Newsletter - Wed 24 Sep, 2025

By David Grantham

In this issue: Conservative reaction to tomorrow’s no confidence motion at the borough council, and a solar panel go-ahead. But first, the news round-up.

Delays continue on Reigate Hill

Permits for both the overnight closures on Reigate Hill, and the 24 hour traffic lights, have been extended.

The weekday overnight closures (8.30pm - 6am), from a point north of the petrol station to a point south of Raglan Road, had been due to finish last Saturday (20 Sep), but Surrey’s roadworks map (Abre numa nova janela) now gives the end date as Saturday morning (27 Sep).

The road was closed on Monday evening, but appeared to be open last night (Tuesday).

As for the 24-hour traffic lights, just north of the garage, these have been extended until the end of next Monday (30 Sep), instead of Monday just gone (22 Sep).

A Surrey County Council spokesperson said on Monday: “Whilst carrying out the major resurfacing work on Reigate Hill, our Highways team came across a void in the road which needs to be addressed before work on that part of the road can continue.

“Although we have already completed the majority of the resurfacing work on the rest of the road, we have had to extend the permit until the end of the week to allow time for the void to be resolved. In the meantime, we are reaching out to Thames Water to see if the root cause can be established and addressed. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.”

Pokémon cards and more in Lesbourne Road

Yeti’s Trading Post, specialising in Pokémon cards, vintage toys and collectibles has opened at 52 Lesbourne Road, sharing space with existing party supply shop Monkey Business.

Yeti’s says it is a haven for enthusiasts and collectors alike, “featuring an ever-evolving selection of retro favourites - from Star Wars and Transformers to My Little Pony and Polly Pocket”.

Visitors can browse over 50,000 Pokémon cards.

“We also, buy, sell and trade cards and vintage toys, offering a trusted space for collectors looking to build or refine their collections.”

Yeti’s website is here (Abre numa nova janela) (and Monkey Business here (Abre numa nova janela)).

Chapter Two Kitchen, “a fresh take on small plates dining”, has recently opened within the Blue Anchor pub in West Street. “Our bold, seasonal, chef-led menu brings modern, thoughtful dishes to the table, all served in a relaxed and welcoming space”, says their website (Abre numa nova janela).

LeQuattro Porte, the pizza counter which opened in May in Woodhatch, has shut. A Facebook post (Abre numa nova janela) from them earlier this month said: “It is with a heavy heart that we have to announce that due to unforeseen circumstances Le Quattro Porte has now closed. We would like to thank each and every one of you for supporting us”. The Oven Fresh Bakery (within which LeQuattro Porte was located) remains open as usual.

Cllr Victor Lewanski now sits as an independent county councillor for Reigate, rather than as a Conservative. He also sits as in independent in his borough councillor role. I’ve contacted him to try to find out more.

Gatwick’s plans for a second runway, to be achieved by shifting the ‘back-up’ northern runway 12 metres, have been approved by the Government (Abre numa nova janela). There has been mixed local reaction. While Reigate & Banstead sits to the north of the roughly east-west runways, flightpaths do turn across some parts of the borough, leading to noise concerns.

20mph limits in Dorking town centre could be introduced (Abre numa nova janela) under proposals that Surrey County Council is seeking views on.