PRESS RELEASE: Lib Dems declare proposed move to unitaries was a costly and undemocratic power-grab

This week we have yet another u-turn from the Conservative Government, this time on their plans to dissolve local Councils and replace them with Unitary authorities. Guildford Liberal Democrats are pleased the Conservatives have seen sense after pressure but not before wasting valuable time and money at local council level, where after years of funding cuts there is simply none going spare.

The release of the devolution White Paper in the autumn was due to set out the plan for local government restructuring. It has now been confirmed by Robert Jenrick, the Secretary of State for Local Government, that No10 will not be taking the restructuring any further at this time.

This raises many questions and concerns regarding Surrey County Council's recent campaign and determination to create a monster unitary authority, which was a thinly veiled power grab, without proper consultation with the public or voter elected district and borough councils.

Commenting on the u-turn Lib Dem leader of Guildford Borough Council Caroline Reeves said,

"Conservative-led Surrey has wasted huge amounts of Surrey taxpayers' money as well as councillor and officer time, and forced Guildford Borough Council, and other district and borough councils across Surrey, to do the same in order to put together an alternative to Surrey's ill-considered plans. Plans that would have left residents across Surrey part of a remote council located miles from them, with little understanding of local needs and a questionable ability to deliver the top quality services that local people expect from their councils.

What's clear to me is that the time of council staff and taxpayers' money would have been better spent focusing on continuing the crucial work of tackling the current coronavirus pandemic. After all, our local council's budgets are virtually at breaking point already."

It is worth noting that Surrey Conservatives' plan has met almost universal opposition from the leaders of the borough and district councils, regardless of political party, and from some County Councillors - a rare feat!

Guildford Liberal Democrats recognise that, after years of Government cuts to local government funding, unitary authorities are likely to be the only way to resolve councils' financial struggles. However, they must be relevant for local residents in terms of size and geography. It is our view that the best approach for the people of Surrey would be three Surrey unitaries - North, East and West - with Guildford being grouped with its closest neighbours Waverley, Woking and Surrey Heath.

Fiona White, the County Councillor for Guildford West Division said of the u-turn:

"At a time when all councils are overstretched trying to deal with the Covid19 pandemic and plans for Brexit at the end of this year, the government proposed changing the current two-tier system of councils to create large unitary authorities. In response, Surrey County Council put a lot of time, effort and money into planning a single unitary authority across the whole of Surrey. The borough and district councils across the county have then been forced to put together alternative proposals to ensure a more resident-focussed set of plans were available.

All that money and energy has been wasted by yet another government u-turn. It is good to know that they respond to pressure but surely they should consult first before so many of the councils already scarce resources are wasted."

Zöe Franklin, Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesperson for Guildford and Cranleigh added:

"Let us have no more diversionary tactics from this government. Council staff have been working incredibly hard over the course of the pandemic to ensure that communities are properly supported and to ask them to waste their time on the political games of the Conservative Government and County Council is totally unacceptable."