A market town between two ranges of hills
Dorking's West Street is lined with antique dealers occupying older shopfronts, and the surrounding countryside, split between the chalk of the North Downs and the sandy Greensand Hills, gives the area a distinctive mix of landscapes within a short distance of the town centre.
A different council from Reigate
Dorking falls within Mole Valley District Council rather than the borough that covers Reigate, so anyone converting a garage here deals with a different planning authority even though the two towns sit close together at the foot of the North Downs.
Garages across an older town centre
Much of central Dorking predates off-street parking as standard, so garages tend to be concentrated in the town's Victorian and twentieth-century expansion rather than around the historic core itself.
Frequently asked questions
Which council covers Dorking?+
Mole Valley District Council, a separate authority from Reigate and Banstead Borough Council, which covers Reigate.
What is Dorking known for?+
Its antiques trade along West Street, and a cockerel statue on the Deepdene roundabout, a nod to the Dorking breed of chicken associated with the area.
Nearby areas
Services
Useful local links
- Reigate and Banstead Borough Council – Planning — The planning authority covering Reigate itself, along with Redhill, Horley, Banstead and several nearby villages.
- Mole Valley District Council – Do I need planning permission — The planning authority covering Dorking, Ashtead, Leatherhead and several villages southwest of Reigate.
- Epsom and Ewell Borough Council – Planning permission — The planning authority covering Epsom, a separate borough from Reigate and Banstead.
- Tandridge District Council – Planning and building — The planning authority covering Caterham, Nutfield and South Nutfield.
- GOV.UK – Planning permission: when you need it — Government guidance on when planning permission is required in England and Wales.
- GOV.UK – Party Wall etc. Act 1996 guidance — Government guidance on notifying neighbours and resolving disputes over shared or boundary walls, relevant to attached garage conversions and extensions.
- Planning Portal – Garage conversion — National guidance on when planning permission is needed for a garage conversion in England.