Woking South East Libdems

09/10/2026

Government has refused the request to name the new Council "West Surrey and South Middlesex".

I have received the following letter from the minister today.

❇️ The change of name to include ‘South Middlesex’ has been denied.

I received this right at the end if the day today and I will draft a response over the weekend.

Likely, my colleagues from that area will comment more directly in their local community boards.

Cllr Paul Follows
Leader, West Surrey Colleagues

09/10/2026

09/10/2026

You are warmly invited to attend the AGM of the PGSPA, which runs The Arbor Centre. The AGM will take place at The Arbor Centre, Coldharbour Lane, Pyrford, GU22 8ST, on Monday 26 October at 8.00pm.

You’ll have seen the changes taking place to the outside of the Arbor building. Now come and see what we’ve been doing to the interior, hear about our plans for the future, and find out more about the work of the PGSPA.

We look forward to seeing you!

09/10/2026

Views sought on proposed Council Tax Reduction schemes

Consultations are launching across Surrey to help shape the Council Tax Reduction Schemes that will operate from April 2027.

Residents who currently receive Council Tax Reduction (CTR), and the people who support them, are being asked to share their views on proposals for the schemes that will operate in the new East and West Surrey Councils from April 2027.

From 1 April 2027, Surrey County Council and Surrey’s 11 district and borough councils will be replaced by two new unitary authorities: East Surrey Council and West Surrey Council. As part of this change, a number of services and arrangements currently operated separately by the district and borough councils will need to be brought together. This includes Council Tax administration and Council Tax Reduction schemes.

At present, each district and borough council has its own Council Tax Reduction scheme, meaning the eligibility criteria and level of support available can differ depending on where someone lives. For people on low incomes, or who claim benefits, Council Tax Reduction reduces a household's Council Tax liability, providing important financial support.

The two new councils will each need to have a single Council Tax Reduction scheme covering their own area. Draft proposals for the new schemes have now been agreed for consultation, following a review of the existing schemes across Surrey and the differences between them.

The aim of the consultation is to help ensure the new schemes are fair, sustainable and meet the needs of residents across Surrey. The draft proposals set out how the new schemes could operate from April 2027.

No final decisions have been made on the schemes, and existing support will remain in place while the consultation takes place. The consultation gives residents and relevant organisations an opportunity to consider the proposals and share their views before final recommendations are considered by the new councils.

Separate consultations for the draft East Surrey and West Surrey Council Tax Reduction schemes will run from 7 October to 3 December 2026.

We particularly want to hear from people who currently receive Council Tax Reduction, as well as others who support residents who may be affected by the proposed changes. Your feedback will be considered alongside the other consultation responses and will help inform the recommendations made before the final schemes are agreed.

Help shape the future of Surrey. Explore consultations, engagement activities and other opportunities to get involved as new councils are developed ahead of local government reorganisation in 2027.

16/09/2026

Come along to the URC on Friday morning to meet Ellen and Peter.

08/06/2026

Cllr Peter Graves, Cllr Chris Martin and Cllr Ellen Nicholson were part of a Liberal Democrat Dragon Boat race team on Sunday 7 June.

We had a respectable mid table finish and made our contribution to fundraising for the Woking hospice. If you’d like to add to our fundraising for the hospice, you can do so here
https://www.justgiving.com/page/woking-lib-dem-dragons?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL

23/05/2026

The inaugural meeting of the shadow West Surrey Council took place on Thursday 21st May.
Cllr Paul Follows - Godalming South, Milford & Witley was elected as leader of the council and Shaun MacDonald ( Surrey Heath) as deputy leader.

The executive were announced and the initial committees and their members were selected. Committees such as the employment committee are essential to ensure that a chief executive and senior directors are chosen to lead the new council into the future post vesting day on 01/04/2027.

All systems go!

The first meeting of the West Surrey Shadow Council took place yesterday (21 May) following recent elections - a key step towards the new West Surrey Council assuming operational responsibilities in April 2027.

Shadow councillors came together to start preparations for the new council, with Councillor Paul Follows appointed Leader and Councillor Shaun MacDonald as Deputy Leader.

The Shadow Council will work closely with councils across Surrey, partners and local communities to shape how the new West Surrey Council will operate, ensuring it reflects local priorities and continues to deliver high-quality services.

In the meantime, council services continue as normal. Residents should contact their existing county, district or borough council or councillors for enquiries about day to day services. Shadow councillors can answer resident queries on local government reorganisation and the transition to the new authority in April 2027.

Read more ➡️ https://ow.ly/RY8I50Z33Jw

16/05/2026

Derry’s field allotments in Old Woking had an open day today.

Peter and I had the opportunity to have a look around the site and see the vast array of fruit and veggies being grown by the allotment holders, as well as the beehives on site.

We talked about the recent dry and cold spells and how that has affected some of the crops, and of course, it decided to rain whilst we were there.

Cllr Peter Graves - Pyrford Cllr Ellen Nicholson