The West Surrey Joint Committee met on Monday 11 May 2026 to discuss the final draft of an Implementation Plan for the transition to new unitary authorities in Surrey. The committee was also scheduled to consider a proposed Constitution for the West Surrey Shadow Authority and recommendations for interim statutory officer designations. Finally, the committee was to review a proposed Scheme of Member Allowances for the new authorities.

Implementation Plan Update

The committee was presented with the final draft of a single Implementation Plan designed to facilitate a safe and legal transition from the current two-tier local government structure in Surrey to the new West Surrey and East Surrey unitary authorities. This plan, if endorsed, would be presented to the West Surrey and East Surrey Shadow Authorities for recommendation and adoption. The report also included updates on the latest risk and budget monitoring positions, programme resourcing, and an extract from the latest programme highlight report. The plan outlines the principles guiding the transition of services, focusing on transition, not transformation, with the aim of ensuring safe and legal operations from Vesting Day on 1 April 2027. Key areas covered include service configurations, workforce transition, finance, IT, data, contracts, and assets. The plan also details the programme's vision, working principles, and definitions of success, emphasising safe and legal operation, workforce and service continuity, financial sustainability, technology and data readiness, governance and risk management, community and customer focus, and foundations for future transformation.

Proposed Constitution for West Surrey Shadow Authority

The committee was asked to consider a revised draft Constitution for the West Surrey Shadow Authority. This Constitution is a legal requirement under the Surrey (Structural Changes) Order 2026 and will govern the Shadow Period from May 2026 until March 2027. The draft Constitution incorporates mandatory governance arrangements, including a leader and cabinet executive model and a members' code of conduct, drawing on best practices from other local government reorganisations. The proposed Constitution outlines the structure and functions of the Shadow Authority, its committees, officers, and decision-making processes. It also includes procedure rules for meetings, codes of conduct, and a scheme of member allowances. The report highlighted that this Constitution is an interim framework and will be subject to review and amendment during the shadow period, with a view to establishing a permanent Constitution for West Surrey Council post-Vesting Day.

Interim Statutory Officer Designations

The committee was presented with recommendations from a member working group regarding the proposed designation of named interim statutory officers for the shadow period. These roles are crucial for the legal and effective operation of the West Surrey Shadow Authority, as required by the Surrey (Structural Changes) Order 2026 and the Local Government and Housing Act 1989. The report sought endorsement of these recommendations for submission to the West Surrey Shadow Authority. The proposed interim officers were:

• Andy Brown as Interim Head of Paid Service.
• Vicky Radford as Interim Chief Finance Officer (section 151 officer).
• Susan Sale as Interim Monitoring Officer.

These interim designations were intended to remain in place until the appointment of substantive postholders, which must occur by 31 December 2026.

Scheme of Member Allowances

The committee was asked to consider a report from an Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) concerning a proposed Scheme of Member Allowances for the West Surrey Shadow Authority and, subsequently, for West Surrey Council. The report aimed to provide the inaugural meeting of the West Surrey Shadow Authority with the necessary information to establish a scheme of allowances for its members. The IRP's recommendations included specific rates for basic allowances, special responsibility allowances (SRAs) for various roles such as Leader, Deputy Leader, Executive Members, and committee chairs, as well as provisions for travelling and subsistence, dependant carers' allowance, and parental leave. The report also proposed an indexing mechanism for annual adjustments and recommended a review of the scheme during the shadow period to inform the formulation of the permanent scheme for West Surrey Council post-Vesting Day. The estimated cost for the shadow year was presented, noting a potential increase compared to initial business case assumptions due to the reintroduction of Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) opt-ins for councillors.