Surrey council to discuss postponing elections

Local elections could be postponed for a year

Elections due to take place across Surrey this summer could be postponed for a year while proposals are made to reform local councils.

Surrey County Council will hold a meeting later to discuss its application to postpone May's local elections.

It has requested holding them in 2026, giving it time to make proposals on council reform, after plans for changes to local government were outlined in December.

The leaders of Surrey's 11 district and borough councils have said they would oppose any request for postponement if submitted.

In a letter to the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, the council's leader, Tim Oliver, plans to ask for "time to work with the leaders of Surrey's district and borough councils to put together proposals for local government reform", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Describing the two-tier system as "fragmented", the letter also says new unitary elections could be held in 2026 and a mayoral election in 2027.

Oliver added: "I believe reorganisation would provide more streamlined and cost-effective services for Surrey, enabling us to achieve further efficiencies and deliver better outcomes for our residents and communities.

"Local government reorganisation is a crucial stepping stone to further devolution for Surrey, to enable our communities to take more control of their own destinies."

'Pace of change'

A petition started by Surrey Heath Liberal Democrat MP, Dr Al Pinkerton, opposing an election postponement has been signed by more than 2,800 people.

Speaking to BBC Radio Surrey, he said: "I don't think you achieve meaningful devolution by centralising decision making and cutting residents and voters out of the loop by denying them the opportunity to vote."

Meanwhile, the leaders of Surrey's district and borough councils, who met on Tuesday to discuss the devolution white paper, issued a statement expressing "concerns around the pace of change being imposed by central government" and said "widespread and significant change needs wider consultation".

The group said there was also concern the change would decrease local representation for residents.

The leaders concluded there did need to be a dialogue with the county council on the proposed changes but said there "there was wide agreement" that the county's plan to request to postpone the elections "was not supported by the district and borough leaders and would be opposed if submitted".