Reigate and Banstead

Coordinates: 51°14′56″N 0°09′36″W / 51.249°N 0.160°W / 51.249; -0.160

Borough of Reigate and Banstead
Non-metropolitan district, Borough

Reigate and Banstead shown within Surrey
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Constituent country England
Region South East England
Non-metropolitan county Surrey
Status Non-metropolitan district
Admin HQ Reigate
Incorporated 1 April 1974
Government
 • Type Non-metropolitan district council
 • Body Reigate and Banstead Borough Council
 • Leadership Leader and Cabinet (Conservative)
 • MPs Crispin Blunt
Sam Gyimah
Area
 • Total 49.8 sq mi (129.1 km2)
Area rank

200th (of 326)

Highest point  : Reigate Hill
Population (mid-2014 est.)
 • Total 143,094
 • Rank 138th (of 326)
 • Density 2,900/sq mi (1,100/km2)
 • Ethnicity[1] 92.7% White
2.8% S.Asian
1.7% Black
1.6% Mixed Race
1.2% Chinese or Other
Time zone GMT (UTC0)
 • Summer (DST) BST (UTC+1)
ONS code 43UF (ONS)
E07000211 (GSS)
OS grid reference TQ2840251646
Website www.reigate-banstead.gov.uk

Reigate and Banstead is a local government district with borough status in East Surrey, England.[n 1] It includes the towns of Reigate, Redhill, Horley and Banstead.

History of Local Authority and Politics

The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 as merger of the former borough of Reigate with Banstead Urban District and part of Dorking and Horley Rural District. There are two civil parishes towards the south the borough: Salfords and Sidlow and Horley.[2] The remainder of the area has two rather than three tiers of local government; the next tier up is Surrey County Council.

After elections (held on a one third up-for-election basis in three out of four years) on 3 May 2012, there are 37 Conservatives councillors, 7 Reigate and Banstead Residents Association, three Green councillors, two Liberal Democrats and two Independent councillors.[3][n 2]

Settlements within the Borough

Grouped by conurbation clockwise from the north:

Elevations, Landscape and Wildlife

The northern third of the borough is on the North Downs or its upper slopes. Commanding viewpoints exist in several locations in this area with the southern aspects of Colley Hill and Reigate Hill noteworthy enough to have had a major memorial and a picnic area with large café respectively. Historically much of this third was named Walton Heath and Banstead Heath. For tourists, Box Hill on the southern ridge with its visitor centre and greater than 180 degree viewpoint over the River Mole attracts higher numbers less than 3 miles (5 km) west along the Pilgrims' Way in Mole Valley.

The softer Greensand Ridge which is parallel to the south breaks up in the middle of the borough, forming the Redhill basin and various mounds around Reigate before continuing in both directions at higher elevations, see the Greensand Way.[6] The Mole forms a section of the western border of the borough down to Wonham Mill at the western extreme of Flanchford in the Reigate post town, itself at a millpond at the foot of the wooded Snag Brook a tributary which rises near the A25 Dorking Road.[4] Most of the county is Metropolitan Green Belt.

There are significant areas of forest and heath management, including five reserves within the national wildlife trust scheme: see Surrey Wildlife Trust.

Economy

The economy is diverse, with a strong local service sector, city workers as most locations are easily within the London Commuter Belt, trades, a developed public/education sector and several farms concentrated towards cereal and root vegetable agriculture. There is an extent of woodland management. Several employers with an international renown are found in force in and around the two most commercial towns centres of Reigate and Redhill: including Towers Watson, Kimberly Clark, Legal and General, Travelers Group (insurance), AXA Insurance breakdown, Black and Veatch and Esure. Pfizer UK headquarters is by the M25 motorway in Walton-on-the-Hill.[4] Notably Sutton and East Surrey Water is headquartered in Redhill and SGN in Horley. A choice of hotels exists in and around Horley including its adjacent neighbourhood, sometimes named independently by businesses and residents, Hookwood, on the east and north outskirts of London Gatwick Airport respectively.

Historic Airline Companies based in the borough

In the late 20th century the airline Dan-Air had its head office in the Newman House in Horley.[7] and Air Europe had its head office in Reigate, Reigate and Banstead.[8]

Transport

Roads

The M25 motorway passes from the middle of the east of the borough to just south of the tripoint with Epsom and Ewell and Mole Valley and has two junctions, one for the M23 motorway that passes through the eastern side of the borough north-south and starts in the northeast of the borough, the other at Reigate Hill. The A23 road from London splits into the ongoing A23 from the south and the M23 at Hooley.

The A217 road is a second London road starting in Reigate via Banstead and Sutton and on to London. Two traditional, mostly up to county distance alternatives inspired the names of the north-south/east-west motorway: the low A25 between Godstone/Guildford and the A23, the latter being used for the London to Brighton events.

Rail

Trains in the borough are operated by Southern, Thameslink and First Great Western. Through routes are the North Downs Line and heavier-used London to Brighton line that has several operators plus several branch service routes operating to London (the destination in the borough of one such service is Reigate). Although these are the main railways for long and short distance travel, two branch lines cut through lower parts of the North Downs plateau in the north (to Tattenham Corner via Kingswood and to Epsom Downs via Banstead, all four stations being in the borough.

Twinning

The borough is twinned with:

See also

Notes and References

Notes
  1. ↑ The areas were historically in South East Surrey before the 1965 changes under the London Government Act 1963
  2. ↑ In part reflective of the politics, and compared to the other boroughs and districts, Reigate and Banstead Borough Council has a greater a number of younger councillors.
References
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