The leader of Surrey County Council has been accused by his Waverley counterpart of not trusting voters and its councillors in a rushed bid to secure devolution.

Tim Oliver wants Surrey to be part of the ‘fast-track’ devolution programme with the leader confirming he will write to Local Government and Devolution minister, Jim McMahon, to signal the county’s intention to press ahead.

But the pace and determination of the Conservative and the accompanying request to postpone local elections to assist the bid has led to uproar around the county.

A “Let Surrey Residents Vote in 2025” petition by Surrey Heath MP, Al Pinkerton, has more than 3,000 signatures and counting while the leader of the council’s Residents’ Association and Independent Group described the “highly aggressive timetable” and lack of detail as instructing councils to “rearrange the deck chairs on The Titanic.”

Local government is set for its biggest shake-up in half a century with a White Paper on Devolution calling for the replacement of the two-tier council structure with a unitary version.

Surrey and Hampshire both have this set-up with the likes of SCC overseeing responsibilities like education, social care, libraries and waste disposal.

The county’s 11 district and borough councils, which include Waverley, Woking and Guildford, are responsible for services like planning, licensing and paid-for parking.

The plan is to streamline and simplify local government by creating more single unitary authorities that deliver all key services. The devolution plan also includes a proposal to create more “Mayoral Strategic Authorities” in areas which currently don’t have one.

There seems to be a consensus at both county and district level that local government reform is necessary, with many calling for a measured and steady approach.

But the government has thrown a cat among the council pigeons by giving them the chance to be among the “first wave” amid talk of early opportunities.

And that’s why there’s been a move to postpone local elections, with Cllr Oliver arguing they will get in the way of detailed work for reorganisation and devolution.

He said: “I have always been an advocate of further devolution from Westminster and Whitehall to local regions and communities.

“To do that in line with government expectations, councils in Surrey will need to be reshaped and reorganised, which will hopefully deliver a simpler, more efficient and effective local government system.

“Any reorganisation will be examined properly over the coming months, in collaboration with partners across the county, to deliver the very best outcome for our residents and businesses.”

Councils have only been given 26 days to signal their intention to be part of the Devolution Priority Process so the move to press ahead with the fast-track application was only noted, rather than approved, by councillors during a recent extraordinary meeting.

But while there may have been a grudging acceptance to press ahead, the same can’t be said about the request to postpone May’s local elections.

“We believe the pace, haste and lack of plan to be not just folly, but a clear threat to services our residents need, and we do not accept that elections must be cancelled,” said Waverley Borough Council leader, Cllr Paul Follows, reading a joint statement on behalf of his Surrey district and borough counterparts.

“Despite what many Conservatives in this room and outside keep saying, the government aren’t asking us or making us cancel elections.

“The leader has argued leaping in here brings benefits, but nobody has outlined what they are.

“He could have given you a meaningful debate on this, he could have given you a meaningful vote, but of course, he doesn’t trust either you or the people of Surrey to give him what he wants, so he’s not going to do that, is he?”

He added: “Looking at unitarisation everywhere it’s happened, it’s taken more than a year. As a democrat I cannot stand by and watch the Conservative administration of this council seek to cancel elections on entirely false premises and entirely at the decision of the leader of this council without any real plan.”

The petition launched by Mr Pinkerton calls on the government to reject SCC’s “profoundly undemocratic” proposals and let Surrey residents have their say in May.

The petition also calls for the new administration to work with district and borough councils across Surrey to “sensibly and soberly” create an authority of the right shape, size and scale.

Referring to plans that could see two unitary authorities – West and East – set up in Surrey, Mr Pinkerton stressed the need for consideration, especially when it comes to the matter of Woking Borough Council’s enormous debt.

He said: “If the leadership of SCC get their own way and form two super authorities, the Western authority could be inheriting up to £5bn worth of debt on its first day - pitching it into effective bankruptcy, with all of the risks to vital services.

“So this means that constituents like mine in Surrey Heath will bear the burden for debts accumulated by the likes of WBC despite never voting for or participating in the accrual of that debt.

“We must take more time to explore the options for Surrey – allowing democratic processes to take place and allowing constituents to have a say in their governance.”

And that view seems to be shared by the Residents’ Association and Independents Group with Cllr Catherine Powell calling for more time and greater consultation in a joint statement.

The majority support the switch to unitary status but many also have concerns about elections being postponed to meet the government’s timetable.

The group feels the pre-work in setting up the new authority will be critical in managing risks and realising potential savings.

They will have a seat at the table in the development of the interim proposals while the group is well-placed to contribute, as they have undertaken and shared “significant analysis” gathered over the festive period with leaders, council cabinet members and local MPs.

But their absolute “red line” is that the substantial debts of Surrey’s district and borough councils are written off to give the unitary authority – or authorities – a fighting chance of being successful.

Cllr Powell said: “The White Paper sets an impossible timescale that hasn’t been achieved by any successful Unitary Authority.

“We would have to combine multiple financial systems in less than a year, which based on recent Surrey experience simply isn’t possible.

“Local Government exists to serve residents – let's ensure that they are at the centre of everything we do.”

Surrey’s Liberal Democrat MPs have also released a joint statement calling the move to postpone elections an “affront to democracy”.

The statement reads: “With Surrey facing serious challenges – from failings in child safeguarding and Special Educational Needs to potholed roads – residents must retain their democratic right to hold those in power to account.

“A proposal of this scale requires careful consideration and broad support. Yet, just three weeks after the government’s announcement, no credible plan exists.

“There has been insufficient engagement with district and borough councils or MPs to justify this unprecedented step.”

The statement concludes: “This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape local government in Surrey, and it must not be derailed by unnecessary delays or a lack of transparency.”