Tanyard Meadows Town Park
Pages in Tanyard Meadows Town Park
- 1. Help shape Horley’s new town park
- 2. You are here: Why Horley needs a new town park
- 3. What’s coming to Tanyard Meadows
- 4. Horley open spaces survey
2. Why Horley needs a new town park
Horley is growing. Over the past 20 years, the town has evolved from a small market community into a thriving place to live, with 2,600 new homes and major improvements to local infrastructure. As our population increases, so does the need for high‑quality outdoor spaces.
To support this growth, Reigate & Banstead Borough Council is creating a new flagship town park at Tanyard Meadows — a vibrant, inclusive space for sport, play, nature and community life.
This project is a major investment in Horley’s future. It supports the Council’s priorities by expanding high‑quality sports and leisure opportunities, improving parks and recreation spaces for all ages, and delivering on borough‑wide strategies that promote inclusive, sustainable and well‑designed open spaces.
Why Horley needs more outdoor sports and play facilities
As Horley grows, so does the demand for modern, accessible places to be active. A series of studies and consultations have shown a clear and consistent need for more pitches, play areas and youth facilities, including:
- a requirement for 15 hectares of outdoor sports and play space
- identified shortfalls in football, cricket and youth provision
- strong public support, with over 770 residents calling for better facilities in the 2025 Horley open spaces survey.
Our vision for the new park
Tanyard Meadows Town Park will be a major green space for Horley, designed to bring people and nature together. It will:
- offer high‑quality play, sports and recreation facilities
- protect and enhance the semi‑natural landscape and the Burstow Stream
- provide inclusive, sustainable spaces that support health, wellbeing and community connection
- help deliver the Reigate & Banstead 2030 vision for outstanding parks and leisure spaces.
Existing site at Tanyard Meadows
1. Open space with tall grass; 2. Existing pay area and informal kickabout area (small-sized ball court); 3. Wet area.
Why Tanyard Meadows?
The Council assessed potential locations across Horley to find a site capable of delivering a high‑quality Town Park. Each site was reviewed for size, accessibility, land ownership, constraints such as flooding, and how well it could support new facilities.
Only a small number of sites had the scale and potential needed. The three strongest candidates were Westvale Park, Fishers Farm and Tanyard Meadows.
Following a detailed review, Tanyard Meadows emerged as the standout option because it:
- is already owned by the Council, avoiding land‑acquisition delays
- is large enough to deliver around 80% of the identified need for sports and play space
- is easy to reach by walking, cycling, bus and car
- strengthens access to green space in the east of the town, helping ensure fair access for all residents
Together, these advantages make Tanyard Meadows the most suitable and sustainable location for Horley’s new Town Park.
Indicative project timeline
- Procurement and appointment of design team: January to April 2026 (complete)
- Stage 2 design development and public engagement: May to July 2026
- Stage 3 design development and consultation: July to November 2026:
- Planning application: November 2026
- Stage 4 design: winter 2026/27
- Contractor procurement: 2027 (subject to planning approval)
- Start on site: 2027
- Construction completion: 2028
How the project is funded
The Town Park is funded entirely through Section 106 contributions from new developments in Horley. These funds are legally ring‑fenced and can only be used for agreed purposes — including delivering a new Town Park. They cannot be used for other council services.
If Section106 funding allocated for the Town Park is not used, it may have to be returned to developers with interest. Delivering the park ensures the money benefits the community as intended.
The Council has also secured significant funding to support long‑term maintenance, with exact costs to be confirmed during the design stage.
Local Government Reorganisation
While reorganisation may affect some projects, the Town Park is well positioned to move forward. Funding is fully secured, maintenance funding is in place, and the new authority will inherit the obligation to deliver it. This gives the project a strong and stable foundation.