Page 26 - Oxted Local February 2024

26 February 2025
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Oxted Local 
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Oxted and its surrounding area
faces losing much of its democracy
in the greatest local government
shake-up in 50 years. The Labour
Government plans to abolish
Tandridge District Council and ten
similar local authorities in Surrey.
Decisions on important, highly
controversial issues, like
locating new housing and other
developments would no longer
been taken locally, but by a
council far away with relatively
little representation from the area.
And, as things stand, ratepayers
face having to pick up the bill for
the profligacy of other councils
elsewhere in the county.
The local government revolution
– the biggest since 1974 - was
presaged in a Government White
Paper published last month
which promised to devolve more
powers to the country’s regions
and install more mayors in them.
It also proposes the abolition
of local district and borough
councils, leaving only more remote
‘unitary’ local authorities serving a
minimum of half a million people
apiece,
Ministers plan to start in four
counties, of which Surrey is one:
others are likely to be Kent, Essex
and Hertfordshire. Surrey County
Council is keen to press ahead
as fast as possible, and – as a
first step - has already asked the
Government to cancel this year’s
local council elections.
Ministers say that the revolution
will bring greater efficiency and
save money. And, they contend,
it will “truly empower the local
champions who understand their
area, its identity, its strengths and
how to harness them”.
But Catherine Sayer, the leader
of Tandridge Council says she is
concerned that the changes “will
create mega councils which could
prove the opposite of devolution”
and that “powers will be taken
away from local communities with
distant decision-takers enabling
inappropriate and unpopular
measures to be forced through,
such as planning decisions about
new house-building”.
and enabling “distant decision-
takers” to force through
inappropriate developments.
Indeed, ministers have clearly
stated that one reason for
the changes is to override
local opposition to its massive
housebuilding plans, including in
the Green Belt.
Tandridge Council is very local,
close to its 88,000 people. Some
believe it is too small, but there
is no doubt that Surrey County
Council, which could take over
its functions and has 1.2 million
constituents, is far too big. Many
believe that if the change does
have to take place that Surrey
should be spilt into two or three
parts.
Councillor Sayer is also deeply
worried about the cost to
residents. She explains: “Woking
Borough Council declared itself
effectively bankrupt last year and
I believe its debt now stands at £1
billion. The Government has so far
indicated that it has no intention
of taking on that debt and wants
it shared across the new unitary
council or councils. It would be
very unfair for Tandridge residents
to inherit any of it.”
That, as she points out, would
be particularly so considering
her resident’s administration’s
“tremendous efforts” to turn an
inherited £1 million financial “hole”
into a £600,000 surplus and setting
balanced budget – an achievement
for which it has been officially
commended.
By Geoffrey Lean
Oxted and its surrounding area
faces losing much of its democracy
in the greatest local government
shake-up in 50 years...
‘powers will be taken
away from local
communities with distant
decision-takers enabling
inappropriate and
unpopular measures to be
forced through, such as
planning decisions about
new house-building’