Guildford needs a Town Council

Local government in Guildford is facing its most radical shake-up in half a century. Guildford Borough Council is being abolished and the Borough will be absorbed into a larger Unitary Authority. As part of these changes, those living in Guildford now have the chance to have their say on the creation of a new Guildford Town Council.

Town Councils are the same thing as Parish Councils, which already exist in Guildford Borough outside of the town. With the abolishment of the Borough Council, Guildford runs the risk of losing its local voice that best enables us to run our local services at a community level.

In order to create a Town Council, Guildford Borough Council is required to launch something called a Community Governance Review. This is a consultation of local residents, workers and businesses to ask their views on having a Town Council. At the end of the Review a decision will be made by the Borough on whether to create one or not.

How does local government in Guildford currently work?

Currently 24 councillors represent Guildford on Guildford Borough Council alongside 24 from our neighbouring villages.

Under the government’s plans for a new West Surrey Unitary Authority, Guildford could potentially have as few as 10 councillors in an Authority of 80, covering an area which could stretch all the way from Hindhead to Chertsey. This would massively reduce Guildford's voice.

At the moment, because there are Parish Councils for all the areas in the Borough outside of Guildford, the Borough Council provides services to Guildford town that are provided by the Parish Councils elsewhere. These include public toilets, playgrounds, parks, community halls, the museum, organising public events on the high street, and grants to local community groups and organisations, such as the Yvonne Arnaud theatre.

If we don't act, these responsibilities would fall under the control of the new West Surrey Authority. This Authority may decide to either cancel these services, downgrade their quality, or transfer them to local community groups who would then have to raise donations from local residents to keep them going.

If we want those services to continue then having a Guildford town council to transfer the services and staff to could help protect them.

What would a town council mean for me?

A Guildford Town Council would establish a tier of local government below the new West Surrey Authority. The Guildford Town Council would have the same powers as current Parish Councils in neighbouring areas, such as Ash, East Horsley and Shalford. 

A Guildford Town Council would only focus on Guildford. It would be there for those big and small issues that matter to local residents, who want a greener, fairer and thriving community.

A Guildford Town Council would take over a number of key local services that would otherwise be transferred to the new West Surrey Authority. This could include:

• Sports facilities
• Children's play areas
• Allotments
• Community centres
• Parks and open spaces

In addition, a Guildford Town Council could:

• Clean up graffiti and litter
• Improve cycle paths
• Support youth services for our young people
• Support initiatives to improve our high street such as hanging baskets
• Tackle crime and anti-social behaviour 

Success stories

There are many examples across England of fantastic Town Councils creating real positive change across their community. 

For example, Chippenham Town Council was able to provide new 3G artificial football pitches and improved facilities for local sports clubs by directly applying for grants from Sports England. 

Chippenham Town Council also provides hanging baskets across the town and runs an annual jetwashing programme to remove chewing gum from the streets. A funding package was also negotiated with Wiltshire Council to provide £30,000 of funding for sprucing up the appearance of the town with new street furniture, flags and bus shelter re-glazing.

Helping Guildford thrive

One of the biggest successes of Town and Parish Councils around England is the impact from having local community Councillors who know the needs of their community. Village fairs, well-managed community halls, local charity projects and support for tourism are all things that happen far more often in places with Town and Parish councils. This is because these councils provide a structure to make it easier for community projects to be organised and to succeed.

How much would a Town Council cost?

In order for the Town Council to function and provide a high quality service, residents would be asked to make a small contribution. Although the Town Councillors would not be paid, there would be yearly costs to run local services and to allow the Town Council to function on a day to day basis. The additional costs for a Town Council would be charged as a 'precept' (a surcharge) on your council tax bill.

The level of precept, and what services the Town Council will provide, would have to be decided by elected Councillors once it has been created. However, the average town council precept across the country is £57 (£4.75 per month), which works out as roughly 1 to 2% of council tax.

Given Guildford Borough Council already provides services and owns buildings within Guildford, a key question would be whether any of these should be transferred to the Town Council. 

If, for instance, Guildford Castle Grounds were transferred to the Town Council alongside the Castle Multistorey Car Park then the income from the car park would pay for the cost of maintaining the grounds without the need to increase council tax.

If the town council chose to provide new local services then it may need to increase the precept to do so. An example of this is Farnham Town Council which recently increased its precept by £5 a year to fund a new youth service.

Many Town Councils have a mechanism whereby they consult with their residents on what services they want. Residents living in Bands A, B and C properties would pay less and those on low incomes and/or benefits are entitled to an 80% reduction, depending on their circumstances.

How can I have my say?

If you live in or work in Guildford, this review is your chance to help shape Guildford's future.

The review is open until midnight on Sunday 28th September 2025. You are invited to complete a survey which can be accessed here. You can also write to the Community Governance Review at Guildford Borough Council, Millmead House, Millmead, Guildford, GU2 4BB.