Effingham Eye: Fresh Blood for the Village Recreational Trust

Published on: 15 Jul, 2018
Updated on: 16 Jul, 2018

Chris Dick’s personal view of Effingham’s News

This month: changes at the Effingham Village Recreational Trust, report of the latest Effingham Parish Council meeting, the Neighbourhood Plan and forthcoming church events including a visit from the Bishop of Guildford.

Changes at Effingham Village Recreational Trust  

Effingham Village Recreational Trust (EVRT) held its AGM on Tuesday, July 3.

We are constantly told we must embrace change these days and I welcome the committee changes announced at Effingham Village Recreational Trust’s (EVRT) AGM on Tuesday, July 3.

Regeneration is normally good and so hopefully will be the addition of two new trustees to the EVRT committee. Chairman Chris Iles ran the 45-minute meeting effectively and efficiently. He started the meeting by, quite rightly, thanking Chris and Liz Hogger for helping to steer the charity through some difficult years.

During the meeting, at the King George V Village Hall, the chairman listened to questions and comments from the small audience and did his best to answer them or redirect the question to someone who could.

There was a rare sense of everyone enjoying the meeting even though they were missing a World Cup football match that, rarely, England actually won on penalties! (I don’t see the attraction but apparently, a few people seem to like the game.) [Some of us are free of such ball-shaped prejudice! Ed]

The meeting included moments of humour and some frank, but well-natured, exchanges about, for example, the new constitution that governs the charity which prevents anyone who is a member of a licensed user group from becoming a trustee.

Audience and residents alike clearly wanted the trustees to feel that they were supported. And with £2.5 million pounds shortly to become available through Section 106 funding from Berkeley Homes the future is looking up, albeit at a price we would prefer not to pay.

Chris Iles was enthusiastic about the new all-weather 3G pitches and the possibility of Bookham Colts raising the remaining funds to complete the project. It would prove a much-needed fundraiser. This led to discussion on how the automation of bookings should be achieved.

No mention was made of possible future events like the much-missed firework night but, fingers crossed, the new committee has plenty of potential.

What a relief to attend a well run AGM without any of the histrionics associated with previous years. Well done EVRT and well done Chris Iles. It was good to see the two new trustees Howard Manton (also a member of Effingham Residents Association) and Jerome Muscat.

With a further two new trustees expected to join the committee via the Effingham Parish Council (EPC) nomination process, there should soon be a full complement of seven.

Effingham Parish Council

Two weeks earlier, on June 19, it had been EPC’s turn to meet. Once again, Ian Symes chaired the meeting well ensuring that the momentum of the long agenda did not get too bogged down.

First item was the election of the vice chairman. Parish Cllr Paula Moss was appointed and said that she was honoured to have been chosen.

Readers may recall last month an opinion piece published in the Guildford Dragon: Are Lower Tier Decision Makers Worth Having?

The article, using Effingham as an example, discussed the questionable policy of putting forward sites on the green belt in order to protect them from further, larger developments.

It seemed to many at the time, and since, that the new policy, presented to the residents at an open meeting, was counter-intuitive.

But Paula Moss, chair of the Effingham Neighbourhood Plan Committee, remained committed and when she was then asked by former EPC chairman, Peter Grobel would she resign if the policy failed to save Effingham Lodge Farm? She said she would.

Effingham Lodge Farm has now been lost but there is no sign of a resignation or even a comment. Why make promises if you are not going to keep them?

Neighbourhood Plan (NP)

Three weeks after the Secretary of State’s decision in favour of Berkeley Homes, the same Cllr Moss apparently submitted a Press Release (PR) to some national newspapers to warn other councils to be wary of the Neighbourhood Planning pitfalls. But it seemed to receive little, if any, publicity and any warning probably went unheeded.

Privately, individual councillors admit that they were wrong to put forward Effingham Lodge Farm for development in the green belt. So it seems the residents association were right all along.

But politicians, at all levels, seem to find it hard to admit mistakes, an indication to some of us of weakness rather than strength.

Bishop Andrew comes to Effingham and Little Bookham Churches

Bishop Andrew of Guildford

Big news for our local churches is that Bishop Andrew of Guildford will be visiting the churches of Little Bookham and Effingham for a special ‘church-to-church’ service on Sunday, August 5, 2018.

Revd Mandy MacVean explained that in January this year the two churches became one united benefice of Effingham and Little Bookham with one united council. It was a little known moment in the history of our villages but Revd Mandy particularly wanted to celebrate this new chapter with as many as possible.

She said: “The service will begin at 9.30am in All Saints Church, Little Bookham with the baptism of our youngest church member, Louis James White, who was born on Monday, 25th June.

“We will then walk [for 5-10 minutes] in ‘pilgrimage’ via the ancient ‘Bishop’s Walk’ to St Lawrence Church, Effingham where the service will continue with a sermon from the Bishop and communion.”

After the service, all those attending are invited for a picnic lunch in the garden at St Lawrence Church Hall (or inside the hall if it is raining). The church will provide the food but anyone wanting to bring along a salad or desert are welcome to do so.

Those planning to attend should let Revd Mandy know by Sunday, July 22. She may be contacted on:

Beating the bounds

The day before the Bishop’s visit to Effingham, Saturday, August 4, Revd MacVean has given an open invitation to a long walk around the merged new parish boundary. Feel free to join in all or part of the walk.

Financial Updates

St Lawrence Church is in need of new lighting.

–  Over the first weekend in June the St Lawrence church fete and talk raised £5,200 for its new lighting appeal.

Toddlers playground in need of new equipment, fencing and enlargement

– The Toddler Playground Appeal now stands at £32,000 and

– The £2.64 million pounds Section 106 funds to be provided by Berkeley Homes will go towards the rebuild of the KGV – further details will follow when they become available.

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