Grown by the railway
Horley's station opened in 1841, though the town's own growth stayed modest for decades afterwards. Its population only began climbing quickly from around the middle of the twentieth century onward, as London's commuter belt reached this far south and roughly doubled the town in size.
On Gatwick's doorstep
The airport's northern boundary meets the edge of Horley directly, an unusual neighbour for a place that started out as a rural Surrey village. Its presence has shaped a good deal of the town's more recent commercial development along the main road corridors nearby.
An older core beneath the newer town
Horley's conservation area protects a cluster of timber-framed farmhouses and cottages that predate the railway and the airport by centuries, tucked in among the newer housing that has grown up around them since.
Council
Horley falls under Reigate and Banstead Borough Council rather than Mole Valley District Council, the authority responsible for Dorking a few miles to the north-west.
Frequently asked questions
Is Horley covered by the same council as Dorking?+
No. Horley comes under Reigate and Banstead Borough Council, a different authority from Mole Valley District Council, which covers Dorking.
Does Horley have an older part of town?+
Yes, a conservation area protects a number of older farmhouses and cottages that stood here long before the railway or Gatwick Airport arrived.
Nearby areas
Services
Useful local links
- Reigate and Banstead Borough Council – Planning — The planning authority covering Reigate and Redhill, a separate borough from Mole Valley.
- Epsom and Ewell Borough Council – Planning permission — The planning authority covering Epsom, a separate borough from Mole Valley.
- Elmbridge Borough Council – Planning permission and applications — The planning authority covering Cobham, a separate borough from Mole Valley.
- 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.
- Planning Portal – Garage conversion — National guidance on when planning permission is needed for a garage conversion in England.
- Planning Portal – Outbuildings — National guidance on permitted development rules for garden buildings and outbuildings, including height and coverage limits.