Round-up - 2 July, 2023
Here's a free summary of some of the stories that subscribers have received over the the course of June and start of July (most recent ones first). Not all stories are listed - particularly those that are police/crime-related.
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OK given for solar panels on Priory Park cafe - but they'll have to be flat
Priory Park pavilion cafe (photo from April)
Published 1 July: Reigate & Banstead Borough Council's planning committee has approved an application to install solar panels on top of the (currently vacant) pavilion cafe in Priory Park, Reigate.
The panels won't be as efficient as they could have been, because a planning condition has been imposed that they lie flat, rather than be angled, so that they won't look out of place if seen from places such as higher ground....
Plan for 70 homes at former Redhill gas holder site
Impression from Bellway Homes' design & access statement
Published 1 July: Plans to build 70 new homes on the former gas holder site in Hooley Lane have been submitted, writes Chris Caulfield, Local Democracy Reporter.
Developer Bellway South London is hoping to build 49 open market homes, with a further 21 classed as affordable, after filing papers with Reigate & Banstead Borough Council in June...
Mini-golf and climbing walls open at the Light
A shark is one of the challenges near the start of the film-themed course
Published 1 July: The 10-hole mini-golf course opened at the Light, in Redhill, on Friday 23 June...
New SEND school coming to Redhill
Published 1 July: A new SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) secondary school is to be built on land at Carrington School, Redhill . The new facility, for up to 40 children, will be a satellite of Merstham's Woodfield School....
This particular story can be read in full, for free, here (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre).
Bell Street repair work finishes
The lights off to their next duties
Published 28 June: Temporary traffic lights - apparently the cause of traffic backing up on Bancroft Road and as far as Church Street - were removed ...
The work by the county council was to repair a hole that appeared at the junction of Bell Street and the entrance to Morrisons ...
A story was also published while the works were in progress, providing an update for subscribers.
Fire station work forecast to start next year
Artist's impression of the new building
Published 28 June: Subject to planning permission, Surrey County Council hopes to start demolishing and rebuilding Reigate fire station, on Croydon Road, in April 2024, with the project taking around 12 months.
A temporary access point is planned on Holmesdale Road so that construction does not disrupt the day-to-day running of the fire service.
A consultation is now open on the plans...
The consultation closes on Wednesday 5 July. It can be found on Surrey's website here (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre) - if you're looking for the exhibition boards which explain the modernisation, they're here (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre).
Banana Tree to open on Monday
Published 28 June: Banana Tree will open at Church Street, Reigate, this coming Monday (3 July).
The pan-Asian restaurant, located at the former Café Rouge, will seat up to 118 diners. The team from Café Rouge have moved over to Banana Tree, while the site has also created 15 new jobs.
Both brands are part of the Big Table group...
Surrey ordered to pay out in three SEN cases
Published 26 June: Surrey County Council has been ordered by the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman to make payouts to three families over its handling of Special Educational Needs (SEN cases) ...
This particular story can be read in full, for free, here (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre).
Council's property investments suffer (paper) loss
Published 26 June: Reigate & Banstead Borough Council's property investments lost £1.7 million in value last year, according to a valuation as of 31 March 2023. That followed a £2.8 million decline the previous year.
The portfolio is estimated to be worth £37.7 million, against purchase prices totalling £45.7 million.
The topic came up at a scrutiny meeting on 15 June... officer said: "The only time those reductions would be crystallised is if we were to dispose of the asset in question, at a downpoint, because obviously there'd be a difference between what we paid for it and what we'd get." ....
Tunnel Road celebration in early July
Published 21 June: Reigate Business Guild will be celebrating the 200th anniversary of the tunnel in Tunnel Road during the weekend of Saturday 8 / Sunday 9 July.
Events include a market, live music, a vehicle display and the unveiling of a plaque, as well as an art exhibition in the tunnel....
Update: you may have seen the art and information displays that are now in Tunnel Road. More about the celebrations and the weekend of 8/9 July are on the guild's website (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre).
Nutley Lane reopens
Published 21 June: Nutley Lane, a link to the A25 and town centre for many Reigate residents, reopened ....
An story was also published while SGN's repair work was in progress, updating subscribers.
New outdoor fitness areas for three parks
Published 17 June: New free-to-use 'smart' outdoor fitness areas are due to be installed this summer in Priory Park, Woodhatch Recreation Ground, and Lady Neville Recreation Ground (Banstead)...
The Light opens its doors
Mayor of Reigate & Banstead, Cllr Eddy Humphreys (centre), cuts the ribbon
Published 17 June: The Light, the new six-screen cinema in Redhill, opened its doors yesterday at the Rise, the borough council's commercial development that sits between Marketfield Way and the High Street.
As well as the cinema, the Light boasts eleven leisure activities: climbing, mini-golf, an eight-lane bowling alley....
Reigate man cycling from London to Istanbul
Published 15 June: Reigate resident Simon Holmes is currently cycling from London to Istanbul raising money for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.
He's making the 3,447km journey (2,142 miles) over just 22 days, cycling....
Update: Simon has successfully completed the challenge. You can read more about it, and why he undertook the route, on his fundraising page here (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre).
Solar power buying scheme for Surrey residents
Published 15 June: Surrey County Council has re-launched a group buying scheme for residents who are interested in solar power for their homes....
Details of the group buying scheme are here (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre).
County council to pay £15,000 to three families after education shortcomings
Published 10 June: A “senior level” review into Surrey County Council’s educational shortcomings must be carried out and £15,000 paid out to three families that it failed, the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman has ordered...
This particular story can be read for free, in full, here (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre).
Redhill gets ready to welcome the Light
Published 10 June: The Light cinema opens in Redhill this coming...
Update: the Light is now open. This story highlighted an initiative from Redhill Business Guild (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre) to promote the town, including events, in conjunction with the opening.
"Sheila's Island" opens at Archway theatre, Horley
L-R: Jan Sparkes as Denise, Debra Cornell as Julie, Lisa Ray as Sheila and Ella Sowton as Fay
Published 7 June: The latest stage production at the Archway theatre in Horley opened yesterday, 6 June.
Sheila's Island, a comedy by Tim Firth (creator of Calendar Girls), is set...
Update: this particular production is now over but the Archway theatre (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre) has productions throughout the year
Redhill & Reigate Great Big Green Week
Published 7 June: A week of events has been put together by local groups to celebrate nature and local community action on climate change...
Update: the week has now been and gone - but the organisers Climate Action Redhill & Reigate have a website here (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre).
Volunteer awards: nominations open
Last year's award winners (council officer taking the photo in the foreground)
Published 7 June: This year's Reigate and Banstead Volunteer Awards are open for nominations.
The annual scheme, set up twenty years ago, is....
Update: the council has announced that the deadline for nominations has been extended to Monday 10 July - more about nominating someone is on the RBBC site here (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre).
Redhill town centre: bollard fix set for July
The two bollards (silver discs) in their down position, in front of the pedestrian zone which can get busy with parked vehicles
Published 7 June: Surrey County Council plans to get the electronically controlled bollards back into use...
... they had to be lowered around a couple of years ago following a safety concern, and a recent attempt to bring them back, after investigation by the manufacturers, has been thwarted by other problems...
Park cafe retendering progresses
Priory Park pavilion (April picture)
Published 3 June: The retender process continues for the park cafes in Priory Park (Reigate), Memorial Park (Redhill) and Lady Neville Recreation Ground (Banstead).
The Reigate site has been vacant since the end of February, and the ones in Redhill and Banstead since late last year.....
Temporary fix coming for closed toilets in Memorial Park
Closed: the cafe, with the toilets, in Redhill's Memorial Park
Published 3 June: .... the council said .... : "We plan to provide a temporary portable convenience in Memorial Park shortly"....
Update: temporary toilets have since arrived in Memorial Park.
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