70: More on the Harlequin’s future… and moreFor Saturday 11th January 2025 This is how we’re reflecting and celebrating our love of life around here this week:TIMECODE - 00:00 - What’s in this episode. 04:40 – The ‘best bits’ from the council meeting 9th January, with more harlequin discussion. We have taken the, err, more concrete bits from a 1hr 45m meeting and boiled it down to 23 minutes. 36:15 - Planet Reigate area news - Part One 50:10 – Planet Reigate Stars: thanking local heroes. This week a special thanks for Santa. 51:40 - Planet Reigate area news - Part Two 54:55 – Reigate Roulette. Random questions to a local resident about what they love about living here. 57:55 – The Sixty-second Soundscape. This week from Mercers Lake. If you get value from The Planet Reigate Podcast, please give us value back in return; click here to support us with a small donation: www.buymeacoffee.com/theplanetreigatepodcast or share us with your colleagues. A list of ‘the best of the guests’, and a link to hear each one, is on this Facebook post: https://tinyurl.com/prpbest*CREDITS:The seven-note Planet Reigate Theme is ©Peter StewartOther music www.Pond5.com:NEWS - ThomPie Item ID: 75456323STARS - jwsaudio Item ID: 073206386 ROULETTE – RyanRapsys Item ID: 080062947SOUNDSCAPE PolkadotFlowersMusic Item ID: 136304431ALSO - 047267053-corporate-funk Stock Music provided by AudioShop, from Pond5 Listen: https://linktr.ee/PlanetReigatePodcastWeb: www.ThePlanetReigatePodcast.comFacebook: www.Facebook.com/ThePlanetReigatePodcastInsta: theplanetreigatepodcastX (Twitter): https://twitter.com/PlanetReigateEmail: [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This is the Planet Reigate podcast.
And this is Peter Stewart. Hello, welcome to the new year and a whole new series of episodes of the Planet Reigate podcast. And this is episode 70, your Planet Reigate podcast from Reigate, Redhill and Merston, Buckland, Betchworth and Brockham. We go down to Hookwood, over to Charlewood and Outwood as well. And this is how we're reflecting and celebrating our love Thank you.
Also, a new scheme at the hospital has seen a huge increase in the number of elderly patients going back home sooner than they have done in the past. I'll bring you the details later. We've got an update on Merstham Rex refurb. Congratulations to a local man named in the New Year's honours. A documentary about the aerodrome-based air ambulance.
A petition about parking fines in Reigate has been set up. I'll tell you how you may be affected and how you could get involved. Restaurant fittings are being sold off by a local company, which is closing down. Details on the way. Entries are open for a big local drama and music festival. An update on train services this weekend that you may need to know about.
An unusual theft from South Nutfield that police are investigating. And, well... The story of what somebody found buried in Reigate this week. Plus, Planet Reigate stars this week. With a thanks to Santa. Roberta the Robot. Welcome back to her. Asking questions of Jack in Reigate. In our Reigate roulette feature that makes a return appearance.
And our 60 second soundscape before we go at the end of the show. Natural sounds from a place you know. This week... From Mercer's Lake Park.
This is the Planet Reigate podcast with Peter Stewart.
And don't forget you'll find the time that each of those features are on in the show notes, so you can scooch straight through to that point of the show that you want to hear. And I also put out social media posts during the week with links that take you straight to specific parts of the show, so you can follow us on TwitterX, Facebook and Insta to get those.
Hope you had a good Christmas break, even though... We continue to put out shows throughout the Christmas and New Year period. Hope you manage to catch up with some of those, particularly our short mini-series of four parts that we talked about the history of Bancroft Road in Rygate. How many times have you driven down that road?
Go round that dog leg and on the left-hand side you'll notice there's a place called Pool House. Have you ever wondered, as I did a year or so ago, why is Pool House called Pool House? Well, it turns out, if you didn't know, that that was the site of Reigate's swimming pool. And right opposite where the cinema is, a cinema was.
And it was the same husband and wife team who constructed both of those. And that was before Bancroft Road was even built. We told the intriguing story of the Bancrofts and their little business empire on Bancroft Road. And also in episode four, so the most recent episode, 69, episode four of the miniseries, but episode 69 of the Planet Rygate podcast series.
We've managed to get special permission to actually go into the foundations of Paul House to where what is left of the Lido is today. Lido, Lido, potato, potato. Let's call the whole thing off. Oh, you did. And thanks very much indeed to people who have contacted me about it, because it's been such a success. And Beverly said, this series has been most interesting, thanks to all involved.
Well, Beverly, that's very much indeed. I'll pass it on to the whole team. It is just me, by the way, that does the Planet Ruggett podcast. And also Rob says, Peter, I'm a first-time listener. You've got a lovely, soothing, warm and elegant style to your presentation. Rob, thanks very much indeed for that. So, it's been a big 24 hours as far as the Harlequin goes.
It's going to be a really big month as well, because not only was there a council meeting last night, but there's also one in a couple of weeks' time as well. We'll cover that one, as and when, and we'll cover this week's right now on the Planet Reigate podcast. Yeah, so another meeting about the Harlequin last night, Thursday the 9th. All that ahead of another meeting later on this month.
Rygate and Banstead Borough Council holding a special scrutiny meeting about what should happen while the theatre stays closed. Council leader Richard Biggs explains more.
I understand the strong feeling and interest in resolution of the situation with Harlequin, as demonstrated by the public attendance today and at previous meetings, and also through feedback received at last October's public engagement sessions and the numbers who attended the public meeting organised by the Reigate and Redhill Society in December.
I think we can all agree that none of us wanted to be in this situation, but the safety risks associated with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete are paramount. I would like to draw your attention to a few points. The critical red nature of the RAC panels means that this is going to take some time to resolve.
The papers include indicative costs of 10 million pounds to tackle the RAC and reinstate the Harlequin broadly as it was. However, we will need to consider whether our ambitions should be bigger and be mindful of the uncertainties which surround the cost of RAC removal, both of which could result in a larger capital budget requirement.
At the 30th of January Executive, we will consider specific recommendations relating to supporting previous community hirers and investing in arts development, with further Executive reports required regarding the future of the Harlequin in the Warwick Quadrant and the potential for an interim fixed venue.
I do feel it's important to acknowledge the competing pressures and priorities for how large amounts of public money are used and the importance of ensuring that we only pay for what we are responsible for. Finally, I would also like to note the representations I have received directly from members of the public, and I'd like to thank them for that.
And also to reassure them that as an executive, we will take their views and ideas into account when considering the way forward at the end of the month.
And you'll hear more from that meeting and more from Council Leader Richard Biggs in a few moments time. But first a little bit of an update of where we are at the moment. So the theatre has been closed since September 2023 when reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete rack was discovered there. Last month we were told that the repair and refurbishment bill is expected to cost around £10 million.
That's because a survey found intrusive rack throughout the theatre. As Richard was saying there, red status level, the highest risk of failure. Now, obviously, removing or remedying the rack will also affect other things like heating, ventilation, equipment, things like seats and decorations and so on. And of course, there's a cost affected with all of that as well.
Now, we already know that the council's been talking to the main leaseholder, Aviva Life and Pensions, to work out where each of their responsibilities start and end, and so who's going to be paying for what. And we already know £1.7 million was already put aside for improvements to the Harlequin anyway.
And I've also heard that the council may try and get money from other places like the Arts Council to help with the changes and the refurbishment and the repairs. And why does all this work have to be done? Well, the council can't get public liability insurance while the rack is still in situ.
Now, a reminder that the council says it is keen to continue providing arts in the borough and that the theatre has been closed since September 2023. OK, so let's listen in to some of that meeting and hear what was said by who. Just before that, let me explain. Council meetings are full of meandering questions that don't necessarily go anywhere or have a specific answer.
Protocol and performance, things like how people are invited to speak, introductions, reintroductions, how they address each other every single time, even while having a conversation. So, in this recording of the meeting, I've removed what you may perhaps call the repetitive, anachronistic, aerated conversation, and just kept the important and strong bits of the structure.
The full meeting, which you can see and hear on the Council website, was around 1 hour 40 minutes long. My version is round about 23 minutes. OK, the meeting is chaired by Councillor Nick Harrison. You'll hear some elected councillors and also the occasional council officer who are members of staff and sometimes references to written questions which are in the report on the council's website.
Now, not every question is included. Not every speaker is identified because occasionally mics in the chamber were muted.
Councillor Smith.
The leader was quite candid at the public engagement meeting in December. Just wondering if the leader has got any more information about potential dates?
I think I said at that meeting optimistically to three years and possibly up to five years to get it back. I don't think that's changed from the conversations that we've had so far, but we need to get further down the road and then we can start putting proper dates on things.
The other thing that we're looking at is the opportunity as to how the theatre is actually managed and the method of delivery. I mentioned Trafalgar earlier. They run 22 theatres, many for councils across the country. They arrange the shows and everything else and obviously the staff are Trafalgar staff.
So I think we're going to take this opportunity to look at the best delivery method for the maximum amount of arts and culture that we can deliver through the theatre and find the best solution. And obviously we now have that opportunity to do that locally while we do that. So that conversation will go on.
Councillor Collins. When speaking to these other groups, have they indicated to you that they prefer an all-year-round temporary venue or a seasonal temporary venue?
None of the groups run all-year-round events. There's a comedy club that is on a monthly basis, but most of them need a specific time. So the amount of time was about, off the top of my head, and I haven't got my paper with me, About 12 or 13 weeks that community groups use the Harlequin. So it's what you do with the other 39 if you're providing a temporary venue.
So at the moment, as far as temporary venues are concerned, we're looking for a mix that suits certain groups. And that work is continuing. And a lot of that information will come to the executive on the 30th.
I just wanted to quickly ask, is there a difference in cost of ramifications when you compare replacement to remediation or rectification of the rack? So is it easier to repair or is it easier to replace or is it just extremely variable?
Dan, this is probably one for you. Thank you, Councillor Chester. It's a really good question. So if you consider something like a classroom, for instance, where that's been widely reported for failures, a lot of the failures are caused by poor maintenance, which is leaks that affect the reinforcement bar. So in general terms, they would replace it.
On a temporary measure, they may use propping systems such as mini scaffolds or planks to support that. Obviously I've noted on the answer around the additional supporting which is basically welding steel beams to your existing structure. Obviously the issue and the complexity that we have is the sheer size of the Harlequin theatre itself.
Propping is very almost impossible to do so and then to maintain a theatre operation. So it is very complex and we're working through those options at the moment and they will be costed.
Was there money set aside to cover this element of planned maintenance? We were aware about it previously. Is that covered? So we have referred to planned maintenance budget possibly being used and being brought forward to use on the Harlequin for repairs. Is this sort of part of that whole discussion or is there something separate?
We have always historically had a planned maintenance budget for the Harlequin Theatre for general routine maintenance such as roof linings, not necessarily complete roof replacement which obviously sits with the rack and that has been part of our capital programme.
An allocation of money has been given back as part of our full capital programme review and any project that we would do in the future with the Harlequin would be through an executive report. for future capital funding as a package and a scheme.
Do we have any of this budgeted beforehand? Do we have an idea of how much this would have cost and therefore how much money we would have had to pay anyway?
Historically we have had that budget and I don't have those figures in front of me at the moment and they would have been for things like redecoration. It also would have tied in with the allocation of seal money as a project as well. I can certainly look back on previous year's capital expenditure.
Are you actually ruling out that the interim facility won't be a year-round community facility? It depends on the facility.
We know for a fact that not just one facility will cover the needs of the community based on what we know the needs are and also what's available within the borough. It's going to be a mix and part of that mix will be available all year round, and part of that mix will be available at certain times. So it's not one or the other because it's not one building.
We are not ruling out a temporary performance space which is going to meet up to 500. Can you get clarification on that as well?
The likelihood is that initially there is no availability within the borough for that big. So unfortunately 500 is not practical at this stage with the facilities that so far we've looked at as a temporary measure.
And at the executive, we will find out exactly what the officer's final thing is, but I'm trying to give you some early advice that the likelihood at the moment is that we haven't found a suitable arrangement for something of that size and the cost. And if we've got to spend the money, I want to spend it straight on getting the Harlequin back and up and running, to be honest.
Councillor Ashford. for a fact that the library next door, which is all part of the same construction, has already been, there have been reports on the works necessary and work has already started with a view to the exterior work and repairs being done in the next couple of months with the interior fully fitted out and refurbished by August 2025. Given that we're over a year now on just discussing
the Harlequin, what lessons have we got that we can learn and what information have we got from the refurbishment of the library that will help to bring some of these timescales that are being asked for into some sort of reality?
They're two very different buildings. One is an auditorium. It's a very large, very large expanse of roof. The library isn't that. It's a lot more complicated with the plant because all the plant is sitting on our roof and it's not in the library, so there are a lot of factors that make the difference as to where we've got to, and as to the library refurbishment and the timeframe,
that's been set by Surrey County Council and I know Dan has been in regular conversation with them.
I've been in regular contact with Surrey County Council and their lead project manager for the library since the rack situation started right up until their recent start of their refurbishment so I'm fully up to speed on the methodology in which they're using to repair the rack or remediate the rack.
also the additions that they're making to their plant and I am aware of the extensive nature of the planning that's been involved in that project all of which have been considered through those conversations and I don't think all of Surrey County Council's library is applicable as a read across to rectifying the issues within the Harlequin but rest assured I will keep in contact with the lead at Surrey.
What could we do? What could we learn? And what could we learn about the financing from that?
It's a completely different construction, it's a completely different building. They're able to provide steel supports to the additional beams that they've got existing. For us to do that would be extensive throughout the auditorium, the cost would be huge. By very complexity of the Harlequin Theatre itself, it would require craning in major steel beams.
If you look at the location in the town centre itself, that would require scaffolding and then the complexities within the major plant and equipment that run through the building. So they are two completely different areas.
What we are looking at is what is the best method to remove the rack, considering all of the other options around replacement of plant and equipment that needed replacing as part of the planned maintenance programme. The difference is Surrey have got allocation to do a full refurbishment. At the moment, we haven't considered or got to the stage to bring a scheme forward for a full refurbishment.
So earlier you were talking about what happened in Dartford, but noting that the costs involved in their theatre are much lower than what we're potentially looking at. I just wondered if we could consider anything like that as part of the proposals for the exec as an interim theatre space for our residents, given the timescale, three to five years apart.
The temporary theatre in Dartford costs £2 million per year, so five years is £10 million. That's a lot of money and they spent £11 million on refurbishing the theatre as well. So I don't think it's a cheap option. I did speak to Trafalgar and the reason that they had for temporary theatre was because they had a very tight contract with Trafalgar that they had to meet and deliver.
And one of the conversations I had with Trafalgar was because of the nature of the temporary space, they had to cancel and compensate some of the pre-booked projects that should have been going on at that. So it wasn't a perfect solution either, and it was a very expensive solution, but they had contractual obligations to do that. I want to find the most cost effective
because my priority is bringing the Harlequin back, not providing a temporary theatre of 500 seats. It's much more important to get the Harlequin back.
Through our insurance, does that cover any of the kind of stuff that we're talking about, or does that all have to come through the council?
The council were contractually obliged to provide the space and Trafalgar provided the content with agreements for community use during the course of the 12 months, each 12 months. So, yeah, it was a council obligation. As far as insurance is concerned, I'm afraid I can't answer that. That would have to be either finance or our chief exec.
Councillor Blacker, I was fortunate enough via the leader to have a team's meeting with the structural engineers and surveyors who were about to carry out the, or had started the report on the Harley Quinn. And the one thing that I noted was that rack concrete or the rack planks are aerated, which means they're full of holes, which makes them lighter.
But it also makes them extremely vulnerable to water penetration. And the one thing that came out of that meeting was that our roof covering appears to be sound and not leaking. So I think that should give us a better chance of not having to do a complete roof replacement. Bearing that in mind, we've got a 10 million figure that's been bandied about.
But I note that there is a community infrastructure levy amount of money 1,748,000. So is that figure... included in the £10 million, or is it above it? Is it extra to it?
The £1.7 million is specifically for a number of projects which we put in about 18 months ago. Obviously we can't do those projects now. If we did want to consider or apply for that money to contribute to the rectification at the Harlequin, we would have to go through a process to reapply for it. We couldn't just divert that money.
it's become very clear that both we have lease obligations we have community obligations, and we have obligations to arts and culture, all of which will come up at the executive. But I think it's fair to mention now that I've already had meetings with officers to ensure that we find a way of allocating within our funds £10 million for the refurbishment of the Harlequin.
It will have to go to full council, it will be debated, it will be a recommendation that the executive will put forward, but the plan is to find a way to allocate the funds to alleviate many of the fears that people are showing.
Councillor Pagani.
It's been 15 months till we got the survey for the rack for the Harley Quinn. How long, like, it's going to take? Because then you're going to look for the bill, like, whoever going to take the walk. So we are not having for another three years any place, temporary place for how many people will you have it? Do you think three years we are not going to have any art centre?
So what's coming to the executive is a number of options to provide temporary space while we rebuild for over three or five years the Harlequin. So no, absolutely not. There will not be no provision. We're hoping that provision will be available very, very quickly. And some of it is already available. So it's not about waiting for five years. It's three to five years to get the Harlequin back.
But there will be options coming to the Executive on the 30th to meet those needs of the community as much as we can within the borough.
Councillor Chester.
My concern is that if we don't have a large-scale provision over that time frame, there'll be nothing left of our arts community for us to build a theatre for. There's also a very significant cost, not just financially, but community-based as well, and the wider extended community.
financial cost of our economy in Redhill to not having that provision for those three to five years and also having it disappear because everyone's given up and gone somewhere else?
A lot of this will come to the executive on the 30th and I think let's not presume those sorts of things until we've seen the papers on the 23rd. I think that will answer a lot of the questions from now chair and hopefully councillors will bear with us while we sort that out.
So can I confirm that we are going to consider a 500-seater option?
I haven't seen all the recommendations coming through yet. They'll be in the papers on the 23rd. I have said consistently that at the moment we haven't found any suitable temporary venue. we have to consider the cost. I know people think that there's a money tree somewhere, there isn't.
My priority is to get the Harlequin back up and running, partly because of our lease obligations and partly because I genuinely believe that it's a huge asset for Redhill and for the borough and for the wider area. And I've met lots of people over the past year that have expressed the importance.
Groups like Seability, and I know the importance of the theatre to them and the fact that they've got one space that they can get used to and understand where they're partially sighted. So there's lots of reasons to get it back up and running as quickly as possible. and I want to make sure that we're concentrating on the right thing.
I have to say that it was fantastic that we put up a big top, but it took a huge amount of resource for five months that we lost, that that resource could have been working on the Harlequin. Those sorts of things, we have to balance them out. So for me, the most important thing is to speed up as much as we can the return of the Harlequin. And that's what we'll be concentrating on.
But obviously, we want to provide temporary provision in the meantime. And we're doing everything we can. The team have been working fantastically hard to find solutions. And all those solutions will come. And there's still time for them to find a 500 seat option. But I haven't heard from them yet that there is one. And the priority must be working on the Harlequin.
Councillor Essex. Six or seven years. is the time it takes to go through the whole of secondary. So that's like a generation of potential for participation in the arts. So that's the kind of delay we're talking about here. And if you value that at £2 million a year, because that's the temporary value cost you're working on, then the delay so far has cost the council £2.5 million.
I really would like the big top-line promises, like you've just said, to be backed up by full refurbishment cost in there and a full temporary venue cost in there.
My concern is if we try to have the perfect most cost effective refurbishment without actually getting even a half decent 500 seat of venue between now and then, what use is that if we waste away our arts and culture that's been thriving for so long in the meantime? Maybe better to have something that's less cost effective in the long term that could be delivered a little bit more quickly.
Those sorts of options may well come to the executive. But I think you do a little bit of a disservice to all the community groups that are providing those services and have worked to find solutions to obviously a difficult situation to make sure But those are provided for the residents of the whole of the borough and are going on. You talk like there will be no provision.
I have not said at any time this evening that there will be no provision for five years. I've said exactly the opposite. But this constant talking about one particular size venue... when actually the community groups that use our space require all different sizes. So we must do the cost-effective thing to provide for our community groups. That's what we'll be doing.
That's what will come to the executive.
So I think let's not do a disservice to all the fantastic groups that provide all those services to many of our children all the way across the borough and will continue to do while we go through this very difficult situation and I think that's the most important thing that the service is provided and we will do everything we can as a borough to help provide that and that's what we're doing and that's what will come to the executive in January.
So I thank you Chairman, that was a bit of a rant but... Thank you.
I just want to apologise to any community groups if they felt that I was suggesting they do a disservice to their community in the comments I made here tonight. That was not my intention. And I'm sorry if my words might have been misunderstood if that wasn't the case.
Councillor Ashworth. When we first had this problem, we decided and took a decision that the panto must go on. And within a very, very short space of time, we leapt into action and we got a big top and we got everything moving. And it was a real feat. And okay, it was one particular event. But the 15 months have gone by since we discovered this rack.
And yet we're sat here tonight with people saying, what's the timescale for the alternative provision? And How long is it going to take to do this and when are we going to get to that? And in 15 months we haven't even made a start. Is this the best we've got in 15 months?
Thank you. We had to get the full survey done to get a full understanding of the situation. And because it's not an individual ownership building, it was, to be honest, complicated and took some time. And we regret the time that it takes. We've said that at the August meeting. We said at the July meeting. What I can do is work as fast as we can going forward to get things sorted.
And now we have the full report. Now we understand. the obviously quite serious nature of the RAC that we have in the theatre and in the auditorium, we can move forward. So, yes, it's not perfect, but we did need all that information before we can move forward. Now we've got that, we move forward at the quickest pace we can. So, thank you, Chair.
Councillor Green.
It sounds like, though, we have a path forward. The Harlequin is going to be rebuilt. Some temporary solution is going to be put in place. We on this committee will, as we always do, look at the plans for the rebuilding and we'll poke and prod at that. Could I suggest, would it be helpful if, perhaps more constructively, we invite people
to help with the Hunt for a Temporary Event? A great suggestion, Councillor Green. Thank you very much. And yes, absolutely. The more we can do, the more we can help these groups. And they all have, and that is one thing I realised in my conversations, was they all have different needs. And so there's no one-size-fits-all.
And I think we have to remember that the Harlequin wasn't just a theatre event. It was a lot more than that. There was rehearsal space, there was office space, there was the bar, there was the cafe, there was meeting rooms. All of those things, all used by the community, but all were quite different.
And they don't have to be in one place, but we have to meet the needs of as many of those community groups as we can for all different reasons. And I spoke to one that's a group of 20 people that meet once a month to have coffee and have a chat and talk, and they're in a church at the moment, and the church has accommodated them just over the road, and they're carrying on with their meeting.
But absolutely, that venue and more like that can make a difference. So absolutely, I appreciate your comment. Councillor Walsh?
We've got to have the commitment to deliver, but have the commitment to deliver what is necessary at the least cost and the shortest time to our residents. But it doesn't necessarily mean reinstating it as it was left in September 2023. We need to be making sure that we are providing something that is reflective of the future, not reflective of the past.
And that is where we'll leave last night's Thursday night's council meeting and that kind of potted coverage of what was discussed and who said what to who and what the answers were as well. as you would have realised. Ironically, nothing concrete was decided. So what happens next? Well, the council's executive meet on 30 January for formal decision-making.
Those decisions won't include a final ruling on the future of the Harlequin. Instead, it's likely to agree to a further report on costed options, how much will be replaced and repaired, and whether any changes to the building will be included in that work. We've spoken about that before. whether it needs a new roof, whether they'll actually improve the facilities that were already there.
Because as you heard, the councillors say some of it is a little bit outdated now. And so there's a good opportunity to make some changes as well. And of course, you'll hear full coverage of that on the Planet Reigate podcast. Let me just check where else you can hear all of that and make up your own decisions and the full coverage in any other local media.
No, it's just here on the Planet Rygate podcast. And there's so much more about the Harlequin in our archived episodes of the Planet Rygate podcast. In episode 48, we have a breakdown of the reasons for the Harlequin closure in a kind of straightforward Q&A style. In episode 49, audio highlights of a council meeting decision on what was going to happen next.
In episode 53, reaction from the Harlequin support group's Ali Bond. In episode 57, the reaction of people leaving the first arts and culture consultation event run by Reigate and Banstead Borough Council, which focused, of course, on the Harlequin. And in special additional episodes, which we've called episode 64B, you can hear part of the council meeting from November 2024.
in which the public and councillors questioned the council leader about the Harlequin. And in episode 64C, hear the questions posed to council leader Richard Biggs at a public event run by the Reigate and Redhill Society on December 4th last year. So that's episodes 48 and 49, 53 and 57, and 64B and 64C as well of the Planet Reigate podcast.
OK, let's take a look at a few other news stories around the area, around at the moment. Local elections could be postponed for a year. Surrey County Council Leader Tim Oliver is going to send a letter to the government asking whether the local elections, which were due to happen in May, across Surrey can be held in 2026 instead. This is really unusual.
The council says that'll give them more time to put together plans for a major reorganisation of local government in the region. So what's the background behind this? I mentioned it a couple of three weeks ago that there could be changes, including local councils like Rygate and Banstead being shut down.
to have perhaps a wider local council, say for Tandridge and Rygade and Banstead and Epsom and Ewell, all three borough district councils together, or simply have one tier of local government, which would be Surrey County Council, and all those local councils would be disbanded, not just locally here in East Surrey, but elsewhere across the county as well. So...
The County Council wants more time to pull plans together for that and think the elections, and so changes of councillors, could make things a little bit more difficult.
But the proposed postponement of the elections is being opposed by the leaders of Surrey's 11 district and borough councils, which is interesting because Surrey is Conservative-led and so is Reigate and Banstead, as well as several MPs and other councillors as well. More on this on the BBC website.
plans to build a solar farm near Lye that could power more than 5,000 local homes, have met opposition from a nearby school. You can probably work out what that school is. So a company wants to put panels on a 17-hectare site in Little Flanchford Farm, and they've put in a planning application to Mole Valley District Council, because it's just over the border there.
And this solar farm would have a 40-year lifespan and after that the land would be returned to a natural state. But Moon Hall School, that's a specialist school for dyslexic children, said pupil drop-off and collection times could really be disrupted. There are also concerns over increased risk to flooding and local wildlife as well.
And the developers say the project could enhance biodiversity and the public rights-of-way across the land would be retained. According to the developers, the clean energy created by the farm would remove over 4000 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. If approved, the construction is expected to take up to eight months to complete. More on the BBC website.
Another school story for you here. Hannah wrote to me. Hi, Hannah. Thanks for getting in touch. The Hawthorne School, that's the independent school there on the road to Bletchingly, just between Redhill and Bletchingly, has announced it's joining the multi-award winning Caterham family of schools group.
The schools already share many pupils and families and the Hawthorne School saying it'll maintain its own unique identity, leadership and board of governors. And it goes on in a statement. At the same time, we look forward to the opportunities, added strength and benefits of being part of the larger family of like-minded schools.
And Reigate Grammar School is going to be featured on BBC Radio 4's Sunday Worship this weekend. It's all because the school is celebrating its 350th anniversary. It's terrific. 350 years. So Sunday, the 12th of January. 10 past 8 in the morning, BBC Radio 4. This is what you can hear.
The Godfrey Searle Choir, made up of pupils from Reigate St Mary's and Reigate Grammar School, will be providing the music. There'll also be solo performances from the fifth form student, Sharon. And she was senior winner of BBC Young Chorister of the Year. We heard from her in previous episode 65, didn't we? So if you want to hear more from her, go back and listen.
The service is going to be led by school chaplain Reverend Philip Jackson with prayers and readings by students and staff and a welcome from the headmaster as well. And Tally Glynn-Jones, head of choral music, will be directing the choir for this special event.
So if you want to tune in to a little bit of local service and choir singing and prayers and thoughts, Sunday the 12th of January, 8.10am on BBC Radio 4.
And speak to real people who can advise you. The Belfry Shopping Centre, Redhill.
more still to come of course on the podcast this week we've got the return of reigate roulette we've got planet reigate stars and also before we go at the end of the show natural sounds from a place you know this week featuring mercer's lake so listen out for that first of all the first part of our new sequence and a new frailty service at the hospital has seen around 80 percent of elderly patients
Able to go home the same day they're treated. Well, this is good news, isn't it? East Surrey opened the frailty same-day emergency care unit in October. It's getting on for 300 patients now. Staff identify people who are frail earlier after they've been admitted to A&E and then carry out comprehensive geriatric assessments and advanced care planning.
You'd think this would happen anyway, wouldn't you? But apparently this is a new thing they're doing. perhaps been a bit more organised or streamlined and been given a new name and so on, perhaps been formalised as well to make sure that it stays in place.
And what it means is that if your mum, your dad, you, your neighbour, whoever it happens to be, frail and elderly patients are given the care they need sooner, And that means that then they can go back to their own home sooner. That improves their recovery and it stops them from having an overnight admission to the hospital. And that, of course, helps everybody, doesn't it?
Because it means they're back home, which obviously is mentally good for them. And also it means that kind of that kind of care in the community is better financially and has better outcomes than before.
putting somebody in a home and certainly leaving them in hospital on average older people stay in hospital 12 to 13 days under these kinds of situations before the SDEC the frailty same day emergency care unit opened so as I say making sure that patients go back into the community as soon as it's safe to do so is really important for improving patient recovery and well-being and
And also, of course, it means that hospital beds are then only occupied by people who actually need to be there. It makes sense all around. So congratulations to our friends over at East Surrey Hospital for setting up that unit and making sure that it's working well. Got an update on Merstam Rec and their refurb. The pavilion is now up and waterproofing the roof is almost complete.
You may have seen this. You may have taken a walk around that area over the Christmas and New Year holidays. In the play area, a group swing frame and seesaw have been installed and they joined the trampoline frame and other swing frames which were already there. Surfacing for fencing is And surfacing and fencing for the tennis court and the multi-use games area is complete as well.
Got new paths in and new seating is going in as well. And part of the gravel beach for the water channels has also been installed. And final designs for the parkour area are complete as well. and they're going to be starting work on that. If they haven't started it in the last few days, they're going to be starting it in the next few days. I didn't realize that parkour was going to be there.
I interviewed someone a few years ago about parkour, and obviously I've seen it on the TV and so on. It's a tremendous sport, isn't it? One of my previous girlfriends used to do parkour a lot, and what she was able to do with jumping and leaping and all the rest of it when the pulling herself up and letting herself down, the skill, the bravery of it all was absolutely something to behold.
And over the next few weeks, the pavilion's green roof and solar panels will be installed, more play area equipment is going to go in, and that parkour course will start to be set up as well. And then the new trees are going in, the new shrubs are going in, the seating's going to be going in, and also the... Finishing off touches as well for the swales I read earlier when I was researching this.
The swales, what are swales? The swales are drainage ditches. Swales does sound nicer, doesn't it? Congratulations to the local man named in the New Year honours list.
A total of 38 people from Surrey have landed themselves a spot on the prestigious list that's put together to award those who've made an outstanding contribution to national life and locally an MBE for George MacDonald, his founder and director of Grant MacDonald Silversmiths. for services to the economy and silversmithing industry. And George, congratulations to him. He lives in Redhill.
The Air Ambulance Charity for Surrey. And also, we share it a bit, don't we, with Kent and Sussex. We don't mind them. having the use of our air ambulance they were featured in a documentary program called air ambulance appropriately enough which aired on new year's eve at eight o'clock on bbc radio four so if you want to go back and listen to that you can catch up on iplayer
As you know, the ambulance is based, of course, at Redhill Aerodrome. If you listen to that feature, to that documentary programme on BBC Radio 4, go behind the scenes, listen to how the crew bring the hospital to the patient when every second counts. Every second counts. Was that a game show with Paul Daniels? I think it was, wasn't it, back in the day?
Do you park in the Warren Road and Holmesdale Road area? Well, Georgia says, I don't usually start campaigns, but after getting three parking fines in one week, I feel compelled to take some action. So she says, I've decided to create a petition for residents of those streets to introduce permit parking.
She says, I've already reached out to the Reigate councillor who is supportive and keen to assist. And with everybody's help, we can advocate for a solution that ensures local residents can park closer to their homes. So is that you? Do you live or park on Warren Road and Holmesdale Road? And Georgia goes on. She says, I understand some people may not.
not actually want to live in an area with allocated parking and not everyone has the financial means to do so but this petition is about supporting a fair solution for the whole community so whether you live on those streets or elsewhere in reigate she says your signature can make a really big difference so if you want to get involved with that it's a really awkward address for you to put in to your google so if you want more information get in touch with me and i'll put you in touch with georgia
One more item from me for the moment. We'll split our news bulletin into two halves this time round. Dexter Burger at the Pendleton closes next week, as we mentioned just before Christmas. But this Sunday, Sunday the 12th, they're going to be selling off some of their equipment and decoration and glasses and so on. Between 10 and 2, this is at the Pendleton there in Red Hill.
They say we'll be setting up the sale inside the restaurant. So, sorry, no lunches on Sunday the 12th. And they've got a few bits of... A kit to sell off as well. They've got a couple of neons. They've got a natural-born grillers. They've got some Dexter burgers and the various signs and so on in some of the kits.
They've got an igloo, one of these huge, fantastic outdoor spaces, which is kind of see-through. I think you see that occasionally, don't you, on Taskmaster and so on. So if you're interested in any of those... then you need to get along to Dexter Burger at the Pendleton.
It's a great shame, as we said, that they are closing down when any local business, people have poured their heart, their soul, their bloods, their sweat and tears and not an inconsiderable amount of money into various local businesses. And when they don't quite work out as planned, it's a very, very great shame.
But it does mean that perhaps they can recoup some of their losses and you may be able to get something, maybe a memento or maybe something to help you start your business. Equipment, decoration, glasses and so on. It's all happening at the Pendleton Sunday between 10 and 2. And you heard about it on the Planet Rygate podcast.
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Email hello at theplanetreigatepodcast.com Find out more at theplanetreigatepodcast.com Leave a text or voice message on WhatsApp 07917 874572 and leave a review on your favourite podcast app. Support us at buymeacoffee.com slash theplanetreigatepodcast Planet Reigate stars, thanking local heroes who are out of this world.
Don't forget to subscribe to the show in your favourite podcast app. Just look for the Planet Reigate podcast and tell your friends as well. And it's great to see a like on social media, but as they say, sharing is caring. And we'd love you to share our content with your followers on your platform or profile as well. OK, Planet Reigate stars, where we congratulate some local unsung heroes.
And this week, a special thanks for Santa. Yeah, Pip says a huge thank you to the lovely lady I bumped into on Lesborne Road just before Christmas. We were waiting for Santa for over an hour, but had to go home without my twin two-year-old boys seeing him. They were a bit upset and confused. I walked past the lady and her family and explained what happened.
Her husband was dressed as Santa and stopped by just to say hello to my boys and even gave them a gift. Honestly, thank you from the bottom of my heart. It made their nights. Thank you for taking the time for us and for them, your kindness will always be remembered. So, to Santa, perhaps unsurprisingly... You're the recipient of this week's Planet Reigate Star Award. OK, this is Peter Stewart.
This is the Planet Reigate podcast, episode 70. Let's tell you a few more things that have been happening across the area, across the week. Entries are now open for the Reigate and Red Hill Festival. Yeah, 200 classes to choose from. There's something for everyone, whatever your age or talent.
So it's music and it's drama, it's recitals, it's choirs, it's bands, all sorts of different kinds of music. To find out more and place your entry, you can go to rrfestival.org slash entries. RR Festival. Sounds like it should be from the West Country rather than Reigate and Redhill, doesn't it? RR Festival. You could do a pirate impression, I'm sure, as one of your recitations.
RRfestival.org slash entries. The Reigate and Redhill Festival for 2025. Sunday, the 12th of January, there's no train service between East Croydon and Gatwick. All lines are closed and there is replacement bus service instead. Two goats are believed to have been stolen from a field on Moats Lane, South Nutfield.
This happened apparently at the beginning of December but police are only just releasing details in the last few days. Part of the fence around the field where the goats were kept came down during the storm on Saturday the 7th of December and those goats haven't been seen since. Now one of the goats, I can't believe I'm about to do a description of some goats here...
one of the goats has been described as female couple of years old with a white body black head and neck with white spots on her shoulders and she's also got a white spot on her head and the second goat is also a female white seven months old with splashes of brown on her body so were you in the area around the time did you see anything suspicious or did you just see a couple of goats just wandering down the road or maybe you saw somebody picking them up
Maybe you've got some CCTV or dash cam or helmet cam footage that Surrey Police would like to see. Get in touch with them if you do so. And this is an odd one on socials before we go over to Reigate Roulette. Joshua K. Marshall. Are you him? Do you know him? Because Fiona found his wallet earlier on in the week caked in mud. Why was it caked in mud?
Well, they reckon that that wallet was dug up by a dog on the dirt track between Reigate Squash Courts and West Street, the A25, a few days ago. And as the bank card expired in 2012, they reckon it's been there for some time.
This is the Planet Reigate podcast with Peter Stewart.
Welcome to Reigate Roulette on the Planet Reigate podcast. My name is Roberta. I am the Reigate Roulette robot. I want to find out more about what you love about living here.
I'm Jack and I was born and raised right next to the hospital in Redhill.
Spin the wheel to play and I'll ask you a question. Where is the place for your best night out?
I'm definitely more of a pub man than a club man, so I would just say, to be honest, the High Street. There's plenty of really nice pubs in the High Street. The Bull's Head is probably one of my favorites, quite intimate, and they sometimes have live music as well.
What's the best local thing about here for children?
I would say too, obviously, Priory Park is really, really good for children, especially in the summer with all the water activities and stuff they have there. But then also, Ruggett Priory Youth Football Club caters for hundreds and hundreds of kids in the town and in the local areas.
What has the area lost that you have fond memories of?
Quite nostalgic for a lot of people, I imagine, but Woolworths. The big Woolworths that used to be in the middle of Redhill. Multiple reasons, but the Pickle Mix being the main one, but it was like the original Wilco's, wasn't it? And I remember going there once again on a mobile phone for about £25 and thinking I was all grown up at 10, 11 years of age, so special memories.
What is your favourite local view?
so mine to be honest would be sat in the pub garden at the blue anchor for two reasons one you can overlook obviously the football club and the pitch especially in an evening like this where you get to see the sun go down but at the same time you can enjoy a nice cold pint what makes you smile when you come home from abroad tricky one if i've gone away without my son then obviously my son if not i would to be honest i'd
I keep linking it back to the football club. But a Saturday for me is big. It's a bit of a break away from family life, work life. You get a couple of hours to just get lost in football. So, to be honest, driving into Park Lane would be mine.
What water is your local go-to H2O?
The one that comes to mind is probably Ellsworth Lakes. I spent many of my younger days walking around there feeding the ducks with family and parents. So, yeah, probably that.
Thanks for playing the Rygate Roulette game. I loved your answers. I will be back next week but before I go here is one of my favorite robot jokes. What kind of androids do you find in the Antarctic? Snowbots. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. You've been a great audience. I'm Roberta the Rygate Roulette Robot. Goodbye.
The 60 Second Soundscape. Local natural sounds uninterrupted.
Before we go, at the end of the show, natural sounds from a place you know. This week, the woodland at Mercer's Lake. With Robin, Wren, Blackbird, Crow and Black Cat.
The Planet Reigate podcast was produced and presented by Peter Stewart.