Letter from the editor – May 2026

The Miller Centre was opened in October 1977. The centre is a registered charity and was named after Dorothy Miller who was the founder of the Caterham Players in 1945. The centre hosts Caterham’s very own theatre which is very much a hidden gem within the community. It was originally a church followed by a school and finally became a day centre as well as a theatre.

So if you fancy watching a play, performing on stage, experiencing work in a live theatre environment or viewing a classic or recent film do pop along and see them!

Productions are held through the year and auditions are open to everyone however there are many opportunities available to those who would prefer not to be on stage. Lighting, sound, wardrobe, box office sales, set design and stage management are all roles available.

I am Chantal Baker, Director and founder of Champ Consultants. We are accountants and tax consultants based in Caterham. We are looking forward to providing you with business and finance tips as well as answering your questions. Question:

I have a buy to let property and I understand there are changes coming in from April 2020, what do I need to know?

Answer:

There are a number of changes coming into effect from April 2020. You will only be entitled to a 20% tax relief on your mortgage interest on residential properties. This does not apply if you have commercial property. The main changes are relevant to capital gains tax when you sell the property or gift it.

“Can’t I have five more minutes – purleeeease?”

If I had a pound for every time this phrase has been uttered when I’ve asked for the iPad (other tablets are available!) to be handed back… Not counting the number of times I have hidden the remote control for the Xbox… Apparently, changing the Wi-Fi password is another good one – not so much for me it takes me three months to update all the other Wi-Fi linked devices as well!

We are in a constant battle with our children over their technological devices (well at least I hope it is not just me) and all I keep reading and talking about is the negative effects on our innocent offspring. So, instead of whinging about it, I have decided to try and look upon technology more positively and to see how it can be used to improve the standards of education and the way children learn.

Woldingham Sixth Former and sport scholar Sophie was one of just four alpine skiers to represent Great Britain at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games, held in Lausanne, Switzerland, 9-22 January.

One of the younger competitors at just 16, Sophie competed strongly for Team GB in her four events: Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super-G and Alpine Combined. She notched up a fantastic 20th place in the Slalom in a field of 78 and 18th place in the slalom leg of the Alpine Combined, giving her 23rd position overall. Sophie was understandably thrilled by the experience, commenting:

“Competing at the Youth Olympics in Lausanne was an amazing experience for me and I am hugely honoured to have been selected to represent Great Britain. It was brilliant to ski against the best athletes in the world in my age group and the support we received in Switzerland, at home and, of course, at school, was utterly fantastic!”

SCC Leader, Tim Oliver had quoted ‘Great to see Claire Coutinho already getting to work for her residents with real enthusiasm’ and after watching her Maiden Speech and meeting with her I could see exactly what he meant.

Costa Coffee in Caterham Valley was the ideal place for my recent meeting with our local (newly elected) Conservative MP for East Surrey, Claire Coutinho.

As a child Claire never wanted to be an MP but her interest for politics developed much later after starting her career within the finance world. It was only just over a year ago that she decided due to her frustration with parliament that she wanted to be a part of the front line.

Welcome to February’s edition of the Caterham and District Independent.

Although it may still feel as though 2020 has only just begun, for those of us with children we are already almost half-way through the Spring Term. If you’re like me you’ll be looking forward to a break from packed lunches and the school run but if you’re not sure how you’ll survive a week of high-spirited kids, have a look at some of the local half-term activities for children. You’re sure to find something to keep them occupied and, hopefully, wear them out!

It’s Valentine’s Day on Friday 14th and so we have our ‘Messages Board’ for you to take a look at… could your name be on there?!

The manager of a Caterham board of businesses believes new parking rules will be a “game-changer” for the high street when changes come in April.

Sue McGeown, of the Caterham Business Improvement District (BID), says the introduction of parking meters and new parking enforcers will encourage more shoppers to visit.

Caterham BID, which represents a range of businesses in Caterham Valley, has tirelessly campaigned for greater parking provision since its formation in April 2017, and made the proposal to pay for the meters.

“The parking meters will be a huge boost for the high street and a real sea change,” Ms McGeown said.

Local Heroes Awards 2020 are open for nominations!

Tandridge Voluntary Action is inviting nominations of volunteers in Tandridge, celebrating their wonderful contributions and promoting local charities and volunteering.

Please help us to say a huge ‘thank you’ to those Local Heroes who are creating a positive impact in the many good causes in Tandridge, giving their time and energy for free.

These volunteers are making an amazing difference; we want to recognise their dedication!

17 February 2020 marks the 6th anniversary of the murder of Caterham teenager Breck Bednar.

Peter Connolly, curator of East Surrey Museum, brings us news on events that will be happening at the museum in 2020.

Residents of Anne’s Walk in Caterham have been left devastated after a housing developer’s appeal to build on land next door was upheld.

Shanly Homes’ proposal to use Anne’s Walk as access to land, which is to be developed, was rejected by Tandridge District Council (TDC) in July, but the decision was upheld on 20 December.

The Government inspectorate visited the 36-house Cul-De-Sac on 26 November, and Shanly Homes plan to build 39 houses on the designated site.

The land to be developed on was previously a horse field, which had green belt status but this has not been renewed.

Caterham Rotary Club would like to say a huge "thank you" to local residents for their generosity during their pre-Christmas festive street collection. The collection raised around £6,000 for local good causes and charities supported by Rotary. The final figure will be published next month. For more information about Caterham Rotary visit https://caterhamrotary.org.uk