About devolution and Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)

Our vision for Surrey

Surrey is a place of thriving communities and businesses, creative heritage in the arts and, of course, beautiful countryside. It is undeniably a brilliant place to live, work, learn and visit. But for some, life can be challenging. That is why we need more affordable and better local government for the people of Surrey. We need to simplify the system, save money and improve engagement with local communities to ultimately improve lives.

In recent years we’ve seen rapid increases in service demand, challenges for the national economy and changes to our climate, alongside a reduction in funding. Our plan for two unitary councils, with a Mayor, will create stronger, simpler and more sustainable local government to give Surrey an even brighter future.

How local government is structured now

There are changes coming to Surrey through devolution and Local Government Reorganisation. Before we explain these, let’s look at how Surrey is currently structured.

Surrey has a two-tier system of local government: the county council and 11 district and borough councils. The county council is responsible for services such as adult social care and childrens services across the county, whereas the districts and boroughs provide services in their area. Some functions are shared between county and district.

Find out more about the responsibilities of each type of council on our county, district and parish council functions page.

What is devolution?

Last December 2024, central government published a  paper to set out its approach on  devolution – transferring more powers from government to local or regional authorities.

They proposed that each area should elect Mayors where they don’t currently have them – like Surrey. This approach means that additional power is given to Mayor and local government who know their areas best, giving them more control over decision making and implementation of services.

What is local government reorganisation?

To unlock the devolution of further local powers and elect a Mayor, some areas need to reorganise first. This means creating unitary councils to simplify and streamline local government. This includes us in Surrey.

Unitary councils are responsible for the services currently delivered by the county council and district and borough councils. In Surrey, there are twelve councils in total, so this would mean dissolving all of the existing councils and combining services in to two or three unitary councils. Having fewer councils creates efficiency, clarifies service delivery and saves money.

A Strategic Authority needs to work with multiple unitary authorities, so we can’t just combine all the current councils in Surrey into one.

The government confirmed that Surrey would be part of the first wave of devolution, along with other areas like Sussex, Essex and Hampshire. This was so we could get the benefits of devolution quicker for Surrey residents and businesses. However, we need to reorganise first as we don’t currently have unitary councils. Government asked Surrey for proposals on how it could reorganise by May 2025.

Final plan submitted to government

Surrey County Council, Elmbridge Borough Council and Mole Valley District Council submitted a final plan to government for devolution and Local Government Reorganisation in Surrey.

This sets out a proposal to split Surrey into two councils, East and West, replacing the current 12 councils. These two councils would also work with an elected Mayor who would create a new Strategic Authority covering the county of Surrey.

We’ve analysed a wide range of data on how the two councils would operate and our approach is supported by many of Surrey’s key public sector organisations including health, police, fire, business and community leaders. Existing county council services across Surrey are proven by independent inspectors to be strong, with successful outcomes for residents, and Surrey County Council and many of the district and borough councils have stable finances. This puts us in a good position to see Surrey through reorganisation smoothly.

Government is also considering a different proposal from some other district and borough councils, to reorganise Surrey into three unitary councils. You can read both proposals on our plans page.

Why two councils is best

There's a number of reasons why we think this arrangement is best for Surrey residents and businesses:

• It saves money and offers better value for tax payers, with stable finances to protect vital services.
• It simplifies services, delivering everything residents need to a high quality, with fewer points of contact and reduced confusion about which council does what.
• It will strengthen our local communities by connecting people through Neighbourhood Area Committees in towns and villages.

The Strategic Authority and the new unitary councils will each have clear responsibilities to ensure services are delivered effectively across Surrey.

Strategic Authority

This will have an elected Mayor for the whole of Surrey, with some key services: Economic development, Housing, Health improvement and inequalities, Public safety including Fire and Rescue, Skills and Employment, Strategic planning and Transport.

Unitary Councils

All remaining county council and district and borough services.

Next steps

Now government has received plans for reorganisation in Surrey, they will decide on which option to take forward by the autumn. We will then be working together with all councils in Surrey to make this happen, gearing up for elections to the new unitary councils in May 2026.

How services will change

We will continue to deliver our services as normal during this period of change. Local Government Reorganisation has taken place in several areas in the last decade, including Dorset, Cumbria, Northamptonshire and Wiltshire. We are talking to colleagues in other parts of the country to learn from their experiences and ensure a smooth transition.

Working at Surrey County Council

Staff at councils in Surrey are being kept updated on plans and what this means for them, and most will move over to the new unitary councils in April 2027.

This is an exciting time to work in local government. If you’re interested in working for Surrey County Council but not sure how Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation would impact your employment, check out our information for applicants.

Stay updated

We have a number of ways you can keep up to date on the changes in Surrey and ask questions:

• Sign up to our Surrey Matters newsletter
• Follow us on our social media accounts where we interact with residents and share the latest updates
• Visit our website has all the latest on the changes and all our services
• Speak to staff at your local library or our contact centre
• Through your local council communications channels
• Ask a question by email devolutionandlgr@surreycc.gov.uk