In a close advisory poll on 5 May, Dorking residents declined to set up a town council by 1,971 votes to 1,912.

The two main factors in the poll were whether Dorking would benefit from an elected Town Council that solely represented the town and, if so, whether residents felt it appropriate for an additional levy to be added to the Council Tax.

The District Council will now complete its Community Governance Review and will make a final decision on whether or not to set up a town council, taking residents’ views into account when making the decision.