Berkeley's 600-home plan for Lower Road, Effingham drops the new Howard of Effingham School. The council says school places must be tested across its catchment.

Guildford Borough Council has told Berkeley Homes how it must test the environmental effects of up to 600 homes on farmland north of Lower Road in Effingham. The village is about eight miles east of Guildford.

The council’s formal scoping opinion was issued on 22 September (planning reference 26/S/00002). It sets out what Berkeley’s environmental statement must cover before the developer submits its planning application. No application has been made yet.

The opinion’s sharpest point is about schools. The land already has planning permission for homes, but that permission came with a replacement, larger Howard of Effingham School. The new plan has no school in it.

What Berkeley now wants to build

Berkeley Homes (Southern) Ltd set out its plan in a scoping report submitted on 8 July (EIA scoping report). It describes:

  • up to 600 homes and public open space, with “no other land uses” proposed
  • a site of about 23.78 hectares, bounded by Thornet Wood to the north, Vineries Garden Centre to the east, Lower Road to the south and Effingham Common Road to the west
  • mostly two-storey houses, with three-storey flats, and buildings of two to four storeys overall
  • an outline application, with only the points of access onto the road fixed at this stage
  • construction starting in 2027 and finishing by about 2032, built in phases

The land is Green Belt under the borough’s Local Plan.

Why the old permission is not being built

The site has a long planning history. The report says the approved schemes added up to about 400 homes and a new 10-form-entry school:

Permission What it allowed How it was decided
14/P/02109 Replacement Howard of Effingham School and housing at Lodge Farm Refused by the council in 2016, allowed on appeal in March 2018
21/P/01283 Variation of that scheme: about 295 homes and the new school Approved by the council in 2022
21/P/01306 About 110 homes at North Lodge Farm Refused by the council in 2022, allowed on appeal in November 2022

Berkeley’s report says that “owing to changes to economic and regulatory conditions”, it can no longer viably deliver those permissions in full. It decided in spring 2026 to bring forward what it calls “a revised, financially viable proposal”.

What the council requires

The opinion was written for the council by Accent Consulting and signed off under delegated powers (scoping opinion). The council agrees the scheme needs a full environmental impact assessment. One reason is that it counts four areas of ancient woodland inside the site boundary.

It also says the plan “should not be viewed simply as a variant to any previous scheme”. In its words, “This is an entirely new set of proposals which should be assessed on their own merit and in their entirety.”

The main requirements:

  • Schools. The council notes the plan includes no new social, education or healthcare buildings, and that the replacement school “is now excluded”. That “will potentially place additional pressure on other schools”. The assessment must cover every settlement in the Howard of Effingham School’s catchment, using Surrey County Council’s data.
  • No borrowing capacity. Berkeley must not assume that school, health or social places will come from other big housing schemes.
  • Light. Berkeley proposed leaving light pollution out of the assessment. The council disagrees and requires a full assessment, including the effect on Thornet Wood, which is ancient woodland and a Site of Nature Conservation Importance.
  • Trains. Being near Effingham Junction station does not prove there is capacity, the council says, agreeing with West Horsley Parish Council. The rail services, their frequency and capacity must be assessed.
  • One site boundary. Effingham Parish Council pointed out that Berkeley’s consultation material gave the site as 25.5 hectares, against 23.78 in the report. The council says one boundary must be fixed, and it will set the maximum for the scheme.
  • Fixed limits. The application must set out maximum floorspace, population, building heights and footprint, even though it is in outline.

What the parish council said

Effingham Parish Council objected to the scope as submitted (parish council response). It said this was not its final view on whether the homes should be built.

On the earlier permissions, it said they “should not be allowed to do two contradictory jobs”. That means establishing that major development has been accepted, while the school and community benefits that came with them “are treated as no longer relevant”.

What it means for you

Nothing has been decided about whether the homes will be built. A scoping opinion only sets the ground rules for the environmental evidence. The real decision comes when Berkeley submits its outline application with the environmental statement, and that is when residents can comment and object.

If you live in Effingham, the Horsleys or Bookham, or have children heading for the Howard of Effingham School, watch for the application on the council’s planning search. Our guide to Guildford planning applications explains how to find one and comment on it.