Free bus travel is a good idea; so why does it stop at 15?
14 August 2026
Dear Editor,
This August, children aged five to 15 can travel free on local buses across England. I think that’s genuinely good. It makes days out cheaper, helps children get to summer activities, and might persuade a few families to leave the car at home.
But I can’t quite work out why it stops at 15. And where I live, age isn’t really what decides the price of a bus seat anyway.
I’m 16. I live in Epsom and travel to school in Wallington, which is in the London Borough of Sutton. I have a 16+ Zip Oyster photocard. Going to school in London, it turns out, makes no difference at all; the rule follows where you sleep, not where you study.
So here is what the same card is worth to different people. If you’re 16 and live in a London borough, it gives you free bus travel. If you’re 16 and live outside London, as I do, it gives you half the adult fare – about 88p a journey. And if you’re 16 and have never applied for one, you tap a contactless card and pay the full £1.75.
Three 16-year-olds. Same bus, same stop. One pays nothing, one pays 88p, one pays £1.75.
Nothing in that reflects need, or distance, or what anyone’s family earns. It reflects which side of the Greater London boundary you sleep on, and whether somebody remembered to tell you the card exists.
That second part bothers me most, because it’s the easiest thing to fix. Some students will inevitably miss out simply because nobody has explained the system clearly enough. A benefit that depends on knowing it exists ends up helping the organised rather than the people who need it.
And the cost starts to matter more at 16 than it did at 15. At 15, most journeys are still with your family. At 16 you’re travelling on your own to sixth form, a Saturday job, or a work experience placement you were told to arrange yourself. Nobody tells you that you can’t apply for those things. On paper they’re open to everyone. But one student can afford the journey every week and another quietly decides they can’t, and from the outside that never looks like unfairness at all.
I should admit I’m arguing against my own convenience here. I have the card, and half fare is not a hardship. I’d still rather Epsom’s 16-year-olds got what Sutton’s get. The Greater London boundary was drawn to decide who administers what; it was never meant to decide which teenager can afford to get to an interview in Croydon. TfL buses cross it every twenty minutes.
Surrey does have its own scheme, the LINK card, which halves fares for under-20s. It’s useful, it’s badly advertised, and it doesn’t work on TfL services – which are the buses that actually serve this town.
Of course the government has to draw a line somewhere, and August’s offer was aimed at families with younger children. That’s fair. Public money isn’t unlimited. But 15 isn’t an obvious place to stop, and a postcode isn’t a principle at all.
Two things would help. Extend the August offer to everyone under 18; we’re legally required to be in education or training, and most of us earn very little. And make sure every pupil in Epsom and Ewell hears about both the 16+ Zip and the LINK card before their sixteenth birthday, with a plain list of what each one covers.
Free buses this August are a good idea. I just don’t think a birthday, a boundary and a form should decide who keeps them.
Yours faithfully,
Emad Rehman Aged 16, Epsom, student at Wilson’s School, Wallington
Record A level results open doors for Epsom and Ewell students
14 August 2026
Students at two Epsom and Ewell secondary schools are celebrating impressive A-level and vocational qualification results, with Rosebery School recording its best results to date and seven Glyn School students securing straight A* grades.
At Rosebery School in Epsom, 43% of all A-level entries received an A* or A grade, while 73% were graded A* to B and 88% A* to C. All three figures represent new records for the girls’ school.
Twenty-four Rosebery students achieved A* or A grades in every subject. Five secured straight As: Emma Glencross, with four A*s, and Emily Woodville, Grace Worley, Amy Box and Amy Helyar, each with three.
The school also highlighted students whose results demonstrated particularly strong progress since their GCSEs. Emily Gromova, Amelie Dale, Lara Sollewijn Gelpke and Jacqueline Tetteh were among the strongest members of the cohort when measured by the progress made from their earlier attainment.
Rosebery headteacher David Lach said: “These results are truly outstanding and reflect the talent, resilience and determination of an exceptional group of young women. We are enormously proud of what they have achieved and the way they have supported one another throughout their journey.
“At Rosebery, we believe there should be no limits to what girls can achieve, and this year’s results demonstrate exactly that.”
Members of the Class of 2026 will now progress to destinations including Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College London, King’s College London and the universities of Warwick and Bath. Others have secured degree apprenticeships or will pursue specialist training, including pilot training and drama school.
Mr Lach thanked Rosebery’s teaching and support staff for helping the students to believe in themselves and fulfil their potential.
At Glyn School in Ewell, staff and students were meanwhile celebrating A-level and vocational qualification results in which more than 51% of students achieved A* to B grades.
Seven students obtained straight A*s. Vrushabh K achieved four, in chemistry, further mathematics, mathematics and physics, and will study mechanical and electrical engineering at the University of Bristol.
Oliver H gained three A*s in mathematics, further mathematics and physics and is heading to the University of Sheffield. Amri R achieved the same top grades in computer science, mathematics and further mathematics and will study at Imperial College London.
Amelie S secured As in biology, chemistry and mathematics, while Ilario Lok C achieved As in further mathematics, mathematics and physics and will attend the University of Hong Kong.
James D received three A*s in chemistry, mathematics and physics, while James Y achieved three in economics, mathematics and geography.
Glyn headteacher Jo Garrod said: “We are thrilled to see this year’s A-level and BTEC exam success. With over 51% of students achieving A* to B grades, they should all be extremely proud of their efforts, and we wish them the very best for their futures.”
She said the school was delighted that students had secured places at their chosen universities, apprenticeships and careers, while paying particular tribute to those who had overcome significant barriers before sitting their examinations.
“They should be incredibly proud of themselves and the results they have secured under difficult circumstances,” she added. “Thanks also go to the staff for their immense effort this year to ensure our students got the grades they deserved.”
Warwick Sharp, chief executive of GLF Schools, which includes both Rosebery and Glyn, congratulated the students and staff.
Describing Rosebery’s results as “record-breaking”, he said its students had been set on a path towards future success by the school’s committed team.
Addressing Glyn’s results, he added: “We are excited to see what these wonderful young people go on to do next as they shape their futures. A huge thanks and well done to the brilliant team at Glyn who should be proud of these impressive achievements.”
Surrey leads first nuclear science experiment with world’s most advanced gamma-ray detector
14 August 2026
Nuclear physicists at the University of Surrey have become the first to carry out a scientific experiment using the world’s most advanced gamma-ray spectrometer – investigating a sudden change in the shape of the atomic nucleus that could challenge existing theories.
Nuclear physicists at the University of Surrey have become the first to carry out a scientific experiment using the world’s most advanced gamma-ray spectrometer – investigating a sudden change in the shape of the atomic nucleus that could challenge existing theories.
The experiment took place at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) in Michigan, USA, using the newly delivered and characterised Gamma-Ray Energy Tracking Array (GRETA). Led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) and delivered by a collaboration with Argonne National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and FRIB, GRETA is a $58 million detector designed to reveal the structure of atomic nuclei in unprecedented detail.
Working with collaborators from FRIB and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the Surrey team investigated a radioactive isotope of germanium to help answer a long-standing question about the shape of its atomic nucleus.
For many years, physicists predicted that the nucleus should resemble a rugby ball. However, more recent evidence has suggested it could instead be flattened like a disc – a result that would challenge current theories describing how protons and neutrons behave inside the nucleus.
Dr Jack Henderson, Co-Project Investigator, UKRI Future Leaders Fellow and Senior Lecturer at the University of Surrey’s School of Mathematics and Physics, said:
“Beam time at facilities like FRIB is exceptionally competitive, with proposals assessed by an international panel of experts. Being selected to lead the first scientific experiment using GRETA is an incredible achievement for us here at Surrey.
“Nuclear physicists deliberately study the most unusual atomic nuclei because they provide the toughest tests of our understanding. In this case, we wanted to investigate whether this isotope of germanium really does have an unexpected disc-like shape – a bit like chocolate Smarties.”
GRETA uses highly segmented high-purity germanium detectors to detect, localise and track gamma rays emitted by unstable atomic nuclei, allowing scientists to study their structure with unprecedented sensitivity and precision. Compared with the detector originally planned for the germanium experiment, GRETA is around five times more efficient, meaning measurements can be completed faster and with far greater precision.
Because access to rare isotope beam facilities is limited, GRETA’s efficiency enables scientists to study more exotic, short-lived isotopes within the available beam time.
Beyond Surrey’s experiment, GRETA opens up new opportunities to study how the elements are formed in explosive astrophysical events and deepen scientists’ understanding of how protons and neutrons interact within the atomic nucleus. Its exceptional sensitivity also allows researchers to detect tiny signals hidden within complex datasets and investigate increasingly rare isotopes that were previously beyond reach.
Paul Fallon, GRETA project director and interim director of Berkeley Lab’s Nuclear Science Division, said:
“The completion of GRETA and the first installation for physics experiments is a major milestone. This is the result of years of effort from a very big team.”
The experiment was led by Dr Jacob Heery, a postdoctoral research assistant at the University of Surrey, whose proposal secured the highly sought-after beam time after being selected by an international panel of experts.
Jacob Heery said: “Securing the first scientific experiment using GRETA is a huge achievement within the nuclear physics community. The detector gives us a level of sensitivity we’ve never had before, allowing us to investigate extremely rare isotopes that were previously beyond reach. We’re only just beginning to explore what’s possible, and I hope this will be the first of many collaborations between Surrey, FRIB and the GRETA team.”
Analysis of the experiment is now underway. The work formed part of the JANUS (Joint Arrays for Nuclear Structure) collaboration between FRIB, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of Surrey. It also builds on Surrey’s leadership of the £3.1 million FAUST project, which is developing a next-generation detector system that will operate alongside GRETA in future experiments.
Photo: Credit University of Surrey. Caption: From left to right: Chris Cousins (Surrey), Stephen Gillespie (FRIB), Jack Henderson (Surrey), Tom Parry (FRIB – Surrey PhD), Daniel Doherty (Surrey).
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Drones may reduce delays on Waterloo line
14 August 2026
A drone is now operating at London Waterloo to tackle trespass, fix infrastructure faults and reduce disruption Operated remotely from Southampton, the drone provides live intelligence to South Western Railway and Network Rail Wessex for rapid response to incidents.
Trespass and fatalities account for almost 14 per cent of delays, making them a leading cause of disruption and costing taxpayers millions.
Automated drone technology is part of publicly owned South Western Railway and Network Rail Wessex’s plan to improve services for customers ahead of the establishment of Great British Railways RAILWAY customers at London Waterloo may have spotted a new presence overhead: a drone helping to prevent delays at Britain’s biggest station.
South Western Railway (SWR) and Network Rail Wessex (NR Wessex) are deploying automated drone technology to deter and tackle trespass, improve safety and reduce disruption on one of the country’s busiest rail corridors.
Trespassing on the railway is illegal and extremely dangerous. SWR and NR Wessex trains are powered by an ‘always on’ electric third rail carrying 750 volts of direct current, which can cause severe, lifechanging injuries or death.
When trespass is reported on the railway, SWR and NR Wessex must turn off the power, preventing trains from running until the incident has been resolved and power to the lines can be safely restored.
Most of South Western’s 1,600 daily services begin or end at London Waterloo. Even minor incidents can delay thousands of customers and cost taxpayers millions.
Between April 2025 and June 2026, trespass and fatalities caused almost 14 per cent of cancellations and over 200,000 minutes of delay to SWR and NR Wessex services, making it one of the leading causes of disruption.
Last September, a trespasser near Clapham Junction caused more than 57 hours of delays and was later imprisoned for eight weeks.
Another even more serious incident in the New Malden area in August 2024 saw the equivalent of nine days of delays, costing the taxpayer £1.2 million. The trespasser was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
The drone is operated remotely by British firm SkyBound from a high-tech control centre almost 80 miles away in Woolston, in the Southampton area.
When required, operators launch the drone from its trackside station to provide rapid intelligence for SWR and NR Wessex’s control centre, security and engineering teams, even before teams arrive on the ground.
Its high-resolution and thermal imaging cameras give enhanced visibility of trespass incidents, infrastructure concerns or any situation that requires inspection, with live footage streamed directly to the network’s operations centre in Basingstoke.
This allows the railway and emergency services to respond more quickly, reduces the need for ground teams to access the track, and limits the need to switch off the power and delays customer journeys.
The drone at Waterloo is just the first of a planned chain of SkyBound drones to help protect the busiest section of the SWR and NR Wessex network, with further drones to be based at Clapham Junction, New Malden and Walton-on-Thames.
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A battle in Epsom: “A Bridge Too Near”
14 August 2026
A newly built railway footbridge has been delivered to Epsom Common but cannot be installed after a late dispute emerged between Surrey County Council and Network Rail over its width.
Residents of Castle Road, Epsom, who have endured nearly three years without the former crossing to Evelyn Way, briefly blocked access to the Network Rail compound when the replacement structure arrived to be stored beside their homes.
The previous bridge was closed and demolished almost three years ago. Work to strengthen and rebuild its supports began earlier this year, and residents had expected the new bridge to be installed over the weekend of 4 July.
Instead, the structure is now lying within the building site while Network Rail and Surrey County Council attempt to resolve whether it can legally be installed.
The bridge has been designed with a width of 1.5 metres. However, SCC says the public footpath crossing the railway has a legally recorded width of 3.6 metres.
The council maintains that allowing a narrower bridge would obstruct part of the public right of way and breach its statutory duty to protect its full width.
What has particularly angered residents is that the conflict appears not to have surfaced until April 2026, despite the bridge having been absent for almost three years and construction work beginning in February.
SCC says it was neither consulted about the replacement design nor asked to approve the works before construction began.
‘No choice but to object’
Cllr Matt Furniss, SCC Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Economic Growth, told the Epsom and Ewell Times:
“We appreciate and share residents’ frustration at the situation. Unfortunately, Network Rail failed to consult us on the installation of the bridge prior to starting construction works in February, nor did they apply under the Highways Act for an S118 or technical approval to undertake works to a structure on a public highway.
“This meant when we found out about the bridge work in April, we had no choice but to object in line with our statutory duty to assert and protect public rights of way.
“The bridge being proposed by Network Rail also fails to meet minimum width national design standards, with it being less than half the width of the public footpath. To provide a narrower bridge is an obstruction under the Highways Act.”
Cllr Furniss added that SCC understood Network Rail had placed a structure on the site but said the rail infrastructure body had not confirmed its intentions.
“We will continue to work with Network Rail to resolve this situation as soon as possible while achieving the best possible long-term outcome for the community and ensuring that the public footpath is protected,” he said.
Residents halt delivery
Residents learned that, rather than pay for storage elsewhere, the completed bridge was to be delivered to the site and left there pending a resolution.
When the delivery day arrived, a group gathered at the entrance and initially prevented the vehicle from entering.
“We were ready for it; the whole thing was set up for it,” said Castle Road resident Linda Barry. “But if it’s now just dumped here, we have no idea when the bridge will be installed. What has been the three-year hold-up at Surrey County Council?”
The project manager was called to the scene and attempted to reassure residents that the delay would be temporary. With the bridge already in transit and no alternative place immediately available for it, residents eventually allowed it to be unloaded.
“We were in an impossible position,” said Ms Barry. “The bridge was here, and there was nowhere else for it to go. But now we have no guarantee that it will be installed, so it could be here by the side of the road for a long time.”
Residents say they have already endured years of disruption, dust and temporary sewage-pumping arrangements associated with the works.
Council learned of bridge through social media
In a separate response to Ms Barry, a member of the SCC Countryside Capital Programme said the authority became aware of the proposed replacement bridge only in late April — and did so through social media.
She wrote: “Unfortunately, we had not been consulted on the design and therefore had no opportunity to provide input during its development.”
She explained that Section 130 of the Highways Act 1980 requires the council, as highway authority, to assert and protect the rights of people using public rights of way.
“This includes protecting the full recorded width of the public footpath,” she said. “As a result of the legislation, we are not legally able to permit the installation of a bridge that would reduce the available width of the public footpath to below the recorded legal width.”
Ms Barry questioned why consultation had apparently not taken place during the years between the closure of the old bridge and construction of its replacement.
She also pointed out that, during her 43 years living in Castle Road, she had known the crossing as a footbridge used by pedestrians and people with pushchairs rather than as a route requiring a 3.6-metre-wide structure.
Potential year-long delay
Residents have been told that resolving the dispute could delay installation by as much as another 12 months, although no revised completion date has yet been formally confirmed.
The controversy raises questions over how a replacement bridge could be designed, manufactured and brought to the point of installation without the highway authority responsible for the public right of way being consulted.
For Castle Road residents, the immediate result is that a bridge built to restore a long-closed route has reached Epsom — but remains firmly on the ground.
Photo caption: Castle Road residents Linda Barry and Rob block access to the Network Rail site before the replacement footbridge was unloaded.
The procedural controversy at Epsom and Ewell Borough Council did not end when 11 councillors walked out of the Council Chamber on 21 July in protest at the Mayor’s ruling in favour of her father participating in a debate on the development of Council owned Hook Road arena, where his annual fireworks display is held.
Since Epsom and Ewell Times’s (EET) report, “Fireworks at Epsom Council spark walk-out”, further exchanges with Councillor Neil Dallen (RA, Town) and the Mayor, Councillor Lucie McIntyre (RA, West Ewell), have raised questions about accountability, consistency and the proper boundary between robust scrutiny and personal abuse.
An interview made a condition of answering
Before the earlier publication, EET sent Cllr Dallen straightforward written questions about his position as a director of Epsom Fireworks Display Limited, the company’s agreement to hire the Council-owned Hook Road Arena, and whether he has ever received remuneration, expenses or another financial benefit through the company. After five days Cllr Dallen did not reply before publication.
After the publication he made an interview a condition of responding: “I do not intend to answer them (the questions) in isolation but if you wish to meet and discuss the firework display, how it is organised, who benefits etc. I would be very happy to meet you either face to face or online.”
EET explained that its settled news-gathering policy is to conduct enquiries by email. This creates an exact, contemporaneous record of the questions asked and answers given and protects reporters, contributors and those being interviewed against later disagreement about what was said. This policy has been expressly approved by EET’s regulator IMPRESS. Furthermore, as volunteers we do not have the time to give and Cllr Dallen is no exception to our method. EET would welcome for publication an article about the history of the Epsom fireworks, an annual event that has been a staple of community life in the Borough since 1971.
Cllr Dallen replied: “I can see no point in responding. Perhaps you need to consider taking out insurance or getting agreement to record meetings.”
For clarity, Cllr Dallen did not decline an interview. He required one before he would answer. EET declined that condition and renewed its invitation to answer in writing. No substantive response has followed.
Cllr Dallen is under no general legal obligation to answer questions from a newspaper. His decision not to answer proves neither payment nor wrongdoing. EET nevertheless considers the questions proper and relevant to the public controversy.
In particular, the question remains unanswered:
As a director, does Cllr Dallen receive, or has he ever received, fees, expenses or any other financial benefit from Epsom Fireworks Display Limited?
Gain is not the only possible interest
At the 21st July Council meeting, Cllr Dallen declared that he was a director and trustee connected with the fireworks display, but said he did not have a pecuniary interest in the Hook Road proposal.
It is possible that he reached that conclusion in good faith because the motion sought to advance development which might ultimately bring the annual firework display to an end rather than produce a gain for him.
A pecuniary interest, however, is not confined to the prospect of making money from the decision. An existing financial interest may also be adversely affected and that would constitute a “pecuniary interest“
Moreover, EEBC’s Members’ Code of Conduct includes among disclosable pecuniary interests a contract between the Council and an incorporated body of which the councillor is a director, where goods or services are to be provided and the contract has not been fully discharged. Epsom Fireworks Display Limited had an agreement to hire Hook Road Arena for the November 2026 display.
The Code says that, where a matter “directly relates” to such an interest, the councillor must disclose it, take no part in the discussion or vote and leave the room unless granted a dispensation.
That leaves an important question of application. Did a motion merely making development of the Arena a strategic priority “directly relate” to the existing fireworks-hire contract? The motion did not itself cancel that agreement or approve a particular development. There is consequently room for legal argument.
But the existence of a company contract is relevant independently of whether Cllr Dallen receives directors’ fees. An answer about remuneration would still help establish whether his directorship also falls within the separate category of an office carried on for “profit or gain” and would allow the public to understand the full nature of his interest.
It remains a question Cllr Dallen has chosen not to answer.
The Mayor’s full statement
EET also asked Cllr McIntyre why she did not formally disclose that Cllr Dallen is her father and why she did not invite the Deputy Mayor to chair the dispute over his participation.
The Council supplied the following statement on her behalf: “I was elected Mayor this year and, as you will read in my biography on the Council website, the commitment my father, Councillor Dallen, demonstrates in helping others is one of the things that inspired me to serve my community by becoming a councillor, and now Mayor. I am perfectly able to chair a meeting in my capacity as Mayor when my father is in attendance. At the Full Council meeting on 21 July, Councillor Dallen declared that he did not have a pecuniary interest in the item concerning Hook Road Arena, which was his right.”
The original report summarised the first part and reproduced the final two sentences verbatim, these being the part directly addressing the question. The Council subsequently insisted that the entire statement should appear, saying that editing it had altered its meaning.
EET therefore publishes it above in full.
The additional passage undoubtedly supplies context. It also expressly records Cllr McIntyre’s admiration for her father and the influence he has had upon her own public life. Readers may consider that this reinforces, rather than dispels, the appearance of a conflict when she chaired rulings determining whether he could remain, speak and move the motion.
The issue is not whether a mayor can ordinarily chair a meeting attended by a parent. It is whether she should have continued to chair the particular dispute over that parent’s interests, without formally disclosing the relationship and when the Deputy Mayor was available.
Cllr McIntyre’s statement does not answer that question.
In requesting publication of the full quotation, the Council’s communications team added: “We value our working relationship with local media and always respond to enquiries in good faith, with the expectation that comments will be represented accurately.”
This was not an express threat to end cooperation with EET. In its context, however, the reference to the working relationship could be read as placing institutional weight behind the request. A constructive relationship between a council and the local press must permit fair editing, difficult questions and disagreement over what is relevant. It cannot depend upon every supplied statement being published in full.
Was there “hate” in the chamber?
At the conclusion of the Hook Road debate, Cllr Dallen said: “We, as a council, made a motion about Debate Not Hate, and I think we need to remind ourselves about that.”
EEBC unanimously adopted its Debate Not Hate motion in July 2023. It committed the Council to challenging abuse and intimidation while encouraging healthy political debate.
The campaign was never intended to make councillors immune from criticism. When the East Surrey Shadow Authority recently supported the same Local Government Association campaign, councillors emphasised that they expected their decisions to be questioned and that there was a fundamental difference between robust disagreement and personal abuse. As one councillor put it: “We should challenge each other’s policies, question decisions, and hold one another to account.” Read EET’s report.
EET has reviewed the transcript of the Hook Road exchange. It records repeated procedural objections, interruptions, an adjournment and the walk-out. Cllr Kieran Persand (Conservative Horton) called the Council “a joke”. Cllr Clive Woodbridge (RA Ewell Village) praised those opposition councillors who remained for showing a “mature side”, prompting Cllr Chris Watson (Labour Ewell Court) to defend the walk-out as a valid democratic act. Cllr Hannah Dalton (RA Stoneleigh) referred more generally to “cheap pop shots and remarks” and councillors feeling “mauled”.
Some of that language was sharp and the atmosphere was plainly heated. EET found no threat, discriminatory abuse, harassment or personal attack upon Cllr Dallen in the recorded Hook Road exchange of the kind at which Debate Not Hate is principally directed. The objections concerned whether he was entitled to participate and whether the correct procedure had been followed.
It is therefore fair to ask what Cllr Dallen intended by invoking Debate Not Hate. If it was directed at those procedural objections, it risked treating scrutiny as abuse and turning a campaign designed to protect democratic participation into a means of discouraging it.
“Debate Not Hate” cannot sensibly mean “debate, but no uncomfortable questions”. The campaign protects councillors against intimidation; it does not release them from accountability.
Cllr Dallen may maintain that he had no pecuniary interest and was entitled to participate. Cllr McIntyre may maintain that she was capable of chairing impartially. Both are entitled to state those positions.
But accountability involves more than asserting that one is right. It includes answering reasonable questions, disclosing relationships relevant to public perception and permitting established rules to be tested without characterising the challenge itself as hate.
Whether the approaches taken here demonstrate consistency—or something closer to selective accountability—is a judgment readers can now make with the exchanges before them.
Staines Ali G fans hope for Massiv support for statue
14 August 2026
A petition has been launched calling for a statue celebrating Ali G to be installed in Staines – tying in with the release of his new film.
The petitioners want Spelthorne Borough Council to explore a “temporary” Ali G attraction in the town linked to the upcoming release of ‘Ali G: Who Iz I?’, while also looking at options to fund a permanent landmark.
Nearly 15 years have now passed since Staines voted to change its name to Staines-upon-Thames – partially in response to negative associations with the character.
But the new petition wants the town to “embrace the attention with humour and pride” – and even asks the council to reach out to actor Sacha Baron Cohen himself to get involved.
It reads: “Ali G and the Staines Massiv have given Staines a distinctive place in British popular culture.
“The release of a new film provides an opportunity to celebrate that connection, promote the town centre and create a lasting community benefit.”
While the petitioners want the council to invest in a permanent statue or landmark to celebrate Ali G, it adds that this should only happen “if external funding is secured for its design, installation and maintenance”.
The petitioners explicitly state they do not want a statue to be bought and upkept using council tax receipts, and want the project to “include a secure donation facility supporting affordable sport, arts, leisure and community activities for children and young people in Staines”.
They add: “We believe Staines should embrace the attention with humour and pride, while using it to support the next generation of the Staines Massiv.”
Just ten people have signed the petition at time of writing, which will run on Spelthorne Borough Council’s website until August 24.
Played by Sacha Baron Cohen, Ali G rocketed to global notoriety following the release of ‘Ali G Indahouse’ in 2002.
While the film was broadly well received with critics and audiences, many people felt the spoof character left viewers with an undeservedly bad impression of Staines.
Staines’ name was officially changed to Staines-upon-Thames in 2012, in a move that was widely seen as being a reaction to Ali G’s depiction of the town.
However, then Spelthorne Borough Councillor Colin Davis told the BBC at the time: “Ali G may have had a role, but I think it goes back further than that.
“I regard Ali G as someone who put Staines on the map, we’re just telling people where it is.”
The character’s new film ‘Ali G: Who Iz I?’ is due to be released on October 23, 2026.
Camera footage and fresh field signs suggest water voles are settling in and spreading along the Surrey chalk stream
Water voles are showing encouraging signs of recovery along the Hogsmill River, one year after 50 of the threatened mammals were released into the river and surrounding wetlands in Ewell, Surrey.
Camera traps have captured a continuous flow of images showing the water voles displaying natural behaviours, while recent surveys have found evidence of their presence both upstream and downstream of the original release site.
The field signs include burrows in the riverbanks, feeding remains, vegetation chewed at a characteristic 45-degree angle and distinctive “tic-tac-shaped” droppings found at water vole latrines. The findings suggest the animals are exploring the river and establishing themselves within their restored habitat.
Water voles were released into Chamber Mead wetlands and the adjacent Upper Hogsmill River on 30 July 2025 by the South East Rivers Trust and conservation charity Citizen Zoo.
The release marked the return of water voles to Surrey following an absence of more than 20 years and complemented an earlier reintroduction further downstream on the Hogsmill.
Laura Nee, Catchment Officer at the South East Rivers Trust, said: “It’s wonderful to see how excited local people are to have water voles living on their doorstep. Residents often stop to tell me about hearing the tell-tale ‘plop’ of something entering the water and wondering whether a vole is nearby.
“Although water voles can be difficult to spot, our monitoring with Citizen Zoo is giving us an encouraging picture of how they are settling in. Camera traps have captured a continuous flow of images showing the voles displaying natural behaviours, while recent surveys have found signs of their presence both upstream and downstream, including latrines, feeding remains and burrows in the riverbanks.
“A year after the reintroduction, it’s incredibly exciting to see evidence that the water voles are thriving and making the Hogsmill their home.”
Citizen Zoo is monitoring the population using four latrine rafts, two camera traps and a clay tracking raft positioned along this stretch of the catchment.
The equipment, combined with regular field surveys, helps conservationists understand where the water voles are living, how they are moving along the river and whether the population is successfully establishing.
Water voles were once widespread along the Hogsmill but disappeared from Surrey following decades of habitat loss and pressure from invasive American mink.
Their return was made possible by long-term work to restore the river and create suitable habitat, including the development of Chamber Mead wetlands by the South East Rivers Trust and Epsom & Ewell Borough Council.
The wetlands provide the dense vegetation, connected river habitat and suitable banks that water voles need for food, shelter and burrowing.
The July 2025 release formed part of the WET Hogsmill project, delivered by the South East Rivers Trust in partnership with Citizen Zoo and supported through Natural England’s Species Recovery Programme.
The water voles were bred by Wildwood Trust, which specialises in conservation breeding and the recovery of native species.
The release also helped strengthen the population established further downstream, where Citizen Zoo released 101 water voles in 2022. Creating connected populations along the river can improve genetic diversity and support the species’ longer-term recovery.
Ongoing monitoring will help the South East Rivers Trust and Citizen Zoo track the population’s progress and guide future habitat conservation along the Hogsmill.
The Hogsmill is a rare chalk stream flowing through Epsom and Ewell and the Royal Borough of Kingston before joining the River Thames. Chalk streams are internationally important habitats, supported by clear, mineral-rich groundwater and characterised by distinctive plants and wildlife.
The WET Hogsmill project ran from September 2023 to 2025 and created or improved habitat for water voles, European eels and native trout. It was led by the South East Rivers Trust in partnership with Citizen Zoo and supported through Natural England’s Species Recovery Programme.
The water vole reintroduction was also supported by Wildwood Trust, Epsom & Ewell Borough Council and Thames Water.
Citizen Zoo is a social enterprise and conservation charity working to restore nature and reconnect people with the natural world through community-led rewilding and species recovery.
The new East Surrey council is poised to confirm its first permanent chief executive in the latest step towards the authority’s creation next spring.
East Surrey Shadow Authority, the body overseeing the new council’s setup, has selected Interim Head of Paid Service Adam Chalmers as its preferred candidate for the role.
Mr Chalmers currently serves as Elmbridge Borough Council’s chief executive, the council’s most senior salaried officer. He is also recommended for appointment as Returning Officer for East Surrey Council.
He comes with more than 20 years of experience in local government, having previously held senior roles at Horsham District Council and Tunbridge Wells Borough Council.
East Surrey Shadow Authority leader Steve Wotton said: “I am pleased to announce that Adam Chalmers is being recommended as our preferred candidate for chief executive of East Surrey Council, subject to formal agreement by full council.
“He combines a strong track record of delivering results with a genuine commitment to public service, and I believe he is the right person to lead East Surrey Council as we prepare for this exciting new chapter and beyond.”
Councillor David Lewis, Conservative group leader on the Shadow Authority, said: “The creation of East Surrey Council is one of the most significant changes to local government in a generation, and it is important that we have experienced leadership in place.
“Adam brings a wealth of knowledge and a strong understanding of local government, and I am pleased to support his appointment as we work together to deliver the best outcomes for residents and communities.”
Mr Chalmers’ appointment will be subject to approval by East Surrey’s full council at a meeting on July 29.
East Surrey Shadow Authority is tasked with forming the new East Surrey Council before it takes over management of the area’s local government services in April 2027.
Surrey County Council and the county’s 11 district councils will all be abolished at that point, with services transferred to the new West and East Surrey councils.
East Surrey Council will cover the areas that currently fall under Elmbridge, Epsom & Ewell, Mole Valley, Reigate & Banstead, and Tandridge district councils.
Adam Chalmers (Credit: East Surrey Shadow Authority)
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Epsom Council delivers shock rejection to defibrillator kiosk
14 August 2026
Plans to install a communications kiosk including an advertising screen and defibrillator on Epsom High Street have been refused over concerns it would harm the character of the area.
The proposals would have seen the 2.63 metre tall structure placed on the high street pavement, for which the applicant was seeking both planning permission and advertising consent.
As well as holding a publicly available defibrillator in case of emergencies, the unit also would have offered free calls to landlines, free Wi-Fi and interactive wayfinding.
One side of the unit would have featured an LED advertising display, which planning documents describe as “equivalent to the size of display found on bus shelters”.
But the design was met with pushback from a number of residents, with several complaining about its potential impact on the high street conservation area.
One “frequent visitor” to the town wrote an objection to the advertising consent, calling it “ugly, obstructive and unnecessary advertisement hoarding with several cursory additions”.
In their refusal, Epsom and Ewell Borough Council planning officers wrote that kiosk “would create additional street clutter” and “would be excessive and out of character within the street scene”.
They also noted in their report that the council has received 14 similar applications in the past 18 months.
“If each proposal were to be granted approval, the council would have an excess of public payphones and defibrillators, notwithstanding facilities already in existence in the surrounding area,” officers wrote.
“These applications have been submitted over time by different companies, some of which are in very similar locations, which if all were to be granted would result in several similar structures being built within proximity of each other; resulting in over dominance and harm to the street character and visual amenity.”
They added: “As a result of its unsatisfactory siting, design, scale and appearance, the proposed communication hub structure would create significant clutter on the street causing unacceptable visual harm to the wider character of the area.”
“The Planning Inspectorate has dismissed appeals at Epsom Gateway and Capital Square, agreeing with the council that the harm from the advertising screens outweighs the public benefits of including a defibrillator.
“The health and wellbeing of residents is central to the council’s work.”
Defibrillators are currently placed at the following sites across Epsom & Ewell:
Market Place, Epsom.
Ebbisham Centre, Epsom Square, Epsom.
Town Hall (rear entrance).
Harold Bell Solicitors, 174 Kingston Road, Ewell.
St John’s Parish Centre, Station Approach, Stoneleigh.
Auriol Park Café, Salisbury Road, Worcester Park.
The Parade Dental Practice, 177 Kingston Road, Ewell.
Image: Epsom High Street site of intended Defibrillator Hub (Credit: JCDecaux)
Surrey Council leader thinks new PM will back a County Mayor
14 August 2026
Surrey County Council’s leader says he expects Andy Burnham to “turbocharge” initiatives that could see the county get its own elected mayor.
Speaking at a meeting of the full council, Councillor Tim Oliver said he “fully expects” the new Prime Minister to lean hard into the devolution of powers to England’s regions.
Councillor Oliver is serving a final stint in office before the county council he leads is abolished, along with Surrey’s 11 district councils. These will be replaced next April by two unitary councils in East Surrey and West Surrey, each of which will be responsible for all local government services in its respective area.
But Councillor Oliver expressed his hope that these reforms will go one step further, leading to the creation of an overarching elected mayor for all of Surrey.
He said he is “pleased to see” progress being made towards the establishment of a foundation strategic authority (FSA) – a county-wide body that would serve as a stepping stone towards a new mayoralty.
Councillor Oliver said: “Having seen the Secretary of State last week at the LGA (Local Government Association) conference, I know it is his hope to establish that FSA here in Surrey. And I’m confident that will lay the ground for a directly elected mayor of Surrey in the near future.”
Former Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, who was elected as MP for Makerfield last month succeeded Keir Starmer as Prime Minister yesterday
Mr Burnham has championed greater devolution of powers to regional governments across Britain, which is set to be a signature part of his policy programme. He served for nine years at the head of Greater Manchester’s combined authority, a body that brings together the region’s 10 boroughs under one directly elected mayor.
Councillor Oliver said he hopes Mr Burnham’s experience as a regional mayor will inspire him to roll out further devolved powers and new mayoral authorities.
He said: “I fully expect our incoming Prime Minister to turbocharge that devolution agenda, having seen first hand the benefits of a mayoral system – and with change, growth, and improvements in local services that can be delivered.”
The abolition of Surrey County Council comes as part of a wider local government reorganisation, which is seeing mergers in many “two-tier” authorities where there are separate county and district councils.
Areas with this two-tier structure have local government responsibilities split between these two types of council, while newer unitary authorities oversee all services.
Councillor Oliver said he believes Surrey County Council officers and councillors have “a record to be proud of”.
“We said we would make Surrey fit for the future, and we have done just that,” he added. “Over recent years, many councils across the country have struggled, and Surrey has met those challenges head-on and thrived. Our finances have been transformed to a point where we have a stable, balanced budget, even in the face of extreme pressures.”
Elections were held for the West Surrey and East Surrey “shadow authorities” in May, which will work to get the new councils up and running in time for the handover of power in April 2027.
Councillor Oliver previously told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) it is his “expectation” that Surrey could be ready for mayoral elections in 2028, alongside four other new combined authorities.
However, this would depend on the green light for its creation being given by central government.
New Gatwick wetland aims to reduce flood and drought risks
14 August 2026
A new wetland capable of holding up to 600,000 litres of water has been created near Gatwick as part of efforts to make the Upper Mole catchment more resilient to flooding, heatwaves and prolonged dry weather.
The South East Rivers Trust has completed the latest phase of a project using natural measures to slow, store and filter water before it travels downstream.
Across two sites, the environmental charity has created the wetland and reconnected 100 metres of river with its natural floodplain.
The wetland will collect rainfall and surface water, releasing it gradually downstream. Restoring the connection between the river and its floodplain will also give water more space to spread out and be held temporarily during periods of heavy rain.
The measures are intended to ease pressure on downstream communities when rainfall is intense, while keeping more water in the landscape during hot and dry periods. The restored areas should also provide new and improved habitats for wildlife.
The work was funded by London Gatwick through its Decade of Change sustainability programme, a strategy covering 10 environmental and social priorities up to 2030.
The latest phase, delivered between July 2025 and June 2026, included:
Installing more than 50 “leaky barriers” to slow the movement of water;
Planting a 100-metre hedgerow containing 400 native trees;
Bringing two more landowners into the catchment project; and
Monitoring rainfall, river levels and water clarity to study how water moves through the landscape.
Leaky barriers are carefully positioned structures made from natural materials such as branches and logs. Under normal conditions, water can continue to flow through them, but during heavier rainfall they slow the flow and hold back some of the water temporarily.
George Biggs, project officer at the South East Rivers Trust, said the recent spell of hot and dry weather illustrated one side of the challenge facing the area.
“During the current hot and dry weather, it can be difficult to imagine how quickly heavy rainfall can create problems for our rivers and local communities,” he said.
“The Upper Mole responds very rapidly when it rains, with water moving quickly through the catchment. By restoring wetlands, reconnecting rivers with their floodplains and installing leaky barriers, we can give that water more space and more time.
“These measures help create a healthier, more resilient landscape that is better prepared for both very wet and very dry conditions. They also provide valuable new habitats for wildlife.”
The Upper Mole is particularly responsive to rainfall because of its clay soils, modified river channels and surrounding urban development. Heavy rain can move rapidly downstream, increasing the risk of flooding and placing additional pressure on water quality and river habitats.
Natural flood management seeks to tackle those problems nearer their source by working with the landscape to slow, store and filter water.
Mark Edwards, head of sustainability at London Gatwick, said: “This important initiative, delivered in partnership with the South East Rivers Trust, is a vital part of London Gatwick’s Decade of Change sustainability programme.
“This partnership is a great example of bringing together technical expertise, landowners and local knowledge to deliver practical measures that support biodiversity, water quality and climate resilience.
“It demonstrates how London Gatwick can support enhancements to the local area outside the airport.”
Further restoration work is now being planned across the Upper Mole catchment. Proposals include restoring an old pond so that it can store more water and support biodiversity, installing additional leaky barriers and designing another wetland to improve water quality and availability.
The partners also intend to extend the project into another of the Upper Mole’s six waterbodies, continue monitoring the measures already installed and hold community engagement days about the river and natural flood management.
The project initially concentrated on the headwaters of the River Mole, including Baldhorns Brook near Rusper. Its longer-term ambition is to expand throughout the Upper Mole catchment and demonstrate how nature-based measures could help restore other urban river headwaters across the South East.
Monitoring equipment is recording rainfall, river levels and turbidity – a measurement related to water clarity – so that the Trust can assess how the catchment and the completed interventions respond to wet weather.
