Cllr Cliff Betton was chosen as the 54th Mayor of Surrey Heath at the Annual Meeting of Surrey Heath Borough Council on Wednesday 13 May 2026.
Cllr Betton is a councillor for Mytchett & Deepcut ward.
At the Mayor Making ceremony, Cllr Betton was sworn in as Mayor of Surrey Heath for the forthcoming year, receiving the Mayoral chain of office.
Cllr Betton succeeds the previous Surrey Heath Mayor, Cllr Louise Ashbery.
Cllr Betton has lived in Surrey Heath for more than 40 years, and runs a chemical safety and compliance consultancy. He is married to Cherry and has three children and five grandchildren.
He will be accompanied during his Mayoral term by his daughter Lindsay.
Cllr Betton said: “I am deeply honoured to have been elected to this position, and serve as the final Mayor of Surrey Heath as we approach the reorganisation of local government. This brings sadness but also challenges, and I will work for the benefit of residents and the many exceptional people who work behind the scenes in numerous charities, to help ensure that the transition to West Surrey Council is as seamless as possible.”
Cllr Betton has chosen two charities to support during his Mayoral year - Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice Care and Chloe’s and Sophie’s Special Ears Fund.
Cllr Betton added: “My nominated charities both have close connections to my family. My daughters, including Lindsay my consort for my Mayoral year, have run the London Marathon and climbed mountains to support Phyllis Tuckwell.
“I also have a grandchild who is profoundly deaf due to meningitis at three weeks old, but because of the brilliant work of Southampton NHS Hospital, and cochlear implants before his first birthday, they are able to ‘hear’ as well as anyone. Many children however still suffer from hearing loss and need the sort of fantastic support that Chloe’s and Sophie’s Special Ears Fund give, improving their lives immeasurably.”
Cllr Betton was elected as ward councillor for Frimley Green in 2019, and has represented Mytchett & Deepcut since 2023. He has served on various committees, including Planning, Performance & Finance Scrutiny, and Audit, Standards & Risk.
Cllr Mary Glauert, who represents Town ward, was appointed Deputy Mayor.
Read more about the Mayor of Surrey Heath