The newly elected West Surrey Shadow Authority held its first meeting on Thursday 21 May marking an important step towards the new West Surrey Council assuming operational responsibilities in April 2027.

Following elections earlier this month to the new West Surrey council, councillors came together at its inaugural meeting to begin preparations for the new authority.

The Shadow Authority replaces the previous Joint Committees and will lead the transition to a single unitary council for West Surrey. In the meantime, existing councils will continue to run services smoothly while plans for the future strategy and operating model for the council are developed.

At its first meeting Councillor Paul Follows was agreed as Leader of West Surrey Shadow Council. He said:

“I am focused on the significant task ahead - building a strong, effective and financially sustainable council that puts residents first, delivers high-quality services, and makes a real difference to people’s lives as we move towards 2027. I am hugely grateful to staff across all existing councils who are working hard to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible. In an increasingly challenging world with democracy under threat, I would also like to thank all those involved in securing fair and free elections on the 7 May.”

The Shadow Authority will work closely with councils across Surrey, partners and local communities to shape how the new West Surrey Council will operate, ensuring it reflects local priorities and continues to deliver high-quality services.

The meeting also included the following decisions and actions:

• Appointments of West Surrey Shadow Authority leadership roles:
  • Chair: Cllr Penny Rivers
  • Vice Chair: Cllr Masuk Miah
  • Shadow Authority Leader: Cllr Paul Follows
  • Shadow Authority Deputy Leader: Cllr Shaun Macdonald
  • Shadow Cabinet Executive Members:
    • Cllr Alan Ashbery
    • Cllr Liz Townsend
    • Cllr Victoria Kiehl
    • Cllr Julia McShane
    • Cllr Ann-Marie Barker
    • Cllr Shaun MacDonald
    • Cllr Ellen Nicholson
    • Cllr Leslie Rice
    • Cllr Dale Roberts

The individual responsibilities of the Cabinet Executive Members will be agreed in the coming weeks.

• Confirmation of key governance arrangements including The Constitution of West Surrey Council in the shadow phase, which explains how the council will operate, makes decisions, and act fairly, transparently and within the law, and schedule its meetings.
• Agreement on initial priorities for the transition programme through the Surrey local government Implementation Plan which sets out the approach, plans and timetables for the transition of services to the new West Surrey Council from 1 April 2027.
• Began overseeing the work needed to establish the new council including committee structures and members allowances.
• Designated the interim statutory officers required for the shadow period:
  • Andy Brown as Interim Head of Paid Service – Andy is also Deputy Chief Executive and Executive Director for Resources (s151 officer) at Surrey County Council 
  • Vicky Radford as Interim Chief Finance Officer (s151 officer) – Vicky is also Director of Finance (s151 officer) at Surrey Heath Borough Council
  • Susan Sale as Interim Monitoring Officer – Susan is also Joint Strategic Director of Law, Democracy and People (Monitoring Officer) at Guildford Borough Council & Waverley Borough Council

Interim statutory officers will support members of the new Shadow Authority, ensuring that decisions are made lawfully and that the new organisation has a robust governance framework in place. They will ensure that the new council can operate safely and legally up to and beyond day one and function properly from that date. The appointed interim statutory officers may carry out these duties alongside elements of their current jobs.

Recruitment for the permanent Chief Executive will be external and nationwide; this process is expected to begin in early summer with the aim of making appointments by the end of July. Other senior team appointments will follow as soon as practicable, with existing staff being fully and fairly included in the selection process.