The reforms create an opportunity to build a planning system that is faster, clearer and more accountable, but only if the new authorities are honest about where the risks sit.

 

The concerns below are not theoretical. They are drawn from what has already happened in Dorset, Somerset and other new unitaries. They reflect the governance lessons set out in the Open Letter and the standards expected of any modern planning authority. Reorganisation solves very little unless the basics are right on day one.

 

Fragmented planning systems slow decisions

East and West Surrey inherit different processes, digital systems and committee arrangements. Several legacy authorities struggled with backlogs and delayed cases. Without decisive simplification, the new councils risk embedding those inconsistencies for years. A single decision pathway and firm delegation rules are the only way to stabilise the system early.

 

Public trust begins from a low base

Only nineteen percent of consultation responses supported the two unitary model. Concern about remoteness and loss of local voice is real. If the new councils do not show clarity, consistency and early engagement, scepticism will become resistance. Legitimacy is not a communications exercise; it is a governance discipline built through clear roles, visible decisions and confident councillor leadership.

 

Twelve digital systems cannot become two functioning authorities

Surrey’s digital landscape is complex. Carrying it forward will create confusion for officers and applicants and will make it impossible to understand performance in real time. Dorset’s experience shows that convergence takes years unless it is driven from day one. A single workflow and live performance dashboards are essential if the new councils want faster decisions and fewer complaints.

 

Unclear accountability leads to financial and governance drift

Reorganisation does not reset culture. Without clear reporting lines and visible ownership of decisions, planning will become a pressure point. Woking’s financial collapse and Somerset’s early bottlenecks underline the same lesson: governance failure is far more damaging than technical failure. Surrey cannot afford internal ambiguity in its first year.

 

Housing delivery pressures will not pause for Surrey to reorganise

Surrey remains under national scrutiny. Once new Local Plans are adopted, the five year supply will apply across the whole authority. Surpluses and deficits across former districts will surface politically. If this is not explained clearly, future decisions will be misunderstood before they are even made.

 

Where the solutions sit

The answers are straightforward even if the delivery challenge is not. Surrey needs a single Scheme of Delegation, a unified digital workflow, clear councillor roles, strong officer leadership and early engagement that treats residents as part of the system rather than an audience for it. Above all, it needs confident governance that removes friction rather than replicating legacy complexity.

 

Reorganisation gives Surrey a rare moment to fix long standing weaknesses. Coalface supports the principle of reform because done well it creates faster decisions, clearer accountability and a more trusted planning system. Whether Surrey achieves that depends entirely on the discipline applied in its first months.