Newsletter - Thu 6 Jun, 2024
By David Grantham
M&S: Marks & Spencer has told staff that its Redhill store’s last day of trading will be Saturday 17 August, according to the Belfry shopping centre. Centre manager Andy Nash said (Opens in a new window) that the “bigger picture for the shopping centre remains extremely positive, with more visitors using the centre and staying longer. We have strong enquiries on the retail space that we will obviously now seek to progress.”
Family fun day: There’s a family fun day at Hartsfield Manor on Sunday 9 June, in aid of Reigate-based baby bank Stripey Stork. Details are here (Opens in a new window). Stripey have also published their wishlist of items (Opens in a new window) for June.
The Garibaldi, Mill Street, Redhill (Google)
The Friends of the Garibaldi, a community interest company that in 2017 took on the lease of the pub, are crowdfunding to buy the site’s freehold. The group say on the crowdfunder page (Opens in a new window): “The Garibald isn’t just a pub; it’s a community lifeline. We host events ranging from beer festivals to charity fundraisers, and offer activities like music bingo and live performances. Our efforts go beyond just serving drinks; we foster a sense of community and belonging. …. Purchasing the freehold will secure our autonomy, allowing us to innovate further without the constraints of external landlords. This move will protect The Garbaldi from potential market fluctuations and ensure its survival as a cherished community resource.”
Surrey Police are appealing for information after a teenage boy was sprayed with an unknown substance on Woodhatch Road, Redhill, on Wednesday night, 29 May.
The force posted on Facebook (Opens in a new window): “As he was walking home at around 11.30pm, a black estate car pulled up alongside him and a male voice called out to get his attention. When the boy looked around to see if he knew the person in the car, the passenger sprayed an unknown substance on him from a sports bottle. The vehicle then made off down Woodhatch Road in the direction of Reigate.
“The boy initially reported a stinging sensation where he had been sprayed and received medical attention, but the liquid was not thought to be harmful.”
Anyone with information that could assist the investigation is asked to contact Surrey Police (Opens in a new window), quoting PR/45240060675.
Events: this weekend in Reigate there’s the monthly sustainability market, a Reigate Caves open day, and a chance to hop on a heritage bus. Details on the What’s On page (Opens in a new window).
Priory Vets in Evesham Road (Google)
Priory Vets have submitted plans (Opens in a new window) to Reigate & Banstead Borough Council to replace a rear extension and store at their Evesham Road site with a single-storey extension that will provide more treatment and ward space, including an isolation room with separate outdoor access.
The plans are for the rear of the property, but with the site being in the Reigate Town Conservation Area, Priory’s papers include a 10-page design and access statement (Opens in a new window), a 20-page heritage statement (Opens in a new window), and a 3-page supporting statement (Opens in a new window).
The heritage statement says changes have been made to the design following pre-application discussions with the council, and that these address “the council’s heritage concerns relating to the scale, form and visibility of the proposed extension in the street scene. Proposed planting at the front of the property would represent an enhancement to the street scene.”
Priory’s papers argue that the project is needed to better serve the practice’s increased number of patients, and to implement latest guidance on how practices should be laid out and areas separated, including between cats and dogs. The papers include a list of other local sites that were considered - including the former territorial army HQ on Blackborough Road but which was out-of-budget.
The application is due to be decided by 11 July.
Current extension at left, current store at right (credit: ACD projects)
Proposed extension (credit: ACD Projects)
“Growing health through art and creativity”: a borough council programme has weekly sessions that include: art for wellbeing on Monday mornings at Redhill’s temporary library (starting 1 July); creative writing on Thursday evenings at the Woodhatch Centre (starting today); Friday lunchtime singing at the Harlequin in the Belfry (starting tomorrow). Details and booking are here (Opens in a new window).
Lake appeal: Surrey Police now say their appeal for information (Opens in a new window) about reports of burglary and criminal damage, believed to have taken place between 3pm and 7pm on Sunday 12 May, is about Tapwood Quarry, not Buckland Park Lake.
WhatsApp: Surrey County Council last month launched a WhatsApp channel (Opens in a new window), providing residents with “important updates, news, and information directly from the council, including service alerts and community announcements.” Details of all the county council’s social media channels are here (Opens in a new window).
Your Fund: General Election restrictions have put a temporary brake on three funds run by Surrey County Council (Opens in a new window) that residents can use to improve their local area. The funds are:
the Your Councillor Community Fund, in which each of Surrey’s 81 county councillors is allocated £5,000 to spend - applications paused until after the election;
the Your Community Small Projects Fund, a fund of £100,000 that each county councillor is allocated to spend on projects between £1,000 and £50,000 - applications paused until after the election;
the Your Community Fund - a central fund for projects of over £10,000 that has a more involved staged application process - applications still open but no decisions until after the election.
Neurodiverse children - correction: the Local Democracy Reporter Service has amended an item, included in the last issue, about the support available for neurodiverse children in Surrey. This follows input from Surrey & Borders Partnership that: the Mindworks service was paused to new referrals for three months, not eight months as stated; new referrals were open from December 2023 under new criteria; Mindworks never stopped stopped screening, assessing and diagnosing children and young people already on the waiting list; new school referrals are open for screening, assessment and diagnosis . The online version (Opens in a new window) has been updated.
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