Work has begun this week to create a brand new public space at the western end of Station Road in Redhill, outside the new Nobel House development.

New seating, improved lighting, attractive planting and better cycle storage will make the area much more inviting for those living, shopping and working in Redhill. Five new trees will replace the existing trees, which have a limited life expectancy in their current location. The area will also be repaved.

Reigate & Banstead Borough Council is working with Hollybrook Residential Developments Ltd – the developer of Nobel House on Queensway – and Surrey County Council to deliver this scheme, which is being funded by Hollybrook as one of their community obligations as part of the redevelopment of Nobel House.  Other obligations have included an upgraded pedestrian crossing from Warwick Road and payments to local health and education providers to reflect the additional demand on those services arising from the new flats.

Cllr Natalie Bramhall, loca councillor and Chairman of the Redhill Regeneration Forum, said:

“We want Redhill to become a thriving town centre which is a prominent commercial location, a competitive retail destination and great place to live.

“This area of Station Road is looking very dated and over time has become a bit tired. These improvements will dramatically improve this important gateway to Redhill and the perception it gives of the town centre. The scheme will provide a striking modern space for local residents, shoppers and business people to sit and relax, or just pass through.”

Andy Nash, Manager of the Belfry Centre and Vice Chairman of the Redhill Regeneration Forum, said:

“The new public space will give a real lift to the western end of Station Road and make a big difference to retailers in this area.

“The Belfry and other local retailers have been closely involved in developing the design for the scheme. We are delighted that the new public space will be a high quality scheme that will raise the bar for future projects in Redhill town centre.”

The improvements are being funded by infrastructure contributions from the development of Nobel House, which has already provided 126 homes right in the town centre and around 12,000 square feet of retail space, expected to open later this year.

The construction of the new public space on Station Road will be completed by April.

We are now half way through the consultation period for the Redhill Town Centre Action plan, which we highlighted in our previous article, and we thank all of you who have provided feedback to us and to the Council so far.

In response to requests from local residents, community groups and we as Councillors, the Council is organising two additional events to enable more people to have their say:

• An additional full day of a manned exhibition stand, in the Belfry, from 9am-5pm on Saturday 18th February – this will be manned by Council officers and Councillors, including the responsible Portfolio Holder, Cllr Natalie Bramhall.
• A workshop for local residents’ associations and other community groups – please contact us if you want to find out more.

Cllr Rois Amiah, ward councillor for Redhill East, commented:

We have received lots of useful comments, some positive, some critical, and it is our job to see that they are all considered properly.

“Although the outlook for the economy in general, and Redhill in particular, is uncertain, many respondents recognise that a balanced approach, between retail, leisure, housing and other uses in the town centre is a sensible one.

“One resident has even reminded us that the Council helped regenerate Reigate after its well publicised slump 20 years ago, by adopting a more flexible local planning regime, so we have some reason to be confident that we can do the same through this action plan.”

Please refer to our previous article for all of the details on how to respond to the consultation, and don’t hesitate to have your say – this is vitally important for the town.

As we regularly do, we want to highlight the help available to local residents and businesses to enable them to save energy and money:

Local residents

This year Reigate and Banstead Borough Council will be bolstering its usual awareness raising work using a £20,000 grant from the Department of Health via the Surrey Healthy Homes Partnership.

This money will be used to work with the charity Action Surrey to raise awareness amongst residents of the options available, which include free cavity wall and loft insulation.

For more information please visit www.actionsurrey.org.

Local businesses

Are you involved in a local business and interested in saving energy and money?  There are a number of ways you can do this – sign up to a local free event to find out more and meet relevant experts.

Energy efficiency breakfast

The Council is running a free energy efficiency breakfast in partnership with the Carbon Trust and Surrey Chambers of Commerce.

When: Thursday 9 February, 7.30am to 10.30am

Where: Hartsfield Manor, Sandy Lane, Betchworth, RH3 7AA

The event will allow you to:

• manage and monitor your organisation’s energy use
• identify and implement key energy reduction opportunities
• conduct a walk around survey to identify further opportunities
• implement actions identified within the session
• have a one-to-one consultation with our expert trainer
• network with other like-minded businesses in your area.

Free utility management workshop

Following on from the breakfast event, a free day-long workshop has been organised to help businesses decode their utility bills and find areas for savings. The day offers practical advice for reducing energy and water consumption as well as minimising waste. This event is supported by the UTILISE programme.

When: Wednesday 29 February, 9.30am to 4.30pm.

Where: Harlequin Theatre & Cinema, Warwick Quadrant, Redhill, RH1 1NN

To book your place for these events, visit the Council’s Free energy management training for businesses page.

Part of the overall strategy

Cllr Rois Amiah, Conservative Councillor for Redhill East, said:

As a local businessman myself I recommend that businesses take up these opportunities, which really can help you save energy and money.

“As a Council we have implemented lots of changes in recent years to improve our own energy efficiency, and the cash savings this has produced have helped us freeze Council tax as well.”

To find out more about the Council’s energy strategy, visit our Sustainable Energy Strategy page.

Last week the Planning Inspectorate released the outcome of a planning appeal against the Council’s decision to refuse permission for the Mercedes Garage site on Brighton Road, Redhill, to be converted to retail use.  The Council had argued that an expansion of retail space in that location would risk damage to the town centre shops, especially in the current economic environment, and the planning inspector agreed.  The inspector also agreed with the Council that it should not bear the costs of the appeal.

Details of the appeal decision can be found at the following link:

http://www.pcs.planningportal.gov.uk/pcsportal/fscdav/READONLY?OBJ=COO.2036.300.12.3911460&NAME=/2159303%20DECISION.pdf

Redhill residents, workers and visitors are being asked to give their views on vital plans which will shape how Redhill town centre will develop in future, as a consultation on the Redhill Town Centre Area Action Plan gets underway.

The Action Plan will be used to help guide the town’s physical regeneration, and will set the rules against which future planning applications, for shops, supermarkets, offices etc will be decided.

Cllr Natalie Bramhall, one of your Redhill councillors and Executive Member for Priority Places, said:

Area covered by the Action Plan

“Your Councillors are committed to regenerating Redhill town centre to become a thriving town centre which is a prominent commercial location, a competitive retail destination and great place to live.

“This plan is the culmination of several years’ background work and builds on feedback from previous consultations and updated research. Now is your chance to tell us whether you agree with our proposals.”

The Action Plan explains how the Council wants to improve the town centre, including proposals for redeveloping specific sites, like:

• new leisure uses and shops at Marketfield Way car park
• the redevelopment of Redhill Station to provide a new station building, hotel homes and shops
• improved open spaces at Memorial Park and in Station Road
• renewed community facilities at Colebrook and/or other sites
• expanding and improving the shops at the Warwick Quadrant
• a new supermarket, cafes and restaurants on Cromwell Road

Cllr Rois Amiah, another Redhill Councillor, said:

I know the Council asks residents for their views on many occasions, on lots of subjects, but this really is the most important consultation we have had in Redhill for many years, so please take some time and give us your thoughts.

“Decisions made now will affect the town for decades into the future.  We, as councillors, will not approve the plans unless we have residents’ approval of them; if this draft needs changing, please tell us how it needs to change and we will do so.”

How to make your views known

The Action Plan homepage, containing all of the materials and details of the consultation, is at:  www.reigate-banstead.gov.uk/redhilltcaap

The individual ways of having your say are as follows:

• An exhibition about the proposals will be on display in The Belfry shopping centre on Friday 20 and Saturday 21 January, where staff from the Council will be on hand to talk to visitors about the plans and answer questions.
• The exhibition will then move to the Harlequin Theatre from Monday 23 January to Friday 24 February.
• You can view a summary document here:  http://www.reigate-banstead.gov.uk/Images/Redhill%20A3%20flyer%20Dec2011_tcm9-46459.pdf
• You can view the full Action Plan document here:  http://www.reigate-banstead.gov.uk/Images/RedhillTownCentreAAP_tcm9-46452.pdf
• You can review the document and complete the consultation through the dedicated portal, at http://reigate-banstead-consult.objective.co.uk/.
• You can fill in a Word questionnaire and email it to LDF@reigate-banstead.gov.uk.
• You can pick up a feedback form from the exhibitions, Help Shops and libraries and send this back to the Town Hall.
• If you are part of a residents’ group or other community group, contact us and we will try to attend one of your meetings to hear your views direct.
• You can leave comments here, which we will take into account and reply to where we can.
• You can contact us direct, using the details from the links at the top of the page.

The formal consultation closes at 5pm on Friday 24 February 2012 – please try to get your comments back before then, although your Councillors will gladly receive comments for a short time after that date.

Following the consultation, feedback will be used to update the plan for a further consultation in the autumn before it is submitted to the Secretary of State. The Council will then take steps to adopt the documents which will require a public examination next spring (2013).

The proposed new office building

The current office building

The proposed flats

Two planning applications have just been registered by the Council to replace the old Social Security offices in London Road (next to Nash Drive), which have been empty since 2007.

One of the applications is for a new office building, at the front of the site facing onto London Road (illustrated to the left) – this Design Statement summarises the application.  The page containing all of the details of the office application can be accessed here.  Click here to comment formally on this application, and/or leave informal comments on this webpage.

The second application is for the rear part of the site, and is for a block of 14 flats, which would be accessed from Nash Gardens - this Design Statement summarises the application.  The page containing all of the details of the office application can be accessed here.  Click here to comment formally on this application, and/or leave informal comments on this webpage.

The applications have been submitted by Lamron Developments (Redhill) Limited and Hodnet Properties Limited, represented by Fibonacci-Architects.

The Reigate, Redhill & District Rail Users Association, which represents local users of rail services and works with Network Rail and the rail operating companies to maintain and improve local services and stations, has published its latest newsletter, “Off Track”, which can be downloaded here:  OffTrack-November2011

Previous issues of the newsletter, as well as further information about the Association and a contact email address if you wish to join, can be found on its website:  http://rrdrua.webs.com/

Deep concern has been expressed by residents and local councillors at a planning application to erect a mobile phone mast on the allotments to the rear of St Bede’s School, next to Gatton Park Road.

The application has been made for a mast which would serve Vodafone and O2 customers, in what the applicant claims is an area of poor coverage.  Full details of the application can be viewed on the Council’s website, on this page, and comments on the application can also be made online, using this form.  The formal closing date for comments is 27 December, although comments should continue to be submitted after that date, and copied to your local councillors wherever possible.  You can also comment on this page, although these will not be formally included in the planning process.

A decision on the application is due to be made by the Planning Committee on 18 January 2012.

Cllr Natalie Bramhall, one of the ward councillors for the area, said:

“Masts should not be sited near schools or where children play, and yet this allotment site is at the back of a school, St Bede’s.

“The visual impact for residents of Carlton Green would also be significant.  I do not believe this proposal is acceptable, and if a mast is really needed I am sure there are better sites which will have less impact on local residents.”

Cllr Julian Ellacott, another of the local councillors, urges residents to make their views heard:

“The Planning Committee is there to listen to residents’ objections, and so I urge people to write in, and to attend the meeting itself.  Whenever this site has been mooted in the past for any sort of development we have resisted it.  Although we cannot stop the phone companies making any application they like, including this one, what we can and have to do is put forward reasoned views so that we get a sensible decision on it.

“Over the years the Planning Committee, supported by local residents and councillors, has prevented a significant number of undesirable developments in Carlton Road and surrounding areas, which would have damaged its pleasant character, and I am hopeful that the Committee will again see good reason not to spoil the area by allowing this application.”

Link to article here:  http://www.thisissurreytoday.co.uk/Christmas-night-shelter-opened-East-Surrey/story-14092318-detail/story.html