Surrey ‘taken for granted’ as Government ignore county in levelling up proposals

Councillors say Surrey is being “taken for granted” by the Government as it is largely ignored in their levelling up proposals.

The long-awaited levelling up white paper published on Wednesday (February 2) invites nine areas of England to start formal negotiations to agree new county deals taking on devolved powers – but Surrey is not one of them.

Surrey County Council leader Tim Oliver had asked for a deal that included extra funding to cut car dependency, keeping all business rates raised in Surrey in the county, and taking over Local Enterprise Partnership functions and funding supporting businesses and promoting skills and apprenticeships.

Will Forster, the Liberal Democrat group leader on the county council, said it was “clearly deeply embarrassing” that “Despite the fact they are meant to have the ear of ministers, the Surrey Tories were ignored by the government.”

He said: “Although I am pleased Surrey is not getting the county deal proposed by the county council he regards it as a ‘power grab’, I do worry this issue has shown that Surrey is taken for granted by both the Conservatives and the Government.

“At the last general election Surrey elected 11 Tory MPs, two of which are in the Cabinet and yet local people have nothing to show for it.”

The areas invited for a county deal are Cornwall; Derbyshire and Derby; Devon, Plymouth and Torbay; Durham; Hull and East Yorkshire; Leicestershire; Norfolk; Nottinghamshire and Nottingham; and Suffolk.

Cllr Oliver said: “There’s nothing directly for Surrey just at the moment” but he is optimistic its turn would come.

He said: “While we are not one of the first pilot areas, we will take note of progress and continue discussions with other areas and government to ensure that we are in a position to grasp any future opportunities that will have a positive impact for Surrey.

“County deals are a positive step in enabling authorities like ours to deliver solutions to those issues including the climate emergency and the cost and quality of social care, and we would encourage the government to roll out county deals to further areas as soon as possible, alongside appropriate funding and support.

“It is also important to recognise that levelling-up must happen within local areas, rather than simply through a national lens, and that the national agenda does not come at the expense of places like Surrey.”

The white paper recognises that while talent is spread equally across the country, opportunity is not, and it seeks to address the imbalance in prosperity and health outcomes between regions.

Surrey may not be a top priority in terms of tackling regional inequality, with the healthy life expectancy of a girl born there today nearly 15 years longer (71.2 years) than a girl born in Sunderland (56.5 years), according to 2018 ONS data.

Michael Gove, the secretary of state leading the aspiration – himself a Surrey MP – has used Surrey as an example for other areas to aspire to when levelling up the country.

However Surrey has its own inequalities within the county, and the relative high standard of living increases the cost of living for struggling families.

This prompted the council last week to advocate the use of an appropriate living wage specific to Surrey.

Even within Surrey there is huge variation of healthy life expectancy – as much as 12.6 years difference between wards such Hinchley Wood and Weston Green in Elmbridge (76.3 years) and Stanwell North in Spelthorne (63.7 years).

Although even the lower end is higher than the UK average for a woman of 63.6 years.

Surrey did not appear to fare particularly well in the initial plans outlined in the Government’s white paper.

Elsewhere in the South East region there are road upgrades and rail improvements, such as £20m to reduce journey times on the Brighton Main Line.

None of the 101 towns across England receiving £2.4bn from the Towns Fund – to boost the local economy, create jobs and transform public spaces – are in Surrey, though other South East towns like Crawley, Hastings, Margate, Milton Keynes and Newhaven will benefit.

The only project mentioned for Surrey is Project Gigabit, which is the government’s £5 billion mission to bring gigabit capable broadband to 85 per cent of the UK by 2025, and Surrey is in phase two.

Gigabit broadband coverage in the South East increased from eight per cent in November 2019 to 66 per cent in January 2022, and is forecast to reach 70-80 per cent by 2025.

Lib Dem Mole Valley district councillor Paul Kennedy tweeted: “What’s in the Govt’s much-trumpeted “Levelling Up” agenda for Surrey? Basically NOTHING.

“Tory MPs taking Surrey residents for granted yet again.

“The single dot on their map showing plans for the South East is for the so-called Gigabit project which is for everyone else as well!”

Dorking resident Paul Elderton tweeted: “Are you trying to convince me that there is as much need for help in Mole Valley, Surrey as in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire? Have you ever met poverty?”

Cllr Kennedy replied: “No. Yes. Surrey may not need as much help as Stoke, but there is plenty of poverty here too.”

Before the start of the pandemic, just over 10.7 per cent of all households in Surrey – including nearly 20,000 children – were experiencing relative poverty, with an annual income of less than £20,000.