Inspector Lyndsey Whatley is the newest addition to Reigate and Banstead Safer Neighbourhood Team as she joins as Borough Commander. Here’s a little bit about Lyndsey and her time in policing: 

“I have been a Police Officer for over 17 years, and in the role of Borough Commander at Tandridge for the past three and half years. I’ve also had previous experience in response policing, public order, proactive teams and extensive neighbourhood policing experience across the east of Surrey. 

“For me, successful neighbourhood policing relies on positive partnership working, which is clearly already embedded as part of Safer Redhill. I am very much looking forward to building on the strong partnership working already in place and also developing the strong community engagement, problem solving and crime focus already happening across the Borough. 

“I really enjoy neighbourhood policing and genuinely care about policing having a positive effect on the local community, with our relationship with our community at the heart of the work that we do. I want to ensure our community have the confidence and trust in us and also that we understand local concerns and respond to them. 

“As part of the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee and the allocated uplift in neighbourhood officers, I also manage the newly created Neighbourhood Enforcement Team which is a team of eight Police Constables and a Sergeant. They are there to support the local Neighbourhood Policing Teams across the east of Surrey and have already been out on a number of deployments in Redhill.”

Ment 4 have been given additional funding from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPPC) to deliver youth mentoring services through Safer Redhill. This allows them to continue their successful work with East Surrey College and Carrington School until March where individual and group mentoring sessions have been having a positive impact and making a big difference to the students. Each school has a dedicated youth worker who provides tailored support to selected students, focusing on key themes such as mental health, emotional wellbeing, and motivation.

Ment4 will additionally be working with Merstham Park School to provide mentoring services there. Ment4's work with local schools and colleges, as well as their contributions to the Safer Redhill partnership, is helping the partnership strengthen its approach to supporting young people and helping to develop exciting plans for the future. 

YMCA East Surrey's Y Bus continues to be out in all weathers, providing a mobile youth offer to young people in Redhill. Currently, the Y Bus visits Timperley Gardens and Cromwell areas on Monday evenings between 6pm and 8pm. It can also be found on Tuesdays between 3pm and 5pm in Redhill Memorial Park and the town centre.
 
The Y Bus is staffed by YMCA's trained Youth Workers and is fitted with a games console, iPad, TV, free WiFi, as well as hot drinks and snacks. As well as providing activities, Youth Workers give information and guidance on issues such as staying safe, peer pressure and mental wellbeing. 

Last summer Surrey County Council consulted on its proposal to introduce a restricted parking zone in the pedestrianized area of Redhill Town Centre (as part of the Reigate and Banstead parking review 2024 to 2025). This proposal stated that only vehicles with valid permits would be legally allowed to park in the area, and any vehicles without permits would be ticketed. Having received considerable support, Surrey County Council is progressing a Traffic Regulation Order. Once this has been confirmed and signs are in place, enforcement of these restrictions can begin. This is expected to be around May 2026.

The CCTV cameras in Redhill will shortly be upgraded, as part of a wider CCTV project across the borough. Nine cameras will be upgraded in Redhill town centre and these will record high-quality, targeted images 24/7, which will be stored and available on request for 30 days. This is in addition to the cameras that were upgraded in 2023, which included the cameras in Memorial Park and Clarendon Road multi-storey car park.

Network Rail has given permission for us to paint the tunnel under the railway (between Marketfield Way and the Toby Carvery). The tunnel was judged too damp for a mural, but painting it with white, anti-graffiti paint will make the area brighter, cleaner and safer. The work will be undertaken by the Community Payback team in Redhill, managed by the Probation Services. Reigate & Banstead Borough Council will cover the cost of the paint.

Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust and Surrey Heartlands ICB have opened a new Community Diagnostics Centre in the Belfry shopping centre. The new centre will increase local access to diagnostic testing, such as CT scans, X-rays, ECGs, ultrasounds and respiratory tests, significantly reducing the number of patients needing to travel to East Surrey Hospital. The centre is expected to carry out almost 40,000 tests in its first year, and plans to extend its opening hours to offer a 12-hour, seven-days-a week service.

Recognising a need for a dedicated community space in the town centre, the Asian Social Group has established a new community centre as part of the Belfry shopping centre on 76 Station Road. The centre provides a safe and secure environment where people from all backgrounds feel welcomed, valued and supported. A wide range of activities - including dance and yoga classes, chess club and mother and toddler sessions - encourage individuals and families to come together to participate, build connections and strengthen community bonds. Cultural events that celebrate diverse traditions help to bridge cultural gaps and foster mutual respect.

A £4.5 million project to bring the Harlequin Theatre back to life at its previous 494-seat capacity continues to progress. The Council has appointed experienced specialists, Bailey Partnership, to plan, design and project manage the removal of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) from the building and carry out essential improvements needed to safely reopen the venue. The process of appointing a contractor to carry out the works is also underway. 

In parallel, the Council has tendered for an experienced third-party operator to run both the Harlequin and Unit 5 (the new arts and cultural venue in The Rise), whilst ensuring that future programming will continue to serve the community through professional and amateur productions for years to come. We hope to announce both the new operator and contractor soon. 

Arts Takeover will be back for its fourth year to celebrate art and culture in and around Redhill. Launching on Saturday 5 September, the 2026 festival will take place a month earlier than usual and features an exciting new drama initiative. Arts Takeover gives a feel-good boost to the town centre through a vibrant programme of free and low-cost performances; and it inspires people to get creative themselves too! 

Redhill Rising is an exciting youth arts project led by the Franklin Music CIC, in partnership with R&Be Creative and the Include Choir and funded through Surrey County Council's Your Councillor Community Fund. Aiming to celebrate Redhill's evolving identity, young people in years 5 to 9 from schools across the area are taking part in workshops throughout the spring term. These will culminate in a mass community performance of an original song, Redhill Rising, at The Belfry shopping centre on Thursday 16 April at 11am.