Borough of Waverley facts for kids
The Borough of Waverley is a special local government area in Surrey, England. It's called a "borough" because it has a special status. The main office for the council is in the town of Godalming.
Waverley also includes the towns of Farnham and Haslemere. You'll find many villages here too, like the large village of Cranleigh. The area is mostly countryside. In 2021, about 128,200 people lived in the borough.
The name "Waverley" comes from Waverley Abbey, which is near Farnham. A big part of the borough is within the Surrey Hills, which is a beautiful natural area.
Waverley is next to other areas like Guildford, Mole Valley, and Horsham.
Quick facts for kids
Borough of Waverley
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Non-metropolitan district and Borough
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Waverley Abbey, after which the borough is named.
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| Motto(s):
Oppida Rusque Una
(Latin: Town and countryside in unity) |
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Waverley shown within Surrey
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| 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 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 133.3 sq mi (345.2 km2) |
| Area rank | 123rd (of 326) |
| Population
(2005 est.)
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| • Total | 126,328 |
| • Rank | 182nd (of 326) |
| • Density | 947.82/sq mi (365.96/km2) |
| Ethnicity (2021) | |
| • Ethnic groups |
List
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| Religion (2021) | |
| • Religion |
List
51.9% Christianity
39% no religion 6.3% not stated 1.2% Islam 0.6% Buddhism 0.6% Hinduism 0.5% other 0.2% Judaism 0.1% Sikhism |
| Time zone | UTC0 (GMT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (BSTa) |
| ONS code | 43UL (ONS) E07000216 (GSS) |
| OS grid reference | SU9660743750 |
Contents
History of Waverley Borough
The Borough of Waverley was created on April 1, 1974. It was formed by joining four smaller local areas:
- Farnham Urban District
- Godalming Municipal Borough
- Haslemere Urban District
- Hambledon Rural District
The new district was named after Waverley Abbey. This abbey, near Farnham, was the first Cistercian monastery in Britain.
For its first six years, the council's offices were outside the district in Guildford. In April 1980, the council moved to new offices in Godalming. On February 21, 1984, the district was given "borough status." This meant the head of the council could be called a "mayor."
How Waverley is Governed
The Waverley Borough Council is in charge of local services for the district. These include things like waste collection and planning. Larger services, like education and social care, are handled by Surrey County Council. The borough also has many smaller local councils called civil parishes.
Since 2017, the Waverley Borough Council and the Guildford Borough Council have shared the same chief executive.
| Waverley Borough Council | |
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| Type | |
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Non-metropolitan district
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| Leadership | |
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Mayor
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John Ward,
Farnham Residents Since 21 May 2024 |
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Leader
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Pedro Wrobel
Since 8 April 2024 |
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| Structure | |
| Seats | 50 councillors |
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Political groups
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| Elections | |
| First past the post | |
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Last election
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4 May 2023 |
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Next election
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6 May 2027 |
| Meeting place | |
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| Council Offices, The Burys, Godalming, GU7 1HR | |
Who Leads the Council?
In Waverley, the role of mayor is mostly for ceremonies. The real political leader is called the leader of the council. Here are the leaders since 2003:
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
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| Chris Slyfield | Liberal Democrats | 2003 | 2005 | |
| Gillian Ferguson | Liberal Democrats | 2005 | May 2007 | |
| Richard Gates | Conservative | May 2007 | 11 May 2010 | |
| Robert Knowles | Conservative | 11 May 2010 | 10 May 2016 | |
| Julia Potts | Conservative | 10 May 2016 | 21 May 2019 | |
| John Ward | Farnham Residents | 21 May 2019 | 27 Apr 2021 | |
| Paul Follows | Liberal Democrats | 27 Apr 2021 | ||
How Many Councillors?
After the 2023 election, the council had 50 councillors from different political parties:
| Party | Councillors | |
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| Liberal Democrats | 22 | |
| Farnham Residents | 13 | |
| Conservative | 10 | |
| Labour | 2 | |
| Independent | 2 | |
| Green | 1 | |
| Total | 50 | |
The Labour and Green councillors work together as a group. The next election for the council is planned for 2027.
Council Elections
The council has 50 councillors who represent 24 different areas called wards. Each ward elects one, two, or three councillors. Elections happen every four years.
Geography and Nature
Waverley's landscape is shaped by its location in the Weald area. It includes parts of the North Downs and the Greensand Ridge. A large portion of the borough is part of the beautiful Surrey Hills AONB.
Waverley has a lot of green space, about 293.1 square kilometers (113.2 square miles). About half of this is woodland.
Blackheath Common, in the north of the borough, is a special area for nature called a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The Devil's Punch Bowl in the south is also a protected natural site.
Population and Prosperity
In October 2016, a study called the Legatum Prosperity Index found that Waverley was the most prosperous (wealthy and successful) council area in the United Kingdom.
Town Twinning
Waverley has a "twin town" relationship with Mayen-Koblenz in Germany. This partnership started in 1977.
Local Parishes
Waverley is divided into many smaller local areas called civil parishes. The parish councils for Farnham, Godalming, and Haslemere are called "town councils."
You can find a full list of these areas at List of settlements and parishes in Waverley.
Images for kids
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Map showing the civil parishes within Waverley.
See also
In Spanish: Municipio de Waverley para niños
