We are once again hosting the Arts Takeover in Redhill from Saturday 5 October to Saturday 12 October. The week-long festival of art is an opportunity for artists, residents and members of the public to get involved in the arts and for us to showcase creative talent in the borough. Join us for a chance to see portraits by deaf, disabled and neuro-diverse artists, singing from various choirs including the missing persons choir, African drumming, Open Mic, and Crochet in the Park among others. A full list of activities including booking details is available.

Reigate & Banstead Borough Council has honoured footballer Millie Bright with the title of Honorary Freewoman for services to sport. She becomes the first woman to hold the title in the Borough's fifty-year history. Nominating her for the award, Cllr Rich Michalowski noted: "Millie Bright is a topflight footballer living in our borough. She is the defensive pillar upon which England built its EURO 2022 title success and captained England to the Women's World Cup final in 2023. She is an excellent role model, a serial winner, and someone who without a doubt, has encouraged many young people in our borough to take up sport".

A local landlord has been ordered to pay a substantial amount in fines and costs after being taken to court by Reigate & Banstead Borough Council. Epsom Pars Limited who ran a 21 room House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) in the Epsom Downs area were successfully prosecuted for multiple offences in August at Staines Magistrates Court. The company pleaded guilty to 48 criminal charges, including various forms of disrepair and fire safety offences.

The Council has agreed proposals to upgrade CCTV cameras in 22 local town centre locations, with the possibility that some additional locations may come forward as details are finalised. The new cameras will be in addition to 39 new cameras installed in our multi-storey carparks and Lady Neville, Memorial and Priory Parks last year, bringing the total number of upgraded cameras to 61. The proposals are a result of work to review our public realm CCTV system before the cameras that were previously earmarked for decommissioning  were removed. A public petition received in January 2024 and research work undertaken by the Safer Redhill partnership have shown that CCTV cameras can make people feel safer. The old, out of date cameras will be decommissioned and all new cameras will record high quality images and comply with data protection guidance and regulation.

We want to know what you think of a draft plan that sets out our vision and priorities for 2025 to 2030. Reigate & Banstead 2030 describes how we'll need to focus our limited resources in order to contribute to our vision for a healthy, sustainable borough. It's really important that what we plan to do for the next five years reflects the needs of the whole borough so please take a look at the draft plan and get involved by completing the survey, attending a drop-in event or sending us your views in writing before 20 November. 

Cllr Richard Biggs, Leader of the Council, will be available to take your questions on Tuesday 12 November between 4pm and 6pm. If you have questions or ideas that you would like to put to him, this is your opportunity. Appointments must be pre-booked and can either be virtual or in-person. You have to be a resident or work in the borough to get an appointment. To book, please email: leadersurgery@reigate-banstead.gov.uk. The 15 October Leader's surgery is already fully booked.

Reigate & Banstead Borough Council has successfully defended a High Court challenge from Tesco Stores Ltd regarding a planning application decision for a Lidl store in Horley. The challenge related to the approval by the Council’s Planning Committee for the redevelopment of The Air Balloon pub to create a new Lidl store, which would replace their existing store in the town. Tesco argued that the Council had not given sufficient reasons for the approval, given the harm to the demolition of the locally listed Air Balloon pub building and the setting of the listed war memorial opposite but the judge agreed that the socio-economic benefits cited by the Council were sufficient to grant planning permission and so dismissed the challenge.

In partnership with Better who run our leisure centres, we are offering free sports hall/studio spaces at Horley, Donyngs or Tadworth for 1-3 hours a week to a maximum of 3 clubs (1 per site) for one year. This is a term time only offer which will run from January to December 2025. There are a number of set conditions but generally, applications must be for a new sport/activity club or an existing club looking to start new sessions for a different demographic. Please complete the online form by Sunday 13 October 2024. 

Do you have a passion for public service? Would you like to make a difference in people's lives and be part of an effective council committed to delivering for its residents? If yes, then we would love to have you. We are currently recruiting for a Customer Contact Adviser, Technical Analyst, an Assistant Recycling Officer, and Cleaners. Take a look at our current openings.

If you’ve received a reminder from us asking you to check important electoral registration details that we sent out over the summer, please make sure you take action as soon as possible so you can have your say in future elections. We will be calling or visiting households that are yet to reply. The annual canvass allows us to keep the electoral register up to date and invite people to register if they aren’t already.

You can help the planet and your pockets by reducing how much food you waste. Although Surrey residents are actively reducing how much food they throw away, there is still more that can be done. So, why not challenge yourself this season and see how much money you can save? The latest phase of Surrey Environment Partnership's Own Your Impact campaign helps you save like a squirrel and gives you money saving tips on storage and meal-planning.

An apprentice at Reigate & Banstead Borough Council has won the Gold award for Best Apprentice of the Year at this year’s SME Surrey Business Awards. Tilly Newton, an Environmental Health apprentice was honoured during an awards ceremony held at the Holiday Inn, Shepperton on Thursday 12 September.

Community groups can now apply for grants to help them with their decarbonisation planning. Up to £2,000 is available, funded by UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund, for work such as roof surveys and non-domestic energy assessments. Applications are open until the end of October. Organisations must be local to the borough, self-governing and not for profit to be eligible. 

Visitors to Merstham Rec will see that significant progress has been made on the construction of the pavilion brickwork and walls. Work on the footpaths and play area is also progressing well, with some of the play equipment like the swing and trampoline frame now in place. Over the next month or so, the contractor will construct the multi-use games area and tennis court, continue to create the footpaths and finalise the pavilion drainage.

As part of Network Rail works to improve drainage to Horley subway, an enhanced electrical supply is needed to power the new water pump. This work continues. In the meantime, to enable access, Network Rail has reopened the subway as planned, and will continue to man a temporary pump as needed.

Every so often we must publish a gambling policy setting out the principles we will apply when exercising our licensing functions under The Gambling Act 2005. We are proposing two minor changes and amendments in line with current guidance, to our existing policy notably: Adult gaming centres and Bingo. We will share details of the survey on social media and on our website when it goes live.

Would you like to know more about policing in your local area? You're invited to come along to Banstead Community Centre on Monday 7 October, from 6:30pm, to meet your local police, hear about their current challenges and future plans, and have a chance to ask questions about issues affecting your community. To come to the event please register using the link below. For those unable to make their local in-person event, an online meeting will take place on January 13 2025.

This month we’re giving a shoutout to Age Concern Banstead and the amazing team of volunteers who provide an extensive range of services for older people in the north of the borough. This independent charity has an office within the Banstead Community Centre open 10am to 3pm, Monday to Friday. There’s a Befriending service, a monthly Lunch Club for the very frail, a Bereavement Café, hearing aid appointments, an information and advice service, a newly launched Men’s Shed (pictured), and much more.

If you’re interested in any of these services or want to join them as a volunteer call 01737 352 156 or email office@ageconcernbanstead.org.uk

Did you know that if you are of State Pension age and eligible for Pension Credit, you could receive extra support for heating costs such as the Winter Fuel Payment, the Warm Home Discount Scheme and Cold Weather Payments? Please check that your friends and loved ones know about Pension Credit and help them to find out if they could be eligible to receive this vital support. 

Surrey County Council is seeking views on restoring nature in Surrey. They are looking for feedback from residents, businesses and community groups. Help shape the future of our local environment by taking the survey.