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For the abolished parliamentary constituency, see West Surrey (UK Parliament constituency).

West Surrey[a] will be a unitary authority area scheduled to be created on 1 April 2027. It covers the western portion of the historic county of Surrey, including the county town of Guildford, as well as the southern portion of the historic county of Middlesex.[1] It will replace six districts. In March 2026, secondary legislation was made confirming the new unitary authority area as part of ongoing local government reform. The local authority will be West Surrey Council.

Name

Secondary legislation was made on 9 March 2026 for the council to come into operation on 1 April 2027 with the name “West Surrey”.[2][3] Due to the Spelthorne area of the new authority coming from the historic county of Middlesex, campaigner Russell Grant called for the authority to instead have the name “West Surrey and South Middlesex”;[4] on 17 March 2026, Surrey County Council voted to support using the longer name.[5]

Power to rename the unitary authority under the Local Government Act 1972 is held by the newly-elected West Surrey Council to be first elected in May 2026;[5] the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is expected to confirm the name “West Surrey and South Middlesex” in late 2026.[1]

History

Since local government reorganisation in 1974, the area of West Surrey has been divided into the six districts (from north to south) of Spelthorne, Runnymede, Surrey Heath, Woking, Guildford and Waverley.

Following public consultation, creation of West Surrey and West Surrey Council in April 2027 was announced by Steve Reed, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, in October 2025. He announced that Surrey County Council and its eleven district councils would be abolished and replaced with two unitary authorities. Reed said the reasoning for the local government reorganisation was to better the financial sustainability of Surrey’s local authorities and to improve public service delivery.[6]

Governance

The governing body for West Surrey will be West Surrey Council, which is due to be established on 1 April 2027.[7] The first councillors will be elected in the 2026 West Surrey Council election.[7]

Geography

West Surrey is the western half Surrey, a historic county in southeastern England. Natural England classifies England into distinct National Character Areas, each defined by landscape, biodiversity and cultural attributes. The southeasternmost portion of West Surrey lies within the Low Weald (NCA 121), transitioning northward to Weald Grassland (NCA 120), followed by a narrow band of the North Downs (NCA 119). Much but not all of these areas fall within the Surrey Hills National Landscape (or AONB).[8] North of the Downs is the Thames Basin, including the Thames Basin Lowlands (NCA 114) around Guildford and the Thames Basin Heaths (NCA 129) further north. Finally, about a dozen settlements, the northernmost, including Staines and Chertsey, are within the Thames Valley (NCA 115).[9]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b “Middlesex set for official return in major council overhaul”. Hounslow Herald. 7 April 2026.
  2. ^ “Local government reorganisation: Policy and programme updates”. gov.uk. 12 March 2026. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  3. ^ “The Surrey (Structural Changes) Order 2026” (PDF). legislation.gov.uk. 9 March 2026. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  4. ^ Panons, Jacob (4 March 2026). “Calls for council name to include ‘South Middlesex’“. BBC News.
  5. ^ a b Dalton, Emily (18 March 2026). “Could the Middlesex name make a comeback in Surrey’s new councils?”. Haslemere Herald.
  6. ^ Caulfield, Chris (28 October 2025). “Surrey to be split in two in council reorganisation”. BBC News. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
  7. ^ a b “Surrey residents to benefit from improved public services”. gov.uk. 28 October 2025. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
  8. ^ “Surrey Hills National Landscape (AONB) Variation Project Second Consultation – Defra – Citizen Space”. consult.defra.gov.uk. Retrieved 2025-11-01.
  9. ^ “Maps of Surrey showing different geology and character aspects” (PDF). Surrey County Council. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  1. ^ The council is referred to as “West Surrey” in legislation but may adopt the name West Surrey and South Middlesex before it comes into existence in 2027. See #Name for further information.