Surrey County Council Move

The new site is in Reigate, just south of the town centre in Woodhatch, on the A217 heading towards Gatwick. The building was used until recently by Canon and is well fitted out to meet Council requirements. There is also space for a new school and facilities for the elderly.

The vacant site, off Cockshot Hill, Woodhatch, was acquired by the Council in the summer. The location has around 20 acres of land including 110,000 square feet of offices, nearly 500 car parking spaces, and landscaped grounds.

That won’t all be used for Surrey’s offices: in September 2023 Reigate Priory School is expected to move into a new building to be constructed in the grounds.

The County Council’s headquarters in Kingston has not been in the County of Surrey since 1965, when the boundary of London was moved outwards to include not just Kingston, but also areas such as Sutton, Richmond and Wimbledon. Last year the Council announced a move of County Hall to Woking, but difficulties with the purchase of the building and a realisation that a much smaller set of offices would fit the bill caused a re-think. The practical experience of operating with coronavirus is changing the world of work, so even after coronavirus there will be much more working virtually from home or another location, or even on the move.

County Hall is now up for sale and SCC intends to seek planning permission from Kingston Council for “mixed use” next year.