Surrey Police Spent £23 million on Aborted Move to Leatherhead
By Emily Dalton local democracy reporter In an attempt to save money, Surrey Police spent over £23 million in a failed attempt to move its headquarters. The force originally planned to move from its current home at Mount Browne, on the outskirts of Guildford, to Leatherhead but…
School Head Says There Should Be VAT Exemptions for SEN Kids
By Emily Dalton local democracy reporter Private schools are “not a lifestyle choice but a necessity” for children with special educational needs (SEN), argues the headteacher of an independent school in Reigate. Tuition fees are expected to soar from January 1 as the government is scrapping…
SCC Leader Seeking Postponement of County Council Elections to Focus on Devolution
By Chris Caulfield local democracy reporter The leader of Surrey County Council is set to write to the Government calling for the 2025 elections to be postponed in order to allow authorities to focus on merging under devolution plans. In December the Government announced its vision to…
Column: Guildford’s MP Writes – Greener, Fairer, Thriving
Guildford’s Lib Dem MP, Zoe Franklin, writes to inform Dragon readers of her activity… By Zoe Franklin During my election campaign I promised to deliver a greener, fairer, more thriving Guildford and our villages and I have been working hard to deliver on these priorities. Here is…
Deepcut To Become the First New Parish in Surrey This Century
The former St Barbara’s Garrison Church is set to become the heart of a newly-created parish in Deepcut. The Church of England Parish is the first to be established in the Diocese of Guildford in 25 years. The journey to create this parish began in 2017 with…
Mole Valley Best Place to Live in the South East
By Emily Dalton local democracy reporter A new data-led survey has named neighbouring Mole Valley as the South East’s best place to live (not including London). Crunching numbers and statistics instead of the views of expert judges and reviews, The Times ranked the district as 13th in…
Guildford to Gatwick Line to Close for Two Weeks to Allow Critical Upgrades
Critical upgrades to the Guildford to Gatwick railway line are necessitating the planned closure of the line for the first two weeks of February. The line will close from Saturday, February 1, to Sunday, February 16, with a bus replacement service operating. Network Rail engineers will be…
Opinion: Why Are Five-storey Blocks Allowed in An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty?
Local resident, John Harrison, a member of the St Catherine’s Village Association, was one of two objectors allowed to address GBC’s Planning Committee on the proposal to redevelop the former University of Law site in St Catherine’s, Guildford. Here he gives his personal view on the way…
Football Pitches Approved as Part of Secretts Redevelopment
By Emily Dalton local democracy reporter Two new mini sports pitches have been approved as part of a 216 home development in a Surrey village, but neighbours claim it will make the “ancient country lane” more dangerous and damage its “rural character”. The new addition forms part…
Public Urged to ‘Make the Right Choice’ to Relieve High Pressure on Surrey Hospitals
Health leaders are encouraging the Surrey public to help make sure emergency care is available to those who need it by…
Surrey Fire & Rescue Service Urges Residents to Stay Safe with Lithium-ion Batteries
Surrey Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) recently attended fire caused by a lithium-ion-powered mobility scooter charging in a communal hallway in…
‘Unaltered’ Plan for 25-storey Block in Woking Resubmitted and Recommended for Approval
By Chris Caulfield local democracy reporter An “unaltered”, previously rejected 25-storey tower block on the former BHS site in Woking town…
‘Truly Inspiring’ Musical Event Brings Generations Together
A Guildford Hub musical event, held in the lead up to Christmas on December 13, was described as “truly inspiring” by…
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