Social housing options boxed in
Hundreds of people desperate for social housing will finally have homes to call their own after a seven storey block was approved – despite concerns it would blight historic views … Read More
Author: Chris Caulfield - Local Democracy Reporter
Wine tasting on the slopes of Leith Hill
Wine aficionados will soon be able to sample the delights of pinot noir, chardonnay, and cabernet in their famous fermented form after a Surrey Hills vineyard was granted planning permission … Read More
Surrey teacher banned for underwear social media pupil chat
A Surrey teacher has been banned after messaging pupils about thongs, favourite underwear, and shaving. [The Teachers’ Regulation Agency (TRA) has not published the name of the school in the … Read More
Safety set back for a Council’s car park revenue
Safety work to repair crumbled concrete and rusted steel reinforcements at the Swan Car Park in Leatherhead could cost a council more than £200,000. Mole Valley District Council is set … Read More
Wet weather kicks into the long grass
People fed up with long unsightly overgrown grass and verges can use an interactive map to see when their favourite spots are next due to be cut. The seemingly endless … Read More
Surrey to have a new political colour 4th July?
Jeremy Hunt “faces a tight race” to be re-elected according to new polls that show Surrey could have as many as 12 new MPs after the July 4 general election. … Read More
Justice Stops Oil
A Surrey campaigner is “over the moon” after a landmark legal decision found that planning permission given to drill for oil at Horse Hill is unlawful. The Supreme Court has … Read More
Miniature railway set to get bigger
There will be a new train line coming to Surrey – for enthusiasts, engineers and eager families looking for a day out. The Surrey Society of Model Engineers has been … Read More
Failing children costs Council taxpayers half-million
Fines paid out by Surrey County Council for repeatedly failing children and young people topped half a million pounds in the past year – more than doubling its previous worst … Read More
A Surrey council resists green-belt housing
A contentious plan to build dozens of affordable homes in Surrey was rejected by councillors who prioritized protecting greenbelt land over addressing the area’s housing shortage. Developers had wanted to … Read More
Doubtful Henry VIII would have permitted
The decades-long planning battle to build almost 100 homes and a hotel opposite Hampton Court Palace will soon be decided with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport set to … Read More
Not loving it in Cobham
A proposed new McDonald’s is “the last thing Surrey needs”; that’s according to residents living near the proposed site. The fast-food giant has published plans to takeover the former Loch … Read More
Banded together to fight the band
A decades-long council tax battle has been won netting residents of a retirement village up to £9,000 each after it was ruled all 113 people there had been in the … Read More
Spelthorne in financial trouble
Inspectors have been sent to Spelthorne Borough Council as concern grows over its ability to deal with its extreme debt and borrowing. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities … Read More
Making a racket for new padel centre
Leatherhead could soon host international competition after Surrey’s first indoor padel centre was approved. Padel is is a racket sport of Mexican origin, typically played in doubles, and is like a mix … Read More
Little solace for Guildford from fraud report
Weak governance and poor scrutiny at Guildford Borough Council created a ‘quick fix culture’ that allowed potentially millions of pounds to be defrauded from the public purse while vulnerable housing … Read More