Updates from the Leader of the Council

Dormers – from Care Home to Council houses

The Council is always on the lookout for an opportunity to build more affordable homes and so to increase our stock of council houses.  

It’s easier said than done to find land for sale that is suitable and available and so when Surrey County Council decided to put up for sale a former care home in Caterham called Dormers, we were keen to acquire it.  

Last month we managed buy it for £2.5m and are planning to build around 20 new net zero council homes on the site for rent by people on the Tandridge housing register. We intend to include some wheelchair accessible homes in the scheme. 

You may wonder why one council has to buy a property from another council but that is the way the two-tier system of local government was set up in 1974 and it continues to this day.  

Dormers care home in Foxon Lane was closed by Surrey County Council in 2016 and since then it has mostly remained vacant, other than being used temporarily by the NHS as a Covid vaccination centre during the pandemic.  

The Tandridge District Council is an Investment Partner of Homes England, the public body that funds new affordable housing in England, and it is our intention to apply for grant money to assist us with delivering the council house scheme.   

The 1.28 acre site is a former quarry and therefore a considerable amount of remediation work needs to be done as well as designing a suitable foundation strategy. This work is already underway. The Council held a competitive tender for the architectural appointment and have awarded the contract to PDP Architects who have worked on our council house building programme before and are familiar with the Council’s requirements. 

 Consideration has been given to converting the building into flats but it was found not to be an efficient use of the space available and a considerable amount of investment would have been needed for the homes to be net zero. In addition, we need family sized accommodation in the form of 2 and 3 bed homes and prefer to build houses as opposed to flats where we can, in order that families have access to private gardens. 

 We intend to have a public consultation prior to finalising the plans and then submitting a planning application in the summer of next year. 

 If you have any comments or questions, please just get in touch at Cllr.Catherine.Sayer@tandridge.gov.uk 

Councillor Catherine Sayer 

Leader of the Council  

Tandridge Business Awards Winners – why local business is best 

It was a fantastic evening at the Tandridge Business Awards on 3 October when local businesses gathered for an awards ceremony at Lingfield Park Racecourse to celebrate the best in the District. These were the first awards hosted by the Council and they attracted more than 120 entries from businesses across the district. 

The ceremony was compered by Sir Richard Stilgoe, founder of the Orpheus Centre in Godstone, a charity and college where young disabled people use the arts to prepare for independent living.  The Centre won the Business of the Year award. 

Among the other winners was Sally Goodey who carried off the High Street Business award for The Lost Sheep, a gift shop and tea room in Croydon Road, Caterham. She said: “I am so elated to have won. The business opened just before Covid and kept going through that and through the cost of living crisis, and this has vindicated all our hard work.”  

For Nicola Henderson from Godstone Farm, winner of the Customer Service award, success was the result of a joint effort: “Delighted to win but this is all about the fantastic team we have back at the farm who really work hard to make our customer service great.” 

Sustainability award winner, Lee Cooper, from Paradigm 24 based in Horne commented: “The fact that we are sustainable business and that’s kind of a new industry, well it’s great to be recognised for it. It’s hard to stand out and this award makes such a difference.” 

Kathy Hill, from the King & Queen in Caterham on the Hill which won the Hospitality award, was keen to take the trophy back to the pub to display it before closing time. Kathy, who  spent 11 years as bar manager, took over the tenancy a year ago. 

In total, there were nine category award winners which are: 

 Small Business of the Year (less than 10 employees) – sponsored by Champ Consultants  

Colour House Interiors, Caterham 

Business of the Year Award - sponsored by East Surrey College   

The Orpheus Centre, Godstone 

Employer of the Year Award – sponsored by My Club Europe plc  

Morr & Co Solicitors, Oxted  

Rising Star Award – sponsored by North Downs Hospital 

Joshua Melody at KD Jones Heating Engineers Ltd, Bletchingley 

Customer Service Award – sponsored by Love Oxted  

Godstone Farm Ltd, Godstone 

Sustainability – sponsored by Coast to Capital  

Paradigm 24 Ltd, Horne 

Community Service Provider Award – sponsored by Ann Summers   

Accessify  

High Street Business Award – sponsored by Business Surrey  

The Lost Sheep, Caterham  

Hospitality Award – sponsored by Surrey Chambers of Commerce  

The King and Queen, Caterham 

Huge congratulations to all the winners and the finalists and, of course, huge thanks to the sponsors, without whom we could not have run the awards. 

If you have any comments or questions, please just get in touch at Cllr.Catherine.Sayer@tandridge.gov.uk 

Councillor Catherine Sayer 

Leader of the Council  

Playgrounds to get £700k of immediate investment

Upgrading the district’s playgrounds is a key part of the Council’s health and wellbeing strategy.

There are 36 playgrounds in the Tandridge District and the Council does not have the money to refurbish them all at once. So, as a first step, we have identified nine key sites for upgrading in the immediate future.

The Council has explored opportunities for collaboration and for fundraising to boost the refurbishment budget with community stakeholders, for example parish councils.

A number of sites stand out as “destination” playgrounds with high footfall and which attract residents from a wide area. They are easily accessible, have a variety of play equipment and appeal to various age groups. Additionally, they bring economic benefits to the district and to local businesses. 

Some playgrounds are in areas which are prone to flooding and investment is needed to make them more accessible and resilient, especially over the winter months. These are also included in the first phase of refurbishment.

The nine playgrounds to be upgraded are:

• Broadbridge Lane Play Area, Smallfield.
• Dormansland Play Area.
• Grange Meadow Play Area, Bletchingley.
• Jenners Field Play Area, Lingfield.
• Mill Lane Play Area, Hurst Green.
• Hamsey Green.
• Boulthurst Way, Hurst Green.
• Mid Street Play Area, South Nutfield.
• Caterham Barracks, Weston Drive Playground.

The estimated cost of these refurbishments is £728,165. The Council provides £473,195 from its capital budget, £195,470 is from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund money awarded to the Council from central government, £39,500 is support from parish councils and £20,000 is from additional funding streams. 

Another £472,105 of the Council’s capital budget is available to be allocated for future refurbishments with an overall strategy due to be in place this autumn.

There are two other popular playgrounds, which are more complicated to refurbish, and so are not part of the first upgrade. 

One is Whyteleafe Recreation Ground which has accessibility issues. The refurbishment here may include a proposal to change location and will require time for consultations, a feasibility study, and a planning application. The other is Queens Park Play Area in Caterham which needs a weather related upgrade and which is part of a larger development project with Surrey County Council, focusing on flood alleviation measures. 

If you have any comments/questions, please just get in touch at: Cllr.Catherine.Sayer@tandridge.gov.uk

Councillor Catherine Sayer, Leader of the Council

Council house building and affordable homes 

The Council recently completed 100 new council homes, marking a milestone in our commitment to increasing affordable housing in the district. We plan to keep building council houses whenever the opportunity occurs. 

We have a stock of 2,580 council houses (Tandridge was one of a minority of local authorities that never sold them off en masse to housing associations) and the latest additions reflect a diverse approach to increasing that stock which includes new builds, refurbishments and buybacks. 

In the last year the Council has delivered 11 new homes for affordable rent in Caterham and Warlingham as well as completing 2 buy-backs of former Right to Buy properties and 13 buy backs using the Government’s Local Authority Housing Fund.  

In the next 6 months, these rented homes will be completed: 

• Auckland Road, Caterham - 3 homes 

• Bronzeoak, Caterham - 26 homes. 

• Windmill Close, Caterham - 3 homes 

• Uplands, Warlingham - 13 homes 

And construction will start at: 

• Wolfs Wood, Hurst Green - 12 homes 

• Featherstone, Blindley Heath - 16 homes 

• Hollow Lane, Dormansland - 5 homes 

Planning applications have been submitted for the redevelopment of Warren Lane depot, Hurst Green (22 homes) and Pelham House, Caterham (10 Homes) to provide family sized homes for affordable rent. 

Planning applications are being prepared for the redevelopment of Stanstead Road flats, Caterham (4 homes) and Kentwyns Rise, South Nutfield (23 homes). 

The Council purchased land from the Ministry of Defence in Caterham and is preparing a planning application for 16 homes there. We have purchased the former Methodist church in Hurst Green and will be submitting an application for up to 13 new homes.   

The buy-back of Right-to-Buy properties will continue and we plan to purchase a further 8 over the next two years. 

The Council has achieved Investment Partner Status with Homes England, the public body that funds new affordable housing in England. This allows us to bid for government grant and will see the Council receive millions of pounds of funding to assist in delivering council houses.  

We are also exploring long lease options, partnering with other affordable housing providers, and the use of MMC (Modern Methods of Construction) to accelerate delivery, reduce build costs and minimise disruption to local residents through off-site construction. 

Over the last year, in partnership with Clarion Housing Group and Mount Green Housing Association we secured the delivery of 56 new homes for affordable rent in Caterham.  

Work has now started on the Cala Homes scheme in Warlingham and Raven Housing Trust will be delivering 40 affordable rent and shared ownership homes there. We have also negotiated a further 168 affordable homes on development sites across the district.  

If you have any comments/questions, please just get in touch at: Cllr.Catherine.Sayer@tandridge.gov.uk 

Councillor Catherine Sayer, Leader of the Council 

Budgeting for risk

The annual budget process is the single biggest, most complex exercise that any Council undertakes as part of its annual cycle. Getting this process right is vital to the Council’s success and contributes significantly to what it achieves for the local area. Without a sustainable budget which supports long-term financial resilience, many other plans and aspirations may fail.

The budget balancing act has become ever more tricky in recent years because of the sharp increase in risks. Gone are the days when Councils could rely on central government funding to bolster services and pay the bills. For more than a decade, that funding has been reducing and there is great uncertainty over future funding.

Among the general risks we have to factor in are:

• One year only financial settlements from central government
• Economic turbulence, including inflation and the risk of recession
• The costs of unforeseen local, national and global events which these days often fall upon local government to deal with.

The balancing act for Tandridge District Council is trickier than most because we are a small council with a revenue budget of only £12m and low reserves, so there is little margin for error as you can see from these figures:

For the year just gone (2023/2024), the Council ended up with a revenue budget surplus of £179,000 (1.5% of our total budget) with £721,000 of unused contingency. This is against a savings target of £1.65m or 14% of the budget, almost all of which was delivered.

We are taking a very cautious approach going forward and as well as the £721,000 unused contingency, we have included a further £445,000 contingency in the 2024/2025 budget to cover risk and to avoid being blown off course.

Among the specific risks we have to factor in are:

• Planning appeals: these are very hard to predict and often require expensive external advice. Appeals known to date are covered by current budget provisions, but new appeals may appear at any time during the year with unpredictable costs.
• Enforcement work which we are keen to prioritise as a deterrent to future unauthorised activity. Again, appeals are difficult to forecast and can incur significant costs.
• Housing Benefit: as Government subsidy increasingly fails to meet high local accommodation costs, a significant cost could emerge in the future.

It is the role and responsibility of Councillors to decide where priorities lie and where savings should be made. I believe that one impact of austerity has been to make the budget more of a council officer led exercise in which Councillors’ aspirations seem permanently frustrated by lack of resources. But if a budget departs from reality, for example by discounting risks or expecting service delivery standards that cannot be met from the money available, then the Council becomes unsustainable with consequent poor outcomes for residents.

If you have any comments or questions, please just get in touch at Cllr.Catherine.Sayer@tandridge.gov.uk

Councillor Catherine Sayer, Leader of the Council

Tandridge Business Awards – entry deadline 4 August

Tandridge District Council has launched the awards to give local companies an opportunity to showcase their strengths and achievements, differentiate themselves from their competitors and gain recognition for their hard work and dedication.

Winning a business award, or being shortlisted, can bring many benefits to a company:

Increased exposure and visibility through media coverage and social media promotion which can attract new customers and investors.

Enhanced reputation and industry recognition. The awards are being judged by professionals and the winners will receive promotional material that can be used by your business whether it’s for a shop window, online or in print.

Morale boost for staff bringing greater job satisfaction and loyalty and attracting new skilled and motivated employees.

Demonstration of expertise which can help open up opportunities for new business and also help to retain existing customers.

Opportunity to connect with other businesses, exchange ideas and form new partnerships.

The awards are free to enter for all business with a trading address in the Tandridge District. You can enter up to three out of nine categories which are:

• Small Business of the Year (less than 10 employees) - sponsored by Champ Consultants.
• Business of the Year (more than 10 employees) - sponsored by East Surrey College.
• Employer of the Year - sponsored by My Club.
• Rising Star of the Year - sponsored by North Downs Hospital.
• Customer Service Award - sponsored by Love Oxted.
• Sustainability Award.
• Community Service Provider Award - sponsored by Ann Summers.
• High Street Business Award.
• Hospitality Award.

The closing date for entries is Sunday 4 August. The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on Thursday 3 October at the Lingfield Park Resort.

So why not give it a go and show just how good your business is? Full details about the awards are at www.tandridge.gov.uk/awards.

If you have any comments or questions, please just get in touch at Cllr.Catherine.Sayer@tandridge.gov.uk

Councillor Catherine Sayer, Leader of the Council

Support over the winter months 

Amongst the wave of policy announcements from the new government was the recent news that the Household Support Fund, designed to provide some financial assistance for those most in need, is being extended until April next year.  

It followed calls from local councils and charities to extend the scheme which, since 2021, has provided help for low income households struggling with the rising cost of living. There is no date yet for the start of the funding, but it will be this year and the date will be publicised on the Council’s website together with how to apply at www.tandridge.gov.uk/supportfund. 

Some of the other support available locally: 

• There are Foodbanks at Caterham Baptist Church, Caterham, Oakhall Church, Caterham on the Hill, King’s Church, Oxted. More details at www.caterham.foodbank.org.uk/locations or call 01883 348385. 

• St John’s church in Hurst Green has a community fridge which collects unused, but still edible, food which anyone can take, call 01883 712674 for more details. 

• Visit the Lingfield Larder at St Peter & St Paul’s Church, which is a community fridge in Lingfield distributing surplus free food. 

• Warm Welcome venues are open to all residents this winter free of charge. They are in a variety of community spaces including community and church halls, libraries and leisure centres. All you have to do is show up. Go inside, warm up and enjoy a hot drink. Energy advice and other information is also available. Find at list of venues in the district at www.surreycc.gov.uk or call 0300 200 1008. 

• If you know someone who gets lonely sometimes, you might want to consider referring them to the Tandridge Community Companion scheme at www.tva.org.uk/befriending or call 01883 722593. 

The Westway Centre in Caterham and the Salvation Army hold events over the festive period. And there is a free Christmas lunch at Hurst Green Community Centre for anyone who would otherwise be on their own at Christmas. Contact Deb Shiner on 07592 610449 for details. 

If you have any comments/questions, please just get in touch at: Cllr.Catherine.Sayer@tandridge.gov.uk 

Losing the Winter Fuel Payment - are you eligible for Pension Credit?

Until this year, Winter Fuel payments worth up to £300 have been made available to everyone above state pension age but, in July, this universal benefit was ended by the Government.  

Starting this winter, the Winter Fuel payment is restricted to those on benefits and Pension Credit.

The take up of Pension Credit is notoriously poor with estimates from the Department for Work and Pensions showing around 800,000 eligible households in England and Wales set to lose their winter fuel allowance because they are not claiming the Credit to which they are entitled. 

Pension Credit provides extra money to help with living costs for those over State Pension age and on a low income. 

When you apply for Pension Credit your income is calculated. If you have a partner, your income is calculated together. Pension Credit tops up your weekly income to £218.15 if you are single and your joint weekly income to £332.95 if you have a partner.  If your income is higher, you might still be eligible if you have a disability, you care for someone, you have savings, or you have housing costs.

You may be due Pension Credit even if you have other income, savings or own your own home. It is also separate from State Pension.  

Claiming Pension Credit doesn’t just top up income – it could also help you to receive other benefits you are entitled to, including support with health and housing costs.

With the removal of the universal Winter Fuel allowance, it has never been more important to check eligibility for Pension Credit. 

If you may be eligible or know someone else who may be, please do check by calling  0800 99 1234 or reading the information on this link: https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit

There will, of course, be people just above the cut off line, and for them it’s likely to be a tough winter with not only the loss of the Winter Fuel payment but also October’s rise of  around 10% in the energy price cap adding a substantial amount to gas and electricity bills.

If you have any comments/questions, please just get in touch at: Cllr.Catherine.Sayer@tandridge.gov.uk
 
 

Strengthening Planning Enforcement

Planning enforcement is a key priority for the Council. Recently, there have been a number of high profile breaches of the planning rules, which we have needed to take urgent action to deal with, some of it outside normal working hours.
In July this year, the in-house team of four was dealing with over 400 cases and there was no cover for any work outside core office hours. 

We have been working to strengthen and improve the effectiveness of the enforcement team. As part of this, we have commissioned external support to provide additional capacity and expertise in the short term and to assess whether this support could complement the in-house team in the longer term.

Two companies are being trialled, both of which specialise in providing an integrated planning enforcement service to local councils. They will tackle priority cases and more complex ones. The first company started work last month and the Council is monitoring progress, with the intention of asking the second company to start work shortly. 

We have also put in place arrangements to provide an out-of-hours presence. There are certain circumstances where activity is sufficiently serious (or potentially so) to warrant  out-of-hours attendance on site. This is where there is an immediate threat that a breach of planning control could cause irreparable harm, including: 
•    Deliberate unauthorised development in the Green Belt. 
•    Development that has the potential to cause irreparable harm to the environment, especially sensitive sites such as Sites of Special            Scientific Interest and National Landscapes. 
•    Unauthorised works or changes of use in conservation areas, or to a listed building. 
•    Unauthorised works to protected trees. (Trees subject to Protection Orders and Trees in a Conservation Area). 
•    Unauthorised engineering operations, including the importation onto land of materials to be used in construction or land raising activities. 

The new measures come at a cost, but the distress and disturbance caused to residents by some of the planning breaches is huge. I hope this will help provide reassurance that the Council intends to take firm action against such contraventions.

If you have any comments/questions, please just get in touch at: Cllr.Catherine.Sayer@tandridge.gov.uk
 

Coming soon – MyTandridge Account. Save time, do it online.. 

Next month, we are introducing the MyTandridge Account, a digital platform aimed at giving you quick, easy and secure access to a range of council services all in one place. 

Initially, the Council is launching the Council Tax service on this new system. Over the next six months, we will gradually introduce additional services, including Recycling and Rubbish, Housing and Planning. 

The benefits of the MyTandridge account include: 

• One username and password on a secure and trusted website. 
• Access your account using your phone, laptop, tablet or computer, 24/7.  
• View, pay, or apply for services and report issues. 
• Forms pre-filled with your contact information so you don’t have to. 
• All your enquiries viewed in one place. 
• Quickly report and track the progress of your enquiries or service requests. 
• View a history of your requests. 

From October, once you create your MyTandridge Account, you will be able to: 

• View your household details. 
• See and contact your district councillors. 
• Link your council tax account to your home. 
• View your council tax band and annual amount for your home. 
• View your last council tax payment. 
• Pay your council tax and set up payment options, such as direct debit. 
• Make enquiries about your council tax, including changes of address or applying for discounts or exemptions. 

You can still register for a MyTandridge Account even if you don’t pay Council Tax as other council services will be available on this platform soon. 

To be the first to know when you can create your MyTandridge Account, please sign up for our newsletters at www.tandridge.gov.uk/signup or follow us on Facebook, X and Nextdoor. 

If you don’t have access to the internet or don’t wish to use a digital account, you will still be able to use your current method of payment and gain access to council services and information in the same way as before.  

If you have any comments/questions, please just get in touch at: Cllr.Catherine.Sayer@tandridge.gov.uk 

The Council’s first net zero carbon homes are about to be completed. These six new homes at Auckland Road and Windmill Close in Caterham on the Hill are a step towards reducing the Council’s carbon footprint and promoting environmentally friendly living.

The new homes will soon be occupied by people from the Council’s housing register and most importantly for those residents, the zero carbon measures should help to keep down their energy bills.

The homes feature:

• 100% low energy lighting: Ensuring efficient and sustainable lighting.
• Low-emissivity (Low-E) glazing: Minimising heat loss and maximising energy savings.

• Mechanical ventilation heat recovery (MVHR): Improving air quality and energy efficiency.

• Enhanced building fabric: Providing superior insulation and thermal performance.

• Air source heat pumps: Offering a renewable energy solution for heating and hot water.

• Photovoltaic panels: Using solar energy to power the homes.

This is just the start. All the new council homes we are building are being designed with the aim of being net zero carbon. We use energy consultants to work with the architects to achieve this and so far, we have not had any problems with delivering them as net zero. We have a current approved programme for 200 new council homes and aim to build more. These will be added to the Council’s existing stock of 2,580 homes.

Funding for net zero carbon homes

There is no specific funding in relation to net zero carbon for new build homes. However, when the Council bids for grant money from Homes England (the government's homes and regeneration agency), we highlight net zero carbon as a benefit to justify the higher build costs and therefore grant levels requested. We have recently received confirmation of a Homes England grant for £130,000 for Auckland Road and £195,000 for Windmill Close.

As for upgrading and retrofitting our existing stock, in March this year the Council made a successful bid to the government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund and was awarded £849,000 of funding.

 This fund was set up to improve the energy efficiency of socially rented homes. It covers several upgrades to heating, including new heating systems, energy efficient doors and windows and upgraded insulation.

 If you have any comments/questions, please just get in touch at: Cllr.Catherine.Sayer@tandridge.gov.uk