Newsletter - Tue 4 Feb, 2025

By David Grantham

Theatre: Reigate & Banstead’s executive has committed to reopen the Harlequin, spending up to £10 million. That’s expected to take 3-5 years. Interim alternatives include theatre space at the Rise, to be ready early next year, but that’ll be much smaller with just 200 seats compared to the Harlequin’s 500. Further reports and decision-making are still to come - more below.

Local councils: the Government is expected to announce shortly whether Surrey will be in the first wave of areas to go through reorganisation, which would see its 11 boroughs and districts, including Reigate & Banstead, merge with the county council to create (probably) 2 or 3 new unitary authorities in the county, with a strategic authority sitting on top - more below.

Homebase in Rushworth Road, Reigate has now closed. Home, leisure and garden retailer The Range has taken on the site and will open (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) on Friday 21 February.

The Mayor of Reigate & Banstead is hosting a quiz night (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) in Redhill on Thursday 6 Feb raising money for local charities Renewed Hope and TRACKS (formerly Kingswood Shetlands).

Drunk driver: Last May, morning rush-hour motorists on the M25 between Reigate and Leatherhead worked together to slow and stop a driver, and remove his keys, after seeing him driving slowly and weaving between lanes. Police then found him slumped over the steering wheel, and a near-empty whisky bottle on the floor. Too drunk to give his details, he was later found to be four times over the limit. The 42 year-old from Maidstone has now received (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) a six-week suspended prison sentence, a 32-month driving ban and an alcohol treatment order.

Sports Awards: The deadline for nominations for Reigate & Banstead’s Sports Awards (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) has been extended to 21 February. “Help us celebrate the players, clubs, coaches and volunteers that make community sport in the borough so fantastic,” the borough council says.

Churchill Living has an information open day and evening (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) on Thursday 6 Feb at its Colebrook Lodge site in Woodhatch, which offers apartments for sale for the over 60s.

Safer Redhill initiative: there was a sizeable police presence at Redhill station on Friday and Saturday evening, including sniffer dogs, as Surrey Police worked with transport police and the Met to target those “who might be using the rail network for criminality”. Surrey Police said (Öffnet in neuem Fenster): “The operation resulted in multiple drugs seizures, recovery of stolen goods, and four arrests for offences including theft, assault, sexual assault and breach of a court order. We’ll keep doing this kind of pro-active work to keep our communities safe and deny criminals easy use of our railways to carry out their activities.”

A new Pizza Express is coming to Redhill according to job ads (Öffnet in neuem Fenster), but with no address yet given.

Council commits to reopen Harlequin, with interim space planned at the Rise

• Image credit: RBBC