Is your area getting a new parish or town council?

Over the past few months people in parts of Surrey have been asked if they want new parish councils.

From 1 April 2027, 11 borough and district councils and Surrey County Council will be replaced by two unitary authorities.

But with parish and town councils continuing to operate after local government reorganisation, consultations on whether new ones should be set up have been taking place in Epsom and Ewell, Guildford, Mole Valley, Reigate and Banstead, Runnymede, and Surrey Heath.

There has been a mixed reaction from residents and councillors, with arguments in favour and against, and different outcomes in different areas.

Although they are the smallest authorities in the UK, parish and town councils are similar to larger bodies in having elected councillors, and running services.

Their responsibilities can be very different depending on where they are, ranging from managing parks, war memorials and allotments to providing community centres, car parks and leisure centres.

They raise money through council tax to fund the services they provide and do not have the same restrictions as other local authorities.

For example, there is no cap on the amount that council tax can be increased.

At the moment, there are 87 parish or town council areas in Surrey.

Six borough and district councils have been carrying out community governance reviews, including holding consultations with the public.

These are legal processes which look at either making changes to existing parish and town councils, or creating new ones in areas which do not have them.

The argument being made is that these types of councils would have stronger connections to local communities and could potentially bridge gaps when it comes to services not being offered by the new, much larger, unitary authorities.

For example, they would have more powers to provide amenities like public toilets or street lighting, if that is what residents are calling for.

Some residents are supportive of new parish or town councils.

In Guildford, where the borough council is due to decide its next steps about the process on Monday, resident Pat told BBC Radio Surrey she thinks "it's a good idea."

"I don't think these parish councils cost (that much) and I think they do quite a lot of good," she says.

Ben Darnton, who runs Ben's Collectors Records in the town centre, said: "I think you need local people who care about local matters who could be accountable to a local person like me and other shopkeepers... although I know it'd cost me."

Concerns have been raised across Surrey about the potential costs involved in creating parish councils, with a report to Guildford acknowledging "there would be a significant financial implication to residents".

At a meeting of Epsom and Ewell Borough Council on Thursday councillors agreed not to go ahead with the formation of two new parish areas, after 82% of residents rejected the idea.

Opposition members described the process as a "waste of money and a waste of time", "shambolic, costly and self-serving" and a way to "maintain a power base."

John Beckett, chair of the standards and constitution committee, said it had been the right thing to do to let residents have a say on the issue and that "it was important to review parish council arrangements in our borough".

At a meeting on 9 March, Mole Valley District Council agreed that three new parish councils should be set up in Box Hill, Dorking and Westcott from April 2027, as well as change to existing boundaries in Brockham and Headley.

Deputy leader, Claire Malcomson, said: "Parish councils represent the interests of their community by providing services to meet local needs and improving the quality of life and community wellbeing."

Meanwhile, the decision making process has become more complicated for other borough and district councils.

Last week, Parliament approved the Surrey Structural Changes Order, which is the legal framework, paving the way for the creation of the West Surrey and East Surrey unitary authorities.

Councils like Guildford, Runnymede and Woking have said that, as a result, the power to create new parishes has effectively been taken away from them.

If councillors do decide to go ahead and move forward with the plans, it will now be up to the new unitary councils to give the final approval.

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