Zero's thoughts on new council strategy - and how you can have a say
West Surrey Council is shaping its strategy now
Next year will see a massive change in how Surrey is governed. From 1st April 2027, there will be two new local authorities, called West and East Surrey Councils, replacing Surrey County Council, Guildford Borough Council and all the other districts and boroughs across Surrey. For Zero Carbon Guildford, and anyone living in Guildford, we will be under West Surrey Council.
Right now, there's a consultation open on the new strategy for West Surrey Council. This is where they set their priorities. Having a supportive local council can make a massive difference to how easy it is for community groups like Zero to be effective, and for residents to gain the benefits from more sustainable decisions.
What Zero thinks
We want this new council to prioritise all the things that are important to addressing the climate and nature crises - for example, protecting biodiversity and green spaces; improving our housing stock; making it easier to cycle, walk or take public transport; and supporting communities to get ready for climate impacts like heat waves and flooding.
To do that, we'd like to see West Surrey Council make climate and nature action the foundation for every ambition the council has set. We ask the Council to begin by declaring a Climate and Nature Emergency. Climate change will impact us all, but the impacts will be felt unevenly in our communities. And the solutions can support increased well-being, new skills and jobs, improved health, and boost the economy.
We also want West Surrey Council to take this opportunity to improve engagement with communities, going beyond surveys and formal consultations to give residents a real voice in decisions and support for taking action in their neighbourhoods and on the things they care about. That could mean things like expanding the recent funding for community climate resilience projects, or working with organisations like Zero on retrofit, protecting biodiversity, renewable energy and active travel. We already work with our existing councils in lots of different ways and want to continue and improve that collaboration.
You can read Zero Carbon Guildford's full response to the consultation here.
How you can have a say
The consultation is open to all residents until Sunday 15th November. It's really worth taking the time to add your voice. The more people who share the same priorities the more likely the council are to act on them.
Click on the button below to complete the online survey (you can also request the survey in other formats).
The survey asks a number of multiple choice questions, as well as five open-ended questions where you can put what you think in your own words. Here are those questions in case you want to think about your responses in advance:
Is there anything else you feel the new West Surrey Council should focus on to make your local area a great place to live?
Is there anything else the new West Surrey Council should focus on to make your local area a place where people get to live happy, healthy and independent lives?
Is there anything else the new West Surrey Council should focus on to make your local area a more prosperous place (i.e. good job opportunities and strong local economy)?
What can the new West Surrey Council do to gain the trust of local residents?
Have we missed anything that you would like the new West Surrey Council to focus on in your area?
Have a think about what your priorities are, and go and complete the survey!
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