Latest news with #Reigate&BansteadBoroughCouncil
BBC News
30-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Crawley and Reigate councils to decide on unitary authority plan
Two councils in West Sussex and Surrey are due to decide on a proposal to form a combined unitary authority as part of the Local Government Reform plans. Crawley Borough Council and Reigate & Banstead Borough Council said the move would "maximise the economic growth" of the proposal argues the creation of a hard boundary between the two authorities, with the potential through devolution of two elected mayors on either side, would be "detrimental" to the government's growth agenda. Labour councillor Michael Jones, leader of Crawley Borough Council, said: "This is a possibly once in a lifetime opportunity to rethink how local government works. "We are duty-bound to consider all possible options within the guidelines set by government to ensure this town and its residents are best served by whatever structures are to follow."Devolution is the government's plan to transfer power from Westminster to regional or local authorities. This was published in the government's English Devolution White Paper last December, outlining reasons including "a change in way of governing" to improve the country's standards of living. Both councils say the potential economic benefits of this move "outweigh any savings that might be made through the formation of a larger unitary".They add the two areas form a "£13bn-plus economy and conjoined by the world's busiest single runway airport in Gatwick"."By submitting this proposal now, we keep this option, and the compelling case regarding our shared economy, alive so that it can be considered alongside the proposals that emerge from our work in West Sussex," added Mr proposal will be considered at a meeting on 7 May at Crawley Borough Council.
BBC News
04-03-2025
- Health
- BBC News
MP asks government to help deliver surgery at Westvale Park
A Surrey MP is asking the government to help deliver a GP surgery for a housing development that was approved 10 years plans for 1,500 new homes in Westvale Park, near Horley, were agreed in 2015, they included a new surgery for the of people now live in Westvale Park, but Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care Board (ICB) has chosen not to provide a GP to run the surgery there because it believes residents can already be served by other practices Reigate & Banstead Borough Council has found a doctor to run a consulting service in Westvale Park's neighbourhood hall, though the agreement is yet to be finalised. Speaking in the Commons on Monday, the Liberal Democrat MP for Dorking and Horley, Chris Coghlan, asked for a meeting with housing secretary Angela Rayner to discuss how they can provide the surgery Westvale Park was said the government will "robustly" hold developers to account to ensure they provide agreed infrastructure on new housing agreed to meet Coghlan and discuss the issue at Westvale Park.A spokesperson for the consortium of developers behind Westvale Park said it understood the importance of providing a medical facility on site."This is ultimately a decision for local NHS commissioners and, frustratingly, Surrey Heartlands and Sussex Integrated Care Board have not identified a GP to operate from this facility," the spokesperson Heartlands has spoken with the council about running the surgery but said operating a stand-alone facility for Westvale Park would not be viable."We understand residents may be keen to see additional facilities on site but as it is a relatively small population and there are existing GP services located nearby that will meet people's needs, we are unable to support a new GP practice at this time," a spokesperson ICB told the BBC it would not run the surgery as it was only responsible for providing care for residents in Sussex.A spokesperson for the council said it hoped the consulting service would be begin later this year in the village hall - thought the building is still being residents said they doubt they will ever see a full GP service run from the Barlow, chairman of the Westvale Park Residents' Association, said: "It's been a nightmare."Work to build the medical facility hasn't started."There's been no take up [to run it]. Having a GP service would be fantastic but I don't think it's going to happen."
