Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) and Devolution

Local Government is changing in Surrey

Update: Government confirms two-unitary model for Surrey

On 28 October 2025, the Government confirmed its final decision on the future of local government in Surrey, approving a move to a two-unitary model.

This means that, from April 2027, the current county, district, and borough councils will be replaced by two new unitary authorities, East Surrey and West Surrey, responsible for all local services.

What this means

• A newly established East Surrey unitary will replace the geographic area of Reigate & Banstead as well as Elmbridge, Epsom and Ewell, Mole Valley and Tandridge councils; and a West Surrey unitary will replace the geographic areas of Guildford, Runnymede, Spelthorne, Surrey Heath, Waverley and Woking councils.
• The two new councils will each deliver the full range of local government services (replacing the two-tier system of district/borough councils and a county council that is currently in place in Surrey).
• The change aims to simplify local governance, reduce duplication, and strengthen community accountability.
• Existing councils will continue to provide these services during a transition period. Residents of Reigate & Banstead will continue to have their services delivered by us until further notice.

Next steps

• Implementation work will begin to prepare for this transition and to make sure that there is no interruption in service delivery during this process.
• Elections for the new unitary councils are expected in May 2026, with full handover by April 2027.
• Residents will be provided with full details of changes in due course.

In the future, we are expecting a new Strategic Authority will be set up as well, covering several unitary areas and with a directly elected Mayor.

The Government has published more information about the process on their website: Summary of the local government reorganisation process (Gov.UK)

On 16 December 2024, central Government published its English Devolution White Paper (Gov.UK).

The White Paper outlined plans to create unitary councils in areas - like Surrey - that currently have a ‘two tier’ system of district/borough councils and a county council.

It also proposed more Mayoral Strategic Authorities in areas such as Surrey that don’t currently have one. These groupings of unitary councils, once set up, will have powers transferred to them from Government for things like strategic planning, transport, infrastructure, and economic development and skills.

Three proposals were submitted

On 9 May 2025, the following three proposals were submitted to Government:

• A proposal for three unitaries in Surrey (PDF)
  • Supported by nine councils: Reigate & Banstead Borough Council, Tandridge District Council, Runnymede Borough Council, Spelthorne Borough Council, Woking Borough Council, Epsom & Ewell Borough Council, Surrey Heath Borough Council, Guildford Borough Council and Waverly Borough Council.
• A proposal for two unitaries in Surrey (Surrey County Council website)
  • Supported by three councils: Surrey County Council, Elmbridge Borough Council and Mole Valley District Council.
• An additional report making the case for bringing Reigate & Banstead and Crawley Borough Council together into the same unitary authority (PDF)
  • Supported by Reigate & Banstead Borough Council and Crawley Borough Council

All three reports were discussed and voted on by Reigate & Banstead councillors – most recently at the Full Council meeting on 6 May. You can watch the recorded website and access further information.

Public engagement

To help inform the proposals, we surveyed Reigate & Banstead residents between 31 March and 21 April. We received 1,461 responses. For further information see Residents' Survey Report (PDF).

In addition, a joint resident survey – Shaping Surrey’s Future- was coordinated by Surrey districts and borough councils.

The Government then consulted on two options for Surrey closed on 5 August 2025. Reigate & Banstead Borough Council submitted a response: RBBC response to consultation on proposals for Local Government Reorganisation in Surrey (PDF)

Timeline

Downloads and useful links

• English Devolution White Paper (Gov.UK)
• Invitation from Government for Surrey LGR proposals (Gov.UK)
• Local Government Association Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation Hub (local.gov.uk)
• Three unitary covering letter - Shaping Surrey's Future 09-05-2025 (PDF)
• Three Unitary Methodology - Shaping Surrey's Future (PDF)
• Residents' Survey Report (PDF)
• RBBC response to consultation on proposals for Local Government Reorganisation in Surrey (PDF)

More information

• Read our Borough e-news special edition, 27 June 2025.
• We will provide updates as soon as more information is available on our website, social media and via our e-newsletter Borough News.
• Visit our frequently asked questions webpage.
• Visit Surrey's Local Government Reorganisation hub (surreylgrhub.org). Your source for all Surrey local government reorganisation information. Stay informed and connected as we shape Surrey's future together.
• Please note: some of the PDFs on this page might not be suitable for users of assistive technology. Therefore if you need a file in an accessible format, please contact us. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use. We will then contact you about the next step.