Newsletter - Sun 7 Apr, 2024
By David Grantham
Reigate Sustainability Market
The monthly Reigate Sustainability Market takes place this coming Saturday, 13 April, inside and outside at Reigate Methodist Church in the High Street.
The market runs 10am - 3pm, the second Saturday of each month.
“We're thrilled to bring together a diverse community of vendors, artisans, and organizations who share a common goal of promoting sustainability and creating a better future for our planet,” says the Nature Reclaimed website (Opens in a new window).
CCTV images issued in witness appeal
[The image gallery that previously appeared in this item is no longer current.]
Surrey Police are looking to identify the three men in the above CCTV images, in connection with a reported robbery at the Reigate branch of Jo Malone in March.
Police said: “At 2.15pm on Monday, 18 March, three men entered the Jo Malone store on Reigate High Street and stole 22 bottles of perfume worth almost £3,000. When challenged by staff they intimated that they had a weapon, and then left the store on foot.
“Were you in the area around Reigate High Street between 2.10pm and 2.20pm on Monday 18 March? Do you have any CCTV, dashcam or helmet cam footage that might have captured the moments before or after this offence?”
Anyone who recognises the men, or who has information that could assist the investigation, is asked to contact police quoting PR/45240030892, via webchat on the Surrey Police website (Opens in a new window), their online reporting tool (Opens in a new window), or calling 101, or anonymously at independent charity Crimestoppers (Opens in a new window).
Political make-up of council now evenly split
Ahead of the local elections in just under a month’s time, seats on the borough council are now evenly split between the Conservatives and the other parties, after Jill Bray, a residents’ association councillor in the Tattenham & Preston ward, stood down on 14 March.
The council is now made up of: 22 Conservatives, 11 Greens, 5 Residents, 3 Lib Dems, 2 independents, 1 Labour, with 1 vacancy.
Bray, mayor in 2021-22, has moved away from the area, the Tattenham & Preston Residents Association website says (Opens in a new window).
The vacancy means that two of the three seats in the ward will be up for election in May, instead of just one.
The notice setting out all the candidates in the borough’s 15 wards is due to be published tomorrow, Monday 8 April.
Reigate Caves
Reigate Caves (Image credit: WCMS)
Reigate Caves’ open days in 2024 will be on the Saturdays of 11 May, 8 June, 13 July, 10 August and 14 September.
Tickets must be booked via the Reigate Caves website (Opens in a new window), with each date being made available around four weeks in advance.
The caves comprise the Tunnel Road Caves and the Barons’ Cave, with the open days run by volunteers at the Wealden Cave & Mine Society.
Trains
Southern and Thameslink services are set to be affected (Opens in a new window) by strike action tomorrow, Monday 8 April, and a withdrawal of overtime working on Tuesday 9 April. And the Redhill to Tonbridge line remains closed (Opens in a new window) because of the problems with the embankment.
Two residents honoured by borough council
Millie Bright, wearing the no.5 shirt, with England teammates at the 2023 Arnold Clark cup (photographyjp / Shutterstock.com)
England footballer and Redhill resident Millie Bright was made an Honorary Freewoman of the Borough at a council meeting on 28 March.
Bright played for the Lionesses when they won Euro 2022, and was captain during last year’s World Cup where they progressed to the final match before losing to Spain. She plays for Chelsea in the Women’s Super League.
Cllr Rich Michalowski proposed the honour “in reflection of her achievements and her inspirational role model qualities”.
After outlining Bright’s sporting achievements, Cllr Michalowski said: “There is no doubt that the huge increase in interest in the game from girls and women is in no small part because of the role models like Millie.
“This interest is not only great for the game at every level, but also great for youngsters themselves that become more active and as a result healthier.
“I know this is definitely happening in our borough as local clubs tell me they are experiencing this huge upsurge particularly on the youth side.”
Bright was awarded an OBE (Opens in a new window) in the 2024 new year’s honours list.
Also recognised at the meeting, with an award of Honorary Freeman of the Borough, was Colin Sutherland, who was proposed by Cllr Nadean Moses for his “unwavering dedication and service to the community of Banstead”.
Cllr Moses said Sutherland’s work included scouting, school governorship, addressing local speeding through a residents’ association, as well as fundraising for the Poppy Appeal, Home Start and support for deaf children. He was awarded an MBE in 2013 (Opens in a new window).
The freeman/woman of the borough award has only previously been granted on three occasions (Opens in a new window) since the borough’s creation in 1974.
At the same council meeting, former councillors, and three-time mayors, Roger Newstead and David Pay received the title of honorary aldermen.
The webcast of the meeting is here (Opens in a new window). Award ceremonies are to be arranged.
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