In 2025, Haslemere faced challenges that touched its streets, schools and services, but the town’s community repeatedly stepped up to meet them.

Shoplifting dominated local – and at times national – headlines, after reports suggested the Surrey town’s shops were being targeted by organised thefts.

At a Policing Our Community meeting last December, business owners criticised Surrey Police over rising incidents and slow response times, with then-mayor and shop owner Cllr Oliver Leach calling for a stronger police presence in the town centre.

While some national coverage was later criticised as overstated, traders say they have seen a marked improvement since PCSO John Savage began regular patrols.

Healthcare also faced turbulence. Two wards at Haslemere Hospital were closed indefinitely following the retirement of a local GP, leading to fears over the hospital’s future. The closures prompted Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust and the local Integrated Care Board to launch a review of services, with formal consultation expected before permanent changes are made. It was stressed the hospital is not closing, with £1 million recently invested to upgrade the Minor Injuries Unit into an Urgent Treatment Centre.

One of the town’s most contested issues, the Scotland Park development, saw a setback for campaigners. After years of objection, a government planning inspector approved the scheme, allowing 111 homes, a scout facility, and a forest school on 23 hectares of countryside. Waverley Borough Council’s refusal and earlier inspector decisions were overridden, prompting fears that protected landscapes across the UK could face further pressure.

Education suffered a historic loss as The Royal School announced its closure after nearly 200 years. Despite £16 million in investment from United Learning, falling pupil numbers made the school unsustainable.

Yet amid these challenges, Haslemere had some major highs too. The Community Fridge, run by Love Haslemere Hate Waste, proved so popular it had to find a new home to meet demand. It reopened at Pathways Pavilion, rescuing hundreds of kilograms of food each week for local families, and was shortlisted for the BBC Radio Surrey Make a Difference Awards.

Haslemere Festival also enjoyed a record-breaking month, with more than 50 events celebrating the town’s cultural life, from VE Day commemorations to sold-out concerts by high-profile musicians.

In more recent news, the Christmas Charities Fair was saved from cancellation by a last-minute intervention from former mayor Oli Leach, Ken Griffiths MBE, and Haslemere Town Council. Their swift action not only reinstated the fair but made it free for stallholders and the public, turning it into one of the most successful in its 40-year history.

And Haslemere scooped a sweet win after Dylan’s Ice Cream announced its Haslemere shop will remain open, despite rising costs forcing the closure of its Petersfield branch. Owner Ben Govier said the outpouring of support from the Haslemere community was “nothing short of extraordinary.”

A first-class Remembrance service, incredible plays at Haslemere Hall, flooding – there is no doubt that 2025 brought its fair share of challenges, but the town met them all and now heads into the new year with confidence, and no shortage of stories still to be told in 2026.