In this edition ...
There is the newly appointed Chairman and Horley Town Mayor plus details of the Horley Town Meeting; Council Reports; forthcoming Horley Carnival, launch of Horley in Bloom competition, Horley Vimy Twinning event and Conservation Group update.
Election of Chairman and Horley Town Mayor
At its Annual Council Meeting held on Tuesday 17 May 2016, Horley Town Council elected Cllr Mike George as the Chairman & Town Mayor for 2016/2017. Cllr David Jackson was also elected as Vice Chairman and Deputy Town Mayor.
Cllr George said that “… it is a great privilege to lead this council for the coming year and I hope to build on the excellent work of my predecessor, Cllr Richard Olliver. It is my intention to continue to make the council as open and accessible whenever possible to all the residents of Horley. The Kent Surrey & Sussex Air Ambulance will be my preferred charity.”
Cllr Mike George (Residents’ Association) has lived in Horley for 37 years with his wife, Sue, and has 1 daughter and 2 sons. He has worked in the airline industry for many years and was previously Chairman of the Planning and Development Committee. Cllr Richard Olliver stated at the annual meeting that it had been a privilege to serve the council as its Town Mayor for the past 4 years, during which time he had carried out 227 civic duties. He thanked all members of the current and previous administrations, all members of staff, and especially his wife, Gill for her support. He wished his successor, Cllr Mike George, all the very best during his forthcoming term of office and hoped that he will derive as much enjoyment and sense of achievement as he did.
At the first meeting of the new municipal year, all members were elected onto the main Committees. Committee Chairmen will be elected later at their respective Committee meetings. The schedule of Council meetings is available here.
Horley Town Meeting
The Horley Town Meeting took place on Friday 29 April 2016 when Peter Faulding, Chief Executive of Specialist Group International Ltd, was our guest speaker. He gave an entertaining presentation on the company's work including underwater search teams, a fleet of specialist vehicles, ground penetrating radar, side scan sonar, remote submarines and a helicopter to provide rapid transport. Interesting aerial photography taken at crime scenes and during major incidents, such as flooding, were also displayed. Peter is pictured with Cllrs Richard Olliver and David Powell
Other topics discussed at the meeting included The Cyril Edmonds Fund, Smith's Charity and Annual Reports from the Town Council’s Chairman and Committee Chairmen. Presentations were also made to each winner of the Court Lodge in Colour and Horley in Spring competitions, by the Mayor of RBBC, Cllr Mrs Joan Spiers.
Annual Report 2015/16
Horley Town Council has issued its Annual Report for 2015/2016. The document provides an insight into the council’s business and activities over the past municipal year, and it incorporates all the statutory reports made by the Town Council’s Committee Chairmen which were presented at the Annual Town Meeting on 29 April 2016. A variety of information is provided, including a look back over the significant events of the previous year; information on all our Town Awards holders; financial statistics and an analysis of attendances by councillors at meetings. The report is available to view here.
Horley Carnival ....through the ages, and beyond!
Taking place in the Horley Horley Recreation Ground on Saturday 18th June, Horley Carnival will again be free to enter, thanks to the very generous support from our Borough Councillors and Gatwick Airport Ltd, and will run from 12.00 pm to 5.00 pm. The parade promises to be the biggest so far with up to 21 organisations and groups already signed up to take part including 4 bands. It will set off from the Victoria Road car park at 12.30 pm, travelling along the same route as previous years. It is planned to increase the number of awards for the best floats; also this year the fancy dress competition will be judged at the same time as the floats (in the Victoria Road car park). Another change will see two of the bands performing, before the arrival of the parade, one on the forecourt of Russell Square (next to Costa Coffee) the other at the Victoria Road end of the pedestrian precinct. Judging of the fancy dress and the Carnival floats will be carried out by the Mayors of Reigate & Banstead and Horley.
For the first time there will be a prize for the best stall supporting the Carnival theme. Further enquiries, please email: horleycarnival@gmail.com
Town Centre Sponsorship
We are once again looking for sponsors for the town centre flowers. Sponsorships will be gratefully acknowledged on our notice boards, website, in this eNewsletter, press releases and on special plaques around the town. Any amount, no matter how small, would be very much appreciated. Sponsors will also be invited to lunch with the South East in Bloom judges on 13 July, as well as to the Horley in Bloom Awards Evening at the end of September. Please contact us if you are interested.
Skate Park Tender
Horley Town Council is seeking to enter into a contract for the removal of the existing skate park and for the design, supply and installation of a new concrete skate park. The new equipment will fit into the footprint of the existing skate park. The service and works required are outlined in the specification. The project is expected to have a 4-6 week construction phase with an anticipated total cost not to exceed £85k. The installation will be on the existing site mostly involving poured concrete moulded into the relevant shapes. <<read more>>
Horley-Vimy Twinning Association Update
Former Horley Town Mayor, Richard Olliver, visited Vimy on 7 and 8 May 2016, along with members of the Horley-Vimy Twinning Association. The main purpose was to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the founding of the Twinning Association and to mark Victory 1945 Day close to the Battle of Vimy Ridge, the site of an important First World War battlefield where many Canadians lost their lives. Cllr Olliver laid a wreath at the War Memorial and is pictured with The Maire of Vimy, M Jacques Lariviere.
Vimy is a small town between Lens and Arras in the Pas de Calais region, with a population of around 4,600. It is a little quieter than Horley and is primarily a farming town. It is situated at the foot of the Vimy Ridge, the site of an important First World War battlefield. There is an impressive monument there and a museum. The woods surrounding them contain many bomb craters and bunkers and some of the original trenches showing very clearly how close the front lines were.
Vimy has a typical French Mairie (town hall) overlooking a small square in the centre of the town, which holds a regular market. Nearby is the pretty and historical town of Arras. Other towns in close proximity are Lens, and Vendin le Vieil.
Launch of Annual Horley in Bloom Competition
The Horley in Bloom Organising Committee is delighted to announce the launch of this year’s competition, now in its 22nd year.
The different categories are as follows:
Residential Front Garden
Residential Back Garden
Residential Flat
Community
Schools
Hanging Basket / Planter
Allotments
Public Houses
Commercial (includes guesthouses)
There will as always be awards for the best newcomer to the competition and for the entry deemed by the judges to be the best example of a “Cottage Garden”.
The Horley in Bloom Photographic Competition will be taking place for the fourth year. There are categories for both children and adults. There are three categories, Hanging Basket/Plants, Garden Scene and Street View/Countryside and, whilst the photographs need to be taken in Horley, entrants do not have to be local residents.
Awards will be presented at our Awards Evening on 30 September 2016, at Regent Hall, Albert Road, Horley.
Horley has once again entered the South & South East in Bloom Competition and hopes to improve on the Silver Gilt Awards gained last year.
Please follow these links for the HIB entry form and for the photographic entry form.
Horley Conservation Update
Here is an update from the conservation group ...
We met on 14 May, for a busy morning, so we split into 2 groups. Some of us grubbed up several bags full of Ragwort (which can be poisonous to livestock if cut and mixed in with their normal food), whilst the rest worked around the pond, collecting litter from in and around it, cutting back along the paths, collecting tree tubes and stakes from the Trinity Oaks Primary School and installing some more hazel stakes by the aquatic invertebrate shelter, ready to be filled with birch bundles come the autumn/winter.
The next task day is on Sunday, 12th June and it will either be at Church Meadows in Horley, or back at Tanyard Meadows to start on the Himalayan Balsam along the Burstow Stream.
For more details about the Horley Conservation Group, please use this link.
Horley Town Plan
The Town Plan 2016-2019, was presented to the Town Meeting on 29 April 2016. Comments on the report together with suggestions for future projects are welcome from residents. The report is available here.
Dates for your diary ...
Please check out our online "what's on" calendar for information on forthcoming events. Did you know you can submit your own organisation's event? Just follow the instructions on our website.
Forthcoming events are:
Events
- 18 June Horley Carnival, Horley Recreation Ground
- 23 June EU Referendum
Next Council Meetings
- 24 May Leisure
- 31 May Planning
- 14 June Finance
Please note that the SCC/Reigate and Banstead Local Committee meeting will be held at Horley Town Council, Edmonds Hall, 92 Albert Road Monday, 6 June 2016 starting at 2.00 pm. The meeting is open to the public.
  
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