THE new leader of Surrey County Council used his acceptance speech to announce plans to leave “remote” County Hall in Kingston.

Tim Oliver, Tory county councillor for Weybridge, was elected to lead the authority on Tuesday. He takes over from David Hodge, who has stepped down after seven years.

Mr Oliver said: “For too long the emotional connection to a community has been taken for granted.

“For 50 years we have not been close enough to the residents we serve, and we all represent. I have therefore asked the officers to start the detailed planning for the relocation of the people in this building back in to the county of Surrey.

“We need to have people on our side but as long as an isolating and disjointed service continues, they will not be. It is vital we have our residents’ backing because it is them we are here to serve.”

His hope is that the authority will leave its historice base in Kingston-upon-Thames “by 2020”. There are no plans for where staff will move to, but Natalie Bramhall, county councillor for Redhill West and Meadvale, has been appointed a deputy cabinet member and handed the responsibility for finding the council a “suitable new home”.

Setting out his leadership plans, Mr Oliver told members: “It is now my task to implement the core strategies agreed in October.

“My commitment to the principles that underpin these strategies is unwavering: No one should be left behind, we will take a fresh approach to working in partnership, we will help people to help themselves and others, and we will involve and engage our residents more fully in the development of services.

“Our first objective must be to make Surrey financially sustainable once again.

“We will forge a new working relationship with Central Government in which we work together.

“Whilst we must work to unlock funding and secure policy reforms that help us adapt to changing needs and pressures in our communities, I also want us to offer our support and assistance to them to find solutions to problems felt across society.”

He added: “We cannot go on as before. Change is difficult because we walk a tightrope of respecting the past and adapting to the future where resources are even tighter.”

Mr Oliver announced Colin Kemp would become deputy leader and introduced a number of new appointments to the county council’s decision-making cabinet. Julie Iles joins as cabinet member for all-age learning, Matt Furniss takes over highways and Sinead Mooney picks up responsibility for adult social care.

In a sign of Mr Oliver’s commitment to address the financial issues facing the council, Mel Few moves from adult social care to a new finance brief. Natalie Bramhall is joined by Farnham county councillor Wyatt Ramsdale as a new deputy cabinet member with responsibility for environment and waste.