Political group leaders of Reigate & Banstead Borough Council jointly respond to Government confirmation that Surrey County Council elections will be delayed to allow local government reorganisation plans to be developed

In December 2024 the Government published a White Paper with proposals to change the way local government is organised, including creating new unitary councils in areas where local government is split between two tiers: county councils and district, or borough councils. White papers are policy documents produced by the Government that set out their proposals for future legislation.

The Government has confirmed that councils in two-tier areas, including all those in Surrey, are formally invited to submit an interim plan for replacement unitary authorities by 21 March 2025, and full proposals by 9 May.

Cllr Richard Biggs, Leader of Reigate & Banstead Borough Council and speaking on behalf of all the group leaders said, “The ambitions for devolution and reorganisation set out in the Government’s White Paper will see the biggest shake up of local government for fifty years. Decisions that are taken over the coming months will impact our long-term future and those of future generations.

“Whilst we accept that unitary and mayoral strategic authorities are the way local government will be organised, across the political spectrum we have concerns about the timeline in Surrey given the great deal of uncertainty about how local authority debt will be managed.

“With our residents’ support, we’ve worked incredibly hard to ensure Reigate & Banstead Borough Council has no debt and that we provide many services over and above statutory requirements, such as working with the NHS on preventative services, provision of community centres and building our own social housing.

“Our view remains that plans should not support any restructuring of local government boundaries based on ‘redistributing’ the debt of other authorities.

“However, in light of the minister’s decision, we will move together at pace to do this in a way that best serves our residents and encourages our local communities to continue to thrive. Our priority throughout this process will be to get the best possible outcome for residents and business in our borough.”

We anticipate that elections for new unitary authorities will take place in May 2026. All existing councils will continue in parallel with the new unitary council running as a shadow authority for a year until May 2027 when it will formally become the sole authority.

ENDS

Notes

• This statement is on behalf of all the group leaders of Reigate & Banstead Borough Council:

Cllr Richard Biggs
Leader of Reigate & Banstead Borough Council and Conservative Party Group Leader

Cllr Jonathan Essex
Green Party Group Leader

Cllr Nick Harrison
Residents’ Association Group Leader

Cllr Steve Kulka
Liberal Democrats Group Leader

Cllr Mark Smith
Labour Party Group Leader

• The English Devolution White Paper sets out the Government’s proposals for significant changes to how local government is structured and its overarching vision for widening Devolution in England.

• Devolution will enable the transfer of powers and funding from national (or central) to local government, to be passed as law through an English Devolution Bill.
   
• The White Paper proposes the creation of new Strategic Authorities consisting of councils working together supporting populations of 1.5 million residents or more and creating more Mayoral Strategic Authorities in areas that don’t currently have one.
   
• The current two-tier structure of local government will be replaced with larger unitary councils of populations of around 500,000.