River Mole on the future cleanliness of the Mole was had by the House of Lords involving a member of the South-East Strategic Committee, of the Thames Conservancy (succeeded by the Environment Agency) and four others. In this it was said "...I can see no future for [The Mole]. The Mole Valley has been polluted. The Mole where I used to tickle trout in my youth is a drain, and it will remain a drain." Rebuttals included that the Mole is a "charming Surrey steam" and "If Lord Lytton went to fish in the River Mole—and there are still angling clubs there—he
Mole Valley long periods been under no overall control. Between May 2015 and May 2018, Mole Valley Liberal Democrats gained two council seats in by-elections (Holmwoods June 2015 gain from UKIP, Leatherhead North June 2016 gain from Conservatives), and one Conservative councillor defected to Beare Green Independent (May 2017). The Liberal Democrats then made a net gain of one in May 2018, pushing the Council back into no overall control. However, Conservatives continued to control the administration with the support of the Independents, with three Ashtead Independents becoming members of the Cabinet. The overall composition established in May 2018 is 20 Conservatives,