Banstead keeps the feel of a village on the edge of London: a High Street, open downland close by and, in Nork, houses with large gardens. This guide is for homeowners and small businesses in Banstead, Nork, Burgh Heath and the places round them who are planning building work, from an extension or a loft conversion to a repair.
It summarises what the council and other public bodies publish, as at October 2026. Rules and fees change, so confirm the detail with the council before you rely on it.
Building in Banstead
Banstead is in the north of the borough of Reigate and Banstead, about three miles south of Sutton, on the chalk of the North Downs. The A217 runs past Banstead Downs, between Nork and the village and on through Burgh Heath to junction 8 of the M25. The Banstead Village and Nork wards had about 19,400 people between them at the 2021 Census.
Most of the houses are younger than the village:
- Banstead Village: the railway arrived in 1865, but most of the building came between the 1930s and the 1950s, and few buildings on the High Street are older than the 20th century. The older buildings stand round the parish church and Park Road, in the conservation area.
- Nork: built between the wars on the land of the old Nork estate. Builders bought plots one at a time, so neighbouring houses often differ in style, and the gardens are large. The estate’s park is now Nork Park.
- Burgh Heath and Tadworth: estates of the 1930s to the 1950s on what was farmland.
- Kingswood and Walton on the Hill: planned suburbs of large houses set among woodland, at a low density.
Where the gardens are large there is room to extend at the back, build a garden room or relandscape, as well as to convert the loft.
Planning in Reigate and Banstead
Reigate and Banstead Borough Council decides planning applications for Banstead and the places round it. Its plan is the Core Strategy (2014, running to 2027 and reviewed in 2024) and the Development Management Plan (2019). Work on a new Local Plan to 2044 began in 2026. For extensions, the council publishes the Householder Extensions and Alterations guidance (2004) and the Local Character and Distinctiveness Design Guide (2021).
From 1 April 2027 a new East Surrey Council replaces Reigate and Banstead and four neighbouring councils, Epsom and Ewell among them, and takes over planning and the roads. If your project will run past that date, check which council to apply to.
The Banstead Conservation Area
The conservation area covers the old village round the medieval parish church and Court Road, with Park Road, Mint Road and Woodmansterne Lane. It was designated in 1973 and extended in 2009 and again in 2024. The council’s appraisal calls the 18th-century Wellhouse “the symbol of Banstead”.
The appraisal names the materials that make the area: flint, weatherboard, clay peg tiles and brick. It discourages uPVC windows and concrete roof tiles. In any conservation area, side extensions, roof extensions and two-storey rear extensions need a planning application, and the council says Article 4 directions have been served on most of the borough’s conservation areas, bringing further outside changes to houses under control. If you live inside the boundary, ask the council whether a direction covers your house before anything is designed.
The borough has 29 conservation areas in all. Those nearest Banstead are at Kingswood, Walton on the Hill and Chipstead.
For shop owners: since 13 February 2026 an Article 4 direction in Banstead town centre has removed the right to turn a ground-floor shop into a home without planning permission.
Residential Areas of Special Character
The council also protects 14 Residential Areas of Special Character, under policy DES3 of the Development Management Plan. Near Banstead they include roads in Kingswood, Tadworth, Walton on the Hill and Chipstead. None is in Banstead Village or Nork. In these roads new work is expected to respect the established character of the road, which makes the design of an extension count for more.
The Green Belt
About 70% of the borough is Green Belt. Banstead sits among open land: Banstead Downs, and Banstead Woods with Chipstead Downs, are both Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Permitted development still applies to most houses in the Green Belt, but a larger extension that needs an application is judged on how much it adds to the original house.
Building control
Building Regulations approval is needed for nearly every extension and loft conversion. Reigate and Banstead’s building control is the Southern Building Control Partnership, set up in 2017 with Mole Valley and Tandridge. You can use it or a registered building control approver. Either one inspects the work at set stages and issues a completion certificate at the end, which you should keep with the deeds.
Ground and the street
- Clay-with-flints over chalk. Much of the plateau round Banstead is chalk covered by clay-with-flints, cut by dry valleys. The ground can change across a single garden, so a structural engineer sizes the foundations of an extension for what is found when the ground is opened.
- Skips. A skip on the road, the pavement or the verge needs a licence from Surrey County Council, and only skip firms registered with it can apply. The new East Surrey Council takes this over in April 2027. A skip on your own drive needs no licence.
- Access. Where the skip and deliveries go, and how far materials are carried to the back of the house, is worth settling before the price is fixed.
Choosing a builder in Banstead
The checks are the same as anywhere in Surrey, with a few that matter more in Banstead:
- A visit before a price, then a written, itemised quotation
- A builder who checks early whether the house is in the conservation area, under an Article 4 direction or in the Green Belt
- In the old village, experience of flint, weatherboard and clay tiles, and a plan for matching them
- Insurance certificates you can read, and recent work you can see
- Changes priced in writing before they are built
- A written warranty on the work
Resmor in Banstead
We are builders working across Surrey, South London and the surrounding areas, Banstead, Nork and Burgh Heath included. We take on home improvements, such as extensions, loft conversions, refurbishments, kitchens, bathrooms and landscaping, and property maintenance for homes and small businesses. You get a written, itemised quotation, project management with clear communication, inspections at every stage and a written warranty on our work. If a product fails, we make the manufacturer pay for the repair and the replacement.
We also work on the other side of the Downs, in Epsom and Ewell.
Planning work in Banstead, or something to fix? Start an enquiry and we will call you back to arrange a visit.
Questions people ask
Do I need planning permission for an extension in Banstead?
Not always. Many single-storey rear extensions and loft conversions are permitted development. In the Banstead Conservation Area, round the parish church and Park Road, the rules are tighter, and the council says Article 4 directions have been served on most of its conservation areas. Check with Reigate and Banstead Borough Council before you fix a budget.
Who does building control in Banstead?
Reigate and Banstead's building control is the Southern Building Control Partnership, which it shares with Mole Valley and Tandridge. You can also use a registered building control approver. Either one inspects the work in stages and issues a completion certificate at the end.
What is a Residential Area of Special Character?
A local designation in Reigate and Banstead, under policy DES3 of the council's Development Management Plan. There are 14, including roads in Kingswood, Tadworth, Walton on the Hill and Chipstead, where new work is expected to respect the established character of the road. None is in Banstead Village or Nork.
Do I need a licence for a skip outside my house in Banstead?
Yes, if the skip stands on the road, the pavement or the verge. Surrey County Council issues skip licences until April 2027, and only skip companies registered with it can apply, so your builder or the skip firm arranges it. A skip on your own drive needs no licence.
Do you work in Nork, Burgh Heath and Tadworth?
Yes. We take on work in Banstead and the places round it, including Nork, Burgh Heath, Tattenham Corner, Woodmansterne, Chipstead, Kingswood and Tadworth, and next door in Epsom and Sutton.