# Where your council tax goes in Guildford

url: https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/council-tax/england/guildford/where-it-goes/
updated: 29 September 2026
licence: Our words, analysis, charts and derived calculations: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), credit [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk). Figures: each source's own licence, listed under Sources.
publisher: [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk)

# Where your council tax goes in Guildford



Last updated 29 September 2026.
Figures refresh every night. [How each figure is worked out](/methodology/).





A Band D council tax bill in **Guildford** is **£2,547.30** for 2026-27, split between Guildford £210.19, Surrey County Council £1,901.52, Surrey County Council: adult social care precept, this year's increase £36.90, Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable £352.57, Parish and town councils (average for the area) £46.12. Shared out in proportion to what each body spends, the largest single line is adult social care at Surrey County Council: **£755.29** of the bill. Council tax pays for 15% of the council's own spending; the rest is government grant, business rates and fees.



Figures for the 2026–27 financial year. Source:
[Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/council-tax-statistics).





## Key figures



- £2,547.30Band D bill, 2026-27


As of 6 April 2026
- £210.19Goes to Guildford itself (8%)


As of 6 April 2026
- £755.29Largest line: adult social care


As of 28 September 2026
- 14.9%Of the council's money that comes from council tax, 2025-26


As of 28 September 2026




Source: [Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/council-tax-statistics).






## Who gets your bill


Your council tax band
A B C D E F G H



Figures are for a **Band D** home. Bands A to H pay a fixed fraction of this, set in law.



210.19

1901.52

36.90

352.57

46.12



Guildford 8%Surrey County Council 75%Surrey County Council: adult social care precept, this year's increase 1%Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable 14%Parish and town councils (average for the area) 2%



Parish precepts differ from parish to parish; this is the average across the area, and a home outside any parish pays none.





## And where does that bit go?



Choose any part of the bill to see how it divides, then keep going as far as the published returns allow. Every level has its own link you can share.





### Where the rest comes from




**Council tax pays for 14.9%** of the money
Guildford had to spend in 2025-26.


********



- Council tax 14.9% £12.4m
- General government grant 0.2% £162k
- Government grants for specific services 30.4% £25.3m
- Fees, charges and other income 54.5% £45.4m




It also put £6.5m into its reserves that year.




**Council tax pays for 41.0%** of the money
Surrey County Council had to spend in 2025-26.


**********



- Council tax 41.0% £972.3m
- Business rates 6.5% £155.2m
- General government grant 0.1% £3.4m
- Government grants for specific services 40.5% £961.6m
- Fees, charges and other income 11.8% £280.8m




It also put £9.3m into its reserves that year.




Council tax is pooled with the council's other money, not ring-fenced for any service. The split on this page
shares your bill out in proportion to what each body spends; it does not say what any one pound paid for.







- Your bill





### Your bill: £2,547.30


- [Guildford](#d-council)
£210.19

**
Your council · 8.3% of the bill
- [Surrey County Council](#d-county)
£1,901.52

**
County council · 74.6% of the bill
- [Surrey County Council: adult social care precept, this year's increase](#d-county-adult-social-care)
£36.90

**
County adult social care precept · 1.4% of the bill
- [Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable](#d-police)
£352.57

**
Police · 13.8% of the bill
- Parish and town councils (average for the area)
£46.12

**
Parish or town council · 1.8% of the bill. Parish, town and community councils do not file spending returns with the government, so there is no national breakdown. Each publishes its own annual accounts.






- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- Guildford





### Guildford



£210.19 of your bill goes to Guildford. It is shared out below in proportion to how
Guildford spent its money in 2025-26, its latest published return.


- [Running the council](#d-council~central)
£88.04

**
41.9% of this part · £11.4m in 2025-26 · £75 per resident; similar councils £40 · down 35.0% on 2024-25
- [Environment and regulation](#d-council~environment)
£52.11

**
24.8% of this part · £6.8m in 2025-26 · £44 per resident; similar councils £48 · up 19.8% on 2024-25
- [Housing (not council homes)](#d-council~housing)
£25.55

**
12.2% of this part · £3.3m in 2025-26 · £22 per resident; similar councils £24 · up 30.4% on 2024-25
Not council homes: [see the note](#d-council~housing).
- [Parks, leisure, libraries and culture](#d-council~culture-leisure)
£22.14

**
10.5% of this part · £2.9m in 2025-26 · £19 per resident; similar councils £21 · down 25.0% on 2024-25
- Other services
£14.41

**
6.9% of this part · £1.9m in 2025-26 · £12 per resident; similar councils £0.00 · down 34.9% on 2024-25
- Adult social care
£7.51

**
3.6% of this part · £974k in 2025-26 · £6.40 per resident; similar councils £0.00 · up 70.3% on 2024-25
- Children's social care
£0.42

**
0.2% of this part · £55k in 2025-26 · £0.36 per resident; similar councils £0.00 · down 73.6% on 2024-25




Roads and transport brought in £6.5m more than it cost; Planning and development brought in £4.1m more than it cost in 2025-26, so
they take no share of your bill.







**Which councils count as similar**



Medians are across the 10 district councils in England closest in population: Vale of White Horse, Horsham, St Albans, South Norfolk, Cambridge, Stratford-on-Avon, Breckland, South Kesteven, King's Lynn and West Norfolk, East Lindsey. Per-resident figures use ONS mid-year population estimates.






- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Guildford](#d-council)
- Running the council





### Running the council



£88.04 of your bill goes to running the council at Guildford. Here is how its £11.4m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Other central services
£59.16

**
67.2% of this · £7.7m in 2025-26 · £50 per resident; similar councils £0.49 · down 26.1% on 2024-25
- Non-distributed costs (past pensions, unused assets)
£14.55

**
16.5% of this · £1.9m in 2025-26 · £12 per resident; similar councils £4.09 · down 54.2% on 2024-25
- Collecting council tax and business rates
£8.90

**
10.1% of this · £1.2m in 2025-26 · £7.58 per resident; similar councils £7.89 · up 245.5% on 2024-25
- Elections and electoral registration
£2.80

**
3.2% of this · £363k in 2025-26 · £2.39 per resident; similar councils £3.08 · down 39.3% on 2024-25
- Corporate and democratic core
£2.07

**
2.3% of this · £268k in 2025-26 · £1.76 per resident; similar councils £21 · down 87.0% on 2024-25
- Emergency planning
£0.57

**
0.6% of this · £74k in 2025-26 · £0.49 per resident; similar councils £0.42 · down 12.9% on 2024-25











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Guildford](#d-council)
- Environment and regulation





### Environment and regulation



£52.11 of your bill goes to environment and regulation at Guildford. Here is how its £6.8m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Waste collection
£31.36

**
60.2% of this · £6.0m in 2025-26 · £39 per resident; similar councils £11 · up 5.8% on 2024-25
- Street cleaning
£8.52

**
16.3% of this · £1.6m in 2025-26 · £11 per resident; similar councils £10 · up 13.7% on 2024-25
- Environmental health, food safety, pest control and licensing
£7.30

**
14.0% of this · £1.4m in 2025-26 · £9.14 per resident; similar councils £10 · down 5.5% on 2024-25
- Community safety and CCTV
£2.84

**
5.5% of this · £541k in 2025-26 · £3.56 per resident; similar councils £3.51 · up 44.3% on 2024-25
- Public toilets
£1.01

**
1.9% of this · £192k in 2025-26 · £1.26 per resident; similar councils £1.57 · down 9.4% on 2024-25
- Other environmental services
£0.67

**
1.3% of this · £128k in 2025-26 · £0.84 per resident; similar councils £0.00
- Flood defence, land drainage and coast protection
£0.41

**
0.8% of this · £78k in 2025-26 · £0.51 per resident; similar councils £0.91 · up 90.2% on 2024-25











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Guildford](#d-council)
- Housing (not council homes)





### Housing (not council homes)



£25.55 of your bill goes to housing (not council homes) at Guildford. Here is how its £3.3m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Homelessness and temporary accommodation
£14.53

**
56.9% of this · £1.9m in 2025-26 · £13 per resident; similar councils £12 · up 21.5% on 2024-25
- Housing benefit administration and discretionary payments
£9.41

**
36.8% of this · £1.2m in 2025-26 · £8.21 per resident; similar councils £5.84 · up 83.9% on 2024-25
- Housing strategy, advice and enabling
£0.90

**
3.5% of this · £120k in 2025-26 · £0.79 per resident; similar councils £4.90
- Private sector housing renewal
£0.71

**
2.8% of this · £94k in 2025-26 · £0.62 per resident; similar councils £0.34 · down 73.1% on 2024-25







**Council homes are not in this.** Council housing is paid for through the Housing Revenue Account,
from tenants' rents, and the law keeps it separate from the General Fund that council tax goes into.
Guildford's Housing Revenue Account took in £35.1m and spent £27.5m in 2025-26.
[What council tax does and doesn't pay for](/what-council-tax-pays-for/#ring-fence).








- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Guildford](#d-council)
- Parks, leisure, libraries and culture





### Parks, leisure, libraries and culture



£22.14 of your bill goes to parks, leisure, libraries and culture at Guildford. Here is how its £2.9m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Parks and open spaces (including play areas)
£14.50

**
65.5% of this · £1.9m in 2025-26 · £12 per resident; similar councils £7.77 · down 0.5% on 2024-25
- Sport and leisure
£3.04

**
13.7% of this · £394k in 2025-26 · £2.59 per resident; similar councils £5.94 · down 37.6% on 2024-25
- Museums, arts, heritage and archives
£2.31

**
10.4% of this · £300k in 2025-26 · £1.97 per resident; similar councils £3.14 · down 70.3% on 2024-25
- Community centres and public halls
£1.44

**
6.5% of this · £187k in 2025-26 · £1.23 per resident; similar councils £0.00 · down 9.7% on 2024-25
- Tourism
£0.85

**
3.8% of this · £110k in 2025-26 · £0.72 per resident; similar councils £0.04 · up 19.6% on 2024-25











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- Surrey County Council





### Surrey County Council



£1,901.52 of your bill goes to Surrey County Council. It is shared out below in proportion to how
Surrey County Council spent its money in 2025-26, its latest published return.


- [Adult social care](#d-county~adult-social-care)
£755.29

**
39.7% of this part · £551.8m in 2025-26 · £440 per resident; similar councils £471 · up 0.3% on 2024-25
- [Education](#d-county~education)
£385.93

**
20.3% of this part · £956.2m in 2025-26 · £762 per resident; similar councils £750 · up 11.9% on 2024-25
- [Children's social care](#d-county~childrens-social-care)
£361.23

**
19.0% of this part · £263.9m in 2025-26 · £210 per resident; similar councils £245 · up 4.6% on 2024-25
- [Roads and transport](#d-county~highways-transport)
£133.25

**
7.0% of this part · £97.3m in 2025-26 · £78 per resident; similar councils £63 · up 13.9% on 2024-25
- [Environment and regulation](#d-county~environment)
£121.99

**
6.4% of this part · £89.1m in 2025-26 · £71 per resident; similar councils £58 · up 0.1% on 2024-25
- [Fire and rescue](#d-county~fire)
£74.15

**
3.9% of this part · £54.2m in 2025-26 · £43 per resident; similar councils £0.00 · up 6.7% on 2024-25
- [Parks, leisure, libraries and culture](#d-county~culture-leisure)
£30.78

**
1.6% of this part · £22.5m in 2025-26 · £18 per resident; similar councils £16 · down 0.2% on 2024-25
- [Running the council](#d-county~central)
£18.71

**
1.0% of this part · £13.7m in 2025-26 · £11 per resident; similar councils £19 · up 4.7% on 2024-25
- [Planning and development](#d-county~planning-development)
£7.94

**
0.4% of this part · £5.8m in 2025-26 · £4.62 per resident; similar councils £7.53 · down 43.9% on 2024-25
- [Housing (not council homes)](#d-county~housing)
£7.25

**
0.4% of this part · £5.3m in 2025-26 · £4.22 per resident; similar councils £0.68 · down 27.3% on 2024-25
Not council homes: [see the note](#d-county~housing).
- [Public health](#d-county~public-health)
£5.01

**
0.3% of this part · £48.8m in 2025-26 · £39 per resident; similar councils £53 · up 6.9% on 2024-25





Before sharing out your bill, the part of education paid for by the Dedicated Schools Grant (£674.3m) and public health paid for by the public health grant (£45.1m) is taken off, because council tax does not pay for it.






**Which councils count as similar**



Medians are across the 10 county councils closest in population: Hertfordshire County Council, Lancashire County Council, Hampshire County Council, Essex County Council, Kent County Council, Norfolk County Council, West Sussex County Council, Staffordshire County Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, Devon County Council. Per-resident figures use ONS mid-year population estimates.






- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Surrey County Council](#d-county)
- Adult social care





### Adult social care



£755.29 of your bill goes to adult social care at Surrey County Council. Here is how its £551.8m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- [Learning disability support](#d-county~adult-social-care.learning-disability)
£313.33

**
41.5% of this · £228.9m in 2025-26 · £182 per resident; similar councils £141 · up 4.2% on 2024-25
- [Physical support](#d-county~adult-social-care.physical)
£213.84

**
28.3% of this · £156.2m in 2025-26 · £124 per resident; similar councils £150 · up 2.4% on 2024-25
- Commissioning, strategy and administration
£73.25

**
9.7% of this · £53.5m in 2025-26 · £43 per resident; similar councils £30 · down 10.5% on 2024-25
- Care assessment and safeguarding
£52.64

**
7.0% of this · £38.5m in 2025-26 · £31 per resident; similar councils £40 · up 0.1% on 2024-25
- [Mental health support](#d-county~adult-social-care.mental-health)
£43.56

**
5.8% of this · £31.8m in 2025-26 · £25 per resident; similar councils £32 · up 0.5% on 2024-25
- [Support with memory and cognition](#d-county~adult-social-care.memory)
£29.52

**
3.9% of this · £21.6m in 2025-26 · £17 per resident; similar councils £33 · up 2.5% on 2024-25
- Social support (carers, substance misuse, isolation, asylum)
£12.26

**
1.6% of this · £9.0m in 2025-26 · £7.14 per resident; similar councils £5.61 · down 40.7% on 2024-25
- Assistive equipment and technology
£9.12

**
1.2% of this · £6.7m in 2025-26 · £5.31 per resident; similar councils £4.54 · up 8.2% on 2024-25
- [Sensory support](#d-county~adult-social-care.sensory)
£7.56

**
1.0% of this · £5.5m in 2025-26 · £4.40 per resident; similar councils £3.47 · up 0.6% on 2024-25
- Information and early intervention
£0.20

**
under 0.1% of this · £147k in 2025-26 · £0.12 per resident; similar councils £2.17 · up 3.5% on 2024-25




#### Named suppliers



In Surrey County Council's own records of payments over £500 for 2025-07 to 2026-06,
payments our keyword matching links to adult social care came to £731.1m across
113,556 payments. Those records leave out salaries, so they are not the whole cost.


- Names withheld by the council: £67.2m (26618 payments)
- Active Prospects: £17.4m (823 payments)
- Avenues Management Services Limited: £15.8m (101 payments)
- Care UK Community Partnerships Ltd: £13.4m (350 payments)
- Achieve Together Services Limited: £13.3m (753 payments)



[Search these payments](/councils/spending-over-500/surrey-county-council/?service=adult-social-care#search)











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Surrey County Council](#d-county)
- [Adult social care](#d-county~adult-social-care)
- Learning disability support





### Learning disability support



£313.33 of your bill goes to learning disability support at Surrey County Council. Here is how its £228.9m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Aged 18 to 64
£267.87

**
85.5% of this · £195.7m in 2025-26 · £156 per resident; similar councils £121 · up 4.5% on 2024-25
- Aged 65 and over
£45.45

**
14.5% of this · £33.2m in 2025-26 · £26 per resident; similar councils £16 · up 2.6% on 2024-25











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Surrey County Council](#d-county)
- [Adult social care](#d-county~adult-social-care)
- Physical support





### Physical support



£213.84 of your bill goes to physical support at Surrey County Council. Here is how its £156.2m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Aged 65 and over
£158.36

**
74.1% of this · £115.7m in 2025-26 · £92 per resident; similar councils £112 · up 0.7% on 2024-25
- Aged 18 to 64
£55.49

**
25.9% of this · £40.5m in 2025-26 · £32 per resident; similar councils £36 · up 7.9% on 2024-25











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Surrey County Council](#d-county)
- [Adult social care](#d-county~adult-social-care)
- Mental health support





### Mental health support



£43.56 of your bill goes to mental health support at Surrey County Council. Here is how its £31.8m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Aged 18 to 64
£27.55

**
63.3% of this · £20.1m in 2025-26 · £16 per resident; similar councils £21 · down 2.6% on 2024-25
- Aged 65 and over
£16.00

**
36.7% of this · £11.7m in 2025-26 · £9.31 per resident; similar councils £12 · up 6.2% on 2024-25











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Surrey County Council](#d-county)
- [Adult social care](#d-county~adult-social-care)
- Support with memory and cognition





### Support with memory and cognition



£29.52 of your bill goes to support with memory and cognition at Surrey County Council. Here is how its £21.6m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Aged 65 and over
£26.38

**
89.4% of this · £19.3m in 2025-26 · £15 per resident; similar councils £32 · up 3.4% on 2024-25
- Aged 18 to 64
£3.14

**
10.6% of this · £2.3m in 2025-26 · £1.83 per resident; similar councils £2.18 · down 4.6% on 2024-25











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Surrey County Council](#d-county)
- [Adult social care](#d-county~adult-social-care)
- Sensory support





### Sensory support



£7.56 of your bill goes to sensory support at Surrey County Council. Here is how its £5.5m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Aged 18 to 64
£5.72

**
75.7% of this · £4.2m in 2025-26 · £3.33 per resident; similar councils £1.35 · up 10.1% on 2024-25
- Aged 65 and over
£1.84

**
24.3% of this · £1.3m in 2025-26 · £1.07 per resident; similar councils £1.64 · down 20.6% on 2024-25











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Surrey County Council](#d-county)
- Education





### Education



£385.93 of your bill goes to education at Surrey County Council. Here is how its £956.2m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Primary schools
£107.59

**
27.9% of this · £266.6m in 2025-26 · £212 per resident; similar councils £247 · down 0.7% on 2024-25
- Special schools and alternative provision
£104.56

**
27.1% of this · £259.1m in 2025-26 · £206 per resident; similar councils £155 · up 22.6% on 2024-25
- Early years and nursery
£82.49

**
21.4% of this · £204.4m in 2025-26 · £163 per resident; similar councils £147 · up 51.0% on 2024-25
- Other education
£48.85

**
12.7% of this · £121.0m in 2025-26 · £96 per resident; similar councils £87 · down 3.4% on 2024-25
- Secondary schools
£35.74

**
9.3% of this · £88.6m in 2025-26 · £71 per resident; similar councils £75 · down 11.3% on 2024-25
- Post-16
£6.70

**
1.7% of this · £16.6m in 2025-26 · £13 per resident; similar councils £14 · up 16.2% on 2024-25




#### Named suppliers



In Surrey County Council's own records of payments over £500 for 2025-07 to 2026-06,
payments our keyword matching links to education came to £641.0m across
87,162 payments. Those records leave out salaries, so they are not the whole cost.


- Names withheld by the council: £27.1m (9572 payments)
- Acorn Care & Education Ltd: £14.6m (506 payments)
- Witherslack Group Ltd: £12.2m (352 payments)
- Winston Churchill School: £10.2m (37 payments)
- SCC Royal Alexandra & Albert School: £7.6m (52 payments)



[Search these payments](/councils/spending-over-500/surrey-county-council/?service=education#search)











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Surrey County Council](#d-county)
- Children's social care





### Children's social care



£361.23 of your bill goes to children's social care at Surrey County Council. Here is how its £263.9m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Children looked after
£175.65

**
48.6% of this · £128.3m in 2025-26 · £102 per resident; similar councils £152 · up 7.9% on 2024-25
- Safeguarding and social work
£103.99

**
28.8% of this · £76.0m in 2025-26 · £61 per resident; similar councils £43 · up 10.6% on 2024-25
- Family support
£51.68

**
14.3% of this · £37.8m in 2025-26 · £30 per resident; similar councils £36 · down 11.4% on 2024-25
- Services for young people
£16.90

**
4.7% of this · £12.3m in 2025-26 · £9.83 per resident; similar councils £2.39 · up 12.0% on 2024-25
- Children's centres and early years
£8.20

**
2.3% of this · £6.0m in 2025-26 · £4.77 per resident; similar councils £3.24 · down 20.9% on 2024-25
- Youth justice
£4.77

**
1.3% of this · £3.5m in 2025-26 · £2.78 per resident; similar councils £2.61 · up 23.4% on 2024-25
- Other children's and families' services
£0.03

**
under 0.1% of this · £24k in 2025-26 · £0.02 per resident; similar councils £0.41 · down 96.4% on 2024-25




#### Named suppliers



In Surrey County Council's own records of payments over £500 for 2025-07 to 2026-06,
payments our keyword matching links to children's social care came to £68.5m across
26,112 payments. Those records leave out salaries, so they are not the whole cost.


- Names withheld by the council: £20.1m (20379 payments)
- HCRG Care Services Limited: £16.6m (26 payments)
- Speech and Language UK Services Ltd: £1.9m (113 payments)
- ACE Community Services Ltd: £1.8m (84 payments)
- Kingsbury Court Care Home: £1.4m (37 payments)



[Search these payments](/councils/spending-over-500/surrey-county-council/?service=childrens-social-care#search)











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Surrey County Council](#d-county)
- Roads and transport





### Roads and transport



£133.25 of your bill goes to roads and transport at Surrey County Council. Here is how its £97.3m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- [Road and bridge maintenance](#d-county~highways-transport.maintenance)
£50.56

**
37.9% of this · £37.5m in 2025-26 · £30 per resident; similar councils £25 · up 15.8% on 2024-25
- Support for bus, rail and other public transport
£28.48

**
21.4% of this · £21.1m in 2025-26 · £17 per resident; similar councils £16 · up 12.1% on 2024-25
- Street lighting (including energy)
£22.93

**
17.2% of this · £17.0m in 2025-26 · £14 per resident; similar councils £6.60 · up 2.6% on 2024-25
Paid most (our matching of £500 records): Surrey Lighting Services Ltd £15.5m; BookMyCourse Ltd £9k. [Search](/councils/spending-over-500/surrey-county-council/?service=highways-transport.street-lighting#search)
- Concessionary bus fares
£13.12

**
9.8% of this · £9.7m in 2025-26 · £7.75 per resident; similar councils £10 · up 17.5% on 2024-25
- Transport planning and policy
£11.02

**
8.3% of this · £8.2m in 2025-26 · £6.51 per resident; similar councils £1.31 · up 78.9% on 2024-25
- Winter service (gritting)
£3.78

**
2.8% of this · £2.8m in 2025-26 · £2.23 per resident; similar councils £2.94 · down 5.7% on 2024-25
Paid most (our matching of £500 records): Ringway Infrastructure Services Ltd £2.4m; Compass Minerals Uk Ltd £232k. [Search](/councils/spending-over-500/surrey-county-council/?service=highways-transport.winter#search)
- Traffic management and road safety
£3.34

**
2.5% of this · £2.5m in 2025-26 · £1.97 per resident; similar councils £2.01 · down 2.4% on 2024-25




#### Named suppliers



In Surrey County Council's own records of payments over £500 for 2025-07 to 2026-06,
payments our keyword matching links to roads and transport came to £261.6m across
12,989 payments. Those records leave out salaries, so they are not the whole cost.


- Ringway Infrastructure Services Ltd: £169.4m (3988 payments)
- Surrey Lighting Services Ltd: £17.4m (154 payments)
- Stagecoach Services Ltd: £8.3m (144 payments)
- Falcon Coaches Ltd: £7.9m (132 payments)
- Marston Holdings Ltd: £7.9m (45 payments)



[Search these payments](/councils/spending-over-500/surrey-county-council/?service=highways-transport#search)











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Surrey County Council](#d-county)
- [Roads and transport](#d-county~highways-transport)
- Road and bridge maintenance





### Road and bridge maintenance



£50.56 of your bill goes to road and bridge maintenance at Surrey County Council. Here is how its £37.5m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Environmental, safety and routine maintenance
£39.96

**
79.0% of this · £29.6m in 2025-26 · £24 per resident; similar councils £21 · up 13.7% on 2024-25
- Structural maintenance (resurfacing, bridges)
£10.61

**
21.0% of this · £7.9m in 2025-26 · £6.27 per resident; similar councils £2.51 · up 24.2% on 2024-25




#### Named suppliers



In Surrey County Council's own records of payments over £500 for 2025-07 to 2026-06,
payments our keyword matching links to road and bridge maintenance came to £4.1m across
274 payments. Those records leave out salaries, so they are not the whole cost.


- Ringway Infrastructure Services Ltd: £3.6m (101 payments)
- Signal Services Ltd: £228k (134 payments)
- OCU Services Ltd: £118k (1 payment)
- Sumo Services Ltd: £44k (9 payments)
- Sunbelt Rentals Ltd: £28k (1 payment)



[Search these payments](/councils/spending-over-500/surrey-county-council/?service=highways-transport.maintenance#search)











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Surrey County Council](#d-county)
- Environment and regulation





### Environment and regulation



£121.99 of your bill goes to environment and regulation at Surrey County Council. Here is how its £89.1m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Waste disposal
£110.10

**
90.3% of this · £80.4m in 2025-26 · £64 per resident; similar councils £42 · up 2.7% on 2024-25
Paid most (our matching of £500 records): SUEZ recycling and recovery UK Ltd £87.5m; BIFFA WASTE SERVICES LTD £104k. [Search](/councils/spending-over-500/surrey-county-council/?service=environment.waste-disposal#search)
- Other environmental services
£4.73

**
3.9% of this · £3.5m in 2025-26 · £2.75 per resident; similar councils £0.00 · down 20.9% on 2024-25
- Recycling and waste minimisation
£3.87

**
3.2% of this · £2.8m in 2025-26 · £2.25 per resident; similar councils £12 · down 11.3% on 2024-25
- Trading standards
£1.64

**
1.3% of this · £1.2m in 2025-26 · £0.96 per resident; similar councils £2.35 · down 42.1% on 2024-25
- Flood defence, land drainage and coast protection
£1.64

**
1.3% of this · £1.2m in 2025-26 · £0.95 per resident; similar councils £0.55 · up 12.7% on 2024-25




#### Named suppliers



In Surrey County Council's own records of payments over £500 for 2025-07 to 2026-06,
payments our keyword matching links to environment and regulation came to £97.3m across
992 payments. Those records leave out salaries, so they are not the whole cost.


- SUEZ recycling and recovery UK Ltd: £87.5m (93 payments)
- Pioneer Wall Cladding & Building Insulation Ltd: £973k (55 payments)
- Reigate & Banstead Borough Council: £645k (2 payments)
- Mole Valley District Council: £607k (2 payments)
- Nick Knox Plant Hire Ltd: £594k (33 payments)



[Search these payments](/councils/spending-over-500/surrey-county-council/?service=environment#search)











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Surrey County Council](#d-county)
- Fire and rescue





### Fire and rescue



£74.15 of your bill goes to fire and rescue at Surrey County Council. Here is how its £54.2m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Firefighting and rescue
£65.63

**
88.5% of this · £47.9m in 2025-26 · £38 per resident; similar councils £0.00 · up 9.3% on 2024-25
- Community fire safety
£8.21

**
11.1% of this · £6.0m in 2025-26 · £4.78 per resident; similar councils £0.00 · down 7.0% on 2024-25
- Fire emergency planning
£0.32

**
0.4% of this · £233k in 2025-26 · £0.19 per resident; similar councils £0.00 · down 46.8% on 2024-25











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Surrey County Council](#d-county)
- Parks, leisure, libraries and culture





### Parks, leisure, libraries and culture



£30.78 of your bill goes to parks, leisure, libraries and culture at Surrey County Council. Here is how its £22.5m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Libraries
£16.69

**
54.2% of this · £12.2m in 2025-26 · £9.72 per resident; similar councils £12 · up 11.9% on 2024-25
Paid most (our matching of £500 records): Wilks Head & Eve £864k; Epsom & Ewell Borough Council £455k. [Search](/councils/spending-over-500/surrey-county-council/?service=culture-leisure.libraries#search)
- Parks and open spaces (including play areas)
£8.13

**
26.4% of this · £5.9m in 2025-26 · £4.73 per resident; similar councils £2.67 · down 12.8% on 2024-25
Paid most (our matching of £500 records): Park Mead Primary School £2.4m; SCC Ashford Park Primary School £1.5m. [Search](/councils/spending-over-500/surrey-county-council/?service=culture-leisure.parks#search)
- Museums, arts, heritage and archives
£4.89

**
15.9% of this · £3.6m in 2025-26 · £2.85 per resident; similar councils £1.78 · down 2.3% on 2024-25
- Sport and leisure
£1.07

**
3.5% of this · £781k in 2025-26 · £0.62 per resident; similar councils £0.00 · down 32.7% on 2024-25
Paid most (our matching of £500 records): Millbrook Healthcare £11.3m; Brightwell and Partners LLP t/a The Little Gym Farnham £156k. [Search](/councils/spending-over-500/surrey-county-council/?service=culture-leisure.sport#search)




#### Named suppliers



In Surrey County Council's own records of payments over £500 for 2025-07 to 2026-06,
payments our keyword matching links to parks, leisure, libraries and culture came to £25.1m across
1,459 payments. Those records leave out salaries, so they are not the whole cost.


- Millbrook Healthcare: £11.3m (14 payments)
- Park Mead Primary School: £2.4m (32 payments)
- SCC Ashford Park Primary School: £1.5m (28 payments)
- Wilks Head & Eve: £1.0m (497 payments)
- Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Trust: £778k (4 payments)



[Search these payments](/councils/spending-over-500/surrey-county-council/?service=culture-leisure#search)











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Surrey County Council](#d-county)
- Running the council





### Running the council



£18.71 of your bill goes to running the council at Surrey County Council. Here is how its £13.7m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Corporate and democratic core
£9.94

**
53.1% of this · £7.7m in 2025-26 · £6.14 per resident; similar councils £5.72 · up 185.9% on 2024-25
- Coroners' and other courts
£5.85

**
31.3% of this · £4.5m in 2025-26 · £3.61 per resident; similar councils £2.58 · down 7.2% on 2024-25
- Emergency planning
£1.17

**
6.2% of this · £903k in 2025-26 · £0.72 per resident; similar councils £0.38 · down 13.6% on 2024-25
- Local welfare assistance
£0.75

**
4.0% of this · £583k in 2025-26 · £0.46 per resident; similar councils £0.00 · up 53.4% on 2024-25
- Other central services
£0.60

**
3.2% of this · £468k in 2025-26 · £0.37 per resident; similar councils £0.09 · down 16.7% on 2024-25
- Elections and electoral registration
£0.40

**
2.1% of this · £309k in 2025-26 · £0.25 per resident; similar councils £0.54 · down 11.7% on 2024-25




#### Named suppliers



In Surrey County Council's own records of payments over £500 for 2025-07 to 2026-06,
payments our keyword matching links to running the council came to £193.9m across
6,779 payments. Those records leave out salaries, so they are not the whole cost.


- Neilcott Construction Ltd: £36.3m (119 payments)
- Macro Group Ltd: £28.6m (308 payments)
- Willmott Dixon Construction Limited: £13.8m (9 payments)
- E W Beard Ltd: £9.9m (40 payments)
- Management & Construction Services Limited: £5.6m (74 payments)



[Search these payments](/councils/spending-over-500/surrey-county-council/?service=central#search)











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Surrey County Council](#d-county)
- Planning and development





### Planning and development



£7.94 of your bill goes to planning and development at Surrey County Council. Here is how its £5.8m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Economic development and business support
£5.27

**
66.4% of this · £4.0m in 2025-26 · £3.22 per resident; similar councils £2.89 · up 88.0% on 2024-25
- Planning applications (development management)
£2.28

**
28.8% of this · £1.8m in 2025-26 · £1.40 per resident; similar councils £0.32 · down 1.7% on 2024-25
- Planning policy
£0.39

**
4.9% of this · £296k in 2025-26 · £0.24 per resident; similar councils £0.61 · down 1.3% on 2024-25




#### Named suppliers



In Surrey County Council's own records of payments over £500 for 2025-07 to 2026-06,
payments our keyword matching links to planning and development came to £821k across
155 payments. Those records leave out salaries, so they are not the whole cost.


- BearingPoint: £174k (1 payment)
- DAC Beachcroft LLP: £118k (41 payments)
- Edge Analytics Ltd: £86k (3 payments)
- East Sussex County Council: £58k (1 payment)
- The IncuHive Space: £28k (2 payments)



[Search these payments](/councils/spending-over-500/surrey-county-council/?service=planning-development#search)











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Surrey County Council](#d-county)
- Housing (not council homes)





### Housing (not council homes)



£7.25 of your bill goes to housing (not council homes) at Surrey County Council. Here is how its £5.3m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Supporting People and welfare services
£3.66

**
50.5% of this · £2.7m in 2025-26 · £2.13 per resident; similar councils £0.00 · down 63.3% on 2024-25
- Homelessness and temporary accommodation
£3.59

**
49.5% of this · £2.6m in 2025-26 · £2.09 per resident; similar councils £0.00




#### Named suppliers



In Surrey County Council's own records of payments over £500 for 2025-07 to 2026-06,
payments our keyword matching links to housing (not council homes) came to £8.3m across
389 payments. Those records leave out salaries, so they are not the whole cost.


- Transform Housing & Support: £1.8m (57 payments)
- I Choose Freedom Charity: £1.2m (5 payments)
- Your Sanctuary: £585k (2 payments)
- Salvation Army Housing: £580k (15 payments)
- Home Group Ltd: £579k (30 payments)



[Search these payments](/councils/spending-over-500/surrey-county-council/?service=housing#search)







**Council homes are not in this.** Council housing is paid for through the Housing Revenue Account,
from tenants' rents, and the law keeps it separate from the General Fund that council tax goes into.
Surrey County Council reported no Housing Revenue Account for 2025-26: it has no council homes of its own, or they were transferred to a housing association.
[What council tax does and doesn't pay for](/what-council-tax-pays-for/#ring-fence).








- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Surrey County Council](#d-county)
- Public health





### Public health



£5.01 of your bill goes to public health at Surrey County Council. Here is how its £48.8m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Health visiting and children's 0-5 services
£1.32

**
26.4% of this · £12.9m in 2025-26 · £10 per resident; similar councils £14 · up 6.2% on 2024-25
- Drug and alcohol services
£1.21

**
24.1% of this · £11.8m in 2025-26 · £9.39 per resident; similar councils £10 · up 3.1% on 2024-25
- Sexual health
£0.82

**
16.3% of this · £8.0m in 2025-26 · £6.34 per resident; similar councils £7.91 · down 3.6% on 2024-25
- Children's 5-19 programmes
£0.51

**
10.1% of this · £4.9m in 2025-26 · £3.93 per resident; similar councils £4.26 · up 2.8% on 2024-25
- Other public health
£0.49

**
9.7% of this · £4.7m in 2025-26 · £3.78 per resident; similar councils £7.76 · up 71.2% on 2024-25
- Public mental health
£0.23

**
4.6% of this · £2.2m in 2025-26 · £1.78 per resident; similar councils £0.80 · up 7.3% on 2024-25
- NHS health checks and health protection
£0.19

**
3.8% of this · £1.9m in 2025-26 · £1.48 per resident; similar councils £2.83 · up 9.1% on 2024-25
- Stop smoking and tobacco control
£0.16

**
3.1% of this · £1.5m in 2025-26 · £1.22 per resident; similar councils £2.46 · down 9.4% on 2024-25
- Obesity and physical activity
£0.09

**
1.9% of this · £914k in 2025-26 · £0.73 per resident; similar councils £1.78 · up 8.4% on 2024-25




#### Named suppliers



In Surrey County Council's own records of payments over £500 for 2025-07 to 2026-06,
payments our keyword matching links to public health came to £18.8m across
1,662 payments. Those records leave out salaries, so they are not the whole cost.


- Surrey & Borders Partnership NHS Trust: £5.9m (8 payments)
- Central & North West London NHS: £4.5m (77 payments)
- Thrive Tribe Ltd: £1.2m (11 payments)
- CATCH 22 CHARITY LIMITED: £799k (10 payments)
- Via Care Ltd: £569k (7 payments)



[Search these payments](/councils/spending-over-500/surrey-county-council/?service=public-health#search)











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- Surrey County Council: adult social care precept, this year's increase





### Surrey County Council: adult social care precept, this year's increase



£36.90 of your bill is this year's adult social care precept, which councils may raise on top of
the usual limit for adult social care. It is shown against how Surrey County Council's adult social care spending of
£551.8m divided in 2025-26. MHCLG publishes only this year's increase; the running
total since 2016-17 printed on your bill is in the council part above.


- [Learning disability support](#d-county-adult-social-care~adult-social-care.learning-disability)
£15.31

**
41.5% of this precept · £228.9m in 2025-26 · £182 per resident; similar councils £141 · up 4.2% on 2024-25
- [Physical support](#d-county-adult-social-care~adult-social-care.physical)
£10.45

**
28.3% of this precept · £156.2m in 2025-26 · £124 per resident; similar councils £150 · up 2.4% on 2024-25
- Commissioning, strategy and administration
£3.58

**
9.7% of this precept · £53.5m in 2025-26 · £43 per resident; similar councils £30 · down 10.5% on 2024-25
- Care assessment and safeguarding
£2.57

**
7.0% of this precept · £38.5m in 2025-26 · £31 per resident; similar councils £40 · up 0.1% on 2024-25
- [Mental health support](#d-county-adult-social-care~adult-social-care.mental-health)
£2.13

**
5.8% of this precept · £31.8m in 2025-26 · £25 per resident; similar councils £32 · up 0.5% on 2024-25
- [Support with memory and cognition](#d-county-adult-social-care~adult-social-care.memory)
£1.44

**
3.9% of this precept · £21.6m in 2025-26 · £17 per resident; similar councils £33 · up 2.5% on 2024-25
- Social support (carers, substance misuse, isolation, asylum)
£0.60

**
1.6% of this precept · £9.0m in 2025-26 · £7.14 per resident; similar councils £5.61 · down 40.7% on 2024-25
- Assistive equipment and technology
£0.45

**
1.2% of this precept · £6.7m in 2025-26 · £5.31 per resident; similar councils £4.54 · up 8.2% on 2024-25
- [Sensory support](#d-county-adult-social-care~adult-social-care.sensory)
£0.37

**
1.0% of this precept · £5.5m in 2025-26 · £4.40 per resident; similar councils £3.47 · up 0.6% on 2024-25
- Information and early intervention
£0.01

**
under 0.1% of this precept · £147k in 2025-26 · £0.12 per resident; similar councils £2.17 · up 3.5% on 2024-25





- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Surrey County Council: adult social care precept, this year's increase](#d-county-adult-social-care)
- Learning disability support





### Learning disability support



£15.31 of your bill goes to learning disability support at Surrey County Council. Here is how its £228.9m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Aged 18 to 64
£13.09

**
85.5% of this · £195.7m in 2025-26 · £156 per resident; similar councils £121 · up 4.5% on 2024-25
- Aged 65 and over
£2.22

**
14.5% of this · £33.2m in 2025-26 · £26 per resident; similar councils £16 · up 2.6% on 2024-25











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Surrey County Council: adult social care precept, this year's increase](#d-county-adult-social-care)
- Physical support





### Physical support



£10.45 of your bill goes to physical support at Surrey County Council. Here is how its £156.2m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Aged 65 and over
£7.74

**
74.1% of this · £115.7m in 2025-26 · £92 per resident; similar councils £112 · up 0.7% on 2024-25
- Aged 18 to 64
£2.71

**
25.9% of this · £40.5m in 2025-26 · £32 per resident; similar councils £36 · up 7.9% on 2024-25











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Surrey County Council: adult social care precept, this year's increase](#d-county-adult-social-care)
- Mental health support





### Mental health support



£2.13 of your bill goes to mental health support at Surrey County Council. Here is how its £31.8m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Aged 18 to 64
£1.35

**
63.3% of this · £20.1m in 2025-26 · £16 per resident; similar councils £21 · down 2.6% on 2024-25
- Aged 65 and over
£0.78

**
36.7% of this · £11.7m in 2025-26 · £9.31 per resident; similar councils £12 · up 6.2% on 2024-25











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Surrey County Council: adult social care precept, this year's increase](#d-county-adult-social-care)
- Support with memory and cognition





### Support with memory and cognition



£1.44 of your bill goes to support with memory and cognition at Surrey County Council. Here is how its £21.6m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Aged 65 and over
£1.29

**
89.4% of this · £19.3m in 2025-26 · £15 per resident; similar councils £32 · up 3.4% on 2024-25
- Aged 18 to 64
£0.15

**
10.6% of this · £2.3m in 2025-26 · £1.83 per resident; similar councils £2.18 · down 4.6% on 2024-25











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Surrey County Council: adult social care precept, this year's increase](#d-county-adult-social-care)
- Sensory support





### Sensory support



£0.37 of your bill goes to sensory support at Surrey County Council. Here is how its £5.5m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Aged 18 to 64
£0.28

**
75.7% of this · £4.2m in 2025-26 · £3.33 per resident; similar councils £1.35 · up 10.1% on 2024-25
- Aged 65 and over
£0.09

**
24.3% of this · £1.3m in 2025-26 · £1.07 per resident; similar councils £1.64 · down 20.6% on 2024-25











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable





### Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable



£352.57 of your bill is this year's adult social care precept, which councils may raise on top of
the usual limit for adult social care. It is shown against how Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable's adult social care spending of
£312.4m divided in 2025-26. MHCLG publishes only this year's increase; the running
total since 2016-17 printed on your bill is in the council part above.
















## Parks, street cleaning and roads here



What Guildford and Surrey County Council spent, net of income, on the lines readers ask about most. Roads and
street cleaning are also shown per mile of road the council looks after, where it is the highway authority. Gully
cleaning and verge cutting are inside routine maintenance; no return splits them out.





| Line | Net spending | Per resident | Similar councils, per resident | Per mile of road | Change |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Parks and open spaces (including play areas)Details | £1.9m | £12 | £7.77 | — | down 0.5% on 2024-25 |
| Per resident£12Similar councils, per resident£7.77Per mile of road—Changedown 0.5% on 2024-25 | | | | | |
| Street cleaningDetails | £1.6m | £11 | £11 | — | up 13.7% on 2024-25 |
| Per resident£11Similar councils, per resident£11Per mile of road—Changeup 13.7% on 2024-25 | | | | | |
| Road and bridge maintenanceDetails | £7k | £0.05 | £1.73 | — | up 40.0% on 2024-25 |
| Per resident£0.05Similar councils, per resident£1.73Per mile of road—Changeup 40.0% on 2024-25 | | | | | |
| Environmental, safety and routine maintenanceDetails | £7k | £0.05 | £1.34 | — | up 40.0% on 2024-25 |
| Per resident£0.05Similar councils, per resident£1.34Per mile of road—Changeup 40.0% on 2024-25 | | | | | |






| Line | Net spending | Per resident | Similar councils, per resident | Per mile of road | Change |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Parks and open spaces (including play areas)Details | £5.9m | £4.73 | £2.67 | — | down 12.8% on 2024-25 |
| Per resident£4.73Similar councils, per resident£2.67Per mile of road—Changedown 12.8% on 2024-25 | | | | | |
| Road and bridge maintenanceDetails | £37.5m | £30 | £25 | £11,298 (similar: £6,251) | up 15.8% on 2024-25 |
| Per resident£30Similar councils, per resident£25Per mile of road£11,298 (similar: £6,251)Changeup 15.8% on 2024-25 | | | | | |
| Environmental, safety and routine maintenanceDetails | £29.6m | £24 | £21 | £8,928 (similar: £3,956) | up 13.7% on 2024-25 |
| Per resident£24Similar councils, per resident£21Per mile of road£8,928 (similar: £3,956)Changeup 13.7% on 2024-25 | | | | | |
| Structural maintenance (resurfacing, bridges)Details | £7.9m | £6.27 | £2.51 | £2,370 (similar: £739) | up 24.2% on 2024-25 |
| Per resident£6.27Similar councils, per resident£2.51Per mile of road£2,370 (similar: £739)Changeup 24.2% on 2024-25 | | | | | |
| Winter service (gritting)Details | £2.8m | £2.23 | £2.94 | £844 (similar: £781) | down 5.7% on 2024-25 |
| Per resident£2.23Similar councils, per resident£2.94Per mile of road£844 (similar: £781)Changedown 5.7% on 2024-25 | | | | | |
| Street lighting (including energy)Details | £17.0m | £14 | £6.60 | £5,124 (similar: £1,704) | up 2.6% on 2024-25 |
| Per resident£14Similar councils, per resident£6.60Per mile of road£5,124 (similar: £1,704)Changeup 2.6% on 2024-25 | | | | | |





Miles of road: Department for Transport road lengths, 2025; locally managed major roads and all minor roads. More on [what council tax does and doesn't pay for](/what-council-tax-pays-for/#local-environment).





## What it adds up to






| Service | Per resident | Median |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Running the councilDetails | £75 | £41 |
| Median£41 | | |
| Environment and regulationDetails | £44 | £56 |
| Median£56 | | |
| Housing (not council homes)Details | £22 | £24 |
| Median£24 | | |
| Parks, leisure, libraries and cultureDetails | £19 | £23 |
| Median£23 | | |
| Other servicesDetails | £12 | £1.96 |
| Median£1.96 | | |
| Adult social careDetails | £6.40 | £2.79 |
| Median£2.79 | | |
| Children's social careDetails | £0.36 | £1.79 |
| Median£1.79 | | |
| Planning and developmentDetails | £-26.91 | £22 |
| Median£22 | | |
| Roads and transportDetails | £-42.75 | £-4.18 |
| Median£-4.18 | | |





- Guildford spent **51.4%** of its gross service spending on its own staff in 2025-26 (median for district councils in England: 39.3%); the rest went on suppliers, contractors, grants, benefits and other running costs.








| Service | Per resident | Median |
| --- | --- | --- |
| EducationDetails | £762 | £714 |
| Median£714 | | |
| Adult social careDetails | £440 | £457 |
| Median£457 | | |
| Children's social careDetails | £210 | £242 |
| Median£242 | | |
| Roads and transportDetails | £78 | £65 |
| Median£65 | | |
| Environment and regulationDetails | £71 | £57 |
| Median£57 | | |
| Fire and rescueDetails | £43 | £48 |
| Median£48 | | |
| Public healthDetails | £39 | £53 |
| Median£53 | | |
| Parks, leisure, libraries and cultureDetails | £18 | £16 |
| Median£16 | | |
| Running the councilDetails | £11 | £23 |
| Median£23 | | |
| Planning and developmentDetails | £4.62 | £5.56 |
| Median£5.56 | | |
| Housing (not council homes)Details | £4.22 | £2.98 |
| Median£2.98 | | |





- Surrey County Council spent **27.0%** of its gross service spending on its own staff in 2025-26 (median for county councils: 28.8%); the rest went on suppliers, contractors, grants, benefits and other running costs.

- Its published payments of £500 or more came to **£2.47bn** between 2025-07 and 2026-06. These include capital and council housing spending, so they are not a share of the figures above.

- Payments we classify as consultancy and agency staff came to **2.7%** of its staff costs (median among the 1 other county councils whose £500 data is read: 4.0%). The two come from different sources and periods, so this is a guide to scale, not an exact share.






## What this data does and doesn't show



- These are each body's own figures, as reported to government in its revenue outturn return. Net spending is after the fees, charges and grants a service brings in.

- Your bill is for 2026-27; it is shared out using the latest published return, which covers an earlier year. The mix of spending changes little from one year to the next, but it does change.

- Council tax is not ring-fenced: this shows your bill in proportion to spending, not what your money bought. Where a precept is set aside for adult social care, it is shown against adult social care.

- No council publishes spending at street or property level, so nothing here says what was spent near you.

- Sub-service lines are the ones the national returns itemise. Councils describe their own budgets differently; their budget books and statements of accounts have more detail.






## Sources



- Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, [Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England: Table 10, local authority level data](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a02eeeccd2e0e8b5b20b449/Table_10_2026-27.ods), published 25 March 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, [Local authority revenue expenditure and financing: Revenue Outturn multi-year data set](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6ab26ffffe72ed1e2b02ee74/Revenue_Outturn_time_series_data_v4.csv), published 28 September 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0.




How the split is worked out, and how the three nations' returns are matched to one list of services, is on the
[methodology page](/methodology/#council-spending). The dataset is on the [data page](/data/#council-spending).
See also [council tax in Guildford](/council-tax/england/guildford/) and [everything else about Guildford](/your-area/guildford/).





## Common questions


What does council tax pay for in Guildford?
A Band D bill of £2,547.30 is split between Guildford, Surrey County Council, Surrey County Council: adult social care precept, this year's increase, Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable, Parish and town councils (average for the area). In proportion to spending, the largest line is adult social care, £755.29.Is council tax ring-fenced for particular services?
No. Council tax is pooled with grants, business rates and fees. The adult social care precept is the exception: councils raise it for adult social care.





## Sources for this page





| Source | Publisher | Figures as of | Updated | Licence |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/council-tax-statistics) | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | the 2026–27 financial year | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) |
| [Local authority revenue expenditure and financing: Revenue Outturn multi-year data set](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6ab26ffffe72ed1e2b02ee74/Revenue_Outturn_time_series_data_v4.csv) | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | 28 September 2026 | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) |





Each source's figures are used under the licence shown. Our own words, analysis, charts and derived calculations
are ours, under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

## Related pages

- [Next in this section: Parking income in Guildford](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/parking/guildford/)
- [Back to Guildford: your area](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/your-area/guildford/)
- [How much is council tax and what does it pay for?](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/council-tax/)
- [Who is my MP, and what does their office cost?](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/mps/)
- [Where does my tax money actually go?](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/for-every-100-pounds-of-tax/)

## More from this publisher

- [UK tax calculators](https://howlongisit.co.uk)

Published by [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk). Our words, analysis, charts and derived calculations: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), credit [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk). The figures belong to the publishers listed under Sources and are used under their licences. Figures last updated 29 September 2026.