The District and Borough Councils of Surrey jointly identified the need to explore potential options for Local Government Reorganisation within the County, whilst assessing future opportunities for collaboration within existing structures.

Early in 2020, the County Council, independent of the District and Borough Councils, indicated it’s desire to explore options for Local Government Reorganisation within Surrey. The County Council expressed that a single unitary within Surrey was their preferred option. Central Government indicated that the Surrey proposals would not be agreed in the first wave of reorganisation. The District and Borough Councils were united in their opposition of one single unitary for Surrey.

• Councils are operating in a complex economic, political and policy landscape, with devolution and Local Government Reorganisation proposals being prepared throughout the country.
• National attention remains focussed on the impact of Covid, Brexit and climate change.
• Councils have ongoing challenges with the ‘levelling up’ agenda, health and social care integration, ongoing financial pressures and the need to deliver greater digitisation.
• Surrey are also facing a number of cross cutting challenges, including an ageing population, areas of economic decline, congestion, affordable housing, health inequalities and increasing demand for services.
• Councils must deliver quality service improvements for their local communities.

The following discussion document was prepared for the District and Borough Councils of Surrey to explore the ways forward.