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 |
TheBorough of Waverley is alocal government district withborough status inSurrey, England. The borough contains the towns ofGodalming,Farnham andHaslemere, as well as numerous villages, including the large village ofCranleigh, and surrounding rural areas. At the 2021 Census, the population of the borough was 128,200.[2] The borough is named afterWaverley Abbey, near Farnham. Large parts of the borough are within theSurrey Hills National Landscape. Its council,Waverley Borough Council, is based in Godalming.
The neighbouring districts areGuildford,Mole Valley,Horsham,Chichester,East Hampshire,Hart andRushmoor.
The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under theLocal Government Act 1972. The new district covered the area of four former districts, which were all abolished at the same time:[3][4]
The new district was named afterWaverley Abbey in the parish of Farnham, which was the earliestCistercianmonastery 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 inGuildford.[6] In April 1980, the council moved to purpose-built headquarters at The Burys in Godalming, behindGodalming 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]
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 providesdistrict-level services.County-level services are provided bySurrey County Council. The whole borough is also covered bycivil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.[12]
The council has shared a chief executive with neighbouring Guildford Borough Council since 2021.[13][14]
The council has been underno overall control since 2019, being run by a coalition of theLiberal Democrats,Farnham Residents,Labour andGreens. The same coalition continues to run the council following the2023 election.
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:[15]
| 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 | |
The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Waverley. Political leadership is instead provided by theleader of the council. The leaders since 2003 have been:
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Slyfield[16] | Liberal Democrats | 2003 | Feb 2005 | |
| Gillian Ferguson[17][18] | Liberal Democrats | 22 Feb 2005 | May 2007 | |
| Richard Gates[18][19] | Conservative | May 2007 | May 2010 | |
| Robert Knowles[20][21] | Conservative | 11 May 2010 | 10 May 2016 | |
| Julia Potts[22][23] | Conservative | 10 May 2016 | May 2019 | |
| John Ward[24][25] | Farnham Residents | 21 May 2019 | 27 Apr 2021 | |
| Paul Follows[25] | Liberal Democrats | 27 Apr 2021 | ||
Following the2023 election,[26] and subsequent changes of allegiance up to May 2025, the composition of the council was:[27]
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | 24 | |
| Farnham Residents | 12 | |
| Conservative | 11 | |
| Green | 1 | |
| Independent | 2 | |
| Total | 50 | |
The Labour and Green councillors sit together as a group.[28] The next election is due in 2027.[27]
Since the last boundary changes in 2023 the council has comprised 50councillors representing 24wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.[29]
Waverley's landscape is influenced by its position within the landform of theWeald. It contains parts of theNorth Downs and theGreensand Ridge and large parts of the borough are within theSurrey 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.[30]
Blackheath Common, in the north of the borough, is aSite of Special Scientific Interest, as is theDevil's Punch Bowl in the south of the district.
ALegatum Prosperity Index published by theLegatum Institute in October 2016 showed Waverley as the most prosperous council area in the United Kingdom.[31]
Mayen-Koblenz inGermany dates from 1977.[32]Waverley is entirely divided intocivil parishes. The parish councils for Farnham, Godalming and Haslemere take the style "town council".[33]
51°11′3.45″N0°37′3.29″W / 51.1842917°N 0.6175806°W /51.1842917; -0.6175806
