The summer recess has offered some time for contemplation on matters most pressing for the Reigate Constituency. There are a number of key themes emerging which I will be addressing in the coming months. These include:

• The issue of local housing development and its potential impact both on the local economy and the green belt. There are a number of significant local development proposals on the drawing board including Redhill Aerodrome and the former Copyhold Works site East of Redhill, which I will be monitoring and reviewing in this context. I will also be considering how the constituency can improve the number and quality of affordable and social housing options to ensure that we maintain a balance of housing so that lower paid workers can afford to live locally and first-time buyers are able to get onto the property ladder. The town centres of Reigate, Redhill and Banstead are also undergoing changes which will need to be monitored, including the balance between retail, residential and recreation and hospitality designations, in order to promote high street activity and maintain vibrancy. I will also be working closely to ensure that Reigate Fire Station remains a key hub for local emergency services.

• Local transport infrastructure continually requires investment to keep up with growing demand. I will continue to press for further improvements in the local rail network in areas such as improved timetabling, infrastructure developments (including the plan to build a third platform at Reigate Station to accommodate Thameslink trains and allow fast direct services from Reigate to London Bridge), fairer fares by the extension of the Transport for London zoning area, and improved customer service.

• Our key roads are also in need of development to avoid Redhill, Reigate, the A23, and the A217 becoming complete bottle necks. There are a number of proposals in the pipeline to improve, and reduce, town centre traffic flow and facilitate more local options for entry onto the motorway system. At some point, the issue of the level crossing in Reigate will also have to be addressed, especially if an improved service between Redhill, Guildford and Reading results in increased close-time for the barriers.

• I will also be pursuing initiatives to hold both Gatwick Airport Limited and the Department for Transport to account on promises they have made to seek solutions to concentrated noise pollution for residents living under Gatwick Airport precision navigation take-off routes.

• I will be continuing my efforts to improve schools capacity, especially in Reigate and Redhill, where there are simply not enough spaces, and pressing for a new school to be built on the land where Reigate Law Courts currently stand.

• With increasing pressures on the NHS and adult social services, I will be pressing for the maintenance of key local services, including the number of local GP practice places, and supporting proposals being discussed for Epsom and St Helier NHS Trust to build a new acute-care hospital in the grounds of the Royal Marsden Hospital in Sutton which will be of major benefit to residents living in the north of the constituency.

• I will continue to support local businesses with issues affecting their growth and survival. Many are suffering from a skills shortage and uncertain liabilities for business rates. I will be encouraging more young local people to consider working locally rather than taking up jobs in London or outside the area. I will also be working with Reigate and Banstead Borough Council to continue work that has recently started to encourage local companies to offer more support to local communities, charities and projects as part of their Corporate and Social Responsibility agendas.

• I will be supporting the forthcoming move of the local Citizens Advice Bureau into Redhill library and the expansion of its services across the constituency.

• Finally – for this blog! – I will be maintaining contact with our local Police and Crime Commissioner to ensure that the constituency remains a safe place for businesses and residents, and that police service restructuring does not lead to a local increase in crime, antisocial behaviour, or a decrease in our security. I will also be working closely with the Ministry of Justice and our two local prisons, High Down and Downview, to ensure that they are able to maintain standards at this challenging time for the UK prison system.