The newly elected East Surrey Shadow Authority met for the first time on 20 May, marking an important milestone in the creation of the new East Surrey Council. Following last month's elections, councillors representing the geographic areas of Reigate & Banstead, Elmbridge, Epsom & Ewell, Mole Valley and Tandridge came together to begin preparations for the new authority, which will be formally established on 1 April 2027.

The Liberal Democrats will lead be the leading party on the new East Surrey Council after they secured 40 of the 72 seats available in the local elections on 7 May.

Their sole focus over the coming months is preparing for the new council to ensure that services continue without disruption during the transition. Your existing county, district and borough councillors shall remain responsible for all council services until 1 April 2027. You should continue to contact them as you usually would until this time.

Cllr Nick Harrison is the new Mayor of Reigate & Banstead for the Council's last municipal year, 2026-2027, having been elected at the Annual Meeting on 21 May. Cllr Jed Dwight is the new Deputy Mayor. The Mayor has chosen ‘Change’ as the theme for his mayoralty and the charities he will be raising funds for are MYTI Youth Club, and Age Concern Merstham, Redhill & Reigate. You can keep up to date with the Mayor and Deputy Mayor's activities on Facebook and Instagram. To invite the Mayor to visit your school, club, community group, business opening or celebration, complete the invitation form on our website.

Repair cafés can help you repair a range of household items, which can save you money. It's good for the environment too as repairing and re-using are all part of the circular economy and helps to divert items from landfill. The five repair cafés in the borough are run by volunteers. They are free to visit, but may require payment for parts and request donations. Some request that you book a slot before bringing along your items for repair.

Cllr Richard Biggs, Leader of the Council, will be available to take your questions, on Tuesday 23 June 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

Would you like to work with us? We are recruiting for a Countryside Officer to lead on setting the strategy as well as the maintenance and protection of our countryside. If you are interested in this role, we would like to hear from you. Please take a look at our current vacancies page and apply.

The first week of June is Volunteers' Week and we want to say thank you to all our amazing volunteers! Across the borough, people are giving their time in all sorts of ways - checking in on others, helping at community groups, supporting local charities, or just looking after the places we share. Much of this happens quietly, but it makes a huge difference. Throughout the week, we'll be sharing stories about some of the people making the borough a better place on our social media. We're also extending the deadline to nominate someone for our Volunteer Awards 2026 to Sunday 7 June so you can make sure that local volunteers get the recognition they deserve. 

We have introduced ticket machines at Donyngs Leisure Centre which will issue tickets for free parking for up to four hours. This will allow us to enforce misuse of the four-hour limit and keep more spaces available for leisure centre users. 

A new youth hub has opened in Redhill to support young people aged 18-24 who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) and those facing barriers to work. Launched last month, the hub will offer one-to-one employment support, job search sessions, preparation for work programmes and workshops on topics including interview skills and apprenticeships. It will also engage with employers through employability workshops and recruitment events. The Youth Hub will be open on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 76 Station Road, Redhill RH1 1PL and every Thursday at both The Woodhouse Centre in Oxted, and Caterham Valley Library. The scheme is funded by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and delivered by Surrey Lifelong Learning Partnership (SLLP) in partnership with Reigate & Banstead Borough Council and Tandridge District Council.

A local resident who pleaded guilty to benefit fraud has been handed an 18-month sentence, suspended for 24 months. Gerry Sherard previously from Merstham but currently living in Horley pleaded guilty to five counts of fraud relating to undeclared assets, at Guildford Crown Court and was sentenced on Friday 29 May. He was caught by our Fraud and Financial Investigation Team for knowingly claiming means-tested benefits that he knew he was not entitled to.

♻️We collect paper and card weekly but understand that sometimes you might have more than will fit in the box. Don’t worry, we’ll collect any extra if you can flatten the boxes and leave them beside or under your box (you could put them inside an unflattened box too if you think they will blow away). 

♻️We also collect food waste weekly in your green food caddy. There’s no need to use expensive ‘compostable’ liners – you can use plastic liners or bags to line your caddy (these will be removed and ultimately turned into electricity).

♻️Finally, a reminder not to put any batteries into your household waste collections. Crushed batteries start hundreds of preventable fires every year. Keep your local bin crew safe by disposing of your loose batteries, vapes and other electricals at an in-store recycling point or at a community recycling centre.

Good progress is being made on the improvements to Horley High Street, and the project will shortly be entering the next phase of work. From Monday 8 June, the High Street will be closed to through traffic for around five months while it is repaved. There will also be phased closures to Albert Road, Lumley Road, Consort Way East, Yattendon Road and High Street Car Park at various times until the end of the project. Businesses remain open and pedestrian access will be maintained during opening hours. We thank residents and businesses for their patience during these works and apologise for any inconvenience caused. Full details of phases of work and upcoming closures can be found on the project webpage. 

We are progressing our plans to modernise Horley Community Centre so it can become a more vibrant and welcoming space. Following the drop-in public exhibition in February, our professional design team has been reviewing feedback and updating the design proposal. 

Over the next few months, the detailed technical designs and specifications will be finalised so that construction can begin early autumn. The centre will need to close for 9 to 12 months whilst the building is refurbished but we understand that many visitors find our activities are a vital part of daily life, so we will continue to provide a programme of core activities in an alternative venue. Further details about this will be shared as soon as possible. 

The refurbishment of our tennis courts is complete and we hope you enjoy playing on them.  In total, 14 courts have been upgraded at Howard Close, Lady Neville Park, Memorial Park, Priory Park, Tattenham Way Recreation Ground and Woodmansterne Recreation Ground. Pickleball lines have also been marked out on courts at Priory Park, Memorial Park and Lady Neville Park. All tennis courts, including those at Merstham Rec and Horley Recreation Ground, are free to use and there is no need to book. This refurbishment programme was funded through the Community Infrastructure Levy (a charge that local authorities can set on new development to help fund infrastructure, facilities and services in the area).

The pavilion catering kiosk at Merstham Recreation Ground has been let to Creamy & Bites (the team behind the Priory Park pavilion café) and is set to open in early June. The family-run business brings over 15 years of catering experience, and their plans are to create a welcoming spot for park visitors to enjoy quality coffee, artisan ice cream, cakes, snacks and light bites, with a focus on friendly service and a relaxed atmosphere. Fit-out works are well underway. Keep an eye on Creamy & Bites social media channels for the opening date so you can pop along to enjoy a drink and a snack. Follow @creamyandbites for updates.

Millions of families claiming Child Benefit will see an increase in their payments from next week, as HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) encourages those yet to claim to use the HMRC app or go online to claim theirs today. As of 6 April, claimants will now receive £27.05 per week - or £1,406.60 a year - for the eldest or only child and £17.90 per week - or £930.80 a year - for each additional child, with no limit as to how many children parents can claim for. The quickest and easiest way for parents and carers to claim, view and manage Child Benefit payments is by downloading the free and secure HMRC app or by using the digital service. 

Local charity, Include.org has just celebrated its 10th anniversary with lots of joyfully inclusive singing, and … cake! The choir is known for being 'joyful and uplifting', but fun and laughter are only the top layer of the cake. Include works hard to make sure that people with understanding and speaking difficulties are included and supported, wherever they are. Through music, skills and training programmes, Include.org raise awareness and teach inclusive communication skills to organisations and individuals throughout Surrey. You’re invited to join the celebrations and ‘Be an Includer’ too by attending their birthday concert on 6 June, following them on social media or just taking a moment to connect with someone who finds communication hard. 

As a homeowner, it’s your choice who to appoint for Building Control – and that decision plays an important role in how your project is supported and checked throughout. By reviewing your options early, you can make a confident, informed choice that reflects your priorities. Southern Building Control Partnership, the Local Authority team, offers independent, publicly accountable support backed by strong local knowledge.

If you're heading out to enjoy the outdoors, stay tick aware. Ticks are found in long grass and woodland and can carry infections such as Lyme disease, and in rare cases tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). They are active all year round but are most common from April to July; so if you’re out walking or enjoying green spaces, remember to check yourself, children and pets afterwards.

Our REECH Creative Programme helps people in Tadworth and the surrounding areas to improve their health and wellbeing through creative activities. 'REECH' stands for Relax, Engage, Experience, Create, Hydrate emotionally. Our Arts Development Officer works with local organisations and venues to develop and deliver workshops and events. The free and inclusive activities currently available include art, creative writing and dance. Over the summer, there are beginners courses in Surreal Acrylic and Collage or Sketching. The Creative Writing programme and Rhythm and Movement Dance Social take place monthly. 

This new cafe provides a welcoming, inclusive and supportive space for neurodivergent people to meet, connect and relax. It's delivered in partnership with Autism by Experience and our community development worker, Charlie Griswood. It takes place on the second Thursday of each month, 2pm to 4pm at Woodhatch Community Centre. The Neurodivergent Cafe recognises that some social settings can feel overwhelming, so it's designed as a calm, autism-friendly environment to foster a sense of community and respect.