Surrey police to move to Epsom and Ewell constituency
Surrey Police purchased the featured premises in Cleeve Road, Leatherhead, in 2019 for over £20 million. The address is just over 5 miles from Epsom High Street and is in the recently expanded Epsom and Ewell Constituency. Will the intended move reported below improve policing in our area?
Surrey Police’s plan to move 400 officers from Reigate to Leatherhead has triggered calls for guarantees on response times and street presence from the area’s MP.
People must not be made to suffer longer police response times or fewer officers on the streets over the police’s decision to permanently move its eastern headquarters from Reigate to Leatherhead, the East Surrey MP has said.
Surrey Police vacated Reigate Police Station last year and shared offices with Surrey Fire and Rescue after dangerous aerated concrete, known as RAAC – which can collapse without warning – was found throughout the base.
It has now taken the decision to permanently move out of the borough with up to 400 officers and staff moving across – although a long-term site within Reigate and Banstead for its Safer Neighbourhood Team is still being sought.
It says the move demonstrates the force’s commitment to retaining an operational base in the heart east Surrey and will allow it to maintain a visible presence in the communities it serves, fight crime and protect people.
East Surrey MP Claire Coutinho has written to the force demanding assurances it can deliver on those promises.
She said: “While the RAAC issue at Reigate Police Station must be resolved, residents in the east of the county will want assurances that a move to Leatherhead will not cause longer response times or less police presence on the streets.
“I have written to Surrey Police to get these assurances for residents and I will be discussing what this means for our area when I meet local officers in the coming weeks.”
Surrey Police had to leave Reigate Police Station permanently after RAAC was found throughout the building, and in October 2023 it moved staff into Wray Park, Reigate, on a temporary basis with Surrey Fire and Rescue.
From there it began its search for a long-term solution including the demolition and rebuild of Reigate Police Station.
Surrey Police said the decision to refurbish its Leatherhead site, bought in 2018, was “based on operational requirements, partnerships with other public services, best value for the residents of Surrey, and long-term viability for the Force itself.”
The former Electrical Research Association and Cobham Industries site in Leatherhead was bought when Surrey Police had planned to sell off its Mount Browne headquarters in Guilford and relocate its main HQ across the county.
Instead the force decided to close its central Guildford police station, refurbish Mount Browne, and offload the Leatherhead industrial site but the enforced closure of Reigate Police Station has meant a rethink about its East Surrey division and the new plan hatched.
This recommendation was approved on August 6 at the Estates Strategy Board.
Tim De Meyer, Surrey Police’s chief constable, said, “The desired move to Leatherhead shows our commitment to retain an operational base in the heart of the East of Surrey where we can maintain a visible policing presence in the communities we serve, to fight crime and protect people.
“This is an opportunity to build a new divisional headquarters which will be operationally fit for purpose and serve the east of our county for many years to come.”
Surrey’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Lisa Townsend, said, “This is exciting news and if we get planning approval gives us a unique opportunity to build a bespoke divisional HQ that is fit for purpose for our hard-working police teams on the east of the county.
“The situation with RAAC at Reigate Police Station has presented us with some difficult and unexpected challenges and I would like to pay tribute to all those officers, staff and volunteers for their patience and understanding over the last year.
“I am well aware of the importance Surrey residents place on local policing, and I want to reassure people living in Reigate and Banstead that the neighbourhood presence in their communities will not be affected by these plans.
“There have been some tough choices to make but I believe that Leatherhead presents us with the best option in providing both value for money for Surrey residents and an eastern HQ that is fit for a modern police force.”
Councillor Paul Kennedy, Mole Valley District Council’s cabinet member for internal services and security, said: “While any proposals remain subject to planning permission, this potentially signals yet another boost to the town, alongside the progress of our Transform Leatherhead initiative.
With the addition of an HQ and around 400 members of staff comes the promise of a boost in footfall into the town centre and a positive impact on the local economy.”
Surrey Police said it is still committed to having a presence in every borough and district and that there will be a minimum of one front counter facility in each.
They added that, while locations will be reviewed, there will be no reductions than we currently provided, and no reduction in service.
Image: Premises bought by Surrey Police in 2019 for £20,485,000. Google street view.