Woodhatch Place in Reigate has been recommended as the preferred location for East Surrey Council’s main office building from 1 April 2027.
If approved by the East Surrey Shadow Executive on 14 September, this essential, short-term decision will help ensure the new council can operate effectively and maintain continuity of services for residents from the day it is established, as well as providing a flexible workspace for staff
The recommendation is intended to give East Surrey Council a suitable base from day one, while allowing time to develop longer-term plans for its offices and buildings across the area.
Continued access to local council services
Residents will continue to be able to visit existing local council offices across East Surrey to enquire about council services and seek support. Online and telephone services will also continue to be available, ensuring residents can access information and support in the way that works for them.
The proposal of Woodhatch as East Surrey’s initial headquarters, will not affect how residents access council services in their local communities.
Councillor Steve Wotton, Leader, East Surrey Shadow Council said: “This recommendation is about making sure East Surrey Council has the right facilities in place to operate effectively from day one and continue delivering services for residents without disruption. Woodhatch Place offers a practical and cost-effective base for the new council’s administrative functions, while giving us time to consider longer-term arrangements for council buildings across East Surrey. Importantly, residents will continue to be able to access services locally through existing council offices, as well as online and by telephone.”
How was the recommendation made?
A range of council-owned buildings across East Surrey were assessed against several criteria, including accessibility, transport links, office and council chamber capacity, value for money, IT infrastructure and parking provision.
The assessment identified Woodhatch Place as the location best able to meet the operational requirements of the new authority from 1 April 2027.
The recommendation does not determine future staffing structures or individual employee work locations. Any workforce changes will be considered separately after 1 April 2027 and would include staff engagement and consultation where required.
A report detailing proposals for civic functions will be considered at a later date and will include information about proposed meeting locations and times.
Epsom and Ewell Times adds:
East Surrey’s new council HQ: where is it and how do Epsom residents reach it?
Surrey County Council has confirmed that Woodhatch Place in Reigate will become the headquarters of the new East Surrey Council when the authority takes over local services on 1 April 2027.
The announcement did not, however, include the building’s full postal address. It is:
Woodhatch Place
11 Cockshot Hill
Reigate
Surrey
RH2 8EF
Woodhatch Place is not a new council building. Originally constructed as the headquarters of Canon UK, it was purchased by Surrey County Council in 2020 and became the County Council’s principal administrative base in 2021. East Surrey Council will therefore inherit an established public-sector headquarters rather than commission a new one.
Epsom and Ewell will form part of the new East Surrey unitary authority. The location of its headquarters will consequently matter to residents, councillors, council employees and anyone required to attend a meeting or appointment in person.
Getting there from Epsom
The most straightforward public-transport journey from Epsom High Street is by bus.
Metrobus route 460 runs from Epsom Clock Tower through Tattenham Corner, Tadworth, Walton-on-the-Hill and Lower Kingswood to Reigate. During the main part of a weekday, buses generally leave Epsom hourly.
For example, the current published weekday timetable includes a 460 leaving Epsom Clock Tower at 9.18am and reaching Reigate, Bancroft Road at 10.07am – a scheduled journey of 49 minutes. Other daytime departures are shown at 10.18am, 11.18am, 12.18pm and then hourly through much of the afternoon. Metrobus route 460 timetable
Woodhatch Place is south of Reigate town centre, rather than beside Reigate railway station or the principal town-centre bus stops. A passenger therefore has two main choices after reaching Reigate:
- Walk from the town centre to Woodhatch Place. The distance is approximately one to one-and-a-quarter miles and is likely to take around 20 to 25 minutes, depending upon the precise stopping point and the walker’s pace.
- Change in Reigate to a local 430 or 435 bus serving South Park and Woodhatch. One example using the current timetable would be the 9.18am bus from Epsom, arriving at Bancroft Road at 10.07am, followed by a 435 at approximately 10.21am towards South Park and Woodhatch. It reaches the Hornbeam Road area at about 10.31am, followed by a short walk to Woodhatch Place. Metrobus routes 430 and 435
Allowing for the connection and final walk, a public-transport journey from Epsom High Street to the new headquarters is likely to take about one hour and 15 minutes to one hour and 30 minutes. Traffic through Tadworth, Reigate and surrounding roads can lengthen the journey.
A rail journey is possible but much less direct. Epsom and Reigate are not joined by a simple direct train service, so travelling by rail ordinarily involves changes and, depending upon the route chosen, a further bus or walk from Reigate station. For most passengers starting in Epsom town centre, the 460 is therefore likely to be the more practical option.
Residents should check a journey planner or the operator’s live timetable before travelling, particularly once East Surrey Council begins operating, as routes and departure times may change before April 2027.
Although digital and telephone contact will undoubtedly account for most dealings with the new authority, the Reigate headquarters raises a practical question for Epsom and Ewell residents: whether a journey of potentially 90 minutes each way constitutes sufficiently convenient access to the administrative centre of their new council.