Surrey MP welcomes new council structure
Woking MP Will Forster says that he is hopeful the new council structure can provide a more streamlined service
Surrey will be divided into two unitary councils, it has been announced, after the Government made its first major decision on local government reorganisation.
The County Council together with its 11 boroughs and districts will be dissolved and merged into two mega authorities
Waverley, Guildford, Woking, Surrey Heath, Runnymede and Spelthorne will form West Surrey Council
While Mole Valley, Elmbridge, Epsom and Ewell, Reigate and Banstead, and Tandridge will become East Surrey Council
Local elections will take place next year to appoint shadow positions for the new councils.
Throughout 2026, the two new councils will operate in unison with the existing ones, before fully taking over. It's expected that the two new councils will be in operation by April 2027.
Woking MP Will Forster says that he is pleased to see clarity surrounding the situation.
"I'm really pleased the government today have done have announced what local government is going to look like in Surrey. We've had a lot of speculation, a lot of uncertainty and I'm pleased that sort of confirmation and clarity has been given."
He explained using a local example, as to how the new system could potentially provide a more streamlined service for residents.
"It will be smaller, more streamlined, that will be better for our residents. They'll they'll avoid the confusion of do I go to Woking Borough Council or Surrey County Council for what services?
At the moment, Woking Borough Council collects the rubbish from people's bins outside their houses and Surrey County Council burns it in incinerators or recycles it. That completely disjointed approach I don't think is sensible.
So having unitary authorities is is a good move, but there's a lot of work to to be done to ensure these councils can be up and running in a couple of years time."
Another part of the announcement was Woking receiving a debt write-off of half a billion pounds. Something that Will Forster says residents will notice.
"Since being elected as Woking's MP, I've been campaigning for debt write off to ensure that we've got a council that isn't overwhelmed by the the burden of historic debt. The government has actually done something quite historic. They've never once written off any debt for one local authority.
It means that my constituents aren't overwhelmed by higher council taxes, cutting services and Woking can pass the baton on to a new council with without being overwhelmed by that debt."
However, Forster emphasised that this far from the end of potential council-related debt problems.
Three of the councils merging to form West Surrey Council, are in the top ten nationally for debt per resident, according to recent figures (Woking, Runnymede and Spelthorne).
Forster says that he was concerned of West Surrey council being bankrupt on day one.
"If councils are spending so much money on debt repayments, they can't possibly hope to deliver the services we need and we don't want a council that's bankrupt on day one.
So although the government has done something quite historic by writing off debt following our request, I think they do need to go further."