Agenda and draft minutes

The minutes of the Council meeting held on 10 April 2025 were confirmed and then signed by the Chair.

Recent election results

The Chair welcomed Councillor Mark Stringer following his recent successful election in Oxted South District Ward by-election.

Changes to Committee meetings

The Chair reminded Members that Annual Council was scheduled for 15 May 2025 for 7.30pm.

R E S O L V E D – that the reports of the following meetings be received:

            Planning Policy Committee – 2 April 2025

            Audit & Scrutiny Committee – 3 April 2025

            Planning Committee – 8 April 2025

Prior to receiving the report, Councillor Sayer proposed a motion that the Council’s Standing Orders be suspended for the debate. Councillor Chris Farr seconded the motion. Upon being put to the vote, the motion was agreed.

A report was then presented to Council that set out the contents of two proposals on Local Government Reorganisation that had been separately prepared by Surrey District and Boroughs and Surrey County Council. The proposals had to be submitted to Government by 9 May 2025. The Government would consider the proposals and make its final decision later in the year on how Surrey would be governed in the future. It was noted that the Government did not have to accept either of the proposals and could decide to create a single Surrey unitary.

Both proposals included a requirement that the Government write off the £2billion irrevocable debt incurred by Woking Borough Council. It was noted that failure to write of the debt would prevent any future authority being financially viable. 

Members were also informed of a further proposal that had been prepared by Reigate & Banstead Borough Council and Crawley Borough Council that had included the Council in a number of its geographic options. It was noted that the Council had not been involved in these discussions and was of the view that such a proposal would not be in the best interest of Tandridge District residents.

R E S O L V E D – that:

(1)  the Council endorsed the submission to MHCLG of the proposal for three unitary authorities within the boundary of Surrey, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report.

(2)  the Council endorsed the principle that each Division in the newly formed unitary authorities within the Surrey boundary has three Members per division

(3)  given the references to Tandridge District Council in the joint submission for a unitary by Reigate and Banstead and Crawley Borough Councils, the Council formally makes clear that it strongly opposed being part of any unitary arrangements which included Crawley Borough Council.

(4)  the Council confirmed that it considered it was not appropriate to expect the residents of the Tandridge District to contribute to the resolution of the debt problems of other local authorities within Surrey.