The East Surrey Shadow Authority met on Wednesday 29 July 2026, with the primary focus of the meeting being the appointment of a permanent Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service, Adam Chalmers, who was unanimously approved. The Authority also discussed and approved the approach to appointing an external auditor, opting into the Public Sector Audit Appointments (PSAA) sector-led scheme. Several motions were debated, including one to foster a respectful democratic culture, which was passed, and another concerning the pursuit of borough status for East Surrey, which was also passed. A third motion, aiming to keep decisions local through community governance reviews, was defeated.

Appointment of Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service

The Shadow Authority unanimously approved the appointment of Adam Chalmers as the permanent Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service for East Surrey Council. Chalmers, who was previously the Interim Head of Paid Service, was selected following a rigorous national recruitment process. The Senior Officer Employment Sub-Committee was particularly impressed by his clear and compelling vision for the new council, his understanding of local government reorganisation, and his proven track record in organisational transformation and financial stewardship. He was also appointed as the Returning Officer for East Surrey Council.

External Auditor Appointment

The Authority resolved to opt into the Public Sector Audit Appointments (PSAA) sector-led option for the appointment of external auditors for the period 2027/28 to 2029/30. This decision, made in compliance with the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014, will allow East Surrey Council to utilise a nationally managed procurement process, which is expected to deliver better value for money and avoid the complexity of a local tender. The Interim Chief Finance Officer was authorised to sign and return the opt-in notice to PSAA.

Foundation Strategic Authority for Surrey

The Authority noted the progress towards establishing a Foundation Strategic Authority (FSA) for Surrey by 1 April 2027. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) confirmed its intention to work with Surrey councils on this initiative, which aims to provide a governance structure for strategic functions such as transport, skills, and economic development across the county. The indicative timetable includes a government-led consultation over summer 2026, with local consent from East and West Surrey Shadow Authorities expected in autumn 2026. While the FSA is a non-mayoral model, it is seen as a first step towards deeper devolution and potential future mayoral models.

Motions Debated

Debate Not Hate – Establishing a Respectful Democratic Culture for East Surrey Council

The Authority passed a motion to publicly support the Jo Cox Foundation's No Place in Politics principles and the Local Government Association's Debate Not Hate campaign. The motion commits the Council to fostering a culture where political debate is encouraged, but personal abuse, intimidation, discrimination, and harassment are not tolerated. This includes reviewing the Council's Constitution and Code of Conduct, developing an action plan, and encouraging councillors to act as ambassadors for respectful debate. The motion also calls for support for officers experiencing abuse and the establishment of clear reporting processes with a zero-tolerance policy.

Securing Borough Status and the Civic Traditions of East Surrey

The Authority passed a motion declaring its intention for East Surrey Council to petition His Majesty The King for borough status at the earliest opportunity after Vesting Day. The motion also requested that officers prepare the necessary documentation during the shadow period to facilitate this petition. It further resolved to ensure appropriate arrangements, including Charter Trustees where required, are established before Vesting Day to preserve the borough status, mayoralties, ceremonial rights, regalia, and civic traditions of predecessor councils. The Leader of the Council will write to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to notify them of this intention and seek government support.

Keeping Decisions Local in East Surrey

A motion proposing that East Surrey Council should undertake a Community Governance Review across the whole council area as soon as practicably possible, giving every community the opportunity to establish a town or parish council where there is local demand, was defeated. The motion also aimed to adopt a presumption in favour of double devolution of assets, services, and budgets, and to review area-based arrangements with genuine delegated powers. Concerns were raised during the debate about the prematurity of the motion, the potential for duplicating recent reviews, and the financial implications.

Questions from Councillors

A series of questions were addressed to various Executive Members and the Leader, covering topics such as:

• Council Housing: The Executive Member for Housing acknowledged the importance of council housing but stated that a range of tenures would be needed, and decisions on growth and investment would be made post-Vesting Day.
• Spatial Development Strategy (SDS): The Executive Member for Strategic Planning confirmed that work was underway on the SDS, but decisions would be made post-Vesting Day, and precise consultation procedures were awaiting Government guidance.
• Joint Governance with West Surrey: The Leader confirmed that evolving joint working arrangements were in place, including weekly joint Executive briefings and emerging joint political forums, with a revised joint member arrangement being developed.
• Highways Maintenance: The Executive Member for Transport, Highways and Infrastructure acknowledged the value of planned maintenance programmes but stated that funding decisions would be considered as part of the overall 2027/28 budget setting process.
• Service and Budget Allocation: The Executive Member for Finance and Resources explained that council tax base was a proposed starting point for allocation where no clearer service-specific basis existed, but other factors like population and need would also be considered.
• Inheriting Debt: The Leader addressed concerns about inheriting debt, explaining that the disaggregation of Surrey County Council budgets would include borrowing costs for capital projects and assets across East Surrey.
• Revenue Budget Gap: The Executive Member for Finance and Resources stated that the Council was at an early stage of budget development, with further iterations scheduled, and that decisions still to be finalised would significantly impact the budget position.
• Hybrid Meetings: The Leader confirmed that many venues had provision for remote attendance, but current legislation did not allow members to debate and vote virtually.
• Social Services Provision: The Leader addressed concerns about the splitting of county-wide social services, stating that the guiding principle was transition, not transformation, and that where immediate separation would create risk, interim arrangements were proposed.
• Meeting Locations and Times: The Leader stated that the post-Vesting Day schedule of meetings would be developed in the autumn, taking into account member preferences and best practice, with consultation with all political groups.
• Neighbourhood Area Committees: The Leader noted that Neighbourhood Area Committees were an SCC initiative and that learnings from pilots would inform future local governance models.
• Pavement Parking: The Executive Member for Transport, Highways and Infrastructure stated that once new legislation was introduced, he would work with the parking team to understand and implement new powers.
• Council Meeting Standing Orders: The Leader confirmed a commitment to ensuring elected members could represent residents and that the shadow constitution provided for questions and motions, with further input welcomed through the Constitution Committee.
• Bus Service Funding: The Executive Member for Transport, Highways and Infrastructure stated that transport provision was funded by DfT grant and SCC revenue budget, and future funding arrangements would be considered post-Vesting Day.
• Source Separated Recycling: The Executive Member for Environment, Climate Change and Regulatory Services committed to exploring opportunities to improve waste collection and disposal services, with decisions on future recycling policies to be made after exploring existing contracts.
• Third Sector Funding: The Executive Member for Leisure, Culture and Communities confirmed that predecessor councils were making grant awards into 2027/28 to ensure continuity for third sector organisations, and that their sustainability would be safeguarded.
• Implementation Costs: The Executive Member for Finance and Resources provided details on the implementation fund, stating that expenditure was not tracked by individual council but against programme priorities, and that all funding requests were subject to formal approval.
• Local Development Scheme: The Executive Member for Strategic Planning and Growth explained that the Local Development Scheme would be determined post-Vesting Day, taking into account Government transitional arrangements and the governance of the Spatial Development Strategy.
• Land and Asset Strategy: The Executive Member for Finance and Resources confirmed that the land parcels in question would be owned by East Surrey Council post-Vesting Day, but commented that SCC was unable to comment on future use, which would be decided by the new council.

Appointment of Independent Persons

The Authority approved the appointment of five Independent Persons – Jane Clarke, Bill Donnelly, John Smith, Dean Spears, and Tim Stokes – to assist with the handling of complaints against councillors. These individuals, already serving as independent persons for other Surrey authorities, will serve until 31 March 2027, receiving an allowance of £1,159 per annum, pro rata.

Appointment of External Auditor

The Authority unanimously approved opting into the Public Sector Audit Appointments (PSAA) sector-led option for the appointment of external auditors from 2027/28. This decision aligns with the practice of other Surrey councils and is expected to provide better value for money and administrative ease.

Other Matters

The meeting also included the appointment of Adam Chalmers as Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service, and the approval of the approach to appointing an external auditor. The Authority noted the progress towards establishing a Foundation Strategic Authority for Surrey. Motions were debated and passed regarding fostering a respectful democratic culture and securing borough status, while a motion on keeping decisions local was defeated. The date of the next meeting was set for 24 September 2026.