A racecourse town
Epsom Downs Racecourse and the open downland above it shape a good deal of the town's identity, and the Downs remain open to the public for walking well beyond race days.
Housing shaped by London's growth
Epsom's older streets cluster close to the town centre, while later development spread outward as London's suburbs pushed further into Surrey through the twentieth century, leaving a mix of older brick outbuildings and more recent integral single garages across the town.
Its own borough council
Epsom and Ewell Borough Council, rather than Reigate and Banstead, handles planning and building control here, making it a separate authority from Reigate despite the short distance between the two towns.
Frequently asked questions
Does Epsom sit under the same planning authority as Reigate?+
No. Epsom and Ewell Borough Council is a separate authority from Reigate and Banstead Borough Council, which covers Reigate itself.
What's Epsom best known for?+
Epsom Downs Racecourse and the Derby, a flat horse race first run in 1780 and held on the Downs on the edge of the town.
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.