Reigate and Banstead is a local government district with borough status in east Surrey, England. It includes the towns of Reigate, Redhill, Horley and Banstead. The borough borders the Borough of Crawley (in West Sussex) to the south, the Borough of Epsom and Ewell and District of Mole Valley to the west, Tandridge District to the east and the London Boroughs of Sutton and Croydon to the north.
History of Local Authority and Politics
The district was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, by a merger of the Municipal 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. The remainder of the area has two rather than three tiers of local government; the next tier up is Surrey County Council.
Local Politics
The 2019 election saw the Conservatives hold control of the council, with a significantly reduced majority.
Administration (29): Conservatives – 29 seats
Opposition (16): Green Party – 6 seats Liberal Democrats – 3 seats Tattenham Corner and Preston Residents Association – 3 seats Nork Residents Association – 2 seats Independent – 1 seat Reigate Residents Association – 1 seat
The 2021 election saw the Green Party gain a seat from the Conservatives. The 2022 election saw the Green Party gain 2 seats from the Conservatives, but the conservatives gain a seat from an independent.
Coat of arms
The coat of arms is a combination of the elements of the Reigate shield, the device of Banstead and symbols of the parishes of Horley and Salfords and Sidlow.
The shield has a background of blue and yellow chequers taken from the arms of the de Warenne family. William de Warenne accompanied William the Conqueror from Normandy and was the first Earl of Surrey and the builder of Reigate Castle. Against this pattern is the Reigate Castle Gate and oak tree.
The top of the shield has a black background as in the original Reigate arms but on which is a gold woolpack between two sprigs of oak. The woolpack or woolsack refers to the former importance of sheep rearing and wool production in Banstead. The oak sprigs represent the two parishes of Horley and Salfords and Sidlow.
Above the shield is a helmet with a wreath and draped cloth also in the blue and gold of the de Warennes. On top of the helmet is a pilgrim referring to the ancient route along the escarpment of the North Downs by Banstead and Reigate, the Pilgrims Way.
On either side of the shield is a white lion and a white horse. The lion comes from the arms of the de Mowbray family who were briefly Lords of the Manor of Banstead in the 12th century. The horse refers to the tradition of horse racing on Banstead Downs in the 17th century and immortalised in the Oaks race of Epsom Derby Friday. On the necks of the animals are wreaths again in the blue and yellow. On the shoulders are roundels of blue and white waves indicating the River Mole in Horley and Sidlow.
The roundel on the lion has a tanner's (or flaying) knife, the emblem of St Bartholomew, the patron of Horley, who is said to have been flayed or skinned before he was crucified. The roundel on the shoulder of the horse has a sallow leaf, a reference to Salfords, which is derived from Sallow Ford. The Sallow tree is commonly known as Pussy Willow.
The motto "Never Wonne ne never shall" is taken from an ancient couplet and refers to the defeat of the Danes by King Alfred in a battle in the Vale of Holmesdale in the 9th century, now remembered in the name Battlebridge. Reigate Castle has also been known as Holmesdale Castle. A translation is "Never conquered nor never shall".
Settlements within the Borough
Grouped by conurbation clockwise from the north: Banstead, Burgh Heath and Nork Kingswood including Lower Kingswood Chipstead and Woodmansterne Park Hooley and Netherne-on-the-Hill Redhill, Earlswood, Meadvale Merstham, Whitebushes/South Earlswood and Salfords Horley Sidlow Reigate, Gatton, South Park, Flanchford/Skimmington/Wonham Mill (hamlets) and Woodhatch Walton-on-the-Hill and Mogador/Margery (hamlets) Tadworth, The Tattenhams (Tattenham Grove, Heath & Corner) Epsom Downs (part of) The developed part of Epsom Downs is not in Epsom and Ewell and is near Epsom Downs railway station