Visit Epsom & Ewell for Festive Cheer this Christmas.

The countdown to Christmas is here! Epsom & Ewell Borough Council and Bourne Hall are bringing Christmas cheer to winter days for residents and visitors.

The Christmas Lights Switch On took place in Epsom Market Square on 24 November, and the Christmas Lights Switch On at Bourne Hall is on 9 December at 4.30pm, following a day of festive fun including performances from local dance schools. Find out about everything happening at Bourne Hall here: A Jolly Good Christmas at Bourne Hall.

Free parking days in Epsom & Ewell town centres will help with Christmas shopping, and The Wizard of Oz panto will be spreading some Christmas panto magic at Epsom Playhouse. Visit the Epsom Playhouse website for more information and to book tickets. Epsom Playhouse

Epsom Town Centre Masterplan

Following an initial consultation in the summer of 2022, Epsom & Ewell Borough Council have been working to develop people’s ideas into a new vision for the town centre. The council will be consulting the public on the new draft Masterplan from 24 November to 22 December to give residents, workers, business owners and visitors the chance to help shape the future of Epsom town centre.

Respondents can view the draft Masterplan and give their views via an online questionnaire at Epsom Town Centre Masterplan. Paper copies of the draft Masterplan are also available on request by emailing localplan@epsom-ewell.gov.uk, or viewable in the borough’s libraries for the duration of the consultation. Feedback can also be sent in by email to: localplan@epsom-ewell.gov.uk, or by post to Epsom Town Centre Masterplan, Planning Policy, Epsom & Ewell Borough Council, Town Hall, The Parade, Epsom, KT18 5BY.

Launch of the Playing Out Scheme

We're introducing a temporary road closure scheme to allow children to play in the streets where they live.

The Playing Out scheme will enable streets which are not main roads or bus routes to be closed to through traffic for up to three hours at a time.

Residents who are interested in taking part in the scheme would need to get the agreement of their neighbours, find and train volunteer stewards to man the road closure points and carry out a risk assessment. Parents remain responsible for their own children.

The scheme was approved at the Community and Wellbeing Committee on 10 October 2023 and will launch in December 2023.

Councillor Clive Woodbridge, Chair of the Community and Wellbeing Committee, said: “More than 90 local authorities have introduced the Playing Out scheme in their areas, and I’m really pleased to see this initiative come to Epsom and Ewell.

“We believe the scheme will help support the mental, physical and emotional wellbeing of children and the community by creating a safe and inclusive space for everyone to play in and by fostering a much needed sense of neighbourliness.”

To apply for a temporary road closure for the Playing Out Scheme, take a look on our website.

Community Safety Action Plan Consultation - have your say.

We have launched a public consultation on the priorities for community safety in the borough and are asking residents, workers, visitors and businesses to have their say on the proposed action plan.

We are part of the Epsom and Ewell Community Safety Partnership, which also includes Surrey Fire & Rescue Service, Surrey Police, Surrey County Council, Kent, Surrey and Sussex Probation Service, Surrey Downs Clinical Commissioning Group, Surrey Police & Crime Commissioner and Rosebery Housing Association.

Community safety covers a wide range of activities designed to reduce the likelihood of crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour, protect victims and hold perpetrators to account. It also involves reducing incidents of domestic abuse and behaviour damaging to the community.

As part of the Epsom & Ewell Community Safety Partnership, we have committed to playing our part in the following themes:

1. Focus on the most vulnerable or those at risk of harm
2. Serious organised crime and PREVENT
3. Identify and tackle crime and anti-social behaviour
4. Improve Community Engagement

The new plan is the first time the council has publicly committed to actions in support of those themes and they would like to gather the views of the community.

Alex Coley, Chair of the Council’s Crime and Disorder Committee said: “I asked for this community safety action plan to go to a public consultation so we can hear what local people  think our priorities should be. The government recently conducted a national consultation on expanded anti-social behaviour powers and the relationship between Community Safety Partnerships and Police & Crime Commissioners.

“Now it's time to ask what our local community want from the Council and our partners. Please tell us your community safety priorities and share with others so we hear from as many people as possible."

The consultation will run until 17 December 2023 and can be accessed via: www.epsom-ewell.gov.uk/council/consultations.

Have your say: email: consultations@epsom-ewell.gov.uk.

Unpausing the Local Plan

Councillors at Epsom & Ewell Borough Council voted to un-pause their Local Plan, at an Extraordinary Council meeting on Tuesday 24 October.

The decision means that it is now possible for work to restart to progress the Local Plan to the next stage, which is a further public consultation on the proposed submission version of the Local Plan (Regulation 19).

A Local Plan sets the vision and framework for development in the borough, focusing on a wide range of areas such as supporting businesses, creating jobs, infrastructure improvements, environmental protection and leisure development, alongside sites for new homes including affordable accommodation. The council’s Local Plan has been paused since March of this year, when a motion brought to an Extraordinary Council meeting was approved.

Councillor Steven McCormick, Chair of the Licensing and Planning Policy Committee, said: “We are very pleased that work on the Local Plan can recommence. We are legally required to review our Local Plan every five years, and are currently outside of that timeframe, which leaves us open to the risk of speculative development or government intervention.

“We recognise that the pause came about because of strength of feeling in the community regarding the inclusion of green belt sites in the Draft Local Plan, and want to reassure our residents and partners that their views and feedback will be taken into account in the next iteration of the Local Plan. Since the Local Plan was paused, council officers have been working hard on analysing all responses received during our Draft Local Plan consultation period in early 2023.

“We have also completed our call for sites which has brought forward some additional potential brownfield sites for development, which will now be carefully considered.

“Now that we can move forward with this work, we will prepare an updated Local Plan timetable (the Local Development Scheme), which will set out the key milestones for progressing the Local Plan towards adoption. All Councillors will be involved in the development of the proposed submission version of the Local Plan, and at a future meeting of full Council they will collectively decide if it is ready for the next stage of public consultation.

“We are committed to developing a Local Plan that allows all those who live, work, visit and study in the borough to thrive.”

Changes to council services over the festive period

Check our website for the most up-to-date information about opening times over the Christmas period. Christmas Opening Times | Epsom & Ewell Borough Council

The Town Hall

• 25 December – closed for the bank holiday
• 26 December - closed for the bank holiday
• 27 December – closed
• 28 December – open between 9am – 3pm
• 29 December - open between 9am – 3pm
• 1 January - closed for the bank holiday

Phone calls received outside of opening hours will automatically be redirected to our out-of-hours service.

Waste and refuse services

• During the Christmas and New Year’s weeks, collections must accommodate the public holidays, and at a time when bins are much fuller than usual. So, some services may not be available as usual, and your normal collection day may change.
• All planned changes can be found here: Christmas and New Year collections
• Christmas week: there will be no refuse collections during Christmas week. Please leave out food and recycling (including glass recycling) only. During Christmas week, collection days may change. Please check the Epsom & Ewell Borough Council website for recycling and food bin collection days during Christmas week.
• New Year’s week: Normal refuse collections start again in New Year's week. However, collection days may change. Please check the Epsom & Ewell Borough Council website for collection days during New Year’s week.
• Before Christmas, Epsom & Ewell Borough Council will place a label on resident’s bin handles with collection details for the festive period. If you are an Epsom & Ewell resident, please do look out for this reminder about how services will be changing in your road over Christmas and New Year’s weeks.

Christmas tree recycling

In January, Epsom & Ewell Borough Council offer free real Christmas tree recycling for all residents. This is a fortnightly service - check your Christmas bin label for details of when real Christmas tree collections happen in your road.

Community & Wellbeing Services

Community and Wellbeing Centre, including the Dementia Hub

• Monday 25 December (Christmas Day) – closed for the bank holiday
• Tuesday 26 December (Boxing Day) – closed for the bank holiday
• Wednesday 27 December – closed
• Thursday 28 December – open as normal
• Friday 29 December – open as normal
• Monday 1 January (Bank Holiday) – closed for the bank holiday
• Normal operating hours from Tuesday 2 January

Meals at home & shopping service

• Monday 25 December (Boxing Day) – closed for the bank holiday*
• Tuesday 26 December (Bank Holiday) – closed for the bank holiday*
• Wednesday 27 December – closed*
• Thursday 28 December – open as normal
• Friday 29 December - open as normal
• Monday 1 January (Bank Holiday) – closed for the bank holiday*
• Normal operating hours from Tuesday 2 January

* We will provide frozen meals and shopping to be delivered the week before, if required.

Telecare/ community alarm

• Monday 25 December (Boxing Day) – closed for the bank holiday*
• Tuesday 26 December (Bank Holiday) – closed for the bank holiday*
• Wednesday 27 December – closed*
• Thursday 28 December – we will be operating a reduced service*
• Friday 29 December – we will be operating a reduced service*
• Monday 1 January (Bank Holiday) – closed for the bank holiday*
• Normal operating hours from Tuesday 2 January

* The usual out-of-hours monitoring/equipment fault service is available.

Transport from home

• Monday 25 December (Boxing Day) – closed for the bank holiday
• Tuesday 26 December (Bank Holiday) – closed for the bank holiday
• Wednesday 27 December – closed
• Thursday 28 December – we will operate a reduced service
• Friday 29 December – we will operate a reduced service
• Monday 1 January (Bank Holiday) – closed for the bank holiday
• Normal operating hours from Tuesday 2 January

The Harrier Centre

• Sunday 24 December - closed
• Monday 25 December - closed
• Tuesday 26 December - closed
• Wednesday 27 December - closed 
• Thursday 28 December - open as normal
• Sunday 31 December - closed 
• Monday 1 January - closed 
• Tuesday 2 January - open as normal 

Switching on the Epsom Christmas lights

Thank you to everybody who attended our Christmas Lights Switch On in the marketplace on Friday 24 November. The event was a wonderful way to start the festive season.

We hope everyone who was able to come along had a great time. 

Respite daycare for people living with memory loss and dementia

This month on 23 November it was Carers Rights Day. Find out more about this day here. 

If you are caring for someone with memory loss or dementia, support is available.

The Dementia Hub offers specialist respite daycare for people living with memory loss and dementia. It offers a safe, friendly environment where clients can enjoy activities, social interaction and develop skills to improve their quality of life.

The Dementia Hub is part of the Community & Wellbeing Centre, in Sefton Road Epsom, a support hub which offers social and recreational activities for over 55s.

The Community & Wellbeing Centre also provides services including assisted bathing, a community alarm service, foot clinic, meals at home, a shopping service and transport from home. 

Interested in finding out more about the Dementia Hub, or perhaps you'd like to book a free assessment? Call 01372 727583 or visit: www.epsom-ewell.gov.uk/dementia-hub.

Jobs at Epsom & Ewell Borough Council

Our small but ambitious authority offers you the opportunity to become involved in a wide range of varied and interesting work. That, together with an enviable array of staff benefits and a rewarding and challenging career, is our unique offer to you.

If you have the passion and the drive to make a real difference, we really want to hear from you. View a list of all current vacancies at Epsom & Ewell Borough Council here.

We're recruiting for a Head of ICT.

The Head of Information Technology is a business critical and senior role within the Council, responsible for leading a team of professional officers who deliver the Council’s challenging IT agenda. 

Find out more about this role here: Head of ICT at Epsom & Ewell Borough Council

Closing Date: 10/12/2023 at 23:59

At Epsom & Ewell Borough Council, we are passionate about maintaining an inclusive workplace for all that reflects the communities we serve. We welcome applications from all sections of our community particularly from underrepresented backgrounds, including BAME, LGBTQ+ and those with hidden or visible disabilities.

We are committed to ensuring all our staff – regardless of gender, age, religion, sexuality, ethnicity or disability – can thrive and succeed whilst working with us.

Bourne Hall Museum Takes Part in Kids in Museums ‘Takeover Day’

On Friday 17 November Bourne Hall collaborated with NESCOT as part of a national Kids in Museums Takeover Day event. This project sits within Epsom & Ewell Borough Council’s Arts, Culture and Heritage Strategy which aims to increase access to art, culture and heritage within the borough, as well as nurturing local, creative talent.

Mirroring these values and supported by Arts Council England, the Kids in Museums charity aims to empower young people and help them learn digital marketing skills, as well as supporting museums to engage younger audiences.

Since Takeover Day began in 2010, over 40,000 children and young people have taken part. Takeover Day was established to help historic institutions empower young people and give them meaningful roles in their organisations. Over 5,000 people, from toddlers to 25-year-olds, now take part each year.

In support of the Takeover Day, Bourne Hall welcomed a group of creative arts students from NESCOT to its Museum this month to view their collection of ‘paper tapestry’ wallpapers. The wallpapers originated from homes within the borough from 1690 onwards and were created by hand using block-printing techniques. As objects within Bourne Hall Museum's collection, they are excellent examples of our borough's creative and heritage-rich past.

Focused around the Kids in Museums theme of ‘Let’s Play’, students then used the wallpapers as a springboard to let their creativity run free - employing techniques learnt in the artistic studios at NESCOT, the end result is a fantastic collection of colourful and characterful textile artworks. An exhibition of the students' work is now on display at Bourne Hall Museum, free to access and enjoy at your own pace. 

“As part of our new Arts, Culture and Heritage Strategy, we are committed to nurturing creative talent and increasing access to resources and opportunities within our Borough,” says Councillor Clive Woodbridge, Chair of Epsom & Ewell Borough Council’s Community and Wellbeing Committee. “Working collaboratively with NESCOT shows how our cultural and historical past can be reimagined through the eyes of the creative talents of the future. Blending the past and the present through such artistic outputs is fantastic to see and I warmly congratulate the students from NESCOT on their exhibition, which I would encourage residents to visit.”

Sarah Jane Morgan, Curriculum Coordinator Art and Design and Digital Design and Lecturer and Chloe Chivers, Art & Design Tutor at NESCOT added,

“Our UAL Level One Diploma in Art and Design students put their skills into action creating contemporary fabric prints inspired by historic wallpaper samples found here in the Bourne Hall archive. It was a great opportunity for our students to modernise historic prints dating back to the 17th Century, designing for a new audience. An experience enjoyed all round!”

You can follow the conversation on social media by looking at the hashtag #TakeoverDay(link is external) and following @KidsInMuseums(link is external).

Home Upgrade Grant

As the weather becomes colder and the days darker, you may be starting to think about energy costs again. 

Making your home more energy efficient and environmentally friendly is a great opportunity to reduce energy bills and do your bit for the environment and reduce your carbon footprint.

What funding is available?

More than £12m of Government funding is now available, via the Home Upgrade Grant scheme, for Surrey residents to make their homes more energy efficient and environmentally friendly. 

Who is eligible?

If your home is not heated by gas you might be eligible for this grant. Anyone living in hard to heat homes and on lower incomes could receive up to £38,000 to fund measures that; improve a range of insulation including wall, loft and underfloor; install solar PV, solar thermal and air source heat pumps and ensure ventilation meets the industry standards.

Your property must have an EPC rating of D-G, the primary form of heating must not be mains gas and you will need to meet the financial eligibility criteria. Funding is limited and will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Find out more

For more information and to check if you’re eligible for the grant, visit the Action Surrey website or call 0800 783 2503.

Help for landlords

If you’re a private landlord, your tenant might be eligible for the funding. You can also check The Domestic Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) Regulations Guidance for Landlords web page for details on updated requirements.

Surrey Energy Advice

Online Energy Advice Tool to help you save money

Surrey County Council have created a new online Energy Advice Tool. The tool asks a series of short questions and depending on the answers will offer tailored information on grants, support and advice, and non-financial help on a range of topics including:

• Find free or part-funded schemes to make you home more energy efficient
• Signpost to debt relief grants
• Where to find additional services such as clothes and food banks
• Fuel vouchers

Other support:

Welfare Hub

Surrey County Council have pulled together financial, health and welfare information on their website to ensure you find what support is on offer in the country. For more information, visit the Welfare Hub.

Cost of Living Support

Visit Epsom & Ewell Borough Council's Cost of Living Support webpage for more support and advice.

Half price bus fares for under 20s in Surrey

Young people aged 20 and under are now entitled to 50% off all adult bus fares across Surrey.

Surrey County Council have created a new ‘LINK' card which can be shown on any bus in Surrey to qualify for the discount on all single and return journeys. You can apply at www.surreycc.gov.uk/surreylink.

Journeys should start and/or end in Surrey and people in the qualifying age group must live in the county.

More information is available at www.surreycc.gov.uk/surreylink