Page contents
- Overview
- What is a Neighbourhood Area Committee and where will they be?
- Who will be a member of a Neighbourhood Area Committee?
- What will the remit of these Neighbourhood Area Committees be?
- How can you get involved?
- When will other Neighbourhood Area Committees be announced?
Overview
Local government reorganisation presents an opportunity to strengthen our links with residents by boosting our local community engagement.
In a letter to councils in June Minister for Local Government Jim McMahon, emphasised the importance of localism and community participation, through accountable systems like Neighbourhood Area Committees. These were previously being referred to as Community Boards – but we will now be adopting the same government name of Neighbourhood Area Committees.
What is a Neighbourhood Area Committee and where will they be?
Neighbourhood Area Committees will aim to bring people together and create real opportunities for local collaboration and insight gathering in towns and villages.
We’ll be starting with a pilot phase in three local areas in the summer and then further rollout to another 19 areas by the end of 2025.
The four pilot areas will be:
- Esher and Cobham in Elmbridge
- Dorking, Newdigate and villages in Mole Valley
- Oxted, Lingfield and villages in Tandridge
Once up and running, these committees will give communities a chance to provide local insights, ideas and feedback that will help shape local action plans for their neighbourhood areas. By connecting and working together with the key decision makers and partners in those areas.
Who will be a member of a Neighbourhood Area Committee?
To ensure that these committees have a strong connection between residents, groups and public service organisations, we expect them to include representatives from:
- Health partners
- ßÙßÇÂþ» Police
- Education and business sector
- Large Voluntary Community Social Enterprise groups
- Local residents and community groups
- Local councillors
- Town and Parish Councillors
What will the remit of these Neighbourhood Area Committees be?
We are very much in the design phase of shaping NACs. Partners will be coming together in each of the four local pilot areas, to work together to establish:
- Agreed terms of reference
- Membership representation and chairs
- Action plans and priorities for their NAC
- Meetings and engagement cycle
- Outputs and mechanisms for feedback and resident engagement
We want you to be part of this journey. Residents will have the chance to help shape the areas of focus for each Neighbourhood Area Committee. By understanding the specific needs of the local areas, we can focus on the issues that matter most and make a lasting difference.
How can you get involved?
We’ll be sharing more information on these pages as the pilot areas are shaped about how you can get involved. And we’ll be out and about in communities over the summer.
We’ll keep you posted here. If you’re a resident or community group in any of the four pilot areas listed below, take a look at how things are shaping up.
When will other Neighbourhood Area Committees be announced?
Learnings and insights gathered from the initial four pilot areas, will be used to shape how Neighbourhood Area Committees will be rolled out further across the county.
At this point we envisage this will be done in by the end of 2025. And announcements about further rollout made in early 2026.
If you have any further questions on local government reorganisation and Neighbourhood Area Committees, you can email us directly at devolutionandlgr@surreycc.gov.uk and have a look at our Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) plan.