Two Joint Committees have been set up to support Surrey’s move towards two new councils under a short‑term arrangement until May 2026.
These Joint Committees are temporary groups of councillors working to plan the transition to two new unitary councils, so services continue as normal and residents experience no disruption.
The committees met for the first time in January 2026 to begin the early planning work needed for the transition to East Surrey Council and West Surrey Council.
Because local government reorganisation in Surrey is large and complex, this early work needs to start before the elections so that preparatory work for the new councils gets underway.
The Joint Committees
There are two Joint Committees:
- The East Surrey Joint Committee
- The West Surrey Joint Committee
Each committee is made up of elected councillors from Surrey County Council and the district and borough councils.
Chairs and vice chairs were agreed at the first meetings:
East Surrey Joint Committee
- Chair: Bridget Kendrick, Mole Valley District Council
- Vice Chair: David Lewis, Surrey County Council
West Surrey Joint Committee
- Chair: Anne Marie Barker, Woking Borough Council
- Vice Chair: Robert King, Runnymede Borough Council
The role of the Joint Committees
The role of the Joint Committees is to plan the transition to the new unitary councils and help make sure it is carried out smoothly for residents and staff.
Their work includes:
- Agreeing how the transition work will be organised
- Developing an implementation plan for the new councils
- Setting up an implementation team made up of council officers
- Putting interim senior officer arrangements in place to support the change
Because local government reorganisation is large and complex, this early work needs to start now, before the elections.
Once the elections take place on 7 May 2026, the newly elected councillors will form the shadow authorities. They will take over the work already started by the Joint Committees and carry it through to completion, making sure the new councils are safe and legal for Vesting Day (April 2027).
Committee meetings
The Joint Committees met for the first time in January 2026.
Both committees will meet monthly and will rotate meetings around their areas. Meetings are open to the public, and all agendas and reports are published in advance. Future meetings will be webcast.
You can view meeting papers and the full list of councillors for each committee: