Current situation

Leatherhead is currently unparished. The Residents’ Association does not have statutory status and cannot raise funds via Council Tax. It is also not bound by the Nolan standards on conduct in public life.

Proposed change

The initial round of consultation generated a small response with mixed results, so Mole Valley decided to put the proposal for a Parish Council to residents in the second consultation. The proposal is to create a new Parish Council with 14 councillors; there would be three wards corresponding to the boundaries between the two current District Council wards with the areas of Tyrrells Wood & Givons Grove forming their own ward.  

Issues to consider

• Representation
  • Leatherhead currently has 7 elected councillors – 6 District Councillors and one County councillor who also represents Fetcham East but not Givons Grove or Tyrrells Wood. Under a Unitary Council this will fall to 2 who would also represent Fetcham East. Givons Grove and Tyrrells Wood would have different councillors as they lie in the Dorking Rural Unitary ward.
  • They provide support for residents, not just in their dealings with the Councils but also with other local service providers, such as police, health, housing associations, water companies, etc.
  • Would you like to see elected Parish Councillors so that disadvantaged and vulnerable residents in our area can continue to call on a similar level of support?
• Assets in the community
  • Local community assets include the Barnett Wood Lane and Highlands Road allotments; recreation grounds at Fortyfoot & Kingston Road and the Red House Gardens playground; Fairfield Day Centre, North Leatherhead Community Centre, Bridge Youth Club; Leatherhead Library, The Mansion, North St War Memorial, Beeches Care Home; Mansion House gardens, Park Gardens and the Riverside walk.
  • As well as the Leisure Centre, there are various sports facilities managed by clubs – Gymnastics, Cricket, Football and Padel.
  • A Parish Council would be able to consider whether it could manage some of these more effectively to meet local needs, rather than by a remote Unitary Council covering half a million people.
• Discretionary Services
  • These include the Fairfield Day Centre, the employment hub in the Swan Centre (both nearby in Leatherhead) and support for local charities, such as the Community Hub and Citizens Advice.
  • A Parish Council would be able to reflect any demand by local residents to support additional community activities and prioritise delivery by local suppliers who know the area. 
  • A Parish Council would also control the Neighbourhood element of any Community Infrastructure Levy raised on new developments, ensuring that these funds are spent on local priorities.
• Cost
  • The Parish Council would be funded by a charge raised as part of the Council Tax and initial estimates are that this is likely to start at between £20 and £80 per year

Local Liberal Democrats believe that, especially under a more remote Unitary Council, communities would generally benefit from having elected, accountable Parish Councils. 

We also note that all other English Unitary Councils outside major urban areas have ensured they have Civil Parishes across their entire area.  

Given the mixed responses from the small sample in the initial consultation, it is really important that the views of as many electors as possible are considered. So we encourage all residents to review the arguments on both sides and reply to the consultation. 

Give us your views

More details on Tyrrells Wood & Givons Grove