East Surrey Council sets out vision for the future

He described local government reorganisation as a defining moment for communities across East Surrey and an opportunity to build trust with residents.

As work continues to establish the new council ahead of April 2027 through key shadow authority meetings, Councillor Wotton has outlined the ambition to create a council that is open, transparent and genuinely focused on delivering outcomes for residents, businesses and communities. He said the new authority provides a rare opportunity to build a council that reflects the ambition of the place it serves and creates something positive that will endure for years to come. 

As East Surrey Council takes shape, residents, businesses, partners and community groups also have the opportunity to help influence the future identity of the new authority, helping to ensure it reflects the character, ambitions and unique communities of East Surrey. 

For more than 50 years, local government structures in Surrey have remained largely unchanged. The new East Surrey Council will bring together services currently delivered by Surrey County Council and the district and borough councils in Elmbridge, Epsom & Ewell, Mole Valley, Reigate & Banstead and Tandridge into a single authority serving local communities from 1 April 2027. 

Councillor Steve Wotton, Leader of the East Surrey Shadow Authority, said: 

"We are ambitious for East Surrey. We want to create a council where people are proud of the place they live, work and visit, and where communities have a real opportunity to help shape the future of the area. 

"I'm pleased with the progress being made through our shadow authority meetings as we continue laying the foundations for the new council, and we’ll build on this vision as plans progress. The decisions and foundations we are developing now will help ensure East Surrey Council is ready to deliver for residents from day one in April 2027. 

"As we develop the new council, we will be focused on what matters most to our communities, creating opportunities for people to thrive and ensuring residents receive the support and care they need, when they need it. 

"This is a rare opportunity to create something positive that will endure for years to come, and I look forward to working with residents, partners and communities to help shape that future." 

July East Surrey Shadow Executive meeting 

At its July meeting, Cllr Wotton and the East Surrey Shadow Executive reaffirmed their commitment to a smooth transition to the new council, with a clear focus on protecting the services that residents rely on every day. 

They provisionally agreed recommendations on how services could be delivered by the future East Surrey council. While this is an important milestone in planning for local government reorganisation, this is only the beginning of the process and will be subject to further consideration with the West Surrey shadow executive and formal approval later this year. In the meantime, the proposals, supported by the Cabinet Executive, provide a foundation for detailed planning over the summer, helping to ensure a smooth transition for services, staff and residents. 

The Executive also made decisions on work to prepare for the new council, including waste services, the new council’s Corporate Strategy and the Implementation Plan for local government reorganisation - which is making good progress on key areas such as Section 24 arrangements (transition governance arrangements related to financial sustainability) and the recruitment of a permanent Chief Executive. 

Ends 

Notes to Editors 

• Watch a recording of the East Surrey Shadow Executive meeting