Devolution & Local Government Reorganisation

Overview

On 16 December 2024, central Government published its English Devolution White Paper (Gov.UK).

The White Paper outlined plans to create unitary councils in areas – like Surrey – that currently have a ‘two tier’ system of district/borough councils and a county council.

It also proposed more Mayoral Strategic Authorities in areas such as Surrey that don’t currently have one. These groupings of unitary councils, once set up, will have powers transferred to them from Government for things like strategic planning, transport, infrastructure, and economic development and skills.

Currently in Surrey responsibilities for delivering services are split across a range of councils. These are sometimes referred to as tiers of local government. Local councillors are elected to these different council tiers.

Surrey has a two-tier council system, with different services being delivered by the borough and district councils (such as Mole Valley District Council) and Surrey County Council.

The Government wants to see a new ‘single-tier’ system in Surrey with a far smaller number of unitary councils each delivering all the local council services.

When the new unitary council comes in, local district and borough councils such as Mole Valley District Council will be abolished following a short transition period when the two councils will operate at the same time.

The Government has indicated that it expects unitary councils to have a population of around 500,000 or more. This means that it is most likely that we will see two or three unitary authorities across Surrey, each covering a much larger area than current borough and district councils do.

We don’t yet know the final boundaries of these new unitary authorities.

In the future, a new Strategic Authority will be set up as well, covering several unitary areas and with a directly elected Mayor.

On 5 February 2025, the Government confirmed that Surrey will be on an accelerated local government reorganisation programme.

Collectively, the 11 Surrey district and borough councils, and Surrey County Council, have been asked to submit interim plans for reorganisation to Government by 21 March 2025, and final plans by 9 May 2025. These plans will need to include proposals for boundaries, how services will be provided in the future, and what will happen to the debt some districts and boroughs currently hold.

The Government will then review these plans, undertake public consultation and decide what changes will take place and when.

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 unitary councils across the area.

Next Steps

Mole Valley District Council is committed to working with its neighbouring authorities to develop plans for local government reorganisation that prioritise the interests of residents and businesses. Senior officers and councillors are working together to consider different options and submit proposals to Government.

Local engagement with residents will be part of this process. At the same time, we will work hard to ensure that we continue to deliver high quality local services.

Potential Timetable Moving Forwards

  • 21 March 2025 – Interim plans submitted to Government
  • 9 May 2025 – Full proposals submitted to Government
  • May – September 2025 – Review of proposals
  • September – December 2025 – Government decision to implement proposals. Legislation (law) passed to allow changes, if approved.
  • May 2026 – Elections to shadow unitary councils
  • May 2026 – May 2027 – Shadow unitary authority exists alongside district and borough councils

FAQs

Devolution is the transfer of powers and funding from national to local government. It helps ensure that more decisions are made locally, closer to the communities and businesses they affect.

More information about devolution and local government reorganisation is available at the Local Government Association website.

Reorganisation will create new unitary authorities in the area currently served by Surrey County Council and the 11 existing district and borough councils. The expectation is that these will eventually become part of a larger Mayoral Strategic Authority potentially covering the existing area covered by Surrey County Council, or a larger area.

The Government wants to devolve more powers from national to local government. To achieve this, the way local government is currently structured and organised needs to change with county and district/borough councils being replaced with larger unitary authorities. The government has indicated that for most areas this will mean creating councils with a population of 500,000 or more, but there may be exceptions for areas.

In Surrey, newly formed unitary authorities, rather than the 11 district and borough councils and the county council will deliver all services to residents. Counties which have county and district/borough councils, like Surrey, have been invited by government to submit initial proposals for becoming unitary authorities by 21 March, with full proposals submitted by 9 May. Central government will ultimately decide how local government will be structured in Surrey.

This is still to be discussed and agreed between the current county and district/borough councils in Surrey and central government. The geographical split of the areas served by the new unitary authorities and number of unitaries is still to be determined, but it is likely to be made up of two or three unitary authorities.

The Devolution Priority Programme (DPP) is for areas who want to move towards devolution as quickly as possible.

Surrey was not named by the government on 5 February 2025 as one of the six areas accepted onto the DPP, but the Government have postponed Surrey County Council elections in May 2025 to help ‘speed up reorganisation and deliver the local ambitions for devolution with the benefits it will bring.’

The government has said that they intend to deliver new unitary authorities included in the DPP by April 2027, and remaining unitary authorities by April 2028.

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