It’s one of the biggest conurbations in the South East with around 310,000 people within 80 square miles.

But the likes of Farnham, Aldershot and its A331 neighbours look unlikely to be overseen by a single authority despite the biggest shake-up in local government for half a century.

Councillor Catherine Powell has bemoaned a lack of joined up thinking after the government snubbed her bid to create a Blackwater Valley Authority.

The Surrey County Council member for North Farnham raised the petition on January 3 amid unease about the A331 corridor potentially being split across three unitary authorities.

Stretching from Crowthorne in Berkshire to Farnham in Surrey, the Blackwater area is one the most built-up in the region with a population akin to Nottingham.

Devolution represented a great opportunity to get the likes of Farnham, Aldershot, Farnborough, Fleet, Camberley, Frimley and Yate into the same governmental boat.

But the area will remain in a three-way split, with Cllr Powell’s petition being rejected by the government because “it requests action at a local level”.

“We can’t accept petitions that request action at a local level,” with the respondent suggesting that Cllr Powell could ask her MP to take action on her concerns.

More details about the Surrey devolution bid are expected in a fortnight with Waverley Borough Council holding an extraordinary Full Council meeting on Tuesday, March 18.

Their officers are currently compiling data from the county, district and borough councils to build-up evidence for the proposed bid.

Finance staff have begun a high-level review of recent council budgets to produce a details summary of all debt, with Woking remaining the elephant in the room.

Because Surrey is on a fast-track to devolution, interim plans must be submitted to the government by March 21 with final plans by May 9.