Surrey County Council leader Dr Andrew Povey has welcomed plans to let councils find “local solutions to local problems” after the Queen’s Speech set out greater powers for local government.

Dr Povey said: "Removing the 'ring fence' around government grants and scaling back quangos gives the best chance of finding local solutions to local problems.

"To truly establish localism, we, along with Surrey’s borough and district councils, voluntary groups and business, have to be released from the shackles of central control. Now we’ll be freer to fulfil the role of community champions through directing services and spending towards local demand.

“I have always argued quangos such as regional development agencies are a bureaucratic waste of money. In the South East their job could be done at virtually no cost to the taxpayer by the South East Strategic Leaders, the South East England Councils or the new SE7 consortium of seven major councils in the region.”