The meeting saw Councillor Saj Hussain and Councillor Tim Hall re-elected unopposed as Chair and Vice-Chair of the council respectively. It also saw the adoption of the scheme of proportionality for the coming year, approval of the appointment of various committees, chairmen and vice-chairmen, as well as the appointment of Michael Coughlin as Interim Head of Paid Service from 3 June 2024 to 18 August 2024. Matthew Woods was also appointed as the independent member of the Audit and Governance Committee for a period of four years.

The Leader's Statement

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Tim Oliver, made a detailed statement on the council’s progress in various areas, including children's services, the fire and rescue service, adult social care, customer services and highways. He highlighted the council's clear vision and plan and stressed its commitment to delivering for the people of Surrey . The Leader also thanked outgoing Interim Chief Executive Leigh Whitehouse and Executive Director for Environment, Infrastructure and Growth, Katie Stewart, for their service.

Opposition councillors raised concerns about the number of senior staff changes, the council’s financial position and the effectiveness of services in several areas.

Councillor Will Forster, Leader of the Liberal Democrat group, echoed thanks given to Leigh Whitehouse and Katie Stewart but raised concerns about the implications of the numerous senior staff changes at the council, saying, We have a significant change in the senior staff of this council. Cabinet meetings are cancelled and key decisions are not deferred. That is not good enough for our residents .

He agreed with the Leader's call for renewal but said there was a lot of work for incoming Chief Executive Terence Herbert to do. He also highlighted two weaknesses identified by Ofsted in their recent focused visit to Children's Services, specifically a lack of consistency in the standard of letters sent to vulnerable families, with some letters not written sensitively enough , and a need to improve the consistency and quality of the direct work this council does for children and families .

He also raised concerns about the council's finances, saying This government's plans to cut local government funding is awful. On top of the quarter, the 25% cut we've had since 2016, the Chancellor's further plans to cut local government funding could push many local authorities over the edge.

Councillor Jonathan Essex, Leader of the Green group, highlighted research showing the potential economic costs of climate change, noting that Surrey's 5 million tonnes of emissions equated to £4.5 billion of annual damage . He asked the Leader what the council was doing to scale up [its] capital programme in relation to climate action.

He also raised concerns about the closure of Sure Start centres, noting research suggesting they were effective in improving children's outcomes, and called for greater investment in universal services for children.

Councillor Robert Evans OBE, Leader of the Labour group, also thanked Whitehouse and Stewart, and echoed calls for action on issues like potholes and fly-tipping, asking the Leader to use his influence to address problems with traffic flow around Wisley, specifically the M25 junction 10/A3 interchange. He also highlighted concerns about the overreliance on agency staff and called for improved relations with London and the Mayor of London.

Councillor Eva Kington, a Conservative councillor, raised concerns about the high number of senior staff at the council, saying when I started at this Council there were just nine officers paid over £100,000. In the most recent organisational chart provided to me that figure stands at 42 . She called for a leaner and more targeted senior leadership team under the new Chief Executive.

Councillor George Potter, a Liberal Democrat councillor, also raised concerns about the council’s approach to grass cutting. Despite declaring a climate emergency, the council had backtracked on the scaling back of grass cutting during the summer months which he said was vital to butterflies pollinators and other insects .

Appointment of Interim Head of Paid Service

The council appointed Michael Coughlin, the Executive Director - Customer, Digital and Transformation, as Interim Head of Paid Service. Coughlin will take on the role from 3 June 2024 until 18 August 2024, bridging the gap between Leigh Whitehouse’s departure and Terence Herbert’s arrival as Chief Executive.

Members' Question Time

During Members’ Question Time, a variety of issues were discussed, including the closure of Banstead Fire Station, the performance of the MindWorks Surrey mental health service, the council’s approach to pothole repairs, the provision of services for disadvantaged children, and the level of support for foster carers.

Of particular note was discussion around the neurodiversity pathway at the MindWorks Surrey Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) contract. This service is jointly commissioned by Surrey County Council and the NHS Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care Board and delivered by Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. It was revealed that the service was not accepting referrals for children and young people who need a neurodiversity assessment, most likely to diagnose Autism Spectrum Disorder or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

The Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Lifelong Learning, Councillor Clare Curran, said the situation was unacceptable , noting that the waiting lists and backlogs in the MindWorks Surrey neurodiversity service were unacceptable and the needs of neurodiverse children and young people were not being met . She agreed with councillors who called for urgent action, saying I don't want any member in this chamber to be under any illusion that this is not one of the biggest concerns for the children's directorate, one of our main priorities and we're working really hard with all system leaders across the health and the health service and other partners to resolve it. She committed to asking the council's officers to prepare a briefing for members on the current situation, including information on waiting times and alternative pathways for children not being seen by Mindworks.

The council also discussed its Advertising and Sponsorship Policy. In a report presented by the Greener Futures Reference Group, councillors argued that the current policy, which allows the advertising of carbon-producing products on the council’s highways, does not support the council’s environmental goals. The Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Economic Growth, Councillor Matt Furniss, acknowledged the importance of the council’s net-zero goals but noted the significant revenue generated from advertising. He said the council was restricted in the actions it could take by guidelines set by the Advertising Standards Authority but said he would ask for their guidance on the matter.

The Leader agreed and committed to asking the Cabinet Member for Environment to write to the relevant government minister on the matter.

Statements by Members

Two members made statements at the end of the meeting. Councillor Jonathan Hulley thanked two officers from the West Learning Disability and Autism Team for their work in helping a constituent find supported living accommodation. Councillor Steven McCormack raised concerns about the impact of the Chalk Pit waste transfer and processing site in Epsom on the local area, arguing that the increase in traffic had created safety risks, accelerated the wear and tear on the roads, and degraded the quality of life for residents.