Relocation of Surrey Police Eastern Division Headquarters

Background

Following the discovery of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) at Reigate and Banstead Police Station in September 2023, it was agreed that police teams based at the Station would be moved to a temporary base alongside Surrey Fire and Rescue Service at Wray Park in Reigate.

The public front counter at Reigate Station was moved to Caterham Police Station.

Following exceptional circumstances, those decisions meant that local police officers serving Reigate and Banstead, and officers and staff serving Surrey Police’s Eastern Division comprising Reigate and Banstead, Tandridge, Mole Valley and Epsom and Ewell, could continue to carry out their normal activities.

The move to Wray Park was agreed on an urgent and temporary basis. As a result, the Force has been considering its wider operational requirements across the Eastern Division, including a decision approved by the Police and Crime Commissioner Lisa Townsend to develop a new Eastern Divisional HQ, that will be based in Leatherhead.

Further decisions were made to ensure that Safer Neighbourhood Teams already based in each of Surrey’s eastern boroughs will operate out of new sites, which are in the process of being identified in Epsom & Ewell, Reigate and Banstead, Mole Valley and Tandridge. This will ensure the delivery of a consistent service and coverage across the county.

Use this page to learn more about the proposed relocation of the Force’s Eastern Divisional HQ:

Frequently asked questions (FAQ):

What is the difference between a Divisional HQ and the local police base in each borough?

Every borough in Surrey is served by a Safer Neighbourhood Team including local police officers that carry out visible patrols, engage with residents and work with partners to problem-solve issues that occur in their borough.

They are supported by other policing teams that are organised by a wider police area – covering the East, West or North of Surrey. Those officers often work from a divisional HQ that serves each of the boroughs in their area. The Eastern Division includes Epsom and Ewell, Mole Valley, Reigate and Banstead and Tandridge.

In April 2024, the Safer Neighbourhood Team and Divisional teams based at Reigate Police Station were moved to Wray Park and the front counter was moved to Caterham Police Station following the discovery of RAAC.

No changes were made to the normal activities of the local team in Reigate and Banstead, who will continue to work from Wray Park until a new site is identified.

Officers who will start work from the new divisional HQ in Leatherhead will serve all of East Surrey and have the option to use local police bases in each of the Eastern boroughs as needed during their shift.

Why was Leatherhead chosen for the new divisional HQ?

In 2018, Surrey Police purchased the former Electrical Research Association (ERA) and Cobham Industries site on Cleeve Road in Leatherhead with a view to developing a new headquarters for Surrey Police. However, following a review in November 2021, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Surrey Lisa Townsend and the Surrey Police Chief Officer team took the decision to retain Mount Browne in Guildford as the Force Headquarters and redevelop the existing site.

The Leatherhead site has been on the commercial property market for sale since earlier last year.

Since vacating Reigate Police Station, which was the home of the Force’s Eastern divisional teams, the Force has been working closely with commercial surveyors Vail Williams to explore numerous opportunities to locate a new Divisional HQ. This included reviewing possible sites in Epsom, Dorking, Leatherhead, Reigate (including the redevelopment of Reigate Police Station itself) and Redhill.

Following this piece of work an operational recommendation was made to the Surrey Police Estates Board, chaired by the Commissioner, to retain part of the Leatherhead site and to build a bespoke, permanent, Divisional Headquarters for the teams operating across East Surrey.

The recommendation for a more permanent divisional HQ presented by the Force were based on operational requirements and partnerships with other public services, with a focus on providing the best value for money for Surrey residents.

The proposed location is within easy reach of the major road links serving the County and each of our borough operational bases, including the M25 orbital, the A3, the M23 and A24 Leatherhead by-pass.

The site will be in addition to local police bases in each of the boroughs in East Surrey, including a new site that will house the local policing team in Reigate and Banstead.

Once we are ready to share our proposals, we will arrange a public consultation event to gather feedback prior to submitting for planning.

Will the move have an impact on my local policing team? 

The move is not expected to have any impact on the service provided by our local teams in Reigate and Banstead, Mole Valley, Tandridge or Epsom and Ewell. These teams will continue to operate from a local base in each borough and patrol, engage with residents and investigate reports as they normally do.

The local team serving Reigate and Banstead currently operates from Wray Park. Work is underway to identify a new site that will provide a permanent home for this team at another location in Reigate and Banstead.

As part of the wider review of operational requirements in East Surrey, the Force are also reviewing the locations of local police bases in Epsom and Ewell, Tandridge and Mole Valley in order to provide the best service to residents.

Divisional teams provide support to the local teams in each of the boroughs in their area and officers who start their shift at the Eastern base will continue to have access to other police sites in the eastern part of the county as needed during their shift.

What will happen to police front counters in East Surrey?

Surrey Police and the Police and Crime Commissioner are committed to ensuring that there is a minimum of one Front Counter facility in each of the Western, Northern and Eastern divisions, allowing members of the public to access police services.

While locations will be reviewed, there will be no fewer than we currently provide. There is no change to front counter provision where customers can still report crime seven days a week.

See below for more information about the police front counters that are available in East Surrey.

Will response times be affected?

We do not foresee any negative change to response times. The desire is for our Neighbourhood Policing Teams to start their shift from Leatherhead then respond directly within their local area, as they already do.

Where can I visit a Surrey Police station in person?

There are two front counters available for members of the public to speak to a police officer or member of staff in-person in East Surrey.

They are located at Epsom Town Hall and Caterham Police Station.

Epsom Town Hall is open to the public from 09:00-17:00 on weekdays. The front counter at Caterham Police Station is available to the public from 08:00-22:00 Monday to Sunday (09:00-17:00 on bank holidays).

You can find out where your local police station or front counter is in Surrey by using the ‘Find your area’ search tool at surrey.police.uk

You can report crime to Surrey Police or request an update on a case at any time by visiting surrey.police.uk, calling 101 or sending a message on Surrey Police social media channels including Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram.

Always dial 999 in an emergency.

Will there be a public consultation?

Once we are ready to share our proposals, we will arrange a public consultation event to gather feedback prior to submitting for planning permission.

Where can I learn more?

You can learn more about contacting Surrey Police, see Surrey Police news or find information about the police team and locations in your area at surrey.police.uk

Learn more about the Police and Crime Commissioner’s role here, or contact our office at surrey-pcc.gov.uk/contact-us

You can see more news about the development of the new headquarters for Surrey Police, and the relocation of the divisional headquarters for East Surrey, on our ‘news’ page.