Kept small by the green belt
Headley's own growth has stayed limited, with most homes in the village remaining detached houses on generous plots, a pattern shaped in large part by green belt restrictions that have discouraged new development here.
Heathland with a wartime past
Headley Heath, managed by the National Trust since the 1940s, was used to train Special Operations agents and Canadian troops ahead of the D-Day landings, and its ponds were later created during restoration work in the following decades.
A name from Old English
The village's name comes from an Old English phrase describing a clearing in the heather, and Headley is recorded in the Domesday Book under an earlier landholder, long before the parish took its current shape.
Council
Headley's planning decisions rest with Mole Valley District Council, the same authority covering Dorking to the south.
Frequently asked questions
Is Headley within a protected landscape?+
Yes, the village sits within the Surrey Hills National Landscape and the surrounding green belt.
What is Headley Heath used for today?+
It's open heathland managed by the National Trust, with a history that includes wartime training use before it became the nature reserve it is now.
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.