The new Government has made key announcements in the past few weeks which have started to shift the balance of power in local planning decisions back towards local residents.

Council is using Compost Awareness Week (2-10 May 2010) to encourage more Merstham residents to start recycling their kitchen, household and garden waste by composting at home. “Give it a grow”, the theme of this year’s Compost Awareness Week, aims to encourage us all to try something different, like having a go at home composting or extending the range of waste we compost to do our bit for the environment.

Reigate & Banstead Borough Council’s recycling team is hitting the road over the coming months to bring the “reduce, reuse and recycle” message out to residents to help them waste less, and hopefully save money at the same time.
The Recycling Road show will be in Merstham for the Quality Street Fair on the 3rd July.

Ambitious plans by Reigate & Banstead Borough Council to cut its energy costs and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by a massive 30 per cent over five years were given the go-ahead by the Executive last Thursday (25 March 2010).

Merstham councillors are asking concerned local residents if the Council should follow Torbay’s controversial campaign for tackling dog fouling in Merstham.
Torbay’s successful but controversial campaign featured a hard-hitting image appearing to show a young child eating dog faeces which they found in a playground, with the headline “Children will put anything in their mouths”.

Merstham residents are invited to join Reigate and Banstead’s countryside rangers to hear in the Dawn Chorus on Redhill Common on Sunday 21st March. Ideal for early birds, an “introduction to the dawn chorus for beginners” gives people a chance to listen to the early morning birdsong and learn to identify which song belongs to which bird.

Councillors are being asked for their views on the Government’s proposals for a central Infrastructure Planning Committee (IPC), that would take away current local planning powers to decide on large infrastructure projects in their area such as new runways, railways, roads or power stations.

More than 400 residents have taken advantage of a Surrey County Council scheme designed to help save up to £150 each year on energy bills. The energy monitor lending scheme has proved most popular in Reigate and Banstead, with 64 individuals and families borrowing the devices from one of the borough’s six libraries during October and November.

Council’s Executive have agreed to target a reduction in the Council’s own energy usage, and hence carbon emissions, of 30% over the period to 2014. The Council has been undertaking a major project with the Carbon Trust to identify ways of saving energy.

Tired of being snowed in and want to get outdoors and start the year off with a healthy, fun activity…we need your help in Furzefield Wood Merstham.
Get involved with the Surrey Wildlife Trust’s Greenspace Project team and other local volunteers and help make your community in Merstham one of the most hands-on, green-fingered and proud communities in Surrey!