The Reigate and Banstead Executive met to discuss community assets, the annual performance report, budget monitoring, risk management and environmental sustainability. They agreed to allocate £0.316m to the Capital Programme and authorised the Head of Property Services to enter into a new fixed rate contract to supply renewable electricity and green gas. Councillors also discussed the upcoming local government reorganisation (LGR) and its potential impact on council services.

Community Assets

The Executive agreed to note the motion to Council on 22 July 2025 regarding establishing a Community Asset Transfer Policy, and that the actions recommended in the report substantially encompass its proposals. The Executive agreed to a series of recommendations regarding community assets, including:

• Authorising the Head of Service with responsibility for Housing and Intervention to secure the purchase, refurbishment, management and maintenance of residential properties for affordable rented homes.
• Authorising the Head of Service with responsibility for Housing and Intervention to acquire and let suitable new-build housing units for affordable rented homes and community benefits.
• Authorising the Head of Service with responsibility for Place Delivery to progress key preparatory activities for development of council sites.
• Approving key principles for a Community Asset Transfer Policy and a Community Asset Support Scheme.

The council defines community assets as:

assets, primarily buildings, land, or other such properties, which currently provide, or are intended to provide, social benefits to the borough's residents and communities.

The aim is to ensure the council's assets and resources are used to provide the best value for the borough and its residents.

Councillor Ben Green, Portfolio Holder for Finance, Assets and Governance, introduced the report, highlighting three main points: the adoption of a new Community Asset Transfer Policy, the setup of a programme to invite community groups to take over assets or obtain grant funding, and the allocation of a portion of revenue reserves to support these purposes.

During a discussion of the item, it was clarified that for-profit businesses delivering community services could potentially form a new Community Interest Company¹ to bid for an asset, provided they submitted a good case and a clear business plan.

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee had raised concerns regarding the level of detail in the policy and the governance arrangements. It was confirmed that the asset list would be published separately from the policy to allow for updates over time, and that councillors would be invited to participate in the process.

Affordable Housing Delivery Funding

The Executive was recommended to authorise the allocation of £1 million of Affordable Housing Section 106² contributions from Capital Reserves to be used to support the delivery of affordable rented housing in the borough, and to delegate authority to the Head of Housing and Intervention to approve expenditure of the £1 million budget in consultation with the Portfolio for Housing and Support and Chief Finance Officer.

The recommendations were made because homelessness and housing need is rising and it is important to maximise opportunities to deliver affordable housing, particularly social rented accommodation, to meet local need.

Reigate & Banstead 2025 Annual Report 2024/25

The Executive agreed the Reigate & Banstead 2025 Annual Report 2024/25 and the Equality Objectives Progress Report 2024/25 for publication.

The annual report provides a summary of the council's work and progress towards the plan's objectives in the last year, and is based around the success measures set out within the Plan.

Highlights in the last year included the refurbishment of Merstham Recreation Ground, improvements in Redhill via the Safer Redhill campaign, and review and confirmation of the council's Development Management Plan.

Challenges during the plan period (since 2020) have included the coronavirus pandemic, high costs of living for residents, and consistently increasing demand for support with homelessness and other matters.

Q1 Performance 2025/26

The Executive noted the Key Performance Indicators for Q1 2025/26 and the Local Government Reorganisation Internal Programme Dashboard.

Of the twelve KPIs reported on, nine were on target or within tolerance. The following KPIs were off target:

• KPI 7 Affordable housing permissions
• KPI 10 Recycling
• KPI 11 Reduction in the Council's Carbon Footprint

Q1 Revenue and Capital Budget Monitoring 2025/26

The Executive noted the Revenue Budget Forecast as at Q1 2025/26, the Outstanding Debt Summary as at Q1 2025/26, the Capital Budget Forecast as at Q1 2025/26, the Treasury Management Prudential Indicators and the recommendation to allocate £0.316m to the Capital Programme, which was subsequently approved by the Council.

At the end of Quarter 1, there is a projected overspend against the original budget for the year of £1,119,000. The variance comprises of a £766,000 forecast overspend within Service budgets, and £353,000 overspend within Central budgets.

Environmental Sustainability Annual Report 2024/25 and Energy Contract Renewal

The Executive agreed the Environmental Sustainability Strategy progress report for publication on the council website and that delegated authority is given to the Head of Property Services, in consultation with the Chief Financial Officer and the Portfolio Holder for Finance, Assets & Governance, to enter into a new fixed rate contract(s) to supply REGO³ renewable electricity and green gas for a two-year period.

The report provided a summary of the council's progress in delivering its 2020 (revised 2024) Environmental Sustainability Strategy and Action Plan for the year ending March 2025.

The Executive heard that good progress had been made across all themes within the Action Plan, including:

• The Sustrans Active Travel project, funded by UKSPF, reached over 5,000 residents and is estimated to have saved 3.5 tonnes of carbon through reduced car use.
• The Refill Destination project, funded by UKSPF, saw 65 businesses sign-up, which helps people refill on the go and reduce single use plastics.
• Over 2,500 trees were planted across the Borough and biodiversity improvements like the orchard, green roof and planting at Merstham Recreation Ground.

The report noted that action to decarbonise operations remains limited, but the carbon footprint did see a slight fall, principally due to lower energy consumption at the Harlequin Theatre with some contribution from lower conversion factors provided by government for the calculations.

Local Government Reorganisation

The meeting also addressed the ongoing Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) in Surrey. The Chief Executive, Mari Roberts-Wood, highlighted the potential impact of LGR on the council's organisational capacity, with staff increasingly involved in transition-related activities. The council is awaiting a government decision on the future structure of local government in Surrey, which is expected in mid-October.