Residents in Camberley, Surrey, will vote for a new set of local representatives this May after the government confirmed plans for a major overhaul of how the county is governed. The county council and the 11 district and borough councils will be replaced by two new unitary authorities — West Surrey and East Surrey — intended to make it easier for people to access services.
Under the change, Surrey Heath Borough Council and Surrey County Council will be abolished in their current forms. In their place, a new West Surrey Council will handle the full range of local services — from bin collections and planning applications to highways and social care — under a single organisation. The stated goal is to provide residents with a simpler point of contact for council services.
Elections for the new shadow authorities are set for 7 May 2026, giving residents the chance to choose who will lead the transition. Cllr Tim Oliver OBE, leader of Surrey County Council, said the two‑unitary model “provides the scale needed to protect frontline services while finally ending the confusion of the two‑tier system.” The newly elected members will serve on shadow authorities and spend the year before vesting day preparing the new councils’ first budgets and branding.
Some local leaders had originally campaigned for a different arrangement — a three‑unitary model intended to keep services closer to local communities — but the government opted for a two‑authority split to secure scale and financial resilience. Cllr Shaun Macdonald, leader of Surrey Heath Borough Council, said the priority now is ensuring Camberley’s voice is heard in the larger West Surrey authority and protecting local projects such as the town‑centre regeneration.
Existing councils will continue to deliver day‑to‑day services during the transition. According to council guidance, the current authorities will be dissolved and responsibilities will transfer to the new unitary councils on 31 March 2027 (the vesting day). The reorganisation follows a national trend of moving to unitary structures aimed at reducing duplication and improving financial sustainability.
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