East Horsley Parish Council has submitted its response to the public consultation on Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), both via the official online questionnaire and in a written submission to the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government.
Following discussion at a recent Council meeting, councillors agreed to support the proposal to create three unitary authorities in Surrey, an approach backed by Guildford Borough Council and eight other borough and district councils. We believe this offers the best chance of delivering locally focused decision-making.
In our response, the Parish Council also highlighted the critical need to resolve the issue of stranded debt, primarily incurred by Woking Borough Council. We raised concerns about the value of proposals such as a mayoral authority for Surrey and Neighbourhood Area Committees, and we challenged the feasibility of the proposed one-year implementation timeline.
The Government is expected to make a final decision later this year.