Purpose

To consider service configurations to be adopted for vesting day.

Decision

RESOLVED

That     (i)     subject to a similar resolution being made by the Executive of East Surrey Shadow Authority, authority be provided in principle for the recommended configuration of services to transition to East Surrey Council and West Surrey Council, as set out in Appendix 1 of the report, to enable the implementation team to progress with preparatory work, whilst noting that such work is subject to the formal decision making of the Shadow Authority when they further consider this matter and make formal resolutions regarding service configuration in September 2026;

            (ii)    the principles being used to recommend the proportionate split of activity for disaggregated services between East Surrey Council and West Surrey Council be approved as set out in the report, and it be noted that recommendations on the basis of application of these will be brought to the Shadow Executive for agreement in Autumn 2026;

            (iii)    the proposed approach to recommending which of East Surrey Council or West Surrey Council will be the host authority for services where no clear location-based rationale exists be agreed as set out in the report;

            (iv)   authority be delegated to the Head of Paid Service in consultation with the Leader of West Surrey Shadow Authority, relevant Portfolio Holders and the Senior Responsible Officer (“SRO”) to revisit and amend any recommended service configurations should this become necessary in light of central government direction and/or delivery requirements;

            (v)    it be noted that material budget pressures and potential savings arising from the recommended service configurations will be identified and included for consideration within the wider strategic and financial planning process; and

            (vi)   it be noted that East Surrey Shadow Executive is considering the report at their equivalent meeting on 20 July 2026, and that decisions taken by each authority will necessitate ongoing joint working across the Executives throughout the transition period to support a successful implementation.

Reasons for decision

The approach and principles which shape recommendations for how services transition are set out in the programme’s Implementation Plan, and the recommendations have been developed in line with these, with the guiding principle for the programme of ‘transition not transformation’.  The focus of the recommendations is therefore to establish arrangements which support service continuity and are deliverable at Vesting Day, rather than undertake wider service redesign at this stage.