Your questions answered

Local government reorganisation the process of transforming councils in Surrey. Instead of separate county, district and borough councils, there will be two councils in Surrey providing all the services - education, waste collection, roads, housing, play areas, the countryside, leisure centres, planning, children’s services, adult social care, community funding and elections.  

Government ultimately decided that from 1 April 2027, Surrey's 12 councils will be replaced by two new unitary councils (East Surrey and West Surrey):  

• If you live in Guildford, Runnymede, Spelthorne, Surrey Heath, Waverley or Woking you will be part of West Surrey Council.  
• If you live in Elmbridge, Epsom and Ewell, Mole Valley, Reigate and Banstead, Tandridge you will be part of East Surrey Council.  
• Surrey County Council services will divide between East and West Surrey Councils.  

Use our find your councils service to look up your address and confirm your current county, borough or district council and see which new unitary council will be yours from 1 April 2027.  

Surrey’s local government is changing so it can work better for you. Instead of separate county, district and borough councils, you will have one council providing all the services you rely on - education, waste collection, roads, housing, play areas, the countryside, leisure centres, planning, children’s services, adult social care, community funding and elections.  

Going through local government reorganisation means less complexity, better value for money, and improved services where they matter most.  

Surrey is already a great place to live, work, learn and visit. But we know that life isn’t always easy for our residents. For councils, squeezed public finances and rising costs and demand for services mean it’s becoming increasingly challenging to maintain high quality support for residents without making changes to how services are delivered.  

Managing debt is also an important part of creating these new councils. They need strong, stable finances so they can continue providing essential services now and in the future. Moving to two councils will also create long term savings by reducing multiple elections, senior management structures and back-office costs, helping ensure your council tax is spent wisely and efficiently for years to come.  

By transforming how local government works in Surrey, we can simplify the system, save money, and, most importantly, strengthen the connection between local communities and public services.

For now, nothing changes in the way you receive services. Your local council and Surrey County Council will continue to provide everything they do today. Our priority is making sure residents, businesses and communities continue to get the support they need without interruption.  

You’ll still be able to use the same council offices, community spaces and online services. Everything will stay open and work just as it does now.  

From 1 April 2027 you will have one council providing all your services - education, waste collection, roads, housing, play areas, the countryside, leisure centres, planning, children’s services, adult social care, community funding and elections.  

• If you live in Guildford, Runnymede, Spelthorne, Surrey Heath, Waverley or Woking you will be part of West Surrey Council.  
• If you live I Elmbridge, Epsom and Ewell, Mole Valley, Reigate and Banstead, Tandridge you will be part of East Surrey Council.  
• Surrey County Council services will divide between East and West Surrey Councils.  

Use our find your councils service to look up your address and confirm your current county, borough or district council and see which new unitary council will be yours from 1 April 2027.  

From 1 April 2027 there will be two unitary councils in Surrey: East Surrey Council and West Surrey Council. The county council and all the district and borough councils will no longer exist.

Use our find your councils service to look up your address and confirm your current county, borough or district council and see which new unitary council will be yours from 1 April 2027.  

In January 2026 an order went to Parliament which will set out the process for local government reorganisation in Surrey. It will come into force in March 2026.  

Due to the scale, complexity and timescales of the work to be delivered, 2 Voluntary Joint Committees made up of existing Councillors from the borough, district and county councils, will start the initial work.  

• The East Surrey Voluntary Joint Committee met on Thursday 15 January at the Surrey County Council office in Reigate, and the West Surrey Voluntary Joint Committee met on Friday 16 January at Woking Borough Council.  
• Both committees agreed to the development of an implementation plan for the new councils, including the implementation team made up of council officers, chairs of the committees and the process to agree some of the key officer roles that will support shadow councils on an interim basis until the permanent recruitment takes place.  
• Both committees will meet monthly until the shadow councils are formed after the elections in May 2026.  

Elections will take place on 7 May 2026.  

After 7 May 2026 the newly elected shadow councils will begin to meet and will work with Surrey County Council and the district and borough council to prepare for the start of the new East Surrey and West Surrey Councils in April 2027.

Following a direction from government, over the past year, all councils in Surrey have worked together to explore different options for how local government could be organised in future. Councils developed proposals, shared data, and listened to views from residents, partners and community organisations. A formal consultation took place with thousands of people taking part, helping to shape the future of local government in Surrey. We’re extremely grateful to everyone who shared their views.  

You can read the decision letter from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government.

Local parish councils are not directly affected by local government reorganisation; however some areas are carrying out community governance reviews which may mean there are local changes to parish or community councils in your area.

All councils in Surrey are committed to delivering high-quality services for residents, businesses, and visitors. The goal of reorganisation is to transition services to the new East and West Surrey councils smoothly, with minimal disruption.

From a day-to-day perspective, you should not notice any immediate changes. Services such as bin collections, schools, social care, leisure centres, and libraries will continue as normal.  

You’ll still be able to use the same council offices, community spaces and online services. Everything will stay open and work just as it does now.  

As the new councils are created from April 2027, they’ll gradually start to join up how they work and the systems they use. This will happen over months and years, not overnight, so any changes you notice will be introduced thoughtfully and carefully.  

We’re also working with government on plans that could bring more powers into the county through a Strategic Authority, helping us make an even bigger difference.

From 1 April 2027, Surrey County Council and the 11 borough and district councils will no longer exist. All their responsibilities will transfer to the new East Surrey Council and West Surrey Council, which will deliver every local service.  

Use our find your councils tool to check your current county, borough, or district council – and see which new unitary council you’ll belong to from 1 April 2027.  

Elections for the new East Surrey and West Surrey Councils will take place in May 2026. After the elections, a shadow council will be set up. A shadow council is a temporary body made up of the newly elected councillors.  

Its role is to:  

• prepare for the official launch of the new councils.  
• agree budgets, policies, and governance arrangements.  
• ensure everything is ready for the transfer of services from 1 April 2027. 

From 1 April 2027 the new East and West Surrey councils will go live.  

Until then, Surrey County Council and the 11 district and borough councils in Surrey will continue to run all day-to-day services.  

These councils are working closely together on the implementation plan to ensure a smooth transition to the new councils. While maintaining essential services without disruption.  

Community involvement will remain at the heart of local government. You’ll elect councillors, take part in consultations, and help shape decision making.  

The government wants new councils to give communities more say through local Neighbourhood Area Committees (NACs).  

Surrey tested this idea with four pilot areas from July to December 2025, bringing together local councillors, Voluntary Community Social Enterprise sector, health and police representatives, schools, businesses, and community groups to discuss priorities and drive collaborative action.  

Their aim is to deal with local issues early and make sure no one is left behind. Support is being sought from Surrey County Council and the other councils involved in the pilots to keep these committees and to expand the approach as part of upcoming changes to local government. We will update you further in the coming weeks.  

We’re working with government on plans that could bring more powers  into the county through a Strategic Authority and a Mayor for Surrey, helping us make an even bigger difference. We will update you when we know more.

No decisions have been made on the locations at this time. We will update you when we know more.

You will be kept informed about this transformation of local government through this website and your council’s communications channels, including website, social media, newsletters, and council magazines (where printed). There will also be printed information produced. If you would like a printed version, please contact your local council.  

The next elections will take place on 7 May 2026 where residents will vote for councillors to sit on the shadow council. 

This will be your opportunity to vote for councillors in the new East and West Surrey Councils, depending on where you live.  

You will vote at your usual polling station and you will receive your polling card in the usual way. You can access that information through your local council.  

• West Surrey Council: 90 councillors across 45 wards.  
• East Surrey Council: 72 councillors across 36 wards.  

Each ward will elect two councillors in May 2026. The wards are reflective of the current Surrey County Council boundaries.

For the next elections on 7 May 2026 you will vote two councillors who will represent a ward area equivalent to the current Surrey County Council wards.

Our aim is for a seamless transformation that means you should not notice a difference. Your bin will continue to be emptied on the same day.  

Over time councils may make improvements to the services they provide in order to provide residents with the best service. Any service changes will be introduced thoughtfully and carefully and communicated to you well in advance of them happening.

Business rates are set nationally, and the role of local councils is to collect them. However, there are various discretionary rate relief schemes, and the new councils will need to decide how they will apply those in future.  

Yes, the new councils will take over responsibility for benefits from the existing councils.

Yes. Your local councillor will remain in office until the end of March 2027. You will also be able to contact your new shadow authority councillor when they are elected in May 2026.

Surrey Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) remains committed to serving the whole county of Surrey and if you call 999, they will be there. Internally, the service will adapt to local government changes but for residents the service will not change.  

Surrey Police also remain committed to serving the community. You can continue to contact Surrey Police as usual to receive the help you need.

Our aim is for a seamless transformation that means you should not notice a difference. Your local library will open and operate as usual.  

Over time councils may make improvements to the services they provide in order to provide residents with the best service. Any service changes will be introduced thoughtfully and carefully and communicated to you well in advance of them happening.

No.

No decisions have been taken on this. This will be part of the decision-making process for the new councils from April 2027.