Church of St Peter · Photo: Hassocks5489 · CC0The Liberal Democrats hold a majority on Guildford Borough Council
Ash and Ash Vale is run by Guildford Borough Council, Surrey Heath Borough Council and Surrey County Council, with Ash parish council for local matters. The Liberal Democrats have a majority on Guildford Borough Council and Surrey Heath Borough Council. The Conservatives have a majority on Surrey County Council. Most of Ash and Ash Vale is in Godalming and Ash (MP Sir Jeremy Hunt, Conservative); 18% of residents are in Surrey Heath (MP Dr Al Pinkerton, Liberal Democrat).
£2,580
Band D, a year, the middle band every council sets its tax from.
Where it goes →How Ash and Ash Vale’s politics has changed since 2021
A majority on Guildford Borough Council
The Liberal Democrats hold a majority on Guildford Borough Council: 25 of its 48 seats as elected. The Conservatives hold 10, Residents for Guildford and Villages 7, Labour 3 and Guildford Greenbelt Group 3. Who’s in charge ↓
Surrey in 2021
Surrey County Council, which runs schools, social care and roads, has a Conservative majority at the May 2021 election: the Conservatives won 41 of 81 seats. Surrey ↓
Council tax
A Band D bill in Ash and Ash Vale is £2,584 for 2026–27; Guildford Borough Council keeps 8% of it. The council area’s Band D has risen 52% in ten years, against England’s 56%. Council money ↓
Written from the data on this page: Democracy Club results since May 2021, the UK Parliament Members API and MHCLG council tax.
Who holds the seats on Ash and Ash Vale’s councils
Seats by party as elected. A party needs 25 of Guildford’s 48 or 18 of Surrey Heath’s 35 or 41 of Surrey’s 81 seats to run the council alone.
- Liberal Democrat25
- Conservative10
- Residents for Guildford and Villages7
- Guildford Greenbelt Group3
- Labour3
Latest election: May 2023.
- Liberal Democrat25
- Conservative5
- Independent3
- Labour2
Latest election: May 2023.
- Conservative41
- Liberal Democrat19
- Residents Associations of Epsom and Ewell4
- Farnham Residents3
- Independent3
- Green2
- Labour2
- Reform UK2
- Ashtead Independents1
- Nork & Tattenhams Residents' Associations1
- Residents for Guildford and Villages1
- Thames Ditton / Weston Green Residents' Association1
- The Molesey Residents Association1
Latest election: May 2021.
Seats are counted from election results: each ward’s most recent winners until its seats are filled. Councillors who have since changed party or resigned aren’t reflected, and which parties lead the council, and who is leader, comes from the council itself.
Results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), elections since May 2021; seats per ward from its EveryElection.
Two tiers of council, and a parish tier
Ash and Ash Vale has two tiers of council: the county runs the big services, the district the local ones.
Local matters: allotments, play areas, halls, footpaths and benches; it is consulted on planning and adds a precept to the council tax bill. A town council is a parish council by another name.
72% of Ash and Ash Vale’s residents · Band D precept £82
The parish council for the part of Ash and Ash Vale inside Tongham parish.
Who runs Ash and Ash Vale: same source as Who runs Ash and Ash Vale, above.
Bins and recycling, planning, housing, environmental health, leisure, and collecting council tax.
82% of Ash and Ash Vale’s residents
Website ↗Bins and recycling, planning, housing, environmental health, leisure, and collecting council tax.
Who runs Ash and Ash Vale: same source as Who runs Ash and Ash Vale, above.
Website ↗Schools, social care, roads and transport, libraries and waste disposal.
Website ↗Who to ask
From GOV.UK’s “Understand how your council works”: in two-tier areas the district or borough runs local services and the county the big ones.
18% of Ash and Ash Vale’s residents live outside any parish, with no parish council.
Councils from ONS lookups (wards and councils May 2026, parishes 2025), names and websites from GOV.UK’s local council finder; parish councils from MHCLG’s 2026–27 list of precepting parishes.
From the parish to Westminster
Every elected tier that speaks for Ash and Ash Vale, from the most recent elections.
- 1Town or parish2 parish councilsAsh parish councilTongham parish council
- 2Council wards5 wards · 11 councillorsLiberal Democrat 7 · Conservative 2 · Residents for Guildford and Villages 2 · all 11
- 3Surrey County Council3 divisions · 3 councillorsCarla Jane MorsonMatt FurnissPaul Deach
- 4Police and crime commissionerSurrey Police · elected May 2024Lisa Townsend
- 5House of CommonsSplit between 2 constituencies
Party colours are neutral on purpose: they tell parties apart and aren’t the parties’ own. Tap an MP’s name for their contact page on parliament.uk.
11 councillors for 5 wards
Wards with at least 2% of the town’s residents, or half their own inside it. Each shows who won its most recent elections, newest first, until its seats are filled.
- Carla Jane MorsonLiberal Democrat · May 2023
- Richard Charles LucasLiberal Democrat · May 2023
- Fiona Jean WhiteLiberal Democrat · May 2023
- Philip Edward BellamyLiberal Democrat · May 2023
- Sue Wyeth-PriceResidents for Guildford and Villages · May 2023
- David ShawResidents for Guildford and Villages · May 2023
- David WhitcroftLiberal Democrat · May 2023
- Morgan Alun Giles RiseLiberal Democrat · May 2023
- Cliff BettonLiberal Democrat · May 2023
- Matt FurnissConservative · May 2023
- Sallie BarkerConservative · May 2023
Show as a table, with Surrey County Council’s 3 divisions (3 councillors)
| Ward | Seats | Elected | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ash ValeGuildford · all in Ash and Ash Vale · 6,759 residents2 seats · May 2023 | 2 | Carla Jane MorsonRichard Charles Lucas | May 2023 |
| Ash WharfGuildford · all in Ash and Ash Vale · 6,193 residents2 seats · May 2023 | 2 | Fiona Jean WhitePhilip Edward Bellamy | May 2023 |
| Ash SouthGuildford · mostly in Ash and Ash Vale · 4,589 residents2 seats · May 2023 | 2 | Sue Wyeth-PriceDavid Shaw | May 2023 |
| Mytchett & DeepcutSurrey Heath · mostly in Ash and Ash Vale · 4,392 residents3 seats · May 2023 | 3 | David WhitcroftMorgan Alun Giles RiseCliff Betton | May 2023 |
| PilgrimsGuildford · 48% in Ash and Ash Vale · 2,351 residents2 seats · May 2023 | 2 | Matt FurnissSallie Barker | May 2023 |
Surrey County Council: county divisions
| Division | Seats | Elected | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ash EDall in Ash and Ash Vale · 12,952 residents1 seat · May 2021 | 1 | Carla Jane Morson | May 2021 |
| Shalford EDmostly in Ash and Ash Vale · 6,940 residents1 seat · May 2021 | 1 | Matt Furniss | May 2021 |
| Frimley Green and Mytchett ED31% in Ash and Ash Vale · 4,392 residents1 seat · May 2021 | 1 | Paul Deach | May 2021 |
Councillors can resign, change party or sit as independents between elections; a by-election winner replaces someone not named here. Guildford Borough Council’s website lists who sits now.
Results from Democracy Club’s candidates database (CC BY 4.0; elections since May 2021) and ward seats from its EveryElection, matched to ONS wards (May 2026) and county divisions (May 2025).
Guildford council election, May 2023
Results in the wards that make up Ash and Ash Vale, as declared. Percentages are of votes cast for candidates in each ward; where a ward elects several councillors, each voter has that many votes.
5 wards voted. Every seat in the town’s wards was up.
No election is scheduled yet for Ash and Ash Vale’s wards in Democracy Club’s list. Councils publish a notice of election about five weeks before polling day.
Who can I vote for? ↗3,322 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
2,696 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
2,711 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
Every ward’s result (2 more)
5,066 votes for candidates · 3 seats, so 3 votes each
2,760 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
Candidates and results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), from councils’ declared results; polling dates from Democracy Club’s EveryElection.
Ash and Ash Vale is split between 2 constituencies
The constituencies’ MP and the 4 July 2024 general election, the whole constituency’s result.
Conservative, MP since 5 May 2005
82% of Ash and Ash Vale’s residents live in this constituency.
Turnout 72% (England 60%).
Majority 891 of 54,696 votes (1.6%): the 30th-narrowest of 543 in England.
Liberal Democrat, MP since 4 July 2024
18% of Ash and Ash Vale’s residents live in this constituency.
Turnout 66% (England 60%).
Majority 5,640 of 47,788 votes (11.8%): the 230th-narrowest of 543 in England.
54,696 votes for candidates · majority 891
Conservative, MP since 5 May 2005.
turnout in July 2024: 54,696 votes from 75,816 registered voters. England: 60%.
Majority 891 of 54,696 votes (1.6%): the 30th-narrowest of 543 in England.
Surrey Heath
47,788 votes for candidates · majority 5,640
Liberal Democrat, MP since 4 July 2024.
turnout in July 2024: 47,788 votes from 71,934 registered voters. England: 60%.
Majority 5,640 of 47,788 votes (11.8%): the 230th-narrowest of 543 in England.
MPs and results: UK Parliament Members API (Open Parliament Licence v3.0); constituencies from ONS (2024 boundaries). Percentages are of valid votes; turnout is votes cast over the electorate.
Ash and Ash Vale’s Band D council tax is £2,584 a year
Where a Band D bill goes, what it has cost over the years, and what the councils plan to spend per resident.
Guildford Borough Council keeps £210.19 of a Band D bill (8%); the rest goes to the Ash parish council, Surrey County Council and the Surrey police and crime commissioner.
Across the whole town the average Band D is £2,580 (parishes differ; weighted by residents).
Band D since 1993
Guildford’s Band D bill has risen 52% in ten years, from £1,671.76 in 2016–17, against England’s average (56%). It was £554.63 in 1993–94.
Your bill by band
A Band D home in Ash, 2026–27, before discounts. The Valuation Office Agency’s band search gives any home’s band.
Surrey’s councils
Average Band D in each council area, 2026–27, parish precepts included. Bars start at £2,300.
Guildford Borough Council hasn’t filed its 2026–27 Revenue Account budget with MHCLG (the department lists it as missing), so its spending per resident isn’t shown.
Band D: MHCLG Band D council tax 2026–27 (each authority’s own figure, excluding parish precepts) and Council Tax statistics for town and parish councils 2026–27; since 1993–94, MHCLG’s area averages including parishes.
Having a say in how Ash and Ash Vale is run
It takes about five minutes online; the deadline is 12 working days before a poll.
gov.uk ↗Type a postcode to write to each of its councillors and its MP.
WriteToThem ↗GOV.UK sends the report to the council that looks after the road.
gov.uk ↗Council and committee meetings are open to the public, with agendas and minutes online.
guildford.gov.uk ↗Anyone can comment while an application is open for consultation.
guildford.gov.uk ↗The rules, nomination papers and guidance for council candidates.
Electoral Commission ↗Questions about how Ash and Ash Vale is run
Which council runs Ash and Ash Vale?
Ash and Ash Vale is run by Guildford Borough Council, Surrey Heath Borough Council and Surrey County Council. The county council runs schools, social care and roads; the district runs bins, planning and housing.
Does Ash and Ash Vale have a town council?
Yes: Ash and Ash Vale has its own parish-tier council (Ash parish council; town councils are parish councils by another name), which adds £82 to a Band D bill in 2026–27.
Who is the MP for Ash and Ash Vale?
Ash and Ash Vale is split between 2 constituencies: Godalming and Ash (Sir Jeremy Hunt, Conservative) and Surrey Heath (Dr Al Pinkerton, Liberal Democrat). Parliament’s Find your MP service matches a postcode to its MP.
How many councillors does Ash and Ash Vale have?
11 ward councillors represent Ash and Ash Vale’s 5 wards, and 3 county councillors its county divisions.
When are the next elections in Ash and Ash Vale?
No election is scheduled yet in Democracy Club’s list for Ash and Ash Vale’s wards. The next UK general election must be held by August 2029.
How much is council tax in Ash and Ash Vale?
Band D council tax in Ash and Ash Vale is £2,580 for 2026–27. Your bill depends on your home’s band, from A (6/9 of Band D) to H (18/9).
Who controls Guildford Borough Council?
The Liberal Democrats have a majority: 25 of 48 seats as elected. The council’s website lists who leads it now.
Who won the 2023 council election in Ash and Ash Vale?
In Ash and Ash Vale’s wards on 4 May 2023, Liberal Democrat 7 · Conservative 2 · Residents for Guildford and Villages 2 of the 11 seats up. The Liberal Democrats had the largest share of votes, 47.3%.
Sources: ONS ward, county division, parish, constituency lookups (Census 2021 output areas; Open Government Licence v3.0) · GOV.UK local council finder · Democracy Club candidates (CC BY 4.0) and EveryElection · UK Parliament Members API (Open Parliament Licence v3.0) · MHCLG Band D council tax, parish precepts and Revenue Account budgets 2026–27 (OGL v3.0) · ONS mid-2025 population estimates. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.