The Royal Oak in Kingston Road, was demolished by the developers of the site, Cress West Ltd, on November 23 in a move that it was later announced had not been authorised by Mole Valley District Council (MVDC).

Originally MVDC said that although it had not given permission for the demolition it was not an illegal act because it would have not required planning permission anyway.

However, on December 28, the council reversed this stance, apologised for putting out inaccurate information and said that the work, while not illegal, did actually require planning permission due to a change in planning law earlier in 2017.

Now Karen Brimacombe, chief executive of MVDC, has released a statement confirming that a public meeting will be held at the Leatherhead Community Centre at 7pm on Monday, January 15.

Daniel Bratton, a Kingston Road resident opposed to the public demolition has said he has been told the meeting will explain “why the pub cannot be rebuild, due to the reasons being too complex to put into writing”, and allow the public to ask questions.