What is next for councils and elections in Surrey?

2026 is shaping up to be another important year for the major changes happening at councils in Surrey.

In October last year, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Steve Reed, confirmed he wanted to see the creation of two new unitary authority councils – East Surrey and West Surrey.

These will ultimately replace Surrey County Council (SCC) and 11 borough and district councils and provide services to residents instead.

But what exactly is happening with elections and what are some of the other issues related to local government reorganisation to look out for over the next year?

As part of the process to scrap and merge the old councils, the government agreed that SCC elections, which were due in May 2025, should not go ahead.

There is a debate over whether there will be further postponements in parts of England.

But officials are insisting elections will take place in Surrey on Thursday 7 May and so it will be a surprise if they do not happen once again.

As things stand, residents will be able to cast their ballots to elect councillors who will serve on the new East Surrey and West Surrey councils.

For the time being, these will be "shadow authorities".

This means they will not yet take up the full range of their powers until they are formally established on a date known as vesting day, which is expected to be 1 April 2027.

Until that time, the 12 councils - SCC and the borough and districts - will continue to provide services as they always have done.

The short answer is no.

Elections had been due to happen in May at Elmbridge, Reigate and Banstead, Runnymede and Woking borough councils, as well as Mole Valley and Tandridge district councils.

At each of them, it would have meant a third of the total number of the councillors being elected.

But because of the elections at the new unitary authorities, these will not take place.

In March, the government is expected to make a Structural Changes Order (SCO).

As part of this, all councillors in Surrey serving currently will have their terms extended until 31 March 2027, which is the last day of operation for the old councils.

The SCO also requires that joint committees should be set up.

These are to help with the planning and preparation for transferring powers and responsibilities to the new East and West Surrey authorities.

That includes the functions of the 12 councils, such as the provision of any services, and any properties or business interests which they have.

Duties also include putting together draft constitutions and codes of conduct and recommending the temporary appointments of some senior council staff.

Because the SCO still needs to be officially approved in Parliament, at the moment the joint committees cannot legally come into force.

So until that is implemented, they have been set up on a voluntary basis.

One of the concerns that has come up is that the new East and West Surrey councils will be more remote and will not feel as local to people.

A solution being put forward, including by SCC, is to create Neighbourhood Area Committees (NACs).

These would be advisory bodies set up in different areas and aims would include discussing key local issues and agreeing priorities for towns and villages.

There are four pilot NACs - in Dorking and the surrounding villages, East Elmbridge, Farnham and North Tandridge - which are going on until March.

Not everyone is convinced – the former chairman of the District Councils' Network described them as "insufficient and inferior".

Meanwhile, borough councils like Epsom and Ewell, Guildford and Woking are considering setting up new parish areas.

Parish and town councils have elected councillors and are able to raise money through council tax and other means to run services such as allotments, parks and public toilets.

Again it is not a universally popular idea.

For example, opposition councillors in Epsom and Ewell have warned they could increase household bills, duplicate services and create confusion, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

An issue which continues to overshadow local government reorganisation in Surrey is the debt owed by several councils, particularly Woking and Spelthorne.

There are concerns about the impact on services, particularly for people living in the new West Surrey council area, where the debt will be much higher.

Woking is getting £500m in financial support for 2026/7 to help balance its books.

But senior councillors are urging ministers to commit to resolving the debt situations before Parliament's next summer recess.

They say this will allow West Surrey to have sufficient time to put together a balanced budget in 2027/2028, especially taking into account financial pressures such as adult social care and supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities.

Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.