Community Governance Review - Guildford

Surrey’s Local Government Reorganisation means that there will no longer be separate Guildford Borough and Surrey County Councils. While this presents potential positive benefits, it will also leave Guildford without a local team focused on the issues specific to the town and the immediate surrounding communities. In contrast, villages across the borough that have parish councils will have that voice.  

That’s why Guildford Borough Council is giving local people across the unparished wards of Guildford the opportunity to share their views on what should happen. 

If you live in Bellfields & Slyfield, Burpham, Castle, Merrow, Onslow, St Nicolas, Stoke, Stoughton North, Stoughton South or Westborough you will have received a booklet explaining this consultation. It contains three options: 

• Create a new town council or a number of parish councils across the area
• Establish a Neighbourhood Area Committee (NAC)
• No change 

I’m personally in favour of a town council for several reasons: 

• It would give you a voice on Guildford-specific issues potentially ranging from hanging baskets across the area it covers, youth services, playgrounds and more.
• Town council funding and powers are clearly defined in law, giving residents more transparency, certainty and control than with neighbourhood area committees.
• Communities would have a stronger say in the services they want, and how to pay for them.
• It would help protect our community assets from potentially being sold off to provide money for the new unitary which we all know will start with signficant financial challenges.
• If there is no town (or multiple parish) councils for the town area, this will place the area in a fundamentally different (and in my view negative) position compared to those areas that already have parish councils.