Council set to decide on community masterplans

A council in Surrey is set to consider approving masterplans to transform two communities in the district.

Mole Valley District Council's (MVDC) cabinet will discuss the report on the Dorking and Bookham masterplans at its meeting on Wednesday.

Key proposals for Bookham include improvements to the village centre, pedestrian links, cycling infrastructure, and green spaces, while Dorking's plan looks at enhancing the town centre, public spaces and transport infrastructure.

Margaret Cooksey, MVDC's cabinet member for community services, said: "Once the masterplans are approved, the commencement of these projects will depend on securing the necessary funding."

In April 2024, MVDC appointed AR-Urbanism, specialist urban consultants, to produce the masterplans - with the project being funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Draft masterplans were then developed and consulted on between October and December 2024, with nearly 500 people engaging in the Bookham masterplan and more than 1,000 responses being received for Dorking.

The draft Bookham masterplan received general support for proposals including the pedestrianisation of the High Street, changes to the Squareabout, plans to extend Eastwick Park's health centre and adding a new residential development.

The draft Dorking plan also received general support for 21 projects, but four projects - the A25 eastern entrance to Dorking, West Street's pedestrianisation, making North Street's car park residential and reducing parking generally - were opposed.

As a result, the masterplan was amended and the relevant projects removed.

Cooksey said the council would look at different funding streams to make the projects possible, although some schemes would need future discussions.

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