Newsletter - Monday 18 May, 2026

By David Grantham

News in brief

Reigate’s Castle Grounds will be the venue for open-air adaptations of two Shakespeare works in a couple of weeks’ time. This Is My Theatre will present A Midsummer Night’s Dream (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre) on Thursday 4 June, and the Duke’s Theatre Company will put on Romeo & Juliet (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre) on Friday 5 June. These and other events can also be found on the What’s On page. (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre)

Giggling Squid opened its new Reigate restaurant (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre) last week at 27-29 High Street (formerly Corzo Lounge), having outgrown its previous home at no. 65. “You’ll still find the Thai dishes you know and love, alongside a fresh new setting designed for everything from quick lunches to long catch-ups over dinner”, the chain has said. Signage and licensing applications were approved by the borough council.

Creamy & Bites, who run the Priory Park pavilion cafe in Reigate, will also operate the new kiosk at Merstham Recreation Ground. They’re hoping to open in early June. Reigate & Banstead Borough Council said (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre) the family-run firm’s track record in Reigate and community-focused approach helped secure the tenancy. The new kiosk will offer coffee, ice cream, cakes and light bites.

Solar farm: Plans for just under 15 hectares (around 37 acres) of solar panels and related kit, enough to power 5,500 homes, have been approved (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre) at Little Flanchford Farm (off Flanchford Road and just over the River Mole) by Mole Valley’s Development Management Committee.

A youth hub has opened (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre) in Redhill to help young people into employment. The service, delivered by Surrey, Reigate & Banstead and Tandridge councils, is focused on 18 to 24-year-olds who aren’t in education, employment or training. Funded by the Department for Work and Pensions, the hub (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre) offers job search support, interview workshops and employability advice. Sessions run some days in the hub at 76 Station Road in Redhill, and on others in Oxted and Caterham.

Maths centre plan in West Street

A planning application has been made for a Mathnasium learning centre at 9-11 West Street, Reigate.

Permission is being sought to allow the ground floor to be used as a Class F1(a) education centre, together with signage and other works.

Mathnasium has 39 sites in the UK, which offer tailored learning to children aged 4-16 in staggered 1-hour sessions.

Footfall at the Reigate site is expected to be “very comparable” to a shop or restaurant, which would already be allowed to operate there, the application papers (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre) say.

No more than 4-5 children would be expected to arrive in any 15 minute period.

Parents are asked to be off-site during the 1-hour session, something that’s proved beneficial to business such as coffee shops near other Mathnasium locations, the application says.

The vacant site was previously a cafe and sportswear shop, and before that Geek Retreat, and before that a bathroom shop.

Greens celebrate election success

East Surrey’s Greens have welcomed the results of last week’s elections, and thanked (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre) those who supported them.

The eight Green councillors elected to East Surrey Council will form the the third-largest political group on the 72-member authority, behind the Lib Dems (40) and the Conservatives (10).

There are also 9 residents/independents on East Surrey (who may also form a group), and 5 from Reform UK.

All eight Greens were elected for East Surrey wards within what is currently the Reigate & Banstead borough area.

Leader of the Green group, Jonathan Essex, said: “This was a great result, considering the strength of the Lib Dems across the new East Surrey area, and the success of Reform in some areas. We plan to hold the Lib Dem council accountable, to fight for better roads and social care, and to make sure the next generation receives the education they deserve.”

East Surrey runs as a shadow authority until next April, when it will take over running services from Reigate & Banstead Borough Council and Surrey County Council.

Somers Road closure continues

Somers Road remains shut near its junction with Nutley Lane and Manor Road as Thames Water carries out emergency work.

Signs and the Surrey roadworks map (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre) all give an end date of Friday 29 May, by which point the work will have taken over a month, having started on 24 April.

Thames Water (who look after the sewers in our part of the world) haven’t been able to tell me more about the emergency or timetable, other than that it is repair and maintenance and that they’ll reopen the road as soon as it’s safe to do.

Greek tragedy in Horley

Medea, “a powerful and deeply unsettling Greek tragedy”, runs at the Archway’s studio theatre (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre) in Horley later this week, Thursday 21 to Saturday 23 May.

Euripides penned the play about the barbarian sorceress around 2,500 years ago, with this production adapted and directed by Robin Dixon.

The theatre says: “Rejected and betrayed, the play concerns Medea’s bloody and terrible vengeance on her unfaithful husband and all those around him. It is a story of passionate love turned to hate, of justice and injustice confused with pride and rage, and the shocking and murderous consequences thereof.”

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