Horley Town Council's extended offices were unveiled on 18 September, paid for by a £305,873 developer-levy grant, with solar panels and a new kitchen.
Horley Town Council cut the ribbon on its extended and refurbished offices on Friday 18 September, closing out a building project that has taken three years from funding to finish. The extension, the solar panels and the accessibility works were paid for by developers, not by Horley’s council tax payers.
The council’s own account of the unveiling has Chris Coghlan MP presiding over the ribbon-cutting at the Albert Rooms on Albert Road, alongside the Mayor of Reigate and Banstead, Cllr Nick Harrison, East Surrey Shadow Authority leader Cllr Steve Wotton and Horley Town Mayor Cllr Lynnette Easterbrook. The Horley Art Group put on a display, and the building stayed open into the evening for residents to look around.
What the money was, and what it bought
The council’s release does not put a figure on the project. The borough council’s records do. Reigate and Banstead Borough Council’s developer contributions round-up, published in February, lists £305,873 “to extend Horley Town Council’s offices and make them more accessible” among the strategic Community Infrastructure Levy projects paid for during 2024 to 2025.
The borough’s Strategic Infrastructure Programme sets out what the grant, project SIP(2)-18, covered:
- two electric vehicle charging points in the car park
- double glazing, loft insulation, and solar panels with battery storage
- an access ramp
- an extension providing more office space
The town council’s completion announcement adds a multifunctional meeting room, a fully accessible hirers’ kitchen and improved welfare facilities for staff and councillors. Community Infrastructure Levy money is charged on local development, which is why both councils stress the work cost the Horley precept nothing.
The offices grant is much the largest CIL award the town council has had. In the borough’s July 2025 ad hoc round it also won £19,097 for outdoor gym equipment at the Innes Sports Pavilion, another £19,097 for outdoor gym equipment at Michael Crescent Park, and £14,819 for new windows and landscaping at the Innes Pavilion.
A three-year road, with a bump near the end
The project was not straightforward, and the record shows it plainly:
- October 2023: the CIL funding reached the town council.
- July 2025: the council’s Full Council minutes record that consultants had advised closing the whole building for up to six months during the works, to comply with fire and safety regulations. Staff decamped while the builders were in.
- March 2026: the borough’s programme update anticipated completion in May 2026.
- June 2026: the council announced a delay. Staff were back in, but “safety-related snagging issues” kept Edmonds Community Hall and the extended areas closed to the public until contractors had fixed them.
- August 2026: practical completion was formally achieved after a final inspection by MVL Architects, and the whole building reopened.
- 18 September 2026: the official unveiling.
Cllr Easterbrook said at the unveiling: “These new facilities represent a significant investment in our town and will provide additional space and improved facilities for our staff, councillors, community groups and residents.”
Why the extra space matters now
The council’s release makes one forward-looking point: the new capacity prepares it for “the potential impacts of Local Government Reorganisation”. Reigate and Banstead Borough Council is abolished in April 2027, when its work passes to the new East Surrey Council based at Woodhatch Place. Horley Town Council carries on, and three new town councils for Reigate, Redhill and Banstead are due alongside it from 2027. Horley’s is the model the borough pointed to when it created them.
What it means for you
- Edmonds Community Hall and the meeting rooms are open to hirers again, with a new accessible kitchen.
- The council offices at 92 Albert Road are open 10am to 4pm, Monday to Friday.
- The work was funded from the Community Infrastructure Levy charged on developers, not the town precept. Our Redhill Memorial Park story explains how the same fund works elsewhere in the borough.
Sources
- Official unveiling of Horley Town Council’s Office Expansion and Sustainability Project, Horley Town Council, September 2026, for the event, attendees and quote.
- Developer contributions fund over £2 million in strategic and community improvement projects, Reigate and Banstead Borough Council, 2 February 2026, for the £305,873 figure.
- Strategic Infrastructure Programme SIP(2), updated March 2026, for the SIP(2)-18 project scope, the October 2023 funding date and the May 2026 anticipated completion.
- CIL Strategic Fund ad hoc round table, Reigate and Banstead Borough Council, for the £19,097, £19,097 and £14,819 awards.
- Horley Town Council: opening delay statement, June 2026; reopening announcement, August 2026; and Full Council minutes, 29 July 2025, for the closure advice and decant.
More from Reigate News: the new town councils coming in 2027 and Horley’s free first parking hour.
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