Surrey could be split in two as part of sweeping changes to how services are run. Downing Street is looking to reshape local government and has set out a white paper outlining its vision.

It wants to do away with two-tier systems of boroughs and counties and instead create single unitary councils. It argues this would not only be more cost effective but also shift power away from Westminster.

If devolution plans for the county go thorough Surrey and its 11 boroughs and districts would be no more.

The big question is what replaces it? The most likely answer appears to be two councils with a directly elected mayor overseeing county-wide issues – these could include policing, fire and rescue and transport.

The English Devolution White Paper says new unitary councils “must be the right size to achieve efficiencies, improve capacity and withstand financial shocks.

“For most areas this will mean creating councils with a population of 500,000 or more, but there may be exceptions to ensure new structures make sense for an area.”

Surrey has a population of 1.2million and a single “mega-council” stretching from Farnham to Oxted, an area larger than Greater London, would be too vast, some argue.

This leaves the most likely option of merging Tandridge, Mole Valley, Reigate & Banstead and Epsom & Ewell into East Surrey Council with Woking, Guildford, Spelthorne, Runnymede, Surrey Heath, Waverley and Elmbridge forming West Surrey Council.

Woking MP Will Forster said: “I don’t think having a single mega council is a good idea. Camberley to Oxted is far too large, there are huge differences east to west.

“That’s not devolution, that’s not empowering people.”

Even a West Surrey Council would create a single area stretching from Haslemere to Staines.

He added: “It also ignores the elephant in the room, social care – this seems to be the Government’s way of ignoring that. “