Council seeks name change before launch

Spelthorne councillors are seeking to rename the new West Surrey Council before it officially comes into being.

A motion due before the West Surrey Shadow Authority would ask the government to change the name to West Surrey and South Middlesex Council ahead of local government reorganisation in April 2027.

Posting on Facebook, Spelthorne councillor Harry Boparai described the proposal as "the most important motion for Spelthorne in 50 years", adding: "This is about identity that has been brushed under the carpet since 1965 which is shameful."

But opposition leader Jane Austin said the proposed name was "cumbersome" and warned that "it risks creating division from day one".

The Liberal Democrat-led authority will bring together six existing councils and inherit about £4.5bn of debt, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Spelthorne is the only part of the new authority which lies north of the River Thames and was historically part of Middlesex.

Boparai said the postal address of properties in Spelthorne "remains Middlesex", adding the name change "would more accurately reflect and respect the history and identity of all the communities it serves".

Austin also criticised the timing of the debate during the summer holidays, saying many residents would be away when the issue was discussed.

She said it was "outrageous that the Liberal Democrats' first major signal of intent for West Surrey Council is to debate changing its name rather than tackling the enormous challenges facing the new authority".

Had the council waited until it formally took over, in April 2027, it would require a two-thirds majority of members to change its name.

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