employers, though this is across Walton-on-Thames itself and the borough of Spelthorne. Most important to the local economy is the accessibility of Central London – see Rail below, with more than 500,000 train entries and exits per annum recorded across the two stations bordering and in the village itself. The very modest High Street contains almost entirely only convenience and socialising stores; fashion and leisure shops are to be found less than to the north, in Walton on Thames. As part of the development of Hersham a new shopping centre was built in the early 1980s with a large supermarket (30k sq feet ) now occupied by Waitrose, although the whole complex is currently under consideration for major redevelopment by the owners. Another well-established commercial business is the popular Squires Garden Centre adjacent to the Burvale Cemetery in Burwood Road. A new Lidl supermarket was given permission in 2015 and subsequently opened on a site formerly used by ABC Motors and latterly by Ian Allan Publishing, increasing Hersham's retail floor-space in addition to Waitrose. Transport Rail Hersham is served by Hersham and Walton-on-Thames railway stations with a minimum of two trains per hour even on Sundays and differing types of services on the South West Main Line. Fast trains stopping at Walton-on-Thames reach London Waterloo within 30 minutes. Roads The M25 Junction 10 is 4 miles away and an A-roads and dual carriageway connect neighbouring (but not contiguous) Esher and the almost bordering towns of Weybridge and Cobham, across a narrow strip of Walton on Thames. Demography and housing The average level of accommodation in the region composed of detached houses was 28%, the average that was apartments was 22.6%. The proportion of households in the settlement who owned their home outright compares to the regional average of 35.1%. The proportion who owned their home with a loan compares to the regional average of 32.5%. The remaining % is made up of rented dwellings (plus a negligible % of households living rent-free). References Notes References Sources Barker, J L & D M (1996) 'Hark Back to Hersham' (self-published); Greenwood, George (1986, 3rd Edition Revised) 'Hersham in Surrey' (Elmbridge Museum Service); Pulford, J S L (1988) 'The Church of St Peter Hersham - Monumental Inscriptions' (Walton & Weybridge Local History Society, Paper No. 26); External links Hersham Community Organisation Hersham Residents Association website Villages in Surrey Borough of Elmbridge