What Surrey County Council does

Surrey County Council is a statutory local government authority in England, founded in 1889, serving approximately 1.1 million residents across Surrey from its administrative base in Woking. The council delivers a comprehensive portfolio of public services across 14+ major categories, including libraries (53+ physical branches with extended Super Access hours), adult and children's social care, highways and transport, waste management, trading standards, fire and rescue, planning, cultural services, and birth/death/ceremonies registration. Leadership includes Chief Executive Joanna Killian and Executive Director for Children, Families and Lifelong Learning Dave Hill.

The council operates a unified digital services platform centered on surreycc.gov.uk, built on the Squiz Matrix CMS and designed to UK government standards with WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility compliance monitored by Siteimprove every five days. Core digital products include the LUCi library mobile app (powered by SOLUS), the Adult Social Care Portal, the Home Equipment Finder tool, Cludo site search, and the Sur-i AI-powered chatbot digital assistant. The technology stack integrates multiple third-party platforms including SirsiDynix (enterprise library management), Civica (iCasework forms), Lorensbergs (Netloan PC booking), and TeamKinetic (volunteering portal). Distribution spans 53+ physical library locations, a contact centre (03456 009 009), self-service digital portals, and active social media channels (Twitter/X, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn).

As a publicly funded local government authority, Surrey County Council is not a commercial enterprise; it is funded through council tax, business rates, and central government grants, with no equity ownership structure. The council is currently subject to UK government local government reorganisation plans that will replace it and its 11 borough and district councils with two new unitary councils by April 1, 2027, representing a structural transformation of its operating mandate and service delivery scope. The council has over 10,000 employees and operates with no subsidiaries or parent company, functioning as an independent public administrative body under the UK government's local authority framework.

Name

Surrey County Council

Legal name

Surrey County Council

Website

https://surreycc.gov.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1889

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Surrey County Council is a UK statutory local government authority founded in 1889, serving 1.1 million residents across Surrey with public services including libraries, social care, highways, waste management, trading standards, and fire and rescue, funded through council tax and government grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Government Public Services

NAICS

Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (921), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251)

SIC

Services-Business Services, Nec (7389), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Mayor/City Manager & General Administration (BPAIACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Libraries & Information Services (BPAIACAO), Public Works & Municipal Infrastructure (Streets, Stormwater, Facilities) (BPAIACAF)

Keywords

• Local government services
• Public library services
• Adult social care
• Waste and recycling
• Roads and transport

Headquarters

HQ city

Woking

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Surrey County Council is a UK local government authority delivering statutory public services to the approximately 1.1 million residents of Surrey, England. Its core offerings span 14 service categories including public libraries (53 branches), adult and children's social care, roads and transport, waste and recycling, trading standards, fire and rescue, birth/death registration, planning, and digital self-service portals. The council operates a unified website (surreycc.gov.uk) as the main digital channel for online reporting, applications, and payments.

Product overview

Surrey County Council operates a unified public service platform centered on its main website (surreycc.gov.uk), which provides digital access to all council services including online reporting, applications, and payments. The council's core product portfolio includes the main website portal, the Surrey Libraries Service network (with 54+ physical library locations, the LUCi mobile app, and online catalogue), the Adult Social Care Portal (featuring an equipment finder tool), and the Sur-i digital assistant chatbot. The digital infrastructure is built on a Web and Digital Services platform using Squiz Matrix CMS, following UK government design principles. The council offers approximately 14 major service categories accessible online, complemented by physical services at library locations across Surrey.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Surrey County Council Website Portal Main public-facing website portal providing online access to all council services including reporting, applications, payments, and information about local government services for Surrey residents.
• Surrey Libraries Service Network of 53 library locations across Surrey offering book borrowing, digital resources (eBooks, eAudiobooks, eMagazines), computer access, learning programs, community events, and the Super Access extended-hours self-service system for members.
• LUCi Library Mobile App Mobile application powered by SOLUS for Surrey Libraries, allowing users to search the catalogue, reserve, borrow, and renew library titles, track events, and access local library news from mobile devices.
• Adult Social Care Portal Online services for adult social care including care assessments, care home information, financial assessments, direct payments management, and the Home Equipment Finder for residents needing equipment to stay independent.
• Sur-i Digital Assistant AI-powered chatbot and digital assistant on the Surrey County Council website that provides automated responses and guidance to users navigating council services.
• Web and Digital Services Platform Internal web platform managed by Surrey County Council's Web and Digital Services team, built on Squiz Matrix CMS, following UK government design principles, with accessibility compliance (WCAG 2.2 AA) and multiple sub-portals for specific council services.
• Home Equipment Finder Searchable online tool for finding home equipment and smart technology to help Surrey residents maintain independence, featuring products categorised by room and need including dementia, falls, and mobility assistance.

Quantifiable outcome

• Website accessible to population of 1.1 million people across Surrey

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Woking Environment ActioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership between Surrey Libraries and Woking Environment Action to operate Woking Library of Things, a free lending service for community items that reduces waste and promotes sustainable sharing. The initiative allows residents to borrow items instead of purchasing, supporting the community sharing economy.
• SiteimprovecoreTechnology or IntegrationAutomated accessibility testing platform used to check the accessibility of the council's website every five days and assess most PDFs prior to publication, supporting WCAG 2.2 AA compliance efforts.
• Solus (LUCi platform)coreTechnology or IntegrationProvides the Surrey Libraries catalogue platform (LUCi) used by residents to search, reserve, and manage library borrowings; the mobile app is powered by LUCi by SOLUS.
• SirsiDynixcoreTechnology or IntegrationEnterprise library management system supplier providing the catalogue platform for Surrey Libraries, with known accessibility limitations documented in council's accessibility statement.

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hertfordshire County Council: Home county council with directly comparable service portfolio including libraries, social care, trading standards, and highways. Similar demographic and digital inclusion priorities.
• Norfolk County Council: County council providing equivalent services including Norfolk Libraries, social care, and trading standards. Useful comparable for digital service delivery and reorganization exposure.
• Essex County Council: Large southeast county council delivering the same wide range of statutory services. Comparable in scale, digital service maturity, and exposure to the UK reorganization programme.
• Hampshire County Council: Adjacent county council providing directly comparable services including Hampshire Libraries, adult social care, and trading standards. Similar population base and service breadth to Surrey.
• Buckinghamshire Council: Existing unitary authority that already partners with Surrey on Trading Standards. Comparable in service delivery model and serves as a reference point for the unitary structure Surrey will transition to.
• Kent County Council: Sister county council in southeast England delivering the same breadth of services (libraries, social care, highways, waste, trading standards) to a comparable population scale. Most directly comparable authority facing the same UK local government reorganization.
• Devon County Council: Large county council providing the same core service categories. Useful comparable for scale of operation, library network management, and digital service delivery.
• Lancashire County Council: Major county authority with overlapping statutory service responsibilities, library network, and digital platform. Comparable in operational scope and digital ambition.
• West Sussex County Council: Neighbouring county council with similar service offerings (libraries, social care, highways, education). Also facing local government reorganization in the same government programme.

Broad incumbents

• Greater London Authority: Strategic regional authority for London providing broader public administration and digital services. Larger scale and broader remit but overlapping on resident-facing digital services and strategic governance.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/SurreyNews
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SurreyCountyCouncil
• Facebookfacebook.com/147869901980333
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/surrey-county-council/careers?trk=top_nav_careers
• Instagraminstagram.com/surreycountycouncil

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Surrey County Council