The County Council meeting on Tuesday 14 July 2026 saw the formal election of a new County Councillor for the Haslemere Division, Terry Weldon. The meeting also featured a comprehensive leader's statement highlighting the council's achievements and future plans, alongside discussions on climate change, local government reorganisation, and various service updates.

Election of New County Councillor

The council formally welcomed Terry Weldon as the new County Councillor for the Haslemere Division, following a by-election held on 7 July 2026.

Leader's Statement and Key Discussions

Leader of the Council, Tim Oliver OBE, delivered a statement reflecting on the council's achievements and the path forward. He congratulated Councillor Tim Hall on his recent MBE and acknowledged the England men's football team's progress in the World Cup. Oliver highlighted the council's efforts in responding to recent heatwaves, thanking staff and partners for their work in keeping residents safe and well. He also emphasised the ongoing work on climate change adaptation and the council's commitment to becoming a net-zero place.

A significant portion of the leader's statement addressed the Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) process, stressing the importance of collaboration between the county council and district and borough councils to ensure a simpler, stronger, and more effective system of local government for Surrey. He expressed confidence that progress was being made towards a Foundation Strategic Authority for Surrey, which could pave the way for a directly elected Mayor.

Oliver also detailed the council's strong performance over recent years, noting a stable, balanced budget, good ratings for adult and children's services, and significant investments in communities, schools, libraries, and transport infrastructure. He specifically mentioned the positive Care Quality Commission rating for Surrey County Council's prison social care team and the improvements noted in Surrey Fire and Rescue Service's inspection.

Climate Change and Infrastructure

Councillor Lance Spencer raised concerns about the pace of progress on climate change targets, highlighting the widening gap between net-zero pledges and global carbon budgets. He detailed the increasing likelihood of heatwaves, droughts, and flooding due to climate change, and stressed the need for climate-resilient road maintenance, arguing it was a matter of fiscal competence rather than a green add-on.

Councillor Marisa Heath, Cabinet Member for Environment and Planning, provided updates on various environmental initiatives, including the progress of the Climate Change Delivery Plan, the Community Nature Recovery Grant, and flood resilience measures. She also noted that a Local Area Energy Plan would commence development, aiming to ensure Surrey's energy system meets future needs in a clean, secure, and affordable way.

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)

The impending LGR was a recurring theme throughout the meeting. Councillor Catherine Powell expressed concerns about the handover of knowledge and services to the new unitary authorities, urging members not to continue past mistakes and to build on successes. She highlighted the potential impact of stretched resources due to LGR on the focus for new government priorities and grants.

The Leader, Tim Oliver OBE, acknowledged the importance of a smooth handover and offered meetings between the current Cabinet and their counterparts in the shadow authorities. He also agreed that the government's funding review was unfair, projecting a £150 million loss for Surrey County Council over three years.

Councillor John O'Reilly criticised the East Surrey Council's decision to increase allowances, calling it insensitive given the financial challenges faced by residents and the new authorities. George Potter responded by noting that West Surrey had not amended its scheme of allowances and that the East Surrey changes were ratified by the new authority.

SEND Services and School Places

Councillor Catherine Powell raised concerns about the increasing number of children awaiting specialist SEND places and the strain this placed on mainstream schools. She questioned the steps being taken to support school leaders facing tighter budgets and recruitment crises.

Helyn Clack, Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Lifelong Learning, outlined ongoing work to support schools, including nurture hubs and the SEND reforms. She agreed to provide further details outside the meeting.

Jonathan Essex questioned the Council's response to the increasing problem of schoollessness for children with SEND and how the new SEND reforms would address the deficit in school places. He also inquired about the proposed strategy for delivering the Experts at Hand offer and whether East and West shadow members would be engaged.

Helyn Clack stated that the Council was no longer part of the Safety Valve agreement and was awaiting further information from the Department for Education regarding SEND reforms. She detailed the significant investment in creating specialist places and the ongoing efforts to increase capacity.

Other Key Discussions

• Audit and Governance Committee Annual Report: Council noted the work undertaken by the committee during the period June 2025 to May 2026.
• Surrey Pension Fund Committee: Council approved amendments to the Constitution related to the appointment of an independent person to the committee and senior officer functions.
• Outside Bodies Annual Report: Council noted the report and the work being undertaken regarding the future of Outside Bodies following LGR.
• Members' Question Time: A range of questions were raised covering topics such as airport parking, waste collection services, pothole repairs, SEND services, road safety, and the impact of government policies on small businesses.
• Cabinet Reports: Cabinet reports from meetings on 26 May 2026 and 30 June 2026 were presented and adopted. Key decisions included the approval of the School Organisation Plan 2026-2036, the Capital Maintenance Delivery Strategy, and various financial outturn reports and budget approvals. Cabinet also agreed to the preferred option for the delivery of statutory school improvement services, with a contingency plan for in-house delivery if required.

The meeting concluded with the Chair thanking members for their contributions.