Surrey Tories' Reckless Plan Puts Waverley Residents at Risk

Having first raised these issues in December 2024 and repeatedly since, Waverley Liberal Democrats have welcomed the late intervention by Farnham’s Conservative MP, who this week finally admitted in Parliament that the proposed reorganisation of local government in Surrey is being rushed and has the potential to cause serious harm to residents in Waverley. But his comments come too late — and do nothing to undo the damage already being done by his own party.

The Surrey County Council “mega-merger” plan — which would abolish all borough and district councils across Surrey, including Waverley, and replace them with just two or three enormous unitary authorities — is a Conservative-driven project from start to finish. It’s being pushed forward at breakneck speed by Tory-run Surrey County Council, fully backed by local Conservative councillors, including those in Waverley.

The process has all the hallmarks of a Liz Truss-style mini-budget: ideologically driven, rushed, and recklessly under-planned. And now, as the backlash grows, even Farnham’s MP appears to have recognised just how badly his colleagues have handled this.

Cllr Liz Townsend (Lib Dem, Cranleigh and Ewhurst) said:

"We knew from the very start that this rushed reorganisation would be a disaster. It’s been driven forward without proper planning, without consultation, and without any real thought for the consequences for residents across Waverley. This is yet another example of local Conservatives playing fast and loose with local government, and it’s our communities who stand to lose the most. Liberal Democrats take a very different approach — we look at the wider picture, listen to residents, and make decisions in their best interests, not based on party dogma."

Cllr Paul Follows (Lib Dem, Leader of Waverley Borough Council) said:

“At every single debate at council, every single vote and in every single conversation about local government re-organisation, Liberal Democrat councillors have opposed these disastrous plans and have fought for residents to have a say in the process. Conservative councillors at every level in Surrey have continued to push this with no mandate and no regard for the significant, negative impact upon the residents of Surrey”

A Chaotic Process of Their Own Making

Surrey Conservatives originally lobbied for a single mega-unitary council to replace all 11 boroughs and districts — a proposal that would have created one of the largest local authorities in the country, with little hope of genuine local accountability.

But this plan fell apart when the government confirmed that a single unitary would not unlock the additional devolved powers Surrey had hoped to gain. Rather than go back to the drawing board, the County Council then begrudgingly opted for a two-unitary model — and dismissed a majority-backed, evidence-based proposal for three smaller unitaries, supported by most of the borough and district councils.

This entire upheaval was set in motion by the Surrey Tories themselves, who actively asked to be included in the government’s fast-track reorganisation programme. And now, having triggered the process, they’re ignoring local evidence and pushing ahead with a structure that serves their political interests — not the needs of Surrey’s residents.

Waverley: Well-Run and Fiscally Responsible

Waverley Borough Council has a strong record of sound financial management — a sharp contrast to some neighbouring councils. Most notably, Woking Borough Council, which collapsed financially under Conservative leadership, racking up more than £2.6 billion in debt through speculative investments and mismanagement.

Instead of shielding responsible councils like Waverley from the fallout, the Conservatives’ plan could force our residents to bail out those failures, by merging us into wider units without financial safeguards.

Even Farnham’s MP has now raised concerns that his constituents may be left picking up the bill for others’ mistakes. But these warnings come from the same party that backed the plan, voted for it, and tried to silence those raising concerns months ago.

No Mandate — and an Attempt to Cancel Elections

There is no democratic mandate for these sweeping changes. Residents have had no say, no vote, and no proper consultation on the future of their councils and services.

Worse still, in an astonishingly anti-democratic move, Surrey’s Conservative leadership requested the cancellation of the May 2025 borough and district elections to help ram through their plans unopposed. Attempting to cancel elections to avoid political accountability is an outrageous abuse of power.

No Guarantees, No Transparency, No Plan

Even the government admits that councils like Woking face “significant unsupported debt that cannot be managed locally.” Yet there are no guarantees that councils like Waverley will be protected from the consequences. Vague promises of limited debt relief from 2027 do nothing to reassure residents facing potential service cuts and council tax rises now.

The current proposal strips away local control, undermines community services, and erodes the democratic voice of residents across Surrey.

Waverley Deserves Better

The Liberal Democrats believe that any reform of local government must:

• Be based on proper planning and public consultation
• Protect financially responsible councils from subsidising failed ones
• Preserve local accountability and democratic choice
• Be subject to the ballot box — not backroom decisions
• Focus on improving services, not papering over Conservative mismanagement

Waverley residents must not be punished for the chaos created by others. We will continue to fight for a fair, transparent, and locally accountable system that reflects the needs and voices of our communities — not the political priorities of Surrey Conservatives.