In short
- Dorking's centre is a conservation area with many listed buildings; lime is often appropriate there.
- Villages in RH5, including Westcott, Brockham and Capel, are largely within or beside the Surrey Hills National Landscape.
- Rendering an unrendered house in the Surrey Hills or a conservation area needs planning permission.
- Twentieth-century suburbs such as North Holmwood and Goodwyns suit modern through-coloured render.
Old Dorking
The High Street, West Street and South Street contain buildings from many centuries, some timber-framed and many listed. Here render is a matter of repair with compatible materials, usually lime, and consent is often needed.
The suburbs and villages
Victorian and Edwardian streets around the station and Deepdene have solid walls that suit breathable systems. Post-war estates such as Goodwyns and parts of North Holmwood are cavity brick and block, suited to silicone or monocouche.
The villages of RH5, including Westcott, Brockham, Betchworth, Newdigate, Capel and Ockley, mix period cottages with twentieth-century houses. Much of this area is in the Surrey Hills National Landscape.
Planning
Mole Valley District Council currently handles planning. Surrey's district and borough councils are being replaced by new unitary councils, so check which authority handles planning at the time you apply. In the Surrey Hills National Landscape and in conservation areas, cladding a house in render is not permitted development. See planning permission for rendering.
Exposure
Houses on the slopes toward Box Hill, Ranmore and Leith Hill take more weather than those in the valley. Allow for exposure in the specification, especially on west-facing gables.
Questions people ask
Can I render my house in Westcott?
Westcott lies in the Surrey Hills National Landscape. Re-rendering an already rendered house is normally fine; rendering brick for the first time needs planning permission.
Do you cover Mickleham and Box Hill?
Yes, along with Brockham, Betchworth, Holmwood, Capel, Ockley and Newdigate.