By Martin Giles Councillors were only informed at 3.47pm this afternoon (Friday) about news that Dragon readers had learned about before 10am – that Cllr George Potter (Lib Dem, Burpham), who was the lead councillor for Climate Control at Guildford Borough Council, had announced that he had…

Local MPs Vote in Favour of Assisted Dying

By Martin Giles Three local MPs voted in favour of the controversial Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill , commonly referred to as the assisted Dying Bill on Friday (June 20). In a free vote, Zoe Franklin (Lib Dem, Guildford), Will Forster (Lib Dem, Woking) and…

Merger Between Reigate & Banstead and Crawley Councils Ruled Out

By Chris Caulfield local democracy reporter Merging Reigate and Banstead Borough Council with its neighbour Crawley has been ruled out – in a decision that has left drivers behind the move “disappointed” with the Government. This week leaders from the 11 boroughs and districts, together with the…

Failure of Woking’s Over-ambitious Project Acknowledged

By Chris Caulfield local democracy reporter The failure of Woking Borough Council’s Victoria Arch project is complete after the bankrupt authority sold its stake in the Triangle Site. About half a hectare between Victoria Road and Guildford Road was bought up by the council during its regeneration…

Comment: What Can Be Done About Guildford’s Biggest Empty Shop?

By Martin Giles Empty shops on any High Street create an impression of decline and the continued closure of what was the pre-eminent department store in Guildford, House of Fraser, is certainly troubling. Guildford High Street remains a desirable and profitable location for many retailers so why…

A281 At Shalford Has Now Reopened Following Repairs to Damaged Roof

By Martin Giles June 19 – The A281 (The Street) in Shalford has now reopened. The road was shut between Church Close and the Seahorse pub on May 29 after a lorry hit the roof of a listed building. The closure caused up to 40 minutes in extra…

Frimley Park at the Beginning of the Hospital Rebuild Queue

By Ruth Lucas local democracy reporter The Government says it is keen for Frimley Park Hospital to be rebuilt “very quickly”. The hospital is among the first to be rebuilt as part of Labour’s revised new hospitals programme, with work to begin by 2030. It was exempted…

The Royal Surrey Hospital to Open Its Doors to the Public for Community Open Day  

Have you ever wanted a look behind the scenes at our local hospital? If so, now is your chance. The Royal Surrey County Hospital is set to throw open its doors to the public as it stages its second Community Open Day on Saturday, June 28 from…

New Electric Trains Now Arriving at Guildford – 100 Years After the First One Did

By David Rose A keen-eyed reader has noticed South Western Railway is now operating some of its new electric trains into Guildford. And it just so happens to be 100 years, this coming July 9, the first electric train arrived! Tony Derbyshire writes: “The much delayed Class…

Local Therapy Garden Supporting Mental Health Shortlisted for BBC Award

A therapeutic garden in Surrey has been shortlisted for a BBC Radio Surrey Make a Difference Award for its innovative work…

Thousands of Year Six Pupils at Guildford Cathedral for a Special Send Off

Some 2,669 Year Six pupils from the 52 Church of England primary and junior schools in the Diocese of Guildford attended…

New Surrey Research to Find Solutions to Local Challenges

By Esme Campbell A new Civic Lab at the University of Surrey will power research into identifying and combating challenges affecting…

Comment: What Are We To Make of the GBC Executive ‘Reshuffle’?

By Martin Giles What is the real reason for the sudden dismissal of leading Lib Dem councillor George Potter at GBC?…