The Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Reigate and Banstead Council met on 9 October 2025 to discuss a range of topics, including the performance of Thames Water, the council's draft Greenspaces Strategy, and updates from Executive Members on their organisation portfolios. The committee was also scheduled to review its forward work programme and consider any items arising from the Executive that might be subject to call-in.

Thames Water

The committee was scheduled to receive a presentation from Thames Water and scrutinise its performance in the local area. Councillors were also scheduled to consider a motion, deferred from a Full Council meeting on 28 November 2024, expressing a lack of confidence in Thames Water.

The motion stated that sewage treatment works in the borough of Reigate and Banstead had released untreated sewage into the River Mole or its tributaries for at least 3,300 hours in 2023, including instances of raw sewage being released directly onto public land in Horley. It also noted that almost two thirds of Thames Water's sewage treatment works were potentially non-compliant with their permits, and that the company was struggling with its £18 billion debt.

The motion proposed that the council:

1. Declares it has no confidence in Thames Water;
2. Calls on government to exercise its powers under the Water Industry Act 1991, and place Thames Water and other failing water companies in Special Administration to protect the public interest;
3. Calls on the government to end the failed experiment of privatisation and bring Thames Water back into public control, ensuring proper investment to bring the service up to standard, and protecting the public from massive bill hikes.
4. Supports calls by grassroots campaign organisations to amend the Water (Special Measures) Bill currently progressing through Parliament to:

• Stop the public bailout of the water industry proposed under s10 of the Bill;
• Reform the duties of Ofwat to be for the interests of the public and nature;
• Ensure new and existing laws are backed by adequate deterrents and are fully enforced
• Re-democratise water by having employees, bill payers and council appointees on the boards of all water companies in England.
• Invites Thames Water to attend the Council's Overview and Scrutiny Committee during this financial year 2024-25, so they can be held to account on local issues.

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee had the option to either conclude the matter if satisfied with Thames Water's performance, continue to monitor the company's performance, or recommend to Full Council that it make a statement of no confidence.

Greenspaces Draft Strategy

The committee was scheduled to receive a report introducing the draft Greenspaces Strategy for adoption. The report outlined the purpose and priorities of the strategy.

Organisation Portfolio Holders Update

The committee was scheduled to receive briefings from Executive Members on their organisation portfolio areas of work. These included:

• Councillor R Biggs, Leader of the Council, on Communications and Customer Contact.
• Councillor James King, Executive Member for Corporate Policy & Resources, on Corporate Plan, Corporate Policy, Projects & Performance, Information Technology, and Data & Insight.
• Councillor B Green, Executive Member for Finance, Assets and Governance, on Organisational Development & Human Resources, Finance, Strategic Procurement and Contract Management, Revenues, Benefits & Fraud, Democratic and Electoral Services, Legal Services, and Mayoral Services.

Each portfolio update included a review of the 2024-25 objectives, progress against those objectives, and the 2025-27 portfolio holder objectives, as well as next steps.

Communications and Customer Contact

Councillor R Biggs's report noted that the council's Communications and Customer Contact Team (CCT) continued to deliver an excellent service, with a 98.2% Mystery Shopper rating. The CCT also launched the Reigate and Banstead Borough Council Learning from Complaints Forum with endorsement from the Audit Committee.

For 2025-27, the portfolio holder's objectives included seeing the organisation through Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) in the best way possible for staff and residents alike. A residents' survey in April 2025 revealed that council communications and local knowledge were what respondents valued the most about their local borough council.

Corporate Policy and Resources

Councillor James King's report noted that the council's new Corporate Plan was developed during 2024/25 and agreed by Council in July 2025. The development of the plan included extensive engagement with residents and other stakeholders.

For 2025-27, the portfolio holder's objectives included oversight of Corporate Plan Delivery, supporting LGR readiness and transition activity, and ensuring effective corporate performance, risk reporting, project and programme reporting.

Information Technology

Councillor James King's report noted that work on a Digital Target Operating Model was paused in light of the Local Government Reorganisation announcement in late 2024, with the services pivoting their focus for readying the service for Unitary life.

For 2025-27, the portfolio holder's objectives included oversight and assurance of the Reigate and Banstead Borough Council IT estate, ensuring hardware, software, and IT infrastructure is fit for purpose, and appropriately robust and resilient.

Data and Insight

Councillor James King's report noted that the Reigate and Banstead Borough Council Data & Insight team played a pivotal role in the creation of a robust evidence base of data for the MHCLG Submissions around LGR, including a residents' survey that reached over 15,000 homes and was completed by 1461 residents.

For 2025-27, the portfolio holder's objectives included promoting an ethos of utilisation of data and insight as part of the council's activities, demonstrating the value of using data and insight in both improved outcomes for residents, and delivery of financial benefits, and supporting the organisational implementation of the Reigate and Banstead Borough Council People and Culture Plan.

Finance, Assets and Governance

Councillor B Green's report noted that the council tax collection rate at the end of Q1 2025/26 was 29.30% (£46.90m), a decrease of 0.37% on the previous year, and that the business rates collection rate at the end of Q1 2024/25 was 33.56% (£19.6m), an increase of 0.36% on the previous year.

For 2025/26, the portfolio holder's objectives included delivering financial excellence, best LGR outcomes for Reigate and Banstead Borough Council, and freezing council tax for 2026/27.

Strategic procurement and contract management

Councillor B Green's report noted that the Procurement Act 2023 had been implemented with new templates agreed with legal in line with guidance provided by Transform Public Procurement Team, and that Procurement Act 2023 training had been provided to SMT and Head of Service.

Revenues and Benefits

Councillor B Green's report noted that in 2025/26 the council was forecasting that it would award Housing Benefit of £22m and around £8.5m in Local Council Tax Support.

In 2024/25 savings achieved from fraud detection and investigations was £812K, which includes cashable savings of £168K.

Democratic and Electoral Services

Councillor B Green's report noted that two by-elections had been successfully delivered for Nork & Tattenhams division, Surrey County Council (May 2025); and, Horley West ward, Horley Town Council (June 2025), and that one recent by-election had been called in Meadvale & St. John's ward, Reigate and Banstead Borough Council (16 Oct 2025).

Legal Services

Councillor B Green's report noted that the Legal Services department was learning from service user feedback as a quality check to ensure the service continues to deliver high quality legal advice, and that staff were attending governance, legal and case management training that will provide greater insight into constitutional, governance, legal and case management practice and procedures for the benefit of all services.

Mayoral

Councillor B Green's report listed recent and forthcoming events in 2025, including Armed Forces Week, the Reigate & Banstead Volunteer Awards 2025, VJ 80 Day, a town twinning trip to Brunoy, Germany, and Remembrance Sunday.

Overview and Scrutiny Committee Forward Work Programme

The committee was scheduled to consider and agree any changes to the schedule for the Overview and Scrutiny Committee's Forward Work Programme 2025/26 and to consider the Action Tracker from the previous meeting.

The forward work programme included the following items:

• Thames Water Scrutiny (9 October 2025)
• Greenspaces Draft Strategy (9 October 2025)
• Organisation Portfolio Holders Update (9 October 2025)
• Budget Scrutiny Panel (26 November 2025)
• Observations on Budget Proposals 2026/27 - Budget Scrutiny Panel Report (4 December 2025)
• Q2 Performance 2025/26 (4 December 2025)
• Q2 Revenue and Capital Budget Monitoring 2025/26 (4 December 2025)
• Leader's Update (4 December 2025)
• Local Plan Update (4 December 2025)
• Leisure and Culture Strategy (Pending)

The action tracker included updates on the following items:

• Review of the work of the Greenspaces Team (22 Feb 2024)
• Place Portfolio Holders Update (14 Mar 2024)
• Q1 Performance 2025/26 (11 Sep 2025)
• Q1 Revenue and Capital Budget Monitoring 2025/26 (11 Sep 2025)

Executive

The committee was scheduled to consider any items arising from the Executive which might be subject to the 'call-in' procedure¹ in accordance with the provisions of the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules set out in the Constitution.