Published Friday, 21st March 2025

At the Extraordinary Full Council meeting on Wednesday 19 March, councillors were asked to consider the Interim Plan for local government reorganisation developed by Surrey authorities.

The plan outlines financial and non-financial considerations around the creation of two options for the future of governance in the county.

Borough councillors across all political parties unanimously agreed a preference for a three unitary council model in Surrey.

The Interim Plan is in response to plans outlined in the Government’s White Paper, December 2024, to radically change the way local government is organised. Councils in two tier areas (including all those in Surrey) have been formally invited to submit an Interim Plan for replacement unitary authorities by 21 March 2025 and a full proposal by 9 May.

The interim proposal is in two parts – part A and part B:

  • Part A sets out how Surrey County Council and the district and borough councils are working together to progress local government reorganisation, following the directive from the Government.
  • Part B includes:
    • 1) a reorganisation proposal drawn up by the districts and boroughs, and
    • 2) a proposal drawn up by Surrey County Council. Both discuss the advantages and disadvantages of different options.

In February, the leaders of Surrey’s 11 district and borough councils and the Leader of Surrey County Council ruled out proposing a single unitary authority for the whole of Surrey. 

A final proposal will now be developed and submitted to Government by 9 May. The Government is expected to make its decision on future local government structures in Surrey in the autumn.

Seeking collaboration outside of the country boundaries to maximise growth

In tandem to this work, Reigate & Banstead Borough Council continues to pursue collaboration with Crawley Borough Council and has today submitted a joint letter to the Minister for Local Government and English Devolution asking for his support to further explore opportunities outside of the existing county boundaries.

The letter outlines the significance of the £13.2 billion economy across Reigate & Banstead and Crawley. This economic area, the largest in the sub-region, needs to be recognised within the devolution and local government reorganisation agendas to maximise the economic growth potential of the already successful Gatwick Diamond economic area. The letter also highlights some key public service considerations that the traditional historic county boundaries of Surrey and Sussex do not take account of. 

Cllr Richard Biggs, Leader of Reigate & Banstead Borough Council, said: “This is such a fundamental change to local government that it is critical we get it right for our residents and businesses.

“We are united in strongly asserting that a three unitary authority option will achieve a better balance of delivery efficiency for our residents whilst maintaining strong local connections and identities.

“But beyond that, we are we are eager to explore all potential possibilities to fully maximise local economic growth in the surrounding area. This is a once in a generation opportunity."

We will be engaging with residents in the coming weeks to help inform our final proposal submission.

More information

To find out more see the Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) and Devolution page.