The People, Performance and Development Committee met on Tuesday 8 September 2026 to discuss staffing updates related to local government reorganisation and to review the committee's action tracker and forward work programme. The committee noted that the pay policy statement for 2026-27 would be brought forward for recommendation to full council.

Local Government Reorganisation Staffing Update

The committee received a verbal update on the ongoing work to support staff through the local government reorganisation (LGR) process. Michelle, the Director of People and Change, confirmed that the government's announcement yesterday had no impact on Surrey's reorganisation plans, with the move towards two new unitary authorities proceeding as planned for 1 April next year. Staff have been verbally informed of their initial allocation to either East Surrey, West Surrey, the Combined Fire and Rescue Authority, or the new Pensions Authority. Formal letters confirming these allocations are being sent, with approximately 70% already dispatched. This will trigger an appeal mechanism for staff, with limited grounds for appeal. Decisions on allocation are subject to service configuration decisions, including where services will be hosted. A formal TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment)) consultation with all Surrey councils is planned to launch by the end of September, lasting for six weeks. Throughout the past year, staff have been kept informed about LGR and the implications of TUPE for their terms and conditions. Councillor Tim Oliver OBE, Leader of the Council, noted that the clarity provided to staff was positive and looked forward to the new unitaries starting on 1 April.

Action Tracker and Forward Work Programme

The committee reviewed its action tracker and forward work programme. It was noted that an additional item had been added to the forward work programme for the November meeting: the pay policy statement for 2026-27. This statement will be updated to reflect the national pay agreement that has been reached and will be recommended to full council. The committee noted the progress on the implementation of actions from previous meetings and reviewed the items scheduled for future meetings.

The committee noted the minutes of its previous meeting held on 10 July 2026. There were no declarations of interest or questions and petitions raised during the public session of the meeting. The meeting then moved into a private session to discuss exempt information.