Newsletter - Fri 27 Oct, 2023

In this issue

• RAAC has been found at Reigate police station, meaning the public counter will move to Caterham police station from Monday 30 October

• The Giggling Squid in Reigate High Street has won licensing permission for diners to use its back garden April - September, after temporary permission lapsed back in September 2021

• A petition (Opens in a new window) is running to bring back public CCTV to the borough's town centres

Other news

• Reigate MP Crispin Blunt has been arrested on suspicion of rape. In a statement (Opens in a new window) he said the arrest "was unnecessary" as he remained "ready to cooperate fully with the investigation that I am confident will end without charge". The BBC news report is here (Opens in a new window).

• Reigate's Christmas Fayre (Opens in a new window) and the Santa helicopter landing (Opens in a new window) in Priory Park will both fall in the same day this year - Saturday 2 December.

• The annual YMCA Santa Run is in Priory Park on Sunday 10 December - details here (Opens in a new window).

RAAC found at Reigate police station

• Reigate police station on the A25 between Reigate and Redhill (Google)

Anyone wanting to use the public counter at Reigate police station will face something of a trek from Monday 30 October, when it will move nearly 6 miles (as the crow flies) to Caterham police station.

The move follows the discovery of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), the same stuff that's been closing schools across the nation and the Harlequin theatre in Redhill.

Police say that an initial assessment of the roofing on 22 September found no RAAC, but a wider look at the building a week later, on 29 September, did.

As a result a rear wing had to be vacated, but it was signed-off for reoccupation after propping.

Surrey Police has been told that it needs to prop the rest of the building, or vacate it, "ideally" by Friday 3 November.

Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Alison Barlow said the force has responded swiftly to the RAAC problem, given the importance of health and safety.

She added: "In the short-term some teams, including our Neighbourhood Policing Teams, who spend much of their time away from the police station patrolling and attending calls for service, remain in the area of Reigate police station with prop-supports in place whilst longer-term options are explored, and those teams who are office-based and can work remotely or from another police site are being supported to do so."

Elected police and crime commissioner Lisa Townsend said plans were already in place to ensure the policing service that local communities receive will not be affected by the situation at the station.

She added: “The safety of the public and our officers, staff and volunteers must be the most important consideration and I fully support the prompt action being taken by the force to vacate the majority of the building.

“This, of course, is a temporary measure, and my office will work closely with the chief constable and his team to ensure that we can find a long-term solution for the future of our eastern divisional HQ as quickly as possible."

The police station will be unable to continue its monitoring of public CCTV over in Mole Valley: this isn't relevant for Reigate & Banstead, where that service has already ceased in line with longstanding plans agreed with the borough council.

Details of the front counter at Caterham, and all the other ways to contact the police, are here (Opens in a new window).

Giggling Squid: rear garden licensing permission restored

• Giggling Squid has around 50 branches - the Reigate one is at 65 High Street (Google)