At the annual meeting of Surrey County Council, Councillor Tim Hall was elected as the new Chair, and Councillor Bernie Muir was elected as Vice-Chair. Councillor Tim Oliver OBE was re-elected as Leader of the Council for a four-year term. The council also discussed local government reorganisation, councillor absences, committee appointments, and various reports, including the officer code of conduct and the code of corporate governance.

Here's a breakdown of the key topics discussed:

Election of Chair and Vice-Chair

Councillor Claire Curran nominated Councillor Tim Hall as Chair of the council, and Councillor Will Forster seconded the nomination. Councillor Tim Hall was elected and made his statutory declaration, outlining his vision for the council year, including improving the conduct of meetings and touring the county to address local issues.

Councillor Sinead Mooney nominated Councillor Bernie Muir as Vice-Chair, which was seconded by Councillor Sinead Mooney. Councillor Bernie Muir was duly elected and made her statutory declaration, expressing her commitment to supporting the Chair and serving the county.

Motion of Thanks to Retiring Chair

A motion of thanks was proposed for the retiring Chair, Councillor Saj Hussain, for his service over the past two years. Councillor Catherine Powell seconded the motion, highlighting Councillor Hussain's dedication and commitment to the role. Councillor Hussain responded, expressing his gratitude for the opportunity to serve and his confidence in the new Chair.

Election of Leader of the Council

Councillor Jono Riley nominated Councillor Tim Oliver OBE as Leader of the Council, and Councillor Helyn Clack seconded the nomination. Councillor Tim Oliver was re-elected for a four-year term.

Leader's Statement

Councillor Tim Oliver gave a statement addressing the council's achievements and future plans. He acknowledged the challenges faced by local government, including COVID-19, the energy crisis, and squeezed public finances, but highlighted Surrey County Council's stable financial position and praised the work of council officers.

Key points from the statement included:

• Local Government Reorganisation (LGR): Councillor Tim Oliver confirmed that the submission for LGR had been made to the government, and the council awaits feedback. He defended the submission as a recommendation from the council based on evidence and local support.
• Children's Services: He highlighted the positive Ofsted judgement on children's services, praising the dedicated staff and their work to improve the service.
• Adult Social Care: He noted that adult social care services had also been rated as good by inspectors from the Care Quality Commission, with staff displaying empathy and a can-do attitude.
• Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND): Councillor Tim Oliver acknowledged the challenges within the SEND system, noting that Surrey has over 16,000 children with education, health and care plans. He detailed the additional investment and multi-agency recovery plan in place to improve the system. He also extended an offer to MPs to engage constructively with the council to understand the system and needed changes.
• Highways: Councillor Tim Oliver addressed the state of Surrey's roads, noting the pressure on the network due to traffic volumes and weather. He detailed the investment in resurfacing and pothole repairs, as well as efforts to tackle utility companies digging up the roads.
• Other Achievements: Councillor Tim Oliver highlighted the delivery of new trees, improvements to the countryside, energy-efficient streetlights, half-price bus fares for young people, and investment in town centres and fire stations.

During the Leader's statement, Councillor Paul Follows offered condolences to the family of the late Councillor Mark Sugden and criticised the self-congratulatory tone of the meeting, urging members to focus on issues impacting residents. He raised concerns about a parent of a child with special needs whose alternative educational provision was removed, pothole repairs, and local government reorganisation. Councillor Catherine Powell echoed concerns about financial pressures and the impact of LGR, particularly regarding the debt issue and the future of services. Councillor Jonathan Essex called for the publication of questions and answers from the residents' panel and changes made to the final submission to the government. Councillor Robert Evans OBE raised concerns about the lack of support for the two unitary plan.

In response, Councillor Tim Oliver defended the council's achievements and criticised the misinformation being spread. He clarified that there were no cuts to the maintenance budget and that the council was working to improve services.

Approval of County Councillor Absences

The council approved the continuation of absences for Councillors David Lewis (Camberley West) and the late Councillor Mark Sugden due to ill health.

Annual Review of Political Proportionality

The council formally reviewed the proportional political allocation of places on committees and adopted a scheme of proportionality for the council year 2025/26.

Appointment of Committees

The council appointed members to various boards and committees for the council year 2025/26.

Election of Committee Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen

The council elected chairmen and vice-chairmen of committees for the council year 2025/26.

Report of the People, Performance and Development Committee

The council approved the updated Officer Code of Conduct for inclusion in the council’s constitution and adopted the Pay Policy Statement for 2025/26, to be published in accordance with the Localism Act 2011.

Report of the Audit and Governance Committee

The council endorsed the inclusion of the updated Code of Corporate Governance into the constitution.

Members' Question Time

Members posed questions to the Leader of the Council, Cabinet members, and committee chairs on various topics, including working from home, SEND services, school transport, and utility companies digging up roads.

Statements by Members

Councillor Nick Darby made a statement regarding the closure of Thames Ditton Pharmacy and the need for a new pharmacy to be approved.

Report of the Cabinet

The council received the report of the meetings of the Cabinet held on 18 March 2025, 22 April 2025, and 7 May 2025. The report included updates on devolution and local government reorganisation, the Rights of Way Improvement Plan 2025-2035, and the disposal of the former Chalk Pit Depot.