The Government has ruled out changing legislation to rename West Surrey Council as West Surrey and South Middlesex Council, meaning the shading authority has to explore other ways of adopting the historic name.

In a letter to Cllr Paul Follows, the Lib-Dem leader of the West Surrey shadow authority, Local Government Minister Jim McMahon said amending the legislation establishing the council was not an appropriate way forward.

The minister suggested the council could have powers to change its own name without Government intervention.

The response follows a vote by West Surrey councillors on July 30 to bring back the Middlesex name, more than 60 years after the administrative county was abolished.

The motion, proposed by Lib-Dem Cllr Harry Boparai, who represents Sunbury Common and Ashford Common, called for the new council to be renamed West Surrey and South Middlesex Council in recognition of Spelthorne's historic identity.

Following the vote, Cllr Follows wrote to the Government on August 7 requesting a name change.

But in his response dated October 9, Mr McMahon said the Secretary of State had no role in a council changing its name under the Local Government Act 1972, other than receiving formal notification.

He suggested the authority seek legal advice on whether it could exercise those powers itself.

The minister also raised the possibility of adopting a different public-facing name without formally changing the council's legal title.

He said: "Because of this timing issue especially, I do not consider amending a Structural Changes Order to be an appropriate route for changing a council's name, especially as the advice I've received indicates that there is a more direct route for the council to take."

Mr McMahon explained that supplementary legislation for Surrey was unlikely to be approved until early March 2027, well beyond the October deadline requested by Cllr Follows.

The timing is significant because the new council is due to take over services across Guildford, Waverley, Surrey Heath, Spelthorne, Runnymede and Woking on April 1, 2027.

The July vote proved controversial, with Conservative group leader Cllr Jane Austin calling for residents to be consulted before any change was agreed.

She was supported by Farnham Residents councillor Catherine Powell, but the proposal for a public consultation was defeated.

Reacting to the minister's decision, Cllr Boparai said it was a "deeply disappointing response" to the democratic wishes of the new authority.

"We are urgently seeking legal advice on the best way forward to ensure that the democratic will of elected representatives is respected and the voices of the communities they represent are not ignored," he said.

He warned that the decision could result in additional costs, claiming branding had been scheduled to take place at no extra expense later this month.

"Instead, I'm now told we may have to carry out our own public consultation next year, secure another two-thirds majority in council, and then pay the rebranding costs ourselves," he said.

Cllr Boparai also accused Surrey Conservatives of pressuring the Government to reject the request, although the minister's letter does not indicate that political pressure influenced the decision.

"Surrey Conservatives appear to have got their way by pressuring the Government to overturn our democratic victory," he claimed.

He concluded: "Local democracy is dead!"

Meanwhile, the West Surrey Conservative Group welcomed the minister's response, saying it raised questions about how the Liberal Democrat administration had handled the proposed name change.

In a statement, the group said: "Why was the proposal pursued before checking the legal basis of the request? And why were residents not given a proper opportunity to express their views before the proposal was advanced?"

It added: "We believe any decision of this significance should be based on clear legal advice, proper scrutiny, understanding of cost implications and following meaningful public consultation.

"West Surrey residents deserve transparency and a genuine say in any decision affecting the identity of their area."

The minister's response does not rule out the name change altogether, but leaves councillors to consider whether they can pursue it using legal powers.

The administrative county of Middlesex, which included Spelthorne and other areas now part of Greater London, was abolished in 1965 under the London Government Act 1963. Spelthorne became part of Surrey, although campaigners have long argued that its historic Middlesex identity should be recognised.

The campaign to restore the name has been championed for years by supporters including astrologer Russell Grant.