Built by the railway
Before the London and Brighton line met the South Eastern line here in the 1840s, the area was little more than a hamlet on Red Hill Common. The junction gave the growing town its name once the post office moved there in the 1850s, and the railway remains central to Redhill's identity today.
A more modern town centre
Redhill's shopping streets and station area were substantially rebuilt through the twentieth century, giving the town a more contemporary feel than neighbouring Reigate, and its housing stock reflects that later growth with a good deal of interwar and postwar development.
Council
Like Reigate, Redhill comes under Reigate and Banstead Borough Council for planning matters, not Mole Valley, which is the authority covering Dorking and most of the villages on this site.
Frequently asked questions
Did Redhill exist before the railway?+
Only as a small hamlet around Red Hill Common. The town's real growth came once it became a railway junction in the 1840s.
Which council covers Redhill?+
Reigate and Banstead Borough Council, the same authority that covers neighbouring Reigate.
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.