The Executive of Guildford Borough Council is scheduled to meet to discuss several key items, including the adoption of the Surrey Hills National Landscape Management Plan, a proposed transfer of funds for the Midleton Industrial Estate, a rent review for the Stonebridge Depot, and a proposal to establish a Joint Executive Committee with Waverley Borough Council. They will also be reviewing the procurement pipeline and a performance monitoring report.

Surrey Hills National Landscape Management Plan

The Executive will be asked to consider the adoption of the new Surrey Hills National Landscape Management Plan 2025-2030. The Surrey Hills covers a large area across Surrey, including parts of Waverley, Mole Valley, Tandridge and Reigate and Banstead, and Guildford Borough Council. The plan, prepared by the Surrey Hills Board, is a material consideration in the determination of relevant planning applications and supports the implementation of the Local Plan.

The report pack notes that the review is more extensive than previous versions, to account for revised legislation including the Environment Act and the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act. It says that the main change from the previous Management Plan is the development of a 75-year vision and strategic priorities for the themes of Climate, Nature and Engagement in the Natural Environment. For planning authorities, the key document is Part 4 – The Policy Framework, which retains the same structure as the previous Plan. However, it is intended to carry greater weight in guiding those bodies that have responsibility for the conservation and enhancement of the national landscape in the light of the new LURA duty to seek to further the purpose of the designation.

The report pack explains that the Levelling-Up and Regeneration Act 2023 imposed a legal duty on relevant authorities to actively seek to further the purpose of conserving and enhancing the natural beauty of National Landscapes. The report pack says that the new duty has heavily influenced the content of the Management Plan which now stresses the importance of avoiding harm to the statutory purpose of National Landscapes and requires a proactive approach to explore how best to achieve the statutory purpose, particularly by considering the policy framework set out in Part 4 of the Plan.

The report pack notes that consultation on the draft Management Plan was carried out by the Surrey Hills Unit between March and June 2025 and received 40 responses including from: NFU¹, Surrey Nature Partnership, Natural England, the Forestry Commission and local authorities, parishes and community groups.

Transfer of Funds to Midleton Industrial Estate Budget

The Executive will consider a request to vire £180,625 from the Capital Contingency Fund to the Midleton Industrial Estate Redevelopment budget. The Midleton Industrial Estate comprises approximately 5.7 acres within the council's freehold ownership. The report pack says that the additional funding is required to close the budget due to an existing overspend now that the final account has been settled.

The report pack says that the business case for the programme of works was approved in 2017, with all phases operating under a single budget of £14,907,000. As budgets were not separated by each individual phase, the overall contingency allowance was shared across the programme. A portion of this contingency was absorbed during earlier phases, leaving limited financial flexibility for later stages of the programme.

Stonebridge Depot Rent Review

The Executive will be asked to approve an increase in the rent for Stonebridge Depot, Shalford. The council owns an investment property portfolio comprising industrial, office and retail properties, held for income generation and capital appreciation to support council services. The report pack says that the portfolio requires ongoing active property management to keep the estate in good order.

The report pack explains that the term of the lease is 10 years from 4 December 2019 to The Police & Crime Commissioner for Surrey. The lease contains a provision for an upward-only open market rent review at the 5th anniversary, with the subject rent review being due with effect from 4 December 2024. The rent review provision provides for the rent to be 90% of current market rental value of the property as at the review date. Agreement in principle has been reached to conclude the rent review on the basis of an increase from £222,000 per annum to £275,000 per annum with effect from the rent review date of 4 December 2024.

Procurement Pipeline Report

The Executive will review the Procurement Pipeline Report for projects over £200,000 for 2025-2026. The report pack includes a list of projects which are likely to result in Key Decisions and seeks Executive agreement for procurements to commence. The report pack also seeks delegated authority for the Strategic Director for Finance and Resources, having consulted with the Lead Councillor for Finance and upon selection of a successful contractor following an appropriate tendering process, to enter into contracts for the award of the projects listed in Appendix 1 - GBC Procurement Pipeline 091025.pdf.

The projects listed in the report pack are:

• Advanced Electricity Metering & Data Services Contract
• Minor Works Rodboro walkway paving project
• Electric Taxi Project

Performance Monitoring Report

The Executive will review the Corporate Performance Monitoring Report for Quarter 1 of 2025/26. The report pack presents an overview of the council's performance against its corporate indicators (KPIs) during the first quarter, alongside a detailed quarterly Performance Monitoring report.

The report pack notes that of the 38 KPIs reported on in Q1, 3 are annual KPIs, with the remainder being quarterly. 3 of these KPIs, constituting 8% of those reported, are red rated (off target and outside of tolerance):

• SUST 1 – Recycling performance
• INC 1 – Processing of new housing benefit claims
• HOMES 4 – Number of new homes

Risk Management and Corporate Risk Registers

The Executive will receive an update on the council's corporate risks at the end of Q1 2025/26. The report pack contains the updated corporate risk registers. The council's risk management strategy defines corporate risks as risks 'that reside outside the usual course of management and require a wider corporate response or awareness …'. Corporate risks are split into two categories: strategic and operational risks.

The report pack notes that since the Committee last received an update on the Strategic Risk Register in June, the following substantive changes have been made to the risk register:

• SR1 Financial sustainability - Fully updated – additions to mitigations include updates on the Level of Reserves, Final Accounts and Independent Assurance Panel. Residual score – increased likelihood from Unlikely to Possible to reflect the Weyside Urban Village implications and financial uncertainties of LGR.
• SR2 Local government reorganisation - Fully updated – with additions to mitigations and actions and rescored.
• SR3 Scale and pace of change - Fully updated – with additions to mitigations and actions.
• SR10 Fraud - Fully updated – with additions to mitigations and actions and rescored.
• SR12 (new) Safeguarding - In light of the changes within local government, a new risk has been added since the committee's June meeting.
• SR13 (new) Contract Management - New risk added since the Committee's June meeting.

Proposed Joint Executive Committee

The Executive will be asked to approve proposed changes to some Executive decision making, to form a Joint Executive Committee, with the Executive of Waverley Borough Council. The report pack proposes that the Executive recommends that the Standards Committee recommend that the full Council approves consequential changes to the Constitution to establish a Joint Executive Committee with the Executive of Waverley Borough Council.

The report pack explains that Guildford and Waverley Borough Councils have established several shared services with executive functions, including a shared Legal Service, Governance Team and Executive Support Team, as part of their journey of collaborative working. The governance model for such shared services is that Guildford Borough Council has delegated the executive function for Waverley Borough Council to carry out on their behalf.

The report pack says that to ensure that Guildford Borough Council does not lose control of sovereignty of decision making, it is important that all Executive decisions relating to those shared services is undertaken by both Councils' Executives. The report pack notes that rather than duplicate the decision making process, both Executives making collective decisions as part of a joint committee is a governance arrangement that is agile, quick, presents less risk and embraces collaborative working.