Surrey Heath

Last updated

Surrey Heath
Motto(s): 
Festina diligenter
(Latin: Make haste carefully)
Surrey Heath UK locator map.svg
Surrey Heath shown within Surrey
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Constituent country England
Region South East England
Non-metropolitan county Surrey
Status Non-metropolitan district
Admin HQ Camberley
Incorporated1 April 1974
Government
  TypeNon-metropolitan district council
  BodySurrey Heath Borough Council
   MPs Al Pinkerton (Lib Dem)
Area
  Total36.7 sq mi (95.1 km2)
  Rank202nd (of 296)
Population
 (2022)
  Total91,237
  Rank261st (of 296)
  Density2,500/sq mi (960/km2)
Ethnicity (2021)
[1]
   Ethnic groups
List
Religion (2021)
[1]
   Religion
List
Time zone UTC0 (GMT)
  Summer (DST) UTC+1 (BST)
ONS code 43UJ (ONS)
E07000214 (GSS)
OS grid reference SU8752760851

Surrey Heath is a local government district with borough status in Surrey, England. Its council is based in Camberley. Much of the area is within the Metropolitan Green Belt.

Contents

The neighbouring districts are Runnymede, Woking, Guildford, Rushmoor, Hart, Bracknell Forest, and Windsor and Maidenhead.

History

The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. The new district covered the area of two former districts, which were both abolished at the same time: [2]

The new district was named "Surrey Heath" in recognition of the extensive areas of heathland it contains, including Chobham Common and Lightwater Country Park, which form part of the wider Thames Basin Heaths. [3] The new district was granted borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor. [4]

Governance

Surrey Heath Borough Council
Surrey Heath Borough Council.svg
Type
Type
Leadership
Sarbie Kang,
Liberal Democrats
since 17 May 2023 [5]
Shaun Macdonald,
Liberal Democrat
since 28 June 2023 [6]
Nick Steevens
since 1 July 2024 (interim) [7]
Structure
Seats35 councillors
Political groups
Administration (24)
  Liberal Democrats (24)
Other parties (13)
  Conservative (6)
  Independent (3)
  Labour (2)
Elections
Last election
4 May 2023
Next election
6 May 2027
Meeting place
Surrey Heath House.jpg
Surrey Heath House, Knoll Road, Camberley, GU15 3HD
Website
www.surreyheath.gov.uk
St Saviour's Church, Valley End, Chobham St Saviour's Church, Valley End, Surrey.jpg
St Saviour's Church, Valley End, Chobham

Surrey Heath Borough Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Surrey County Council. The eastern part of the borough is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government. [8]

Political control

Since the 2023 election the council has been under Liberal Democrat majority control. Prior to 2023 the council had been led by Conservatives from its creation in 1974.

The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements came into effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows: [9]

Party in controlYears
Conservative 1974–2020
No overall control 2020–2021
Conservative 2021–2022
No overall control 2022–2023
Liberal Democrats 2023–present

Leadership

The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Surrey Heath. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1996 have been: [10]

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Vivienne Chapman Conservative pre-199627 May 1998
Moira Gibson [11] Conservative 27 May 199827 Feb 2019
Richard Brooks [12] [13] Conservative 27 Feb 201920 Jan 2020
Alan McClafferty Conservative 29 Jan 202017 May 2023
David Whitcroft Liberal Democrats 17 May 202328 Jun 2023
Shaun Macdonald Liberal Democrats 28 Jun 2023

Composition

Following the 2023 election (including a postponed election in one ward) the composition of the council is as follows:

PartyCouncillors
Liberal Democrats 24
Conservative 6
Independent 3
Labour 2
Total35

The three independent councillors sit together as "The Community Group". [14] The next election is due in 2027.

Premises

The council is based at Surrey Heath House on Knoll Road in Camberley. The building was purpose-built for the council for £4.25m and was completed in 1987. The building was formally opened by Valerian Wellesley, Duke of Wellington on 17 July 1987. [15]

Controversies

In 2016 the council bought The Square, the main shopping centre in the centre of Camberley, for £109 million. [16] By early 2023 the centre was reportedly valued at only £30 million, and the rents being received did not cover the interest payments on the debts the council had incurred in buying it. [17]

In 2020 the council's chief executive, Karen Whelan, resigned after an independent investigation found that a 30% increase in her remuneration during 2018–19 compared to the year before had been unlawfully approved by the former leader of the council, Moira Gibson. [18] [19] [20]

Geography

The area forms the heart of the heath that spans Esher, Oxshott, Weybridge, Wisley, all around Woking, Brookwood, Deepcut, Pirbright, Frimley, Lightwater, Camberley, Chobham Common, Virginia Water and Ottershaw. It is made up of naturally wet, very acid sandy and loamy soil, which is just 1.9% of English soil and 0.2% of Welsh soil, which gives rise to pines and coniferous landscapes, such as pioneered at Wentworth and Foxhills estate (now spa, hotel, restaurant and golf club) by pro-American independence statesman Charles James Fox. [21] In geology it gives rise to the name, Bagshot Formation.

The western section of the district is largely urbanised, with heaths nonetheless providing substantial green buffer around Camberley, Lightwater, Deepcut, Frimley, Frimley Green and Mytchett. The east of the district is less urbanized, and contains Surrey Heath's four civil parishes: [22]

The former Frimley and Camberley Urban District covering the west of the borough is an unparished area, governed directly by Surrey Heath Borough Council. [23]

Within the borough there are five Sites of Special Scientific Interest, four of which are part of the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area of European Importance as a habitat for certain endangered bird species; these make up some of the six Wildlife Reserves managed by Surrey Wildlife Trust in Surrey Heath.

Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2019 the council has comprised 35 Councillors representing 14 wards, with each ward electing two or three Councillors. Elections are held every four years. [24]

Wider politics

The whole borough lies within the Surrey Heath constituency. The constituency is slightly larger than the borough, including the Normandy and Pirbright ward of Guildford Borough Council. [23]

In 2014, the British Election Study named Surrey Heath as the most right-wing constituency in the country. [25]

Notable people

Twinning

Surrey Heath is twinned with Sucy-en-Brie, France, and Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany. [28]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camberley</span> Town in Surrey, England

Camberley is a town in northwest Surrey, England, around 29 miles south-west of central London. It is in the Borough of Surrey Heath and is close to the county boundaries with Hampshire and Berkshire. Known originally as "Cambridge Town", it was assigned its current name by the General Post Office in 1877.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bagshot</span> Human settlement in England

Bagshot is a large village in the Surrey Heath borough of Surrey, England, approximately 26 miles (42 km) southwest of central London. In the past, Bagshot served as an important staging post between London, Southampton and the West Country, evidenced by the original coaching inns still present in the village today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surrey Heath (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1997 onwards

Surrey Heath is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Al Pinkerton, a Liberal Democrat. The Home counties suburban constituency is in the London commuter belt, on the outskirts of Greater London. Surrey Heath is in the north west of Surrey and borders the counties of Berkshire and Hampshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woking (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1950 onwards

Woking is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Will Forster, a Liberal Democrat. Since it was first created for the 1950 general election, it had only ever returned Conservative Party candidates until it elected a Liberal Democrat for the first time in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frimley Green</span> Human settlement in England

Frimley Green is a large village and ward of 580 acres (2.3 km2) in the Borough of Surrey Heath in Surrey, England, approximately 30 mi (48 km) southwest of central London. It is 1 mi (1.6 km) south of the town of Frimley.

Mytchett is a village in the Borough of Surrey Heath in Surrey, England, approximately 30 mi (48 km) southwest of central London. It is 2 miles (3 km) to the east of Farnborough, the nearest town. Much of the village dates from the first half of the twentieth century. Mytchett had a population of 4,624 in the 2011 Census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lightwater</span> Human settlement in England

Lightwater is a village in the Surrey Heath district of Surrey, England, about 27 miles (43 km) southwest of central London. Immediately surrounding towns and villages include Bagshot, Deepcut, Windlesham, Camberley, and West End, Woking. It is bounded to the north-west by the M3 motorway and to the north-east by the "Lightwater Bypass" (A322). To the south-east it is bounded by the "Red Road" (B311), while to the south-west there are vehicle-testing tracks owned by the Ministry of Defence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deepcut</span> Human settlement in England

Deepcut is a village in the borough of Surrey Heath in Surrey, England, approximately 28 mi (45 km) southwest of central London. The nearest towns are Camberley, Surrey and Farnborough, Hampshire. Deepcut is named after the excavations required for the building of the Basingstoke Canal during the 1790s, although the village dates primarily from the early 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ash, Surrey</span> Village and civil parish in England

Ash is a village and civil parish in the far west of the borough of Guildford, Surrey. Ash is on the eastern side of the River Blackwater, with a station on the Reading-Guildford-Gatwick line, and direct roads to Aldershot, Farnham and Guildford. The 2011 census counted the residents of the main ward of Ash, which excludes Ash Vale, as 6,120. Ash has a small museum in the local cemetery chapel, a large secondary school and a library.

Frimley and Camberley was an urban district in Surrey, England from 1894 to 1974.

Chertsey sometimes seen as Surrey North Western, equally the North Western Division of Surrey was created as one of six county constituencies of Surrey for the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. The seat underwent two net reductions and variously included and excluded growing suburban settlements: Egham, Frimley, Weybridge, Walton-on-Thames and Woking.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ascot–Ash Vale line</span> Railway line in southern England

The Ascot–Ash Vale line is an 11-mile-58-chain (18.9 km) railway line in Berkshire and Surrey, England. It runs from Ascot station, on the Waterloo–Reading line, to Ash Vale, on the Alton line. There are intermediate stations at Bagshot, Camberley and Frimley, all three of which are in the Borough of Surrey Heath.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Bourne, Addlestone</span> River in northwest Surrey, England

The River Bourne is the name given to a Thames tributary in northwest Surrey, England which has a longer tributary, the Windle Brook, that rises nears Bagshot Park in the south of Swinley Forest, Berkshire, merging with it while flowing through villages north of Woking; downstream the Bourne joins the Thames near Weybridge.

Bagshot Rural District was a rural district in the administrative county of Surrey, England from 1933 to 1974, covering an area in the north-west of the county.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brentmoor Heath</span> Nature reserve in Surrey, United Kingdom

Brentmoor Heath is a 28.6-hectare (71-acre) Local Nature Reserve east of Camberley in Surrey. It is part of Brentmoor Heath and Folly Bog nature reserve, the ownership of which is divided between the Ministry of Defence, Surrey County Council and Surrey Heath Borough Council, and is managed by Surrey Wildlife Trust. The site is also part of Colony Bog and Bagshot Heath site of Special Scientific Interest, Thursley, Ash, Pirbright & Chobham Special Area of Conservation and Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area.

Mindenhurst is a new neighbourhood in the village of Deepcut in Surrey, England, which is being built on the Princess Royal Barracks. It is in the London commuter belt giving families a rural lifestyle whilst being able to easily commute into the city. It will provide 1,200 new homes alongside 69 hectares of green space including woodlands. It will also have a number of amenities to support the new community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Surrey Heath Borough Council election</span> 2023 English local election

The 2023 Surrey Heath Borough Council election took place on 4 May 2023 to elect 32 of 35 members of Surrey Heath Borough Council in England. It was held on the same day as other local elections. The Liberal Democrats took control of the council from a minority Conservative administration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electoral history of Michael Gove</span> List of elections featuring Michael Gove as a candidate

This is a summary of the electoral history of Michael Gove, who is a prominent Conservative Party politician who has served as a Cabinet minister under David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak, and has been a Member of Parliament since 2005.

References

  1. 1 2 UK Census (2021). "2021 Census Area Profile – Surrey Heath Local Authority (E07000214)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics . Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  2. "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 31 May 2023
  3. "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 1973/551, retrieved 31 May 2023
  4. "District Councils and Boroughs". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . 28 March 1974. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  5. "Council minutes, 17 May 2023". Surrey Heath Borough Council. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  6. "Council minutes, 28 June 2023". Surrey Heath Borough Council. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  7. "Surrey Heath Borough Council's Interim Chief Executive announced | Surrey Heath Borough Council". Surrey Heath Borough Council. 16 May 2024. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  8. "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 31 May 2023
  9. "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  10. "Council minutes". Surrey Heath Borough Council. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  11. "Leader of Surrey Heath Borough Council to step down". Life Camberley. 30 January 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  12. Curley, Rebecca (31 January 2020). "Newly elected leader of Surrey Heath says residents 'deserve openness'". Surrey Live. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  13. Boyd, Alex (20 January 2020). "Surrey Heath Borough Council leader and deputy leader resign without explanation". Surrey Live. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  14. "Your councillors by political grouping". Surrey Heath Borough Council. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  15. "Duke opens Surrey Heath HQ". Farnborough Mail. 21 July 1987. p. 7. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  16. Parker, Graham (9 November 2018). "Surrey Heath stands by £110m purchase of Camberley centre". Property Week. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  17. Caulfield, Chris (3 April 2023). "Surrey Heath council's investment portfolio drops by £79m after House of Fraser exit". Surrey Live. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  18. Jubert, Jamie (2 August 2019). "Council's chief's pay packet sky rockets 30%". Surrey Live. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  19. "Independent investigation finds additional payments to chief executive "not lawfully made"". Local Government Lawyer. 21 April 2020. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  20. Private Eye, Issue 1522, 22 May 2020, page 20
  21. "Soilscapes soil types viewer – National Soil Resources Institute. Cranfield University". landis.org.uk.
  22. Surrey Council Archived 26 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  23. 1 2 "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  24. "The Surrey Heath (Electoral Changes) Order 2017", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 2017/1268, retrieved 18 July 2023
  25. Wheeler, Brian (1 December 2014). "Strange reasons why people vote". BBC.
  26. McCormack, Kirsty (25 March 2022). "Bridgerton season 2: Who is Kate Sharma actress Simone Ashley in Netflix series?". mirror. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  27. Ward, Victoria (13 September 2022). "Sophie, Countess of Wessex to gain new title if Edward becomes Duke of Edinburgh". The Telegraph. ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  28. "About Surrey Heath".

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