Effingham Eye: Berkeley Homes Report Progress as Site Clearance Commences

Published on: 31 Mar, 2019
Updated on: 2 Apr, 2019

Chris Dick gives his personal report on Effingham events including: a developer’s progress report, a parish council meeting, new church lighting, bus services and, oh yes, a small matter of the impending borough council elections…

Berkeley Homes Presentation

The site clearance on Effingham Lodge Farm (ELF) has got underway with the demolition of the glasshouse, barns, office block and outbuildings. The hedgerows of tall conifers have been felled and chipped, and the site made secure.

Work starts to clear the Effingham Lodge Farm site.

Interestingly, at the time of submitting this article, the pump-house was still standing perhaps as BH decides its future. It is common knowledge that the ELF site sits above aquifers that were used to supply the old farm with water.

Village hall, Browns Lane, filling up for the start of the Effingham Parish Council meeting (March 26). Residents turned out to listen to Berkeley Homes representatives give a presentation and to take part in a Q&A session.

The Effingham Parish Council Meeting (March 26) started with a presentation from Berkeley Homes (BH). It was good to see that, by the start of the meeting, the entire hall was in use and that once again the PA speaker system was up and running. Best of all, a packed audience of around 120 local residents was in attendance.

David Gilchrist the Berkeley Homes Southern Development Director

The half-hour presentation from the BH team was led by David Gilchrist, the BH Southern Development Director (pictured). The presentation focused on the design of the new school and the ELF residential site access and parking. In this phase, apart from the new school, there would be 159 new homes.

The audience was then invited by Ian Symes, the Effingham Parish Chairman to ask questions. The first question was about the risk to trees on Lower Road. David Gilchrist said: “I don’t believe we plan to cut down any trees on Lower Road.” Perhaps he was right … they had already been cut down a couple of days earlier.

On March 22, ten mature trees had lined the north side of Lower Road outside the site but then just four days later they were reduced to stumps.

Stumps of mature tress.

Most of the questions came from Lower Road and Effingham Common Road residents. Their questions revolved around sewage leakage and why the developers had opted to send the waste via Little Bookham rather than Effingham Common Road which had greater capacity. Several properties in Water Lane already apparently suffered from sewage coming up in their gardens as a result of blockages.

Tree felling. Before…

Mr Gilchrist explained that Thames Water had plans to upgrade and enlarge the sewage piping through Little Bookham. Residents sounded surprised by this answer as it was something they had not heard about before. One resident asked for confirmation of this detail in writing via the parish council.

Some residents were concerned with the new access road off Effingham Common Road onto the site as well as the number of trees that that would need to come down. Clearly the number of 22 ton tipper trucks and delivery vehicles through the village was also making residents anxious.

It was reported that the bridge at Effingham Junction had been subsiding possibly as a result of the clay drying out underneath. Another resident raised concern about the limited parking at the station. More questions were asked about; water supply, light pollution, solar panels, doctor and dentist surgeries and other infrastructure issues. The provision of safe cycle routes were also a cause for concern.

… and after.

Mr Gilchrist said that apart from a few trees that would need to be cut down for access off Effingham Common Road and the installation of a mini-roundabout at the northern side of the railway bridge, the matters raised were mostly not within the BH purview. They had already mentioned the improved traffic lighting system on the A246, the road narrowing scheme on The Street and the improved markings at Rectory Lane, Lower Road. There were further assurances about cycle routes, light pollution and solar panels.

It was clear that the new 2025-pupil school building with its massive flat-roofed area would cater for a range of educational and sporting needs as well as providing an autism centre.

But the indicative drawings of the building looked brutal. The so-called “welcoming” main entrance looked similar to a stark prison hall layout with its stairs and walkways. Perhaps some potted plants will soften this stark vista.

The outside views of the bulky building offered little to soften its urban landscape impression. But attention had been given to glimpse views to the woods at the back and there was variation in materials used. To be fair, one member of the audience thanked the BH team for a great design and everyone probably appreciated the provision of 300 parking spaces on site.

It was clear that a great deal of thought had gone into the layout, wildlife corridor and those glimpse views of the ancient woodland to the north. After the meeting the views expressed by residents were mixed but all agreed on one thing, the building looked brutal.

The final plans should be submitted to Guildford Borough Council by the end of April and work should start around September at the earliest. Optimistically, the school could be completed within two years. The housing developments were, according to BH, due for completion within 3-4 years. Welcome to suburbia!

Parish Council Meeting

The main meeting got underway straight after the BH Q&A. Needless to say, once the Q&A had finished virtually no one stayed for the parish meeting. There were the usual four or five in the audience, Cllr Cornwell had given his apologies and Cllr Moss was once again absent.

Chairman Ian Symes made commendably swift work of the agenda and apart from an application by BH to move footpath 114 by Tyrells Cottage Effingham Common – which was unanimously objected to – there was little of interest to the wider audience. That said, if anyone wishes to write in about the footpath to Guildford Borough Council then they should do so before the closing date April 15.

Other bits that might be of interest were; Chris Iles the current chairman of Effingham Village Recreational Trust (EVRT) had decided not to continue as a trustee after the EVRT AGM. Cllr Hackett said the new 64-page magazine would shortly be delivered for circulation. And Cllr Jones announced he would not be standing for parish councillor in May.

So no doubt much to everyone’s relief the meeting ended early. The next normal meeting on April 30 will be the last meeting of this council until after the May elections. However, Ian Symes was enthusiastic about the annual parish meeting due to take on April 9, 8pm when the council would look back at all its achievements over the year.

St Lawrence’s new lighting

St Lawrence Church, Effingham

At short notice and as darkness set in on Wednesday (March 20) the new lighting at St Lawrence Church was switched on and demonstrated for the first time to Revd Mandy MacVean and a few individuals.

The transformation, costing in excess of forty thousand pounds, was truly amazing.

From a dingily lit Victoria mausoleum of a church, the atmosphere and beauty of the church burst into life. Computer-operated lights were put through their paces.

St Lawrence Church before the new lighting installation.

Parts of the church, never before seen, came to life. Small gold-plated marble details on the reredos were revealed for the first time. The ancient timber chapel roof was visible in detail. But on the minus side the new lights exposed some of the damaged plaster and old damp patches on the wood roof panelling… more money!

Revd Mandy MacVean (pictured on left with two other members of the congregation) appreciating new lighting at St Lawrence Church.

Buses gone

Following the last Effingham Eye, The Guildford Dragon reported the end of the Excetera bus service.

Excetera Bus No 479 passing the Howard of Effingham School – photo taken Oct 2016

And then a few days later it reported that Arriva had taken over the same routes. But in between those events, customers were kept in the dark. They would wait at bus stops unaware of the demise of Excetera until, if they were lucky, someone passing by told them or they simply gave up.

It shouldn’t happen like that… should it?

And to finish

Apparently, there are local council elections coming up in May. But perhaps because of Brexit it is hard to tell.

There has been little through the doors for Effingham residents and so far no posters or window stickers. The impression might be that certain political parties are really unpopular at the moment over the handling of Brexit.

Lib Dem Focus leaflet circulated in Effingham

But, that said, Liz Hogger (Lib Dem candidate for Effingham Ward) was recently seen out and about delivering the new Lib Dem Focus leaflet. An improved quality easy-to-read document that at least showed one political party had not given up. Where are the others?

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