Sunday 26 October, 2025

By David Grantham

In this issue: the Liberal Democrats retained a seat in the Meadvale & St John’s borough by-election, comfortably ahead of their nearest challenger, the Greens, as the Conservatives dropped to third place. In other news, three homes have been approved in St Mary’s Road, on the site of the old Woodlands chapel. More on these and other stories below.

News in brief

Reigate on Ice, with its ice rink and other attractions, won’t be returning to Priory Park this Christmas. The Matthews Organisation said the decision had been “extremely difficult”, and thanked the community for previously making the event “such a special part of Reigate’s winter celebrations”. In answer to a question on their Facebook post (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre), they said the decision was for “personal reasons”, and that the Matthews Organisation is a small family business.

Summer Garden, a new Chinese restaurant and takeaway has opened (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre)at 94 High Street, Reigate (where the River Kwai Thai restaurant used to be).

Plans to develop the former Rogers of Redhill builder’s yard, at 22 Monson Road, into five homes (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre) have been refused by planning officers at Reigate & Banstead. Reasons included (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre)being a “cramped form of overdevelopment”, overbearing, overlooking other properties’ gardens, gardens being too small, and a lack of information on highways matters and how a river culvert would be affected.

Daniels Jewellers, at 30 High Street (next door to Simply Sports), has announced (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre) that “after 32 incredible years serving our amazing community, our family-run jewellery shop will soon be closing its doors”. An “end of an era” closing down sale is running, before “we close our doors this December”.

Reports of two groups of men fighting at around 5.20pm on Tuesday 7 October in the Woodhatch Road area led to the arrest of three men (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre), with two of them taken to hospital. Woodhatch Road and Earlswood Lakes car park remained shut for much of the next day, as police investigated. Witnesses who have not yet spoken to police, or who have video footage, should contact Surrey Police (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre), quoting PR/45250122311.

Gatwick: the government’s approval of a second runway has led Rebecca Paul MP to call for (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre) the extension of Reigate station’s platforms as one of the transport improvements she says needs to be made to cope with added demand. She’s also called for greater clarity on noise mitigation schemes for affected areas. Meanwhile, campaign group Communities Against Gatwick Noise Emissions (CAGNE) says (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre) it has taken a first step in a legal challenge to the approval, arguing that noise and environmental assessments were flawed.

Online romance fraud: Surrey Police say five members of an organised crime group were recently sent to prison for fraud and money-laundering offences. Some 40 people reported that particular fraud, which saw victims tricked into sending money as part of what they believed were genuine relationships, but it’s reckoned another 59 were victims. Surrey Police are reminding people (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre) on how to avoid and report romance fraud.

19,000 young people in Surrey, aged 20 or under, are now taking advantage of half-price bus travel, making 100,000 trips a month, through the ‘LINK’ card scheme (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre), introduced by Surrey County Council in 2023.

Reigate & Banstead Borough Council has allocated £104k from its new Thriving Communities Fund to help 27 local (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre) organisations (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre). With each of the recipients putting together matched funding, a total of more than £200k will flow into local causes such as community theatre, energy advice, drug & alcohol education, assistance with vision impairment and domestic abuse support.

Bookable buses now in our area

On-demand buses are now available in Reigate, Redhill and surrounding areas, in an expansion (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre) of Surrey County Council’s service.

The electric minibuses run 7am-7pm Mon-Fri and 8am - 6pm Sat.

Services are open to all ages, and must be booked at least 30 minutes beforehand, or up to 7 days in advance.

Customers are grouped together by the computer, scheduling pick-up to within 10 minutes of the preferred time. Prices start at £2 for adults.

The buses use current bus stops, or “virtual” ones that the council says it has established to ensure there are no gaps in provision.

Bookings can be made here (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre), or via a “Surrey Connect” app available via Google Play or Apple, and there’s more information including FAQs here (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre).

Scouts miss out on Meadvale Hall purchase

The 34th Reigate (Meadvale) Scouts have been unsuccessful in their bid to purchase Meadvale Hall, behind which their scout hut sits, as the owner, St John’s church in Redhill, has chosen another buyer.

However, St John’s has said that the winning bidder has told them it intends to give the scouts the option of buying the hut, once planning permission has been obtained.

Trustees of the 34th Reigate said (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre): “We are naturally disappointed that our bid was unsuccessful. We are ready to learn more from the [parochial church council] about the successful bidder’s plans, including the intention to allow the Scouts an option to buy the scout hut.”

St John’s has said (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre) that the sale was driven by its duty to use parish funds for charitable purposes, rather than the costs of maintaining “the deteriorating building” or servicing the loan it took out for its new community centre beside the church (which the sale proceeds will help with).

The BBC has also covered the story here (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre).

Victory for Lib Dems in borough by-election