How could devolution affect Surrey?

At present this is the 4 Tier political landscape of Surrey.

The lowest Tier is Tier 1, parish councils or town councils. Tier 4, parliamentary constituencies is the top tier. Not all areas are represented by parishes at Tier 1 level.

Options being considered

Public consultation on both proposals can be found on the Government website.

The consultation closed on 5 August 2025. A decision will be made in the Autumn

Surrey and MVDC's position

MVDC have set out their views here which includes a summary of both options:

Both SCC and MVDC support TWO unitary authorities.

MVDC has set up a Devolution Working Group: Stephen Cooksey, Kirstie Havard, Claire Malcomson, Leah Mursaleen-Plank, Joanna Slater, Andy Smith, Dineke van den Bogerd and Hazel WatsonSubstitutes: Simon Budd, Chris Hunt and Andrew Matthews

Surrey County Council sent out a Supplementary Agenda to MVDC in March 2025 which details their plans, including a financial analysis.

Then a continuation in May 2025 where they set out their case for having 2 unitary authorities within Surrey.

Runnymede Council, along with 8 others, support 3 unitaries

They analysed the options shown below

Reasons of the 9 councils supporting 3 unitaries; in a nutshell, although more expensive, they feel it will be more democratic and responsive to local interests.

You can read more about their findings here. See pages 12-23.  Although it’s a long read it’s fascinating and clearly shows why they made their decision.