Borough of Waverley
Non-metropolitan district and Borough in England
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The Borough of Waverley is a local government district with borough status in Surrey, England. The borough contains the towns of Godalming, Farnham and Haslemere, as well as numerous villages, including the large village of Cranleigh, and surrounding rural areas. At the 2021 Census, the population of the borough was 128,200.[2] The borough is named after Waverley Abbey, near Farnham. Large parts of the borough are within the Surrey Hills National Landscape. Its council, Waverley Borough Council, is based in Godalming.
Borough of Waverley | |
|---|---|
Waverley Abbey, after which the borough is named. | |
| Motto: Oppida Rusque Una (Latin: Town and countryside in unity) | |
 Waverley shown within Surrey | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Constituent country | England |
| Region | South East England |
| Non-metropolitan county | Surrey |
| Status | Non-metropolitan district |
| Admin HQ | Godalming |
| Incorporated | 1 April 1974 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Non-metropolitan district council |
| • Body | Waverley Borough Council |
| • Leadership | Leader & Cabinet |
| • MPs | Jeremy Hunt Greg Stafford |
| Area | |
• Total | 133.3 sq mi (345.2 km2) |
| • Rank | 104th (of 296) |
| Population (2024) | |
• Total | 134,284 |
| • Rank | 183rd (of 296) |
| • Density | 1,008/sq mi (389.0/km2) |
| Ethnicity (2021) | |
| • Ethnic groups | |
| Religion (2021) | |
| • Religion | List
|
| Time zone | UTC0 (GMT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (BSTa) |
| ONS code | 43UL (ONS) E07000216 (GSS) |
| OS grid reference | SU9660743750 |
The neighbouring districts are Guildford, Mole Valley, Horsham, Chichester, East Hampshire, Hart and Rushmoor.
History
The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. The new district covered the area of four former districts, which were all abolished at the same time:[3][4]
- Farnham Urban District
- Godalming Municipal Borough
- Haslemere Urban District
- Hambledon Rural District
The new district was named after Waverley Abbey in the parish of Farnham, which was the earliest Cistercian monastery in Britain.[5]
For the first six years of its existence, the council was based outside the district at the former Hambledon Rural District Council's offices at Bury Fields in Guildford.[6] In April 1980, the council moved to purpose-built headquarters at The Burys in Godalming, behind Godalming Borough Hall.[7][8] The district was awarded borough status on 21 February 1984, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor.[9][10]
The Borough of Waverley and its council, along with all Surrey districts will be abolished in 2027 as part of ongoing local government restructuring, with the area of Waverley to become part of West Surrey, administered by West Surrey Council.[11][12]
Governance
Waverley Borough Council | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Leadership | |
Pedro Wrobel since 8 April 2024 | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 50 councillors |
 | |
Political groups |
|
| Elections | |
| First past the post | |
First election | 7 June 1973 |
Last election | 4 May 2023 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Council Offices, The Burys, Godalming, GU7 1HR | |
| Website | |
| www | |
Waverley Borough Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Surrey County Council. The whole borough is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.[15]
The council has shared a chief executive with neighbouring Guildford Borough Council since 2021.[16][17]
Political control
The council has been under no overall control since 2019. A coalition then formed to run the council, comprising the Liberal Democrats, Farnham Residents, Labour and Greens. The same coalition continued to run the council following the 2023 election. In February 2026, the Farnham Residents withdrew from the coalition.[18]
The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements took effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:[19]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| No overall control | 1974–1976 | |
| Conservative | 1976–1991 | |
| No overall control | 1991–1995 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 1995–1999 | |
| Conservative | 1999–2003 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 2003–2004 | |
| No overall control | 2004–2007 | |
| Conservative | 2007–2019 | |
| No overall control | 2019–present | |
Leadership
The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Waverley. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 2003 have been:
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Slyfield[20] | Liberal Democrats | 2003 | Feb 2005 | |
| Gillian Ferguson[21][22] | Liberal Democrats | 22 Feb 2005 | May 2007 | |
| Richard Gates[22][23] | Conservative | May 2007 | May 2010 | |
| Robert Knowles[24][25] | Conservative | 11 May 2010 | 10 May 2016 | |
| Julia Potts[26][27] | Conservative | 10 May 2016 | May 2019 | |
| John Ward[28][29] | Farnham Residents | 21 May 2019 | 27 Apr 2021 | |
| Paul Follows[29] | Liberal Democrats | 27 Apr 2021 | ||
Paul Follows was additionally appointed as the leader of the shadow authority for the new West Surrey Council at its inaugural meeting in Guildford on 21 May 2026.[30][31]
Composition
Following the 2023 election,[32] and subsequent changes up to July 2026, the composition of the council was:[33]
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | 24 | |
| Farnham Residents | 10 | |
| Conservative | 11 | |
| Green | 1 | |
| Independent | 4 | |
| Total | 50 | |
Two of the independent councillors sit with local party the Farnham Residents as the "Farnham Residents and Aligned Independents" group. The other two independent councillors do not belong to a group.[34]
Elections
Since the last boundary changes in 2023 the council has comprised 50 councillors representing 24 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections were held every four years.[35]
Further borough council elections were cancelled in 2026, and an election for the new West Surrey Council was held instead. West Surrey Council will formally come into being and take over local government functions in the area on 1 April 2027, at which point Waverley Borough Council and the borough of Waverley will be abolished.[36]
Geography
Waverley's landscape is influenced by its position within the landform of the Weald. It contains parts of the North Downs and the Greensand Ridge and large parts of the borough are within the Surrey Hills AONB. It has the most green space in absolute terms in Surrey at 293.1 km2 (113.2 sq mi) according to the central government-compiled Generalised Land Use database of January 2005, approximately half of which is woodland.[37]
Blackheath Common, in the north of the borough, is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, as is the Devil's Punch Bowl in the south of the district.
Demography
A Legatum Prosperity Index published by the Legatum Institute in October 2016 showed Waverley as the most prosperous council area in the United Kingdom.[38]
Twinning
Mayen-Koblenz in Germany dates from 1977.[39]
Civil parishes
Waverley is entirely divided into civil parishes. The parish councils for Farnham, Godalming and Haslemere take the style "town council".[40]
