Surrey County Council welcomes and supports these alterations which are being undertaken without the need for additional subsidy.

METROBUS SERVICES

420: Sutton-Banstead-Preston-Tadworth-Lower Kingswood-Reigate-Redhill (Hourly): Will be extended from Redhill to East Surrey Hospital and Whitebushes Estate, providing various new direct links including to the hospital from the Tadworth/Preston area. No change to Sunday service Sutton-Redhill.

460: Epsom-Tattenham Corner-Preston-Tadworth-Walton on the Hill-Lower Kingswood-Reigate- Redhill (Hourly): Will be extended from Redhill to East Surrey Hospital, Whitebushes Estate, Salfords, Horley (A23), Gatwick Airport and Crawley, again providing new direct links and supplementing other existing bus services. No change to Sunday service Epsom-Redhill.

430/435: Merstham (Portland Drive)-South Merstham-Watercolour-Redhill-East Surrey Hospital-Whitebushes Estate-Woodhatch-South Park-Reigate (four journeys per hour): No change to overall level of service. Service in South Park area increased from one to two buses per hour in each direction. However, the 430/435 will not serve Whitebushes Estate (except during the evening and on Sundays) as it will be replaced by the 420 and 460 which will provide the half-hourly link to Redhill and Reigate.

SOUTHDOWN PSV SERVICES

236: Oxted-Limpsfield-Westerham-Crockham Hill-Edenbridge-Dormansland-Lingfield-Newchapel-Snow Hill-Copthorne (Dukes Head): Withdrawn between Newchapel and Copthorne but extended from Newchapel to Blindley Heath, Horne, Smallfield, Horley, Gatwick Airport and Crawley. This opens up a number of new travel opportunities for the Tandridge communities served. However, the section of route between Oxted and Westerham will be withdrawn on Saturdays, but alternative buses will still be available on Southdown services 594/595.

424: Redhill-Timperley Gardens-Reigate-Woodhatch-Meadvale-East Surrey Hospital-Whitebushes Estate-Salfords-Horley-Smallfield-Burstow-Copthorne : No change to overall level of service but extended from Copthorne village to Three Bridges and Crawley. At present on Saturdays, most journeys only run between Redhill and Horley, but these will be extended every hour through to Copthorne and Crawley, as on Mondays to Fridays.

“When I was elected as the first Police and Crime Commissioner for Surrey, I pledged to give the public the opportunity to have a greater say in how your streets are policed.

“I am pleased to invite you to attend the Reigate and Banstead Crime Summit. The Summit will bring together local partners including my Office, Reigate and Banstead Borough Council and Surrey Police. The event will be a chance for you to hear about community safety work in your area; tell us what issues are affecting your community; and to discuss how we can work together to solve those problems. The Summit will be two hours in length and refreshments will be provided.

“The event will include discussion groups where we can hear about the things that matter to you. You will be asked to suggest topics for discussion when you register and we will run the groups on popular topics.

“The Summit will take place from 2.30-4.30pm on Saturday 8 June 2013 at the Harlequin Theatre, Warwick Quadrant, Redhill.

“Space is limited at these events and attendance is by registration only so please do let us know early if you would like to take part. You can register to attend the event in a number of ways. The easiest way is to go to my website http://www.surrey-pcc.gov.uk/2013/05/reigatesummit and register online. You can also contact my office. Your family and friends are welcome to attend with you.

“It is essential that I need to hear the views of the public to succeed in my role as your Police and Crime Commissioner. I believe that we can work together to make Surrey an even safer place.”

Events are being set up by a number of local voluntary organisations, led by a group of volunteers and with support from the Council.  Last week the celebrations were officially launched by the Mayor, at the Harlequin Theatre.

The Mayor said:

“I hope that the events taking place during this summer will help to enhance the sense of community pride we have in our two towns and their shared history.

“This is particularly important in a cosmopolitan and mobile population such as we have in Reigate and Redhill today.”

A programme and website will soon be published with a list of the events – keep checking this website or sign up for our email alerts (to the right) to find out as soon as the list is published.

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Crispin Blunt wrote to Jeremy Hunt in February 2013 to invite him to visit East Surrey Hospital, and to highlight the improvements which Michael Wilson’s leadership, and £50 million of capital investment since 2010, have brought.

Replying to Crispin Blunt’s letter, the Secretary of State for Health wrote that

“it is testimony to the staff that East Surrey Hospital has now turned a corner and is making a marked improvement.”

The minister also agreed to arrange a visit to the hospital later in the year.

Welcoming Jeremy Hunt’s reply, Crispin Blunt commented

“I am pleased that the Secretary of State has agreed to visit East Surrey Hospital, and that he also acknowledges the forward strides that the hospital has made. I firmly believe these improvements should be positively reinforced so it is right that the staff have the opportunity show the Secretary of State for Health how well they are doing.”

Michael Wilson, Chief Executive of Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust said

“The Trust would be delighted to show Jeremy Hunt our hospital. East Surrey Hospital has a new look, and our patients and the commissioners of our services say it has a new ‘feel’ too. It takes time to change perceptions, but a lot less time to improve quality and safety, and we are proud of our achievements in ensuring our patients experience safe and quality healthcare”

The motion pledged support to the Government and the National Planning Policy Framework in protecting the Green Belt, and follows recent stories in the press suggesting that the Green Belt may be under threat.

It also acknowledges Surrey County Council’s role in the creation of the Green Belt, whilst committing the Council to “use its power to protect it”, and to ensure that any development of Green Belt land is “‘in line with the needs and wishes of Surrey’s residents.”

The full wording of the approved motion is as follows:

Council notes:

1. Surrey County Council has a proud history as the creator of the Green Belt. The County’s Countryside Estate founded by the Surrey County Council Act of 1931 was the basis of the London County Council’s Green Belt Act of 1938.

2. The Coalition Agreement states:

‘We will maintain the Green Belt, Sites of Specific Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and other environmental protections, and create a new designation – similar to SSSIs – to protect green areas of particular importance to local communities.’

Council believes:

Surrey’s Green Belt, Countryside Estate, SSSIs and other green spaces are vital, not only for the county’s environment but also for maintaining a ‘green lung’ around London.

Council resolves:

1. To use its power to protect Surrey’s Green Belt.

2. To support the National Planning Policy Framework (section 9 – paragraphs 79 to 92) and the Government’s policy of protecting the Green Belt.

3. To make Surrey’s MPs and the County’s Districts and Boroughs aware of this resolution.

4. That any Green Belt development in the County is in line with the needs and wishes of Surrey residents.

The new application proposes an extra floor of flats on top (7 storeys in total, at the southern end), leading to 61 flats in total compared to 47 in the plans previously approved.  There would still be a shop unit at the front, but it would be smaller in order to accommodate parking, which would be on the ground floor rather than underground, as in the previous plans.

The landscaping and impact on the road and cycle path all seem similar to the previously approve plans.

All of the plans are available to view on the dedicated page for this application on the Council’s website.

In particular, there Design Statement is available here:  https://bdsdocs.reigate-banstead.gov.uk/Planning/StreamDocPage/obj.pdf?DocNo=2106474&PDF=true&content=obj.pdf

The plans have yet to be reviewed by the council’s planning officers or Councillors, and will ultimately need to go to the Planning Committee for any decision to approve them.

Any comments on the plans are welcomed in the comments section below, but please note that if you wish to comment formally to the Council please email planning.applications@reigate-banstead.gov.uk quoting the reference 13/00420/F.

As was widely anticipated, the third recent application for redevelopment of Sainsbury’s, this time with a smaller hotel (70 room, instead of the original 98 room proposal) has been approved by the Council.

The revised application was submitted in early February as a variation to the earlier planning approval, with only a change in the number of rooms.

Additionally, at the end of January the Council agreed to fund the construction of the hotel part of the development, in return for future income, if this became necessary to enable the new development to go ahead.

In February a “fallback” proposal, without a hotel, was approved.  The initiative is now with Sainsbury’s and Aviva to move ahead with the development, that is widely agreed as being necessary for the town.

An application for ASDA on the Cromwell Road site is still going through the planning process, and following consultation last summer an application for development on the Station site, including a supermarket, is also anticipated soon.

The change in policy has been enabled by recent changes to the law, and other new conditions have also been introduced at the same time, listed below.  The changes are aimed at ensuring that the limited housing available locally only goes to those who need it most, and who have demonstrated their links to the local community.

• People responsible for anti social behaviour will not be allowed to get on the list.
• People who already own a home or have used the Right to Buy will not be allowed on the list.
• Only people on low incomes will be allowed on the list, and those with significant savings will not be allowed on the list.
• Applicants will need to demonstrate that they make e a contribution to our communities through working, training or volunteering.
• Ex-military personnel (or their families) who require housing will receive priority on the list.

Consultation on the changes demonstrated a majority in support of most of the proposals, with minor changes being made in the final version in response to some concerns raised in the responses.

Cllr Julian Ellacott, Council portfolio holder for housing and one of Redhill’s councillors, said:

Under the old rules the Council was not able to prioritise the list so that local people got priority, or exclude those who caused anti social behaviour.  We are one of the first Councils to use the new powers we have to amend the policy, so that we can give higher priority to those who are most in need, and who have demonstrated a direct link to this area.”

More information can be found on the Council’s consultation page, and the new policy, which formally comes into effect on 1st April, can be found on the Council’s website.

As background, the Council used the new freedom to change the policy as a result of the very high demand for affordable housing compared to the available housing supply.  Although there are around 7,800 affordable homes in the Borough (6,400 of which are affordable rented, and most of these are former “Council houses” now owned and managed by Raven Housing Trust), only 250-350 of these become vacant for new residents each year.  However, the existing waiting list has over 2,500 people on it – therefore it can take many years to get housed.

However, under the old rules many people within the 2,500 do not have a link with the Borough, or do not fulfil the new criteria in other ways.  Therefore the changes to the policy should reduce the length of the list and reduce the waiting time for those who are local, and genuinely need housing.

Supported by the YMCA team, the participants had to build their own shelters out of cardboard, and then sleep in them in temperatures which reached as low as -4 degrees.

Amongst the participants were local councillors, members of local churches and a Surrey Mirror journalist.  The Mayor, Cllr Roger Newstead, visited the group late in the evening, and local MP Crispin Blunt visited at 6.30am to wake the participants up for breakfast.

Over £2000 has been raised so far, and contributions are still welcome – please visit the YMCA event website to find out more.

More updates and pictures of the event can be seen on some of the Twitter feeds of those taking part:

• Redhill & Reigate YMCA:  @YMCARedhill
• Cllr Julian Ellacott: @cllr_julian
• Cllr Mark Brunt:  @cllr_mark_brunt
• Cllr Lisa Brunt:  @lisajbrunt
• Cllr Graeme Crome:  @CllrGraemeCrome
• Cllr Frank Kelly:  @CllrFrankKelly
• Alisdair Semple:  @alisdairsemple (who was also celebrating his birthday)

Everyone agreed that it was a great event, with significant funds raised, and next year’s event is already being planned.