It's not long now until you can have your say in this year's elections. Polling stations will be open between 7am and 10pm on Thursday 6 May. If you are voting in person, please keep yourself and others safe by:

• wearing a face covering
• bringing your own pen or pencil
• cleaning your hands when entering and leaving the polling station
• keeping a safe distance

If you are self-isolating or become unwell as a result of Covid-19, you are able to apply for an emergency proxy vote by 5pm on polling day. 

My Vegan Dulce de Leche by Vegan Crazy has been announced as the winner of this year’s Entrepreneur Academy. The Redhill-based food business, founded by Cintia Yankelevich, was one of 16 new businesses to compete to win an investment grant provided by Reigate & Banstead Borough Council.

The Redhill venue is getting ready to open its doors after months of closure on Monday 17 May 2021, as part of phase 3 of the Government's roadmap. A varied and exciting range of live shows, films and event screenings is on offer. Plus, the Harlequin café will also reopen, serving delicious freshly made food and barista coffee. Extensive measures will be in place to make visiting the Harlequin a safe and enjoyable experience for all.

One of the theme's of this year's Surrey Day, celebrated on Saturday 1 May, was towns and villages. Not only do we have four great high streets in the borough - Banstead, Horley, Redhill and Reigate - but there's also a number of smaller shopping parades and villages, home to some fantastic local businesses. Please continue to follow Government guidelines when out and about.

Businesses can find information about the latest grants - including the new application window for the Additional Restrictions Grant - on our website.

We hope you are enjoying using our parks and open spaces to catch up with your friends and loved ones. Please continue to use these spaces safely and keep your distance from those outside your household.
 
Remember it’s everyone’s responsibility to keep these spaces looking their best. Please put your litter in the bin or take it home with you. Remember, BBQs and fires are NOT allowed in any of our parks or open spaces. If you’re taking the dog, please bag and bin any dog poo. You can use the litter bins for both so there are no rubbish excuses!

Six more electric vehicles have joined our fleet and will be out and about in the borough soon. Low carbon transport is one of the priorities in our Environmental Sustainability Strategy, which aims to reduce the borough's environmental impact. So far we've installed 15 electric vehicle charging points across the borough (with 7 included in the Zap Map of public charging points). 

Are you considering an extension or conversion or creating a garden office and aren't sure what the difference is between Planning and Building Control? Our Building Control team in conjunction with Planning and Trading Standards is hosting a 1 hour webinar at 3pm on 25 May offering practical advice and tips to guide you through the process. Find out more here.

Your children could be in with a chance of winning a £50 Hobbycraft voucher if they put their creative skills to paper and enter The Mayor's Art Competition. Terms and conditions can be found on our website. Closing date for entries is now Monday 10 May.

In line with the Government's roadmap out of lockdown, we are now on step 2, which included the reopening of hospitality, hairdressers, non-essential retail and our leisure centres. However, many restrictions remain in place and people should continue to work from home where possible. More restrictions are due to lift on Monday 17 May.

Vaccinations are now being offered to anyone over 40, alongside the other priority groups. Find out more about vaccinations in Surrey here.

Alongside the vaccine rollout, regular testing is at the heart of plans to reopen our society and everyone in England, including those without symptoms, can now take a free, rapid COVID-19 test twice a week. 

And of course, it's important to continue with the basics - hands - face - space - fresh air - and to self-isolate and get a test if you have any of Covid-19 symptoms.

If you need to self-isolate to help stop the virus, you may be worried about how you'll cope. Whether you need food or medication delivered, emotional support, or help with your caring responsibilities - there is help available. If you are struggling financially, you may be eligible for a £500 Test and Trace Support Payment.

You and your family will usually need to apply to continue living in the UK by 31 June if you are from the European Union (except Ireland), Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland and started living here by 31 December 2020. If you or a family member need help applying, support is available and application to the EU Settlement Scheme is free of charge.

This week the Council launches two new local Food Clubs – in Horley and Woodhatch – this week as part of its long-term commitment to supporting vulnerable communities and tackling food poverty. The clubs work alongside a package of other food and fuel focused initiatives including free meals for children and young adults in need over the school Christmas holidays; hampers and hot meals for vulnerable residents on Christmas day; and the launch of a pilot project to combat fuel poverty this winter. 

Surrey County Council wants to assure all residents that there is support and help available should you be struggling.

As the infection rate was rising rapidly across Surrey at the beginning of the year, Surrey’s Local Resilience Forum put additional measures in-place to support hospitals, social care, and other front-line services.

So that collection crews can enjoy a break with their families and friends there will be no bin collections in Reigate & Banstead on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Changes to the usual household collection schedule will start on Saturday 19 December and last until Monday 4 January.

It's been a challenging year for businesses. In the run-up to Christmas - and beyond - spread a little love by shopping locally. Many high street retailers are offering online, click & collect and home delivery options, while cafes and restaurants have a range of takeaway and eat-in options. Need some inspiration? We've been showcasing some of our festive high-street heroes on our Facebook and Instagram channels, so go take a look!  

More than 450,000 people have received their first dose of the vaccine as part of the Surrey Heartlands vaccination programme. If you are over 50, have a learning disability, are at high risk of getting coronavirus, or care for someone who is, then you can book your vaccine now. Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself, your family and your community.

The targeted community testing initiative, in partnership with the Department of Health and Social Care, was first launched in parts of Surrey on 15 February. Eligible people can now get tested in Redhill, at the Harlequin Theatre & Cinema.

A planning application for a new crematorium and memorial garden in Woodhatch has been submitted by Reigate & Banstead Borough Council to provide a more local service for bereaved families.The Council is making the application because Reigate & Banstead residents who wish their loved ones to be cremated must journey to a facility out of the borough, usually as far as Leatherhead, Crawley or Croydon. Feedback from local funeral directors also suggests that bereaved families can experience longer than average wait times for convenient service times.

The Council's environmental health team has been visiting all the supermarkets in the borough to make sure they have the appropriate COVID-secure measures in place for customers to do their essential shopping safely. They were pleased to report they found generally good standards all round. You can help keep everyone safe by shopping alone where possible, wearing a face covering, washing your hands more often and keeping your distance down the aisles and at the checkouts.

A Horley property company has been fined over £16,000 for failing to comply with Houses of Multiple Occupancy (HMO) legislation aimed at protecting tenants. The Council successfully took action against a private property management company for breaching the fire safety and overcrowding terms of its HMO licence for a two-storey property in Redhill. 

Our green spaces are important for everyone's health and wellbeing and continue to be busy. Please exercise in them responsibly, don't leave any litter and explore routes near to your home. The borough's skateparks, tennis courts, outdoor gyms, and multi-use games areas are closed in line with Government guidance. Please do not use them or let your children use them. If you are the parent of a teenager who is heading out to do their exercise, please let them know that these areas are closed. 

The outstanding achievements of local sports clubs, teams, people and coaches were celebrated at a virtual awards evening on 25 February. The nine inspirational winners were taken from a record 70 entries and you can watch the ceremony here.

On 6 May, eligible adults in Surrey can vote for who they want to be the county’s Police and Crime Commissioner. The next election takes place on the same day as the Surrey County Council and Reigate & Banstead Borough Council elections.

The Police and Crime Commissioner is elected for a four-year term and plays an important role in holding Surrey Police to account for its actions. The Commissioner also works with the Chief Constable to set the overall direction for the force. 

We’re making great headway on our Marketfield Way development in Redhill, with the cinema starting to take shape and work to build the shops and homes beginning soon. Read the latest issue of our quarterly newsletter now - and sign up to receive future issues direct to your inbox - on our website.

You can also keep up-to-date by following VINCI’s dedicated project Twitter feed: @marketfieldway.

A new employment website, R&B Works, developed by Reigate & Banstead Borough Council in collaboration with the borough’s major employers, is now live. Residents who may be looking for a job, a career change or wishing to work closer to home can find information about the local employment landscape and opportunities.

The East Surrey Youth Hub aims to help target the significant increase in unemployment among 18-24 years across East Surrey since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

The next opportunity to meet virtually with Cllr Mark Brunt to discuss local matters important to you is Tuesday 16 February. Appointments are offered to people who live or work in the borough. They can be via video conference or phone, and will be allocated on a first come first serve basis. 

Sleeping rough is dangerous and difficult at the best of times but exposes people to additional risks during the winter months. This year the pandemic has put additional pressures on traditional emergency accommodation but Reigate & Banstead Borough Council continues its proactive approach to tackling homelessness this winter.

Reigate & Banstead has highlighted a raft of concerns in its robust formal response to the Government’s recent Planning for the future public consultation. The council is particularly concerned about the negative impact it could have in the borough over the loss of affordable housing, essential infrastructure and local democracy.

The Level Up project aims to provide 500 refurbished laptops to Reigate & Banstead pupils who need them for home study. With 350 laptops pledged to date, they need only 150 more to reach their goal. Laptops donated by the community are refurbished by volunteers and distributed to children and young people via local schools and charities. It is a partnership project that is being delivered by Raven Housing Trust with support from Voluntary Action Reigate & Banstead and Level Up Horley.

Census Day is Sunday 21 March. Look out for a letter from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) inviting you to take part online. There's lots of help available to complete your form if you, or someone you know, needs it.

YMCA East Surrey has been awarded a grant of £435,737 from the National Lottery Community Fund to take the role of lead provider in youth work which will benefit more than 1,000 local young people.

Now more than ever, it's vital that correct, consistent information about Covid-19 and wider health-related advice is communicated. Our new volunteer community champions receive weekly updates from us, which they then pass on to their families, friends, neighbours, community networks or workplaces.

The Council is asking local residents to share their views to make sure that the borough’s three community centres in Banstead, Horley and Woodhatch meet community needs, both now and in the future. The deadline for comments is 22 March. 

The second round of our residents’ survey, gathering views on a range of topics, is currently taking place. If MEL Research contacts you by phone, letter or email or you receive an email from Reigate & Banstead Borough Council about the survey, please consider taking part as we hope to hear from a representative sample of the borough’s residents. 

Look out for the Spring issue of Borough News dropping through your letterbox from 8 March. This issue highlights the steps we're taking towards making our borough more sustainable, provides an insight into local community organisations and celebrates the beauty of our green spaces. 

Spring is in the air and many of us will want to enjoy the borough's parks and green spaces. Please remember to take your litter away with you, or put it in the bin if there's room.

Census Day has now passed but there is still time to be included. It's important all of us fill in our census forms and it's a legal requirement to take part. If you need help, there are support services to help you. Visit www.census.gov.uk or call 0800 141 2021.

Around one in three people infected with Covid-19 have no symptoms but can still pass it on. Symptom-free tests are a good way to identify positive cases so people don't spread the virus unknowingly. Twice weekly tests are now available for anyone over the age of 16 who lives, works or studies in Surrey at one of the Targeted Testing sites (such as The Harlequin and participating pharmacies). If you’re in the same household, childcare bubble or support bubble as a pupil or someone who works in a school or college, you can also order a test to collect or be delivered.

Our collection crews will be working as usual on Good Friday and Easter Monday. Please remember to put out your correct bins by 6am in the morning on your usual day. We make every effort to complete all scheduled rounds over the bank holidays, but if we cannot complete your collection, please leave your bins at the boundary of your property and we will return the next working day. You can check your bin collections dates here.

Four new rubbish trucks have joined the Waste & Recycling Team and, like the 11 trucks that arrived last summer, these new arrivals have been given names from the shortlist suggested by the public. Watch out for Binderella, Humpty Dumpy, Johnny Trash and Puffa Wagon - coming to a street near you. As well as collecting your rubbish, the new trucks will reduce harmful emissions and the electric bin lifts will reduce fuel usage, as well as noise.

Ten local authorities in Surrey, including Reigate & Banstead Borough Council, have secured an additional £3 million from central government to help local householders improve their home’s energy efficiency, cut heating bills and help the environment. Applications for the new £3 million scheme opened on April 1 and homeowners are advised to get in touch directly with Action Surrey, an impartial energy advice centre, to find out if they are eligible as soon as possible.