surrey's application be fast tracked with the aim of new authority elections in 2026, in which case the May 2025 elections almost certainly would be postponed. If fast track approval is not granted by the end of March this year then there would be a little more time for consideration of and consultation upon options available and upon various key issues in which event the May elections would take place as scheduled. There was a general view that there would be certain perceived benefits to be gained in "going early" and these appeared to be significant factors in the minds of the majority Surrey councillors who voted for it.
This will be a fast moving situation and we will continue to update you on progress and events as they arise. We expect work to begin immediately in preparation for a detailed set of proposals to go to the government either by
the end of May if the government postpones the May elections, or by the end of September if the application is not fast tracked and elections are held as originally planned this May.
We'll post the letter from SCC to the government on our website once it has been issued later this week.
Kind regards
Weybridge & St. George's Independents
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