The answer is YES
Judicial reviews of local government reorganisation (LGR) have occurred elsewhere for various reasons.
In Cumbria, a judicial review was pursued against the decision to replace the two-tier system with two unitary councils.
The leader of Cumbria County Council claimed that the government’s reorganisation decision was politically motivated and lacked sufficient public consultation.
Many Surrey residents claim that consultation across the county has been derisory. Many claim SCC’s race to be the first has been conducted in indecent haste, and its residents may be left to repent at leisure.
Concerns have also been raised regarding government policy on the minimum size of a unitary authority, specifically the guideline of 300,000 to 600,000 population. A guideline that has now been revised, although confusion persists.
Some suspected that the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) was being cautious in its feedback letters to avoid providing grounds for future judicial reviews.
Furthermore, a judicial review was launched over the Levelling Up Fund due to concerns about how funding was being distributed.
A Judicial review is badly needed regarding the reorganisation of Surrey County Council (SCC). SCC Councillors led by Tim Oliver have raced to be one of the first councils for reorganisation, to do so Tim Oliver had the SCC elections cancelled, in the current electoral climate there was a reasonable chance that a number of the current Councillors would have lost their seats. Tim Oliver along with a number of his Councillor Colleagues have pushed ahead without speaking to the residents their plans for local government reorganisation. SCC Councillors have stated that they have listened to residents, by their own admission they spoke to less than 200 residents within Surrey. Local councils including our own Waverley have put forward different proposals. Our Local Borough and Town Councillors have spoken to residents granted not every resident but far more than SCC have spoken to. The proposal put forward by the majority of Boroughs is on the basis that if reorganisation must happen then let’s at least look at what has been tried and is showing evidence of working such as the Waverley & Guildford partnership, and the partnership of another Surrey Borough and a Sussex Borough. The proposal the majority of Boroughs have put through is for 3 Authorities. SCC Councillors don’t want that, they want 2 authorities with an overriding Mayor.
SCC are not listening to the residents (or for that matter I doubt they are listening to local Borough Councillors) It’s unlikely that the Government are listening bearing in mind they have thrown out one proposal without even looking at the evidence. Judicial review now
You are absolutely right. Out there in the boroughs and districts, the public is confused and uninformed. The consultation was so rushed that even Surrey County Council doesn’t vote on it until June 24th. The public isn’t even being treated like voting fodder, because as you so rightly say, they didn’t get to vote! This whole bad business will end in tears.
I didn’t know we had any say in the matter?!
Spot on! We don’t. WW
Surrey County Council have not advertised the Public Consultation, however one of the local authorities have put the Local Government Reorganisation Consultation link out (it might be Waverley or any of the Local Borough, District or Town Councils who unlike SCC who wish to split the county into two half’s the majority of the Borough & District Councils in Surrey have put forward 3 distinct area based on experience of sharing with neighbouring Borough & District Council) the site is https://consult.communities.gov.uk/local-government-reorganisation/surrey/ The Consultation period ends on Tuesday 5 August 2025
Surrey County Council have not advertised the Public Consultation, however one of the local authorities have put the Local Government Reorganisation Consultation link out (it might be Waverley or any of the Local Borough, District or Town Councils who unlike SCC who wish to split the county into two half’s the majority of the Borough & District Councils in Surrey have put forward 3 distinct area based on experience of sharing with neighbouring Borough & District Council) the site is https://consult.communities.gov.uk/local-government-reorganisation/surrey/ The Consultation period ends on Tuesday 5 August 2025