Newsletter - Wednesday 29 April, 2026

By David Grantham

In this issue: Adam’s Gallery has won its planning battle for its first-floor sign; an adventure golf course has won planning approval; and local elections approach. That’s all after news in brief.

News in brief

Nominations have opened for the Reigate & Banstead Volunteer Awards 2026. Categories are: Young Volunteer, Volunteer, Individual Trustee, Volunteer Team and Long Service. Residents, groups and organisations can nominate individuals who live or volunteer in the borough, with the nominee’s permission required - details here (Abre numa nova janela). Entries close on 29 May 2026, with successful nominees celebrated at a town hall ceremony in July.

A History of Falling Things opens today, 29 April, at the Archway theatre (Abre numa nova janela) in Horley, who describe it as “a 21st century love story that is fearful, funny and moving”. The production runs until Saturday 9 May. 

If you’re looking for things to do, there’s currently 14 events listed for May on the What’s On page (Abre numa nova janela). These include the RBBC Sports Festival / YMCA Fun Run, the Reigate Tunnel Beer Festival, a Reigate Caves open day, the Cheese & Chilli Festival in Priory Park, and various music and drama events. Each poster/image clicks through to more details.

The East Surrey Joint Committee continues to plan the transition to the new unitary authority. The group is made up of elected representatives from the county council and the five boroughs/districts. The latest meeting on 15 April discussed some of the changeover challenges and the need for clarity for residents during the forthcoming transition year, when East Surrey will take decisions such as the location of its HQ and any satellite offices. More from local democracy reporter Emily Dalton here (Abre numa nova janela).

A resident who claimed thousands of pounds in benefits, while not declaring a property in France and other assets, has pleaded guilty to fraud charges following an investigation by Reigate & Banstead Borough Council. He is due to be sentenced in May. A council officer said the case shows that “fraud will not be tolerated within the borough”. More from the BBC here (Abre numa nova janela).

Success for gallery sign

The borough’s planning committee has ruled that Adam’s Gallery can keep its hand-painted sign, in an exception to policies that aim to protect listed buildings and Reigate town centre.

Last Wednesday (22 April) councillors approved (Abre numa nova janela), by 12 votes to 1, both the advertising (Abre numa nova janela) and listed building applications (Abre numa nova janela) for the first-floor sign at 42A High Street.

Last year Reigate & Banstead included the sign, painted in 2022, among planning enforcement investigations the council undertook in the town centre. This led the gallery to apply for permission to keep the sign, which was then refused by officers in December.

However, the gallery, buoyed by public reaction from social media and a petition, applied again this year.

This time, a councillor called the matter into committee. A planning officer report (Abre numa nova janela) again recommended refusal, saying the sign’s size and position created a “prominent, cluttered and obtrusive frontage” harmful to the Grade II listed building and conservation area, and was contrary to planning policies.

Officers did note that 123 comments had been received, all in favour of the sign or at least neutral.

However, a planning officer told councillors: “Planning is not a popularity contest. You have to determine applications in accordance with policy and material considerations.”

He added that the font, colour and style of the sign were all sympathetic and traditional, and would not be objectionable, but it was a question of whether the size of the sign was appropriate and then whether it would be appropriate in other instances.

“It’s a judgment which everyone will hold a different view on and that’s perfectly acceptable,” he said.

The Reigate town centre shopfront design guide states that signs on upper-floor walls will not “normally” be permitted.

A letter supporting the plans from Spencer Copping, chair of Reigate Business Guild, had argued that “normally” did not create an absolute ban, and that the circumstances of the sign set a “high bar” which would not act as a precedent.

At the committee, Cllr Peter Harp also picked up on “normally”, adding: “I don’t think this is a normal case. I think it is exceptionally well-designed”.

He described the sign as attractive and well-suited to the High Street, and similar points were made by other committee members.

Councillors worried about setting a precedent, but heard that officers would still apply planning policies on future applications, and that a condition would restrict the permission not just to the premises, but specifically to Adam’s Gallery as tenant.

Cllr Joel Gabriel perhaps captured the mood of the meeting when he said that while he supported the sign, “I am glad that policies exist to protect the area”. And Cllr Mark Johnston, who visited the committee to speak in favour of the gallery’s proposal, paid tribute to the “ongoing vigilance of our officers and staff.”

Some of the public comments on the plans said that worse signs had been put up elsewhere in the town centre, but the officers’ report noted: “in nearly all cases these are also under planning enforcement investigation and their removal/improvement sought”.

Councillors heard that after the December refusal, officers had suggested to the gallery that a smaller sign might be appropriate, but the gallery was unwilling to change this.

Nearly 4,000 people signed a petition in support of the sign, but, as is normally the case on planning matters, this was not referred to by councillors or officers, in contrast to the 123 comments submitted through the official planning process.

Adventure golf plans approved

Reigate Hill Golf Club, on Gatton Bottom, hasn’t yet decided whether it will go ahead with an 18-hole adventure golf course, but the scheme has won planning permission.

The attraction would sit north of the clubhouse and car park, sacrificing some of the existing tenth fairway.

The rural-themed course would include a lazy river, tractor, combine harvester, natural rocks and animal sculptures, with the aim of broadening the club’s appeal to families and children.

Earlier this month Reigate & Banstead planning officers ruled the scheme to be an acceptable form of Green Belt development; while there would be some harm to openness, views of the course would be limited as it would sit behind a tree-lined ridge and there would also be new planting.

A planning adviser from the Surrey Hills National Landscape also supported the proposals.

Traffic was not considered to be a concern, with the club’s transport study estimating only 13 additional two-way vehicle trips a week, as many visits would be combined with parents already going to the club. Surrey County Council’s highways authority also raised no objection.

Officers said (Abre numa nova janela) wider benefits included encouraging people to get outdoors and into the landscape, with the course having an accessible design for people with physical and mental disabilities.

Conditions include opening hours running no longer than 9am until 1 hour after sunset, landscaping and biodiversity requirements, and a ban on external lighting.

Asked about next steps following the decision, Mike Ducker, the club’s general manager, said other investment opportunities were also being considered, adding: “We wanted to obtain permission for development of adventure golf should we decide to proceed with this project, however at this stage we have no plans and are considering other options.”

Local elections approach

Local elections for the new East Surrey Council take place just over a week away on Thursday 7 May.

As in other wards of the new authority, the Reigate ward will have two councillors, for which there are 11 candidates (surname first):

• Berge, John (Labour)

• Charters, Lisa (Reform UK)

• Giles, Rex (Labour)

• Ingram, Paul (Green)

• Johnston, Mark (Liberal Democrats)

• Lawrence, Natasha (Green)

• Lewanski, Victor (Independent)

• Mears, Jon (Conservative)

• Robinson, Mike (Liberal Democrats)

• Sharma, Dharam (Conservative)

• Wolf, Karolina (Reform UK)

In the next-door ward of Redhill West and Meadvale the ten candidates for the two slots are:

• Abear, Nick (Green)

• Bateman, David (Reform UK)

• Coad, Richard (Conservative)

• Covey, Ian (Reform UK)

• De Save, Will (Conservative)

• Heaton, Elly (Green)

• Kulka, Steve (Liberal Democrats)

• Robinson, Antony (Labour)

• Roulston, Gemma (Liberal Democrats)

• Wragg, Elliott (Labour and Co-operative)

Candidates for all ten wards that fall within the Reigate & Banstead area are on a borough council page (Abre numa nova janela), and for the whole of East Surrey on a Future Surrey page (Abre numa nova janela).

In total, East Surrey will have 36 wards of two councillors each, adding up to 72 councillors. Wards use the same footprint that the Boundary Commission agreed in 2024 for Surrey County Council’s electoral divisions.

After the elections, East Surrey will operate as a “shadow” authority before stepping up to its full powers on 1 April 2027 when Surrey County Council and boroughs/districts such as Reigate & Banstead will be abolished.

Information about voting can be found on both the borough council website (Abre numa nova janela) and the Future Surrey site (Abre numa nova janela).

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