Borough of Guildford

See Guildford for the main town in the borough

Borough and non-metropolitan district in England

Guildford

Borough and non-metropolitan district

Guildford Castle in Guildford, the borough's main settlement.

Motto(s):

Fortiter et Fideliter
(Latin: Bravely and faithfully)

Guildford shown within Surrey

Coordinates: 51°14′46″N 0°33′07″W﻿ / ﻿51.246°N 0.552°W﻿ / 51.246; -0.552
Sovereign state|  United Kingdom
Constituent country|  England
Region| South East England
Ceremonial county|  Surrey
Established| 1 April 1974
Administrative HQ| Guildford
Government

• Type| Non-metropolitan district
• Body| Guildford Borough Council
• MPs| Zöe Franklin (Guildford)
Jeremy Hunt (Godalming and Ash)
Chris Coghlan (Dorking and Horley)
Al Pinkerton (Surrey Heath)
Will Forster (Woking)
Area

• Total

| 105 sq mi (271 km2)
• Rank| 130th
Population

(2022)

• Total

| 145,673
• Rank| 153rd
• Density| 1,390/sq mi (538/km2)
Ethnicity (2021)

[1]

• Ethnic groups|

List

* 86.9% White
* 6.7% Asian
* 3.1% Mixed
* 1.9% other
* 1.5% Black

Religion (2021)

[1]

• Religion|

List

* 48.2% Christianity
* 39.7% no religion
* 7% not stated
* 2.2% Islam
* 1.4% Hinduism
* 0.7% Buddhism
* 0.5% other
* 0.3% Judaism
* 0.2% Sikhism

Time zone| UTC+0 (Greenwich Mean Time)
• Summer (DST)| UTC+1 (British Summer Time)
ONS code| 43UD (ONS)
E07000209 (GSS)
OS grid reference| TQ0105550700

The Borough of Guildford is a local government district with borough status in Surrey, England. With around half of the borough's population, Guildford is its largest settlement and only town, and is where the council is based.

The borough includes part of the Surrey Hills, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The neighbouring districts are Surrey Heath, Woking, Elmbridge, Reigate and Banstead, Waverley and Rushmoor.

## History

[edit]

The town of Guildford was an ancient borough, with its first known charter dating from 1257.[2] It was reformed to become a municipal borough in 1836 under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835, which standardised the way many boroughs operated across the country. The borough boundaries were enlarged several times, notably in 1836, 1933 and 1954.[3][4]

The modern district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering the area of two former districts, which were both abolished at the same time:[5][6]

* Guildford Municipal Borough
* Guildford Rural District

Guildford's borough status transferred to the new district from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor, continuing Guildford's series of mayors dating back to at least the fifteenth century.[7][2]

## Governance

[edit]

Guildford Borough Council

Type
Type|

Non-metropolitan district

Leadership

Mayor

Howard Smith,
Labour
since 7 May 2025[8]

Leader

Julia McShane,
Liberal Democrat
since 11 October 2022

Chief Executive

Pedro Wrobel
since 8 April 2024

Structure
Seats| 48 councillors

Political groups

Administration (25)
Liberal Democrats (25)
Other parties (23)
Conservative (10)
Residents (7)
Greenbelt Group (3)
Labour (3)

Length of term

| 4 years
Elections

Last election

| 4 May 2023

Next election

| 6 May 2027
Meeting place
Millmead House, Millmead, Guildford, GU2 4BB
Website
www.guildford.gov.uk

Guildford Borough Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Surrey County Council.[9] Parts of the borough are covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government for their areas.[10]

The council owns significant heritage assets that include monuments such as Guildford Castle, as well museums, art collections and civic regalia.[11]

The council has shared a chief executive with neighbouring Waverley Borough Council since 2021.[12][13]

### Political control

[edit]

The council has been under Liberal Democrat majority control since the 2023 election.[14]

Political control of the old municipal borough council from 1836 to 1974 was as follows:[15]

Party in control | Years

|

| Conservative | 1836–1875
| No overall control | 1875–1877
| Conservative | 1877–1879
| No overall control | 1879–1880
| Conservative | 1880–1883
| No overall control | 1883–1885
| Conservative | 1885–1888
| Liberal | 1888–1889
| Conservative | 1889–1892
| No overall control | 1892–1892
| Liberal | 1892–1894
| No overall control | 1894–1895
| Liberal | 1895–1898
| No overall control | 1898–1899
| Independent | 1899–1957
| No overall control | 1957–1965
| Conservative | 1965–1972
| No overall control | 1972–1974

Political control of the modern borough council since the 1974 reforms has been as follows:[16]

Party in control | Years

|

| Conservative | 1974–1991
| No overall control | 1991–1995
| Liberal Democrats[17] | 1995–1997
| No overall control | 1997–2003
| Conservative | 2003–2019
| No overall control | 2019–2023
| Liberal Democrats | 2023–present

### Leadership

[edit]

Further information: Mayor of Guildford

The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Guildford. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 2010 have been:

Councillor | Party | From | To

|
|
|

Tony Rooth[18] |  | Conservative | May 2010 | 11 Oct 2012
Stephen Mansbridge[19] |  | Conservative | 11 Oct 2012 | 19 Oct 2015
Paul Spooner[20][21] |  | Conservative | 9 Dec 2015 | May 2019
Caroline Reeves[22][23] |  | Liberal Democrats | 15 May 2019 | 22 Sep 2020
Joss Bigmore[23][24] |  | Residents for Guildford and Villages | 6 Oct 2020 | 22 Sep 2022
Julia McShane[25][26] |  | Liberal Democrats | 11 Oct 2022 |

### Composition

[edit]

Following the 2023 election the composition of the council was:[27][28]

Party  | Councillors

|

| Liberal Democrats | 25
| Conservative | 10
| Residents for Guildford and Villages | 7
| Guildford Greenbelt Group | 3
| Labour | 3
Total  | 48

The next election is due in 2027.[29]

### Elections

[edit]

See also: Guildford Borough Council elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2023 the council has comprised 48 councillors representing 21 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.[30]

#### Members of Parliament

[edit]

See also: List of Parliamentary constituencies in Surrey

The borough straddles five parliamentary constituencies:

Constituency | Member of Parliament | Political party

|
|

Godalming and Ash | Jeremy Hunt |  | Conservative
Guildford | Zöe Franklin |  | Liberal Democrats
Surrey Heath | Al Pinkerton |
Woking | Will Forster |
Dorking and Horley | Chris Coghlan |

### Premises

[edit]

Guildhall: Used for council's annual meetings.

The council is based at Millmead House on Millmead in Guildford. The original house dates from the late seventeenth century, with extensive modern additions to the rear.[31] Prior to the local government reorganisation of 1974, the building had been the headquarters of Guildford Rural District Council.[32] The council's annual meeting when new mayors are appointed each May is held at Guildford Guildhall.[33]

## Demography

[edit]

Guildford has the second largest population of Surrey's eleven districts (based on census statistics, only 600 residents behind Reigate and Banstead).[34] Approximately half of the borough's population live in the town of Guildford.

## Parishes

[edit]

The central part of the borough, corresponding to the pre-1974 borough and covering the majority of the Guildford built-up area, is an unparished area.[10][35] This area includes Bellfields, Boxgrove, Onslow Village, Park Barn, Stoughton, Westborough, and the (former) villages of Burpham, and Merrow.

The rest of the borough is covered by civil parishes:[36]

* Albury
* Artington
* Ash
* Ash Vale
* Compton
* East Clandon
* East Horsley
* Effingham
* Normandy
* Ockham
* Pirbright
* Puttenham
* Ripley
* Seale and Sands
* Send
* Shackleford
* Shalford
* Shere
* St Martha
* Tongham
* Wanborough
* West Clandon
* West Horsley
* Wisley
* Worplesdon

Map of Guildford Borough showing its parts: Guildford town and civil parishes which provide an additional layer of government.

## Notes and references

[edit]

Notes

References

1. ^ a b UK Census (2021). "2021 Census Area Profile – Guildford Local Authority (E07000209)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
2. ^ a b Malden, H. E., ed. (1911). A History of the County of Surrey: Volume 3. London: Victoria County History. pp. 560–570. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
3. ^ Municipal Corporations Act. 1835. p. 456. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
4. ^ "Guildford Municipal Borough". A Vision of Britain through Time. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
5. ^ "The English Non-metropolitan District (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 12 January 2024
6. ^ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/551, retrieved 3 January 2024
7. ^ "District Councils and Boroughs". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 28 March 1974. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
8. ^ Buchan, Craig (8 May 2025). "Drummer on 80s hit Turning Japanese named mayor". BBC News. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
9. ^ "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 31 May 2023
10. ^ a b "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
11. ^ "Guildford Borough Council Statement of Accounts 2011-12, pp 4, 12 and 79". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
12. ^ Coady Stemp, Emily (1 November 2021). "New £150,000 joint chief executive set to be appointed to lead Waverley and Guildford councils". Farnham Herald. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
13. ^ Coady-Stemp, Emily; Caulfield, Chris (22 December 2023). "Guildford Borough Council appoints new chief executive". BBC News. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
14. ^ "New borough council administration kicks off by re-electing Lib Dem Leader". Guildford Dragon. 18 May 2023.
15. ^ Ottewill, Roger (2005). Guildford Borough Council: A Compendium of Municipal Election Results, 1835–1974. Plymouth: LGC Elections Centre. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
16. ^ "Compositions Calculator". The Elections Centre. University of Exeter. Retrieved 26 November 2024. (Put "Guildford" in search box to see specific results.)
17. ^ "Leading Lib Dem couple quit party". Surrey Live. 21 February 1997. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
18. ^ "Tony Rooth resigns as Guildford council leader". Surrey Live. 19 September 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
19. ^ Edwards, Mark (19 October 2015). "Stephen Mansbridge resignation 'the right thing to do' according to opposition parties". Surrey Live. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
20. ^ "Council minutes, 9 December 2015". Guildford Borough Council. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
21. ^ McKeon, Christopher (3 May 2019). "Guildford local election results 2019: Lib Dems and Independents hand Tories worst loss ever". Surrey Live. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
22. ^ "Council minutes, 15 May 2019". Guildford Borough Council. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
23. ^ a b "Council minutes, 6 October 2020". Guildford Borough Council. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
24. ^ Coady-Stemp, Emily (23 September 2022). "Guildford Borough Council leader Joss Bigmore quits as locals 'looking for new approach in politics'". Surrey Live. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
25. ^ "Council minutes, 11 October 2022". Guildford Borough Council. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
26. ^ Giles, Martin (12 October 2022). "New Guildford Council Leader Elected In Planned Handover". BBC News. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
27. ^ "Local elections 2023: live council results for England". The Guardian.
28. ^ "Guildford election results in full as Liberal Democrats take control". SurreyLive. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
29. ^ "Guildford". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
30. ^ "The Guildford (Electoral Changes) Order 2022", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2022/1178, retrieved 12 January 2024
31. ^ Historic England. "Millmead House, Millmead (Grade II) (1188094)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
32. ^ "The Rural District Council of Guildford". London Gazette (33887): 7597. 29 November 1932. Retrieved 14 July 2022. "...at the Rural District Council Offices, Millmead House, Guildford..."
33. ^ "Council minutes, 10 May 2023". Guildford Borough Council. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
34. ^ List of English districts by population
35. ^ "Surrey: Diagram showing administrative boundaries, 1971". National Library of Scotland. Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
36. ^ Surrey County Council Archived 26 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine

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See also: List of civil parishes in Surrey

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