Including Woking’s debt, Surrey local & borough councils have racked up around £5.5 billion debt.

By agreeing to fast-track, Surrey County Council has been given a government grant to cover much of their costs. Local councils have no such luck: they have to self-finance the costly transition to Unitary. Cost unkown.

The cost to set-up a unitary

Surrey County Council have done a detailed projection of costs: in brief, 2 unitaries is cheaper than 3 to set up. 

Woking has the largest debt of any local authority in Surrey.

The government has agreed to help defray Woking’s huge £2bn debt. The amount of the contribution is as yet unknown.