The Consultation
51% of respondents wanted three unitaries. The government chose two.
Overview
The statutory consultation ran for 7 weeks from 17 June 2025 to 5 August 2025 — over the summer holiday period. It received 5,617 responses from a county of 1,203,107 residents.
Residents were asked about two competing proposals: a 2-unitary model (submitted by Surrey County Council, Elmbridge, and Mole Valley) and a 3-unitary model (submitted by 9 of 11 district and borough councils). The results were decisive — but the government chose the less popular option.
What Respondents Said
Consultation Responses
Source: Government response to statutory consultation (5,617 responses, 17 June - 5 August 2025).
Who Responded
5,337
Residents in affected area
254
Other respondents
26
Named consultees
Total: 5,617 responses from a county of 1,203,107 residents — a response rate of just 0.47%.
What Councils Said
Council Positions
Town & Parish Councils
District & Borough Councils
9 of 11
Proposed 3 unitaries
2 of 11
Proposed 2 unitaries (Elmbridge + Mole Valley, with SCC)
Source: Government consultation response, October 2025.
Fairness Concerns
Summer timing
The consultation ran from 17 June to 5 August 2025, coinciding with school summer holidays when many residents were away or disengaged from local issues.
Short timeframe
At just 7 weeks, the consultation period was relatively brief for a decision that will permanently reshape local government for over 1.2 million residents.
Low response rate
Only 5,617 people responded out of a population of 1.2 million — a response rate of just 0.47%. Questions remain about how widely the consultation was publicised.
Result overridden
Despite a clear majority (51% vs 19%) preferring 3 unitaries, the government chose 2 unitaries, citing 'financial sustainability' as the overriding factor.
The Government's Justification
Despite the clear consultation result, the government selected the 2-unitary model. Their stated reasoning focused on “financial sustainability” — arguing that two larger authorities would have greater financial resilience than three smaller ones.
The government cited projected savings of £23 million for the 2-unitary model versus £16 million for the 3-unitary alternative. They also noted that health and police bodies supported 2 unitaries for better alignment with their own service delivery boundaries.
Parliamentarians have since questioned what weight was truly given to the consultation, given that local preference and ministerial preference diverged so clearly. During the House of Lords debate on the Surrey (Structural Changes) Order 2026, peers raised pointed questions about why the public's voice was effectively overridden.
Key Findings
- 151% of respondents supported the 3-unitary proposal compared to just 19% supporting 2 unitaries
- 256% of respondents explicitly said 'no' to the 2-unitary option
- 368% of town and parish councils favoured 3 unitaries, only 18% supported 2
- 49 of 11 district and borough councils submitted proposals for a 3-way split
- 5Only Elmbridge and Mole Valley (with Surrey County Council) proposed 2 unitaries
- 6Respondents who opposed 2 unitaries cited councils being 'too large' and loss of 'local accountability'
- 7The consultation ran for just 7 weeks, over the summer holiday period
- 8Only 5,617 responses were received from a county of 1.2 million residents (0.47% response rate)