UK Government rejects South Middlesex name addition for West Surrey Council

The UK Government has rejected a proposal to amend legislation to include ‘South Middlesex’ in the name of the new West Surrey Council. Local Government Minister Jim McMahon informed Paul Follows, leader of the West Surrey shadow authority, that amending the Structural Changes Order is not an appropriate method for the name change.

McMahon noted that supplementary legislation for Surrey is unlikely to be approved until March 2027, which would miss the required deadlines for the shadow council to prepare signage and communication templates. The minister suggested that the council may have the power to change its own name under the Local Government Act 1972 without central government intervention, or could adopt a different public-facing name instead of changing its formal legal title.

The proposal to include ‘South Middlesex’ followed a July vote by West Surrey councillors intended to recognize the historic identity of areas like Spelthorne, which were part of the administrative county of Middlesex before its abolition over 60 years ago.