Poll points to further Conservative decline in Surrey
Reform UK is in line to win its first Surrey seat, according to a major YouGov poll. The survey of 13,000 people’s voting intentions suggests three Surrey MPs would lose their jobs with the Liberal Democrats being the largest beneficiaries in the county – if a General Election was called today.
Nationally, the polls say the United Kingdom is headed for another hung parliament with Reform, the Nigel Farage led party that succeeded UKIP after Brexit, emerging as the largest party. In Surrey voters are leaning a different way.
The three Surrey seats that would switch allegiance would be Spelthorne, Farnham and Bordon, and Godalming and Ash. All three seats are currently held by the Conservatives with Lincoln Jopp, Greg Stafford and Jeremy Hunt projected to lose their jobs as the Tories crumple to just 45 MPs.
Projected to take their places would be two Liberal Democrats and Surrey’s first Reform MP. If the voting patterns held true Dorking and Horley, Woking, Guildford, Esher and Walton, Godalming and Ash, Epsom and Ewell, Surrey Heath, and Farnham and Bordon, would all go to the Liberal Democrats to give them eight MPs.
The Conservatives would hold East Surrey, Reigate, Runnymede and Weybridge, and Windsor, to give them four MPs. While Reform UK with 27 per cent is expected to edge out the Conservatives on 25 per cent and the Liberal Democrats on 20 per cent to win Spelthorne.
Nationally YouGov’s seat-by-seat analysis indicates Reform UK would secure 311 seats in the Commons, short of the 326 required to demand a majority but far and away the largest party – and 306 MPs more than it currently has. The poll has Labour dropping from its 411 landslide victory in 2024 to 144 with the Lib Dems on 78 and the Conservatives which had been in Government for 14 years prior before losing last year would slip to 45 seats.
YouGov says its seat projections come with uncertainty and that volatility is now the norm in British electoral politics. They say Reform UK would win at least 82 seats by less than five percentage points and that there was a possibility it could lose them all, leaving the party well short of a parliamentary majority rather than within touching distance.
An economic boost worth millions, scores of new jobs and hundreds of local opportunities will be delivered thanks to funding awarded to dozens of businesses by Surrey County Council.
From vineyards and biotech to manufacturing and AI firms, a diverse range of organisations from across the county have been awarded grants in the first round of the Surrey Economic Growth Fund.
The scheme, launched by the council in April, brings together pooled funding streams including the government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Rural England Prosperity Fund. Following a highly competitive process, close to £2 million has been awarded to dozens of recipients, unlocking significant match funding and private investment.
The successful bids are collectively estimated to grow Surrey’s economy by £9 million, create or safeguard 300 jobs and bring 1,350 residents into employment.
Local firms supported
Among those receiving funding is Aero Sensor, a technology firm at Dunsfold Industrial Park in Cranleigh, led by former F1 engineer Dr Barney Garrod. The company is one of only three globally developing new aerodynamic measurement probes for automotive and aerospace applications.
The grant will support the creation of a new wind tunnel facility to test its designs, creating highly skilled jobs in the process.
Dr Garrod said: “The grant enabled us to fully kit out the wind tunnel with the tools and instruments we need. We’ll also be hiring new staff and technicians. Having our own wind tunnel means we can halve our turnaround time and massively accelerate our development. It’s moved the business forward by about a year.”
Other successful bids include Woodlark Nurseries in Hersham, which is creating a new horticultural facility, while Upper Birtley Farm Partnership near Bramley will establish a premium glamping and outdoor education site in the Surrey Hills.
In Godalming, Sammi-Select will develop a ‘practice interview’ tool adapted from an AI platform to support marginalised jobseekers such as young people not in education or training and those who are digitally excluded.
County-wide initiatives
There are county-wide projects too, including the Surrey Venture Studio scheme, a collaboration between Surrey’s three universities to support start-ups, and Source in Surrey, led by the county’s Chambers of Commerce, encouraging larger businesses to ‘buy local’.
Both are expected to complement existing work through the council’s Business Surrey initiative.
Councillor Matt Furniss, Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Economic Growth, said: “The new Economic Growth Fund has generated a huge level of interest from across Surrey, demonstrating the real appetite from our amazing business community to drive innovation, growth and job creation in our county.
“Round one was highly competitive and we’ve only supported the highest quality bids which fully met the criteria. This ensures every pound invested delivers genuine growth, meaningful jobs and positive outcomes for Surrey’s communities.
“Our ambition is to position Surrey—which already contributes £50 billion to UK plc every year—as one of the UK’s leading regional economies, and this fund is one of the ways we’re building the foundations to achieve that.”
Next round
Round Two of the Surrey Economic Growth Fund is due to launch in October, focusing on Business Growth Grants. Applicants can expect a streamlined, one-stage process supported by a guidance handbook.
Epsom and Ewell Times reporter adds Epsom winner Lesh Wear (or Lesh), is a maternity and nursing wear company focused on creating comfortable, leak-proof products for mothers, such as their FREEFLO nursing bra, aiming to reduce the use of disposable breast pads. The company, also known as Lesh Wear Ltd, was incorporated in March 2022 and is headquartered in Epsom, Surrey, with the primary goal of making the breastfeeding journey easier.
Recipients of Round One funding
A total of £1,979,982 has been awarded to the following organisations:
Dorking Distillery, Dorking
Halt Glass, Guildford
Emilia JH, Reigate
Sammi-Select, Godalming
Molecular Medical, Guildford
Bonovate, Camberley
Woven Bio, Woking
Streetwise Technology
The Good Bacteria Company, Farnham
UKIOT, Weybridge
Lesh Wear, Epsom
Woodlark Nurseries, Hersham
Aero Sensor, Dunsfold
Rhizo PTX, Guildford
Cambertronics, Cranleigh
Misty Moon Cider, Farnham
DIREK, Guildford
Tiontech, Guildford
Raw Honey Distillery, Fetcham
Whitespace Work Software, Godalming
LenzIQ, Horley
GT Joinery, Molesey
Source in Surrey (via Surrey Chambers of Commerce)
Surrey Venture Studio
Surrey Innovation Board (via the University of Surrey)
Blakes Lane Farm, Guildford
Upper Birtley Farm Partnership
Ivelle Farm, Waverley
Image: Matt Furniss, Exec Member for Growth, with Barney Garrood of Aerosensor
Surrey gets a sinking feeling over cost of its holes
Has Surrey become Britain’s sinkhole capital? Well, the figures certainly point in that direction.
Surrey County Council is on track to spend a staggering £1.6m fixing the collapsed 65ft hole in a section of Godstone High Street – a bill that dwarfs what most local authorities spend on sinkholes.
Figures obtained through Freedom of Information (FOI) requests show councils across the UK have spent more than £6.2m tackling over 7,000 sinkholes since 2020. But Surrey alone accounts for almost half of that total, shelling out over £3.1m making it by far the country’s biggest spender.
The Godstone collapse, which first appeared in February, has left the part of the High Street shut for months and businesses struggling.
Surrey County Council has already spent £850,000 on emergency responses, surveys, roadworks and consultancy fees, including £360,000 on just site establishment.
Another £800,000 is forecast for stabilisation work, filling in the mine tunnels, and further repairs – taking the final bill to £1.65m. This will amount to just over a quarter of the total UK bill on sinkholes for the last five years.
What is driving the cost?
The British Geological Society has stated that Surrey is particularly prone to sinkholes due to the underlying sands in the county, which are weakly cemented.
According to council documents, the ground beneath Godstone sits on the Folkestone Sandstone Formation – a weak, sandy foundation that made the area vulnerable to collapse. CCTV images provided under FOI request confirm the collapse was worsened by an old sand mine tunnel running beneath the High Street.
While the council insists the road should reopen by December 16, locals are not holding their breath. Residents have been struggling for months with the road closure, diversions, fall in trade and general feel of chaos. That being said, an official report shown to SurreyLive by the council does state that the project is tracking towards a final inspection date of December 16th.
A Surrey County Council spokesperson said: “This continues to be a highly complex incident involving a number of investigations led by our Highways Officers and other agencies, including specialist teams and utility companies.
“Work is underway to reconstruct the final footpath affected by the collapse and we’re now planning how we stabilise the collapsed area and fill in the tunnel network.
“We are updating local residents and businesses as we progress through each stage of the process and expect the final two residents to be back in their properties by the end of September.
“Once our stabilisation work and the SES works to reconnect and relay the mains through the collapse area are completed, the area will be refilled and repaired permanently. We are currently planning to complete our repairs and reopen the High Street during December.”
A nationwide problem
The Godstone collapse may be dramatic, but it’s part of a wider and growing problem. Since 2020, sinkholes have been recorded everywhere from Reading to Scotland, with councils spending millions to patch them up.
The top spenders after Surrey include Reading (£976,500), East Sussex (£767,238) and Transport Scotland (£602,000). If you take away the Godstone sinkhole expenditure, Surrey still comes up top with over £2.2m being put towards sinkholes.
Lloyd Allen, Infrastructure Team Manager for Surrey County Council, on Godstone high street. (Credit: Surrey County Council).
A supported living service in Redhill has been rated “inadequate” and put into special measures after inspectors said they uncovered six legal breaches.
The health watchdog slammed the service as putting “unnecessary stress” on people by only giving 28 days’ notice when required to move out.
Threeways Dom Care, on Brighton Road, which supports adults with learning disabilities, was inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in July 2025.
The watchdog found “serious leadership failings” which it said left people without dignity, independence or self care.
Roger James, CQC’s deputy director for Surrey, said: “Our inspection of Threeways Dom Care exposed serious leadership failings that were denying people dignity, respect, and independence in their care.”
Inspectors flagged problems across the board, including poor record-keeping, lack of staff training, and a failure to manage basic health needs like nutrition and epilepsy.
Some staff were found to be unkind, while others ignored health and safety basics. One care staff member was found wearing flip flops which could bring in dirt, and others were discovered to raise their voice at people or ask them to be quiet in what is meant to be their home.
The CQC report also criticised leaders for mishandling the closure of the home. Just one day after the inspection, residents and their families were told the service was shutting and given 28 days to move out.
Mr James, CQC’s deputy director for Surrey, added: “Threeways ignored people’s voices, failed to inform them or their relatives of their rights as tenants, and put an enormous amount of unnecessary stress on people as well as making the transfer to a new care service for them more difficult.”
He added the service did not promote an open or honest culture, with safeguarding concerns often missed or ignored, leaving people at risk of harm.
But Threeways management has hit back, accusing the regulator of ignoring their side of the story. A spokesperson for the service said: “Families have always been happy with the service and we’ve had positive feedback from professionals. The service will close once commissioners confirm a move date, and in the meantime, we’re doing our best to ensure a smooth transition.”
Despite those reassurances, the CQC has placed the service into special measures, meaning it will be closely monitored and expected to make urgent improvements if it wishes to continue operating.
Adult social care stock image. Credit Eduardo Barrios on Unsplash
From Epsom to the Big Screen
Dean Puckett Returns Home with His Debut Feature The Severed Sun for a Special Screening and Q&A next week Wednesday 8th October!
A special homecoming event is set to light up the screen at Epsom Picturehouse as local filmmaker Dean Puckett returns to share his debut feature film, The Severed Sun. Dean, a former student of Glyn High School and UCA Farnham, moved from London to Surrey as a teenager before embarking on a filmmaking career that has taken him to major international festivals. Now, he returns to Epsom for a screening and Q&A celebrating the launch of his haunting British folk horror debut.
Set in an isolated church community gripped by paranoia and superstition after a brutal murder, The Severed Sun is a chilling tale of faith, fear, and folklore. The feature marks the first full-length film from Puckett — produced by Rebecca Wolff (Grasp the Nettle Films) and Jude Goldrei (Lunar Lander Films) — and had its world premiere at Fantastic Fest 2024.
Following screenings at Picturehouse cinemas across the UK, this special Epsom event will feature a post-screening Q&A with Dean, who will share insights into the creative process, behind-the-scenes stories, and what it takes to bring a first feature from script to screen.
“I discovered my love for filmmaking in a small cupboard at Glyn High School in Epsom. This was entirely thanks to one exceptional teacher, Mr Ramasami, who believed in me. Despite struggling academically, he saw that I had a flair for visual storytelling. I lived in Worcester Park from the age of 12 and took countless trips to the cinema in Epsom during my youth, so it’s incredibly gratifying and moving for me to return now with my own feature film. “
— Dean Puckett, Director of The Severed Sun
“It’s a real privilege to work with homegrown talent like Dean and to share his debut feature with the community that helped shape his creative journey. Events like this are not only exciting cinematic moments, they’re also a chance to show aspiring filmmakers that it is possible to follow your passion and make something special. Community is at the heart of what we do at Picturehouse, and hosting screenings like this — which bring people together and celebrate local success — is exactly what our cinema is all about.”
The screening is a chance not only to experience one of the most distinctive new British films of the year but also to celebrate a hometown success story — and discover what it’s really like to turn a dream into a debut.
The Severed Sun: followed by a Q&A with Dean Puckett and filmmakers Tuesday 8 October, 6:30pm Tickets: www.picturehouses.com/epsom
Image of Dean Puckett
Bookham to get new community centre
After six years of waiting and false starts, Bookham is finally getting a new community centre.
The old Bookham Youth Centre on Lower Road shut its doors in 2019 after falling into disrepair, leaving the area without a dedicated youth and community hub.
Members agreed to spend £2.8m of existing capital funds to knock down the old building and replace it at a Surrey cabinet meeting on September 24. Councillors said they hope the new multi-purpose building will be ready by March 2027.
Cllr Clare Curran, Conservative member for Bookham and Fetcham West said: “There is real excitement in Bookham that a new centre is going to be delivered.
“This is not just a youth facility […] The former centre was used by a huge range of community users from everything from the University of the Third Age to challenges with disabled children and an early years provider.”
The new centre is set to take the place of three lost facilities – the former youth centre, The Bridge in Leatherhead (closed after RAAC was found in the roof) and the Bookham Family Centre. Day-to-day running of the centre is expected to be handed to a third-party provider, meaning no additional ongoing costs to the council or future unitary authority.
“It has taken some time to get to this point,” said Cllr Clare Curran who represents Bookham. “We’ve had a few false dawns on the journey.”
In 2021, councillors promised a shiny new building on the Lower Road Reception Ground, at the cost of £2.5m, with homes alongside to help pay for it. But that plan was scrapped after tougher planning rules on the Green Belt and new biodiversity requirements meant the recreation ground scheme was no longer possible.
Instead, Surrey County Council has shifted its focus back to the old youth centre site. But housing that was meant to come alongside the scheme has been kicked into the long grass, with any decision on new homes delayed until after 2027.
Public consultation and planning approvals are still to come so residents still have an opportunity to have their say.
Bookham Community Centre on 164 Lower Road. (Credit: Google Street View)
Epsom and Ewell’s NESCOT plumbs the heights
Nescot’s gas and plumbing apprenticeship provision has been awarded a City & Guilds End Point Assessment (EPA) plaque for excellence in apprenticeship delivery.
Elizabeth Akinlaja, City & Guilds Business Development Manager for London, Kent & Sussex, officially presented the award to Principal and CEO, Julie Kapsalis and the plumbing team at the college this week (Monday 22 September). She said: “Congratulations Nescot, it was a pleasure presenting the City & Guilds EPA Excellence plaque to the apprenticeship team. This award is for their dedication and commitment in supporting learners on their Building Services Engineering (BSE) apprenticeship provision, which has resulted in outstanding first-time pass rates, especially in plumbing, an area facing significant skills shortages. Well-done to everyone involved for making such a positive impact!”
Learners on the gas engineering apprenticeship, part of the plumbing apprenticeship department at Nescot achieved a 94% first time pass rate.
The award recognises excellence in Nescot’s EPA delivery, which is the final stage of an apprenticeship designed to validate an apprentice’s knowledge, skills, and behaviours against the required apprenticeship standard. It signifies the high quality and standard of the college’s apprenticeship training, and celebrates the plumbing apprenticeship department’s successful and impactful EPA achievements.
Liz Crawley, Head of School, Construction, Engineering & Automotive at Nescot, commented: “It’s fantastic to receive such amazing feedback from City & Guilds. Our plumbing team work really hard to ensure the best possible outcomes for our apprentices and local employers.”
Sarah Keith, Head of Apprenticeships at Nescot, added: “I am so proud of the teamwork at Nescot across all apprenticeships. This award is a testament to the benefits of working in a strong team that supports our apprentices, employers and each other. It means that our students are fully qualified and industry ready. Well-done to the plumbing team, and everyone involved in apprenticeships at Nescot.”
The EPA Excellence award showcases Nescot’s commitment to apprentice success and industry standards and reflects the wide range of apprenticeship training available at the college. At Nescot, we offer apprenticeships in carpentry and joinery, commercial catering, gas engineering, plumbing and heating, electrical installation, business administration, customer service, team leading and management, marketing executive, hairdressing, early years, health play specialists as well as laboratory scientists.
Explore the range of apprenticeship courses available on the Nescot website.
Photo: (centre left to right): Nescot Principal and CEO Julie Kapsalis receiving the City & Guilds EPA Award plaque from Elizabeth Akinlaja, City & Guilds Business Development Manager for London, Kent & Sussex along with the Nescot Plumbing team. Credit NESCOT
An EPA Plaque from City & Guilds is an award given to colleges and training providers to recognise their high-quality apprenticeship delivery and the success of their apprentices. The plaque highlights consistent excellence in End-Point Assessment (EPA) performance, based on factors like high pass rates and a large number of Distinction grades achieved by apprentices. It is also a recognition of staff dedication, guidance and support offered to learners.
Guildford could soon see one of its biggest housing developments in decades, with fresh plans submitted to build up to 1,800 new homes at Gosden Hill.
Developers Martin Grant Homes want to transform farmland off the A3 into a new neighbourhood complete with schools, shops, sports pitches, and even a Park and Ride.
The outline applications sets out a long-term vision for the site, which would include:
Up to 1,800 homes, including 40 per cent affordable housing
Six Gypsy and Traveller pitches
A new local centre with shops, health and community facilities
Land for both a primary school and secondary school
Around 10,000sqm of employment floorspace
A 250-space Park and Ride near the A3
Large areas of green space, including allotments, play areas, and a new woodland walking rout
Developers say the project would create a “gateway for Guildford” for drivers coming off the A3. The site, covering more than 130 hectares of farmland and woodland, sits between Burpham and the A3. If approved, the first phase 150 homes would be built with access from Merrow Lane.
The bulk of the site will be housing in a mix of family homes, apartments and some specialist accommodation. Planning documents detail the homes will be built in phases including a mixture of sizes from smaller flats to larger family homes, around 720 affordable homes, space for self-build plots and some elderly care housing.
Most of the higher density housing, like apartment blocks, would sit around the centre and the main street of the new community, while the rest of the site would focus on family housing with gardens.
Not everyone will welcome the idea of more traffic but the scheme includes a new A3 junction, cycle paths, and upgraded bus services to ease the pressure on local roads.
About 34 hectares of open space is planned including a big new woodland walking area at Cotts and Frithy’s Wood. Developers say overhead power lines will be buried underground and much of the existing woodland kept to help the site blend in with the landscape.
Guildford Borough Council cannot currently meet government housing supply targets so the developers argue the project should be green-lit to help tackle the housing shortage.
If given the green light, Gosden Hill would become home to thousands of people, with the developer promising it will be a “healthy, happy and sociable” place to live.
Only eight people have objected to the scheme so far with the majority of comments slamming the construction traffic plan as “wholly inadequate” for the road and likely to cause “intolerable disruption”.
Outline of the proposed development on Gosden Hill Farm. (Credit: Guildford Borough Council/ Martin Grant Homes)
Big improvements required of Epsom care home
An Epsom care home has been told it needs to make big improvements after inspectors found residents were being left to lead “very isolated lives.”
Fir Trees House, a residential home in Epsom for up to seven adults with learning disabilities, was inspected between October 2024 and July this year following concerns about the quality of care and facilities. At the time of the assessment, only four people were living there – most with long-term mental health conditions and several being assessed for autism.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) said the home was “not always safe” and “not well-led,” warning that some residents were at risk of harm. Inspectors branded the care homes as ‘requiring improvement’ in key areas.
Inspectors said the service “wasn’t always meeting” standards set out under national guidance on supporting people with learning disabilities and autism. In particular, they found staff often focused on tasks rather than encouraging residents to live more fulfilled, independent lives.
One resident told inspectors they were happy at the home, but others described their care as “unsympathetic” and even disrespectful. One person told inspectors: “They went on to recall their first day at the service, saying, “Staff laughed at me as I tried to get up the stairs, I felt very unwell. I had to rest on the stairs, I thought I was going to lose consciousness, my head was spinning and they were laughing.”
The CQC also criticised the service for failing to learn from mistakes. In one case, a resident was moved out after a court ruled they weren’t getting the support they needed. But no managers investigated what went wrong.
The report highlighted a lack of staff at night, meaning people’s safety could not be guaranteed in an emergency. Staff also admitted they weren’t sure which outside organisations they should contact if they had safeguarding concerns.
On top of that, the report said residents were not being encouraged to eat meals together, socialise, or take part in the local community – leaving them at risk of isolation.
However, inspectors did note some positives. Medication was managed safely, refurbishment work had started – including installing a stair lift – and staff spoke positively about the management team.
Inspectors said the home itself needed work. Kitchens and bathrooms were not always clean, and some areas were in poor condition. Since then, refurbishments have begun, with new flooring, a wet room and plans for a stair lift to help people with mobility needs.
The Care Quality Commission said Fir Trees House remained in breach of legal rules around person-centred care and governance.
Fir Trees House has been approached for comment.
283 Fir Tree Road, Epsom, Surrey. (Credit: Google Street View)
Epsom’s Milly to share spotlight with West End star Kerry Ellis
Local talent will step into the limelight at the Epsom Playhouse this Thursday, when Stagecoach Epsom student Milly Playle performs alongside one of Britain’s most celebrated West End stars, Kerry Ellis, in the opening concert of Ellis’s new UK tour.
Milly, who has already appeared in the West End production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and featured in several television commercials, was selected from hundreds of young hopefuls to join Ellis on stage. She has trained for years at Stagecoach Epsom in singing, dancing and acting, building the skills that have brought her to this special opportunity.
Adding a further Epsom connection, both Stagecoach Principal Rachel and Milly’s mother, Emma, trained at Laine Theatre Arts – the same renowned performing arts college attended by Ellis before her career took flight.
Ellis is a household name in British theatre. She made her West End debut in My Fair Lady before achieving international fame as the original British lead in Wicked, playing Elphaba both in London and on Broadway. She has starred in We Will Rock You, Oliver!, Les Misérables and Cats, and is a long-time collaborator of Queen guitarist Brian May, with whom she has toured worldwide. Her acclaimed solo albums and sell-out concert tours have cemented her reputation as one of the UK’s leading musical theatre performers.
The Playhouse concert is being staged by Perform Ready Events, which creates unique performance opportunities for young people across the country. At every stop on Ellis’s tour, a young performer will share the stage – and for the first night, it is Epsom’s very own Milly.
Rachel, Principal of Stagecoach Epsom, said:
“We are so proud of Milly and thrilled that she’ll be representing Stagecoach Epsom on stage with such an incredible performer. It’s a wonderful opportunity not only for her, but also for our community to celebrate local young talent.”
Epsom Picturehouse, Epsom Square, Epsom, KT19 8AG
Tuesday 8 October, 6:30pm 
Tickets: 