Each year we need to budget carefully, to balance the financial pressures and service demands we face with our commitment to support residents and the borough. This will be a budget for our last year in operation, before we become part of a larger East Surrey Council from 1 April 2027. We invite residents, businesses and partners to give us their views before the consultation ends at 12 noon on Monday 12 January 2026.

Please note that over the Christmas and New Year period, the Town Hall will be closed to visitors from Wednesday 24 December through to New Year's Day and will reopen again as normal on Monday 5 January 2026. From Monday 29 December whilst reception will remain closed, our phone lines will be open (10am - 4pm) except on Thursday 1 January 2026.

Our three community centres will also be closed from Saturday 20 December, reopening for business as usual on Monday 5 January 2026. We will also be responding to social media enquiries on these days as usual.

While we are closed, our out of hours service will be available for emergencies only. You can also contact us online.

Christmas is coming and we can confirm that there will be changes to everyone’s household bin collections between 25 December 2025 and 10 January 2026. This is because there will be no bin collections on Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year’s Day. To keep services running smoothly, our collection crews will be working on Saturdays to catch up. This means your collections will be delayed by one to three days during the festive period until usual collections resume on Monday 12 January. Please take time to check your dates on the new bin calendars and be a #binfluencer by letting your neighbours know too! Garden waste members please note that your annual two-week winter break will commence on 25 December.

Eleven projects have been awarded a share of £500,000 in Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) developer contributions for improvements to vital local facilities and services. Successful projects include a local refuge, Merstham Football Club, Salfords Village Hall, Horley Health Hub, local Scout groups, Innes Sports Pavilion in Horley and Redhill Brook flood alleviation and environmental education works. The funding will enable organisations to make a real difference to these facilities and the local communities that they serve. CIL is a charge placed on developers to ensure that new developments contribute towards the essential infrastructure and services needed to support them. Bid requests for 36 projects totaling in excess of £5 million were received for the half a million pounds of funding available.

If you have a postal vote and applied for yours on or before 30 January 2024, you’ll need to re-apply by 31 January 2026. Otherwise, your postal vote will expire, and you will need to vote in person. The changes were introduced as part of the Elections Act. We are emailing or writing to you if you’re affected by the changes – look out for it and make sure you take action. However, you don’t need to wait for us to contact you, you can re-apply online now. If you don’t have a postal vote already but would like one, you can apply online. There are also paper applications for those who cannot apply online.

Cllr Richard Biggs, Leader of the Council, will be available to take your questions, on Tuesday 16 December between 4pm and 6pm. If you have questions and/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

16 Days of Activism raises awareness about violence against women and girls as a human rights issue. This year's theme highlights that 1 in 3 women in the UK have experienced online abuse and it focuses on online and digital spaces. We're supporting the Surrey Against Domestic Abuse campaign which considers the fine line between care and control; and how digital tools can support controlling behaviours, such as tracking and monitoring. Look out for the campaign on social media or find out more on the Healthy Surrey website - Control Isn't Care.

You're also invited to join East Surrey Domestic Abuse Service (ESDAS) for a Candlelit Walk of Remembrance in Redhill, 4.30 to 6pm on 9 December. The free event, supported by our Thriving Communities Fund, is open to all and is about standing together against domestic abuse. Booking is essential.

We’re thrilled to announce that we have been short-listed for Apprenticeship Programme of the Year at The Learning Awards 2026. The awards recognise the very best organisations across the UK and previous winners have included among others, Microsoft, KPMG, the NHS and Vodafone. Apprenticeships have become one of our most powerful tools for personal and professional development - allowing us to give our apprentices a chance to learn new skills, gain necessary qualifications, and grow in roles that make a real difference to our community. To see Reigate & Banstead standing proudly among these famous names is a huge achievement and something to celebrate. Winners will be announced in February 2026.

We are recruiting for a Health and Safety Officer, and an Arborist. If these are roles you are interested in, please take a look at our current vacancies page and apply.

Former Councillors Jill Bray, Lynne Hack and Mark Brunt have been made Honorary Aldermen for exemplary service to the borough. Mr Brunt served as a councillor for 19 years, five of them as Leader of the Council (2018 - 2023). Ms Bray was the inaugural chair of the council’s audit committee and Mayor from 2021 -2022. Dr Hack was Leader of the Council from 2007- 2008 and Mayor from 2013-2014. The title of Honorary Alderman or Honorary Alderwoman is awarded to people who have given outstanding service to the borough as past members of the Council. Title holders can be invited to attend and take part in civic ceremonies.

We're consulting on recommendations that could see every household in the borough represented by a parish or town council. These are based on proposals that were submitted during the first stage of our community governance review earlier this year and we now want to know whether you support the recommendations or would prefer an alternative. Full details are available on our website, along with information about what parish and town councils do and the additional charges collected alongside Council Tax. You can help decide how the interests of your community will be represented in the years to come by completing the survey before 16 January. 

Gatton Community Theatre's latest production, part funded through the Thriving Communities Fund, is being performed Thursday 4 to Sunday 7 December and Thursday 11 to Sunday 13 December. Taking place inside All Saints Church, south Merstham, it promises to be a Nativity play where you can 'expect the unexpected'.

Southern Building Control Partnership is hosting a free event for surveyors, maintenance & repairs teams, architects, and asset management professionals on 10 December 2025. The event is scheduled for 12:30pm at Tandridge District Council offices, 8 Station Road East, Oxted RH8 0BT. Michael George from Britmet Lightweight Roofing will be presenting. There will be a Domino's lunch courtesy of Britmet Lightweight Roofing. A fantastic opportunity to gain practical knowledge, and network with industry peers. Everyone is welcome to attend. 

An innovative scheme, partnering landlords with tenants, set up and run by YMCA East Surrey, has won the prestigious YMCA England & Wales’ Youth Matters national Housing Project of the Year Award 2025. NextStep project is a professional, free housing service that assists people into private rented housing. Housing Projects Manager Jenny Hawes said they were grateful to be working in partnership with two local councils - Reigate & Banstead Borough since 2003 and Tandridge District since 2011.

Whenever you need a bit of support or friendly advice, the amazing team at Citizens Advice Reigate and Banstead (CARB) are here to help. Their staff and volunteers give free, confidential advice on all sorts of issues — from money worries, benefits and debt, to work, housing, immigration and consumer problems. They can also check you’re getting everything you’re entitled to - for example, if you or someone you know might qualify for Pension Credit. You can chat to them by phone or book an appointment at their offices in Redhill or Banstead, or see them out in the community. If you want to make a difference you can also find out about volunteering by emailing recruitment@carbs.org.uk.

Surrey Fire and Rescue Service has launched their “You’re their person”campaign, urging loved ones, carers and utility workers to look out for vulnerable people this winter by referring them for a free Safe and Well Visit. The campaign stems from learnings from previous, devastating fatal fires whereby it was recognised that all those who sadly lost their lives had someone who cared, popped in or helped them. The service is aiming to raise awareness of the free visits it delivers to thousands of people every year. 

The NHS has issued a flu SOS as cases are rising rapidly and the season is starting earlier than usual. Residents across Surrey are being encouraged to get their flu vaccine as soon as possible. Once vaccinated, it usually takes around two weeks for the body to build up protection against the flu virus, helping to keep individuals, families and communities safe. NHS Surrey is also asking everyone to share this information widely to help protect those most at risk, including children, older adults, pregnant women, carers and people with long-term health conditions. Flu vaccines are available at GP surgeries, pharmacies and some midwifery services.