one of the leading housebuilders in the south of England has secured outline planning approval for a development on Land North West of Preston Farm in Bookham Surrey from Mole Valley District Council’s Planning Committee Land North West of Preston Farm has received a resolution to grant outline planning permission for up to 200 new net zero carbon one to four-bedroom homes 40% of which will be affordable in compliance with planning policy Each sustainable home is planned to have features including dedicated electric vehicle charging points and secure cycle storage Targeting an onsite biodiversity net gain of over 20% the development will feature landscaping and new planting to create approximately 45 acres of open space and a new country park that will be open to the wider community Additional landscaping will also take place around existing lakes to improve blue space A reserved matters application will be made in due course further detailing the development’s layout said: “After undertaking a comprehensive public consultation process for Land North West of Preston Farm we are pleased to receive backing from Mole Valley District Council The scheme includes 40% affordable housing – something urgently needed locally – and significant new public open spaces for everyone to enjoy.” Land North West of Preston Farm lies on the western settlement edge of Bookham which is made up of the two historic settlements of Great Bookham and Little Bookham The site is strategically located close to Leatherhead M25/A3 junction and Bookham railway station Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals A Building Magazine Leading in the field of building news reporting Building Design & Construction Magazine is one of the most respected and referenced sources of building news enquiries@bdcmagazine.co.uk+44 1484 437312 Subscribe our newsletter to get the best stories into your inbox © 2025 BDC Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals Latest news from Mole Valley District Council The ARU team undertook baseline analysis and targeted stakeholder engagement in spring/summer 2024 as part of the initial stages of the studies They have used this information to develop a range of draft concept ideas specific to Bookham and Dorking A wider public consultation on these ideas will commence on Thursday 24 October – including two drop-in exhibitions on the very first day of the consultation in both locations – and extend over a six-week period and visitors will have the opportunity to review the draft ideas Face-to-face events will be held on Thursday Following feedback during the consultation Draft final masterplan documents will then be prepared for both Dorking and Bookham That will be considered by MVDC councillors in early 2025 a Masterplan for both these areas will define a vision that could be taken forward subject to funding being secured the masterplan study focuses on the High Street and village centre as well as key locations in the wider area The study scope includes considering ideas for: improving streets and public spaces and redeveloping or enhancing allocated sites the masterplan study focuses on the central area of the town improving accessibility for all and better connecting the railway stations Each area has been assigned its own Steering Group to ensure key local stakeholders are aware of the proposals and have an opportunity to contribute The Steering Group for Bookham comprises MVDC and SCC councillors and a representative of the Bookham Residents Association The Steering Group for Dorking comprises MVDC and SCC Councillors and a representative of the Dorking Town Partnership The consultant team that has been assembled for this commission also includes Steer providing transport and movement input Chilmark Consulting providing planning expertise and Hypha Studios advising on reuse of vacant spaces for community and cultural activities For more information on this Masterplan exercise, the consultation and how to submit your comments, please visit molevalley.gov.uk/BDM MVDC Cabinet Member for Planning said: “We’re pleased to present these concept ideas for Bookham and Dorking Town Centre and we’re keen to hear from residents and businesses during this important stage of the process While these ideas are still in the early stages and subject to further development your feedback will help shape a future vision for both areas It’s important to note that no funding has been secured yet to deliver these plans but this consultation is a vital step in understanding what could be possible and ensuring any future improvements reflect the needs and aspirations of our communities.” Buy tickets for Mole Valley Community Lottery View our latest job vacancies Prosperity Environment Community Wellbeing Following the success of the first public exhibitions and webinar concerning initial proposals for a new mixed-use development at the Swan Centre and Bull Hill The Leret Partnership is inviting the residents to upcoming events in Fetcham and Bookham to continue the feedback process to help shape the plans further a joint venture between Kier Property and Mole Valley District Council (MVDC) held events in Leatherhead over two weeks between 11th and 20th July 2024 to listen to the public’s views on its emerging proposals to develop new high-quality homes alongside a range of new commercial facilities as part of the wider Transform Leatherhead programme In total there were 584 visits to the public exhibitions with 399 feedback forms completed in person or online to date There were 46 individual registrations to attend the webinar Demographic data among responders showed a healthy balance of age groups and genders and the vast majority of those filling out surveys were local residents of Leatherhead The information contained within the responses has given The Leret Partnership’s project team an important steer as they adapt the proposals to better reflect the needs and desires of local residents This feedback will be taken into consideration as the plans continue to evolve before a further round of pre-application consultation in due course and Bookham will be taking place between 5:30pm and 7:30pm at the following dates and locations: These events offer local residents in these villages an opportunity to find out more about the proposals and have their say The project team wants to hear what these nearby communities think about these initial proposals The consultation process will close at midnight on Monday 16 September 2024 Kier Property said: “We’re proud of our ambitions to revitalise Leatherhead’s town centre and the events so far have given us much food for thought as we adapt our plans according to the needs of the local community It was important to us to ensure turnout was as high as possible and reflected the demographic profile of the community “We look forward to further understanding what people want to see from the new developments in the next set of events.” “It’s great to see so many people engaging with our consultation We’ve been actively seeking views from residents businesses and key stakeholders who will be directly affected by the development we would like to hear from people in the surrounding areas to understand if our proposals appeal to them and whether they might visit Leatherhead more often or even consider moving here we’ve decided to add three additional sessions to our public engagement on the Leret Partnership consultation Two of these events are scheduled for September ensuring that everyone with an interest has an opportunity to find a suitable date.” For anyone unable to attend the events, the project website theleretpartnership.co.uk has information about the project and consultation along with a range of options for submitting feedback The deadline for submission of comments to this consultation is 23:59 on Monday 16 September 2024 Any feedback submitted after this date may not be considered For more information about this consultation, how to reach the event venues, or for any further questions people can contact the project team directly by calling 0800 915 3598 or send an email to info@theleretpartnership.co.uk www.transformleatherhead.com South Farnham School has once again claimed the top spot as the best-performing primary school in Surrey, according to the latest data from the Department for Education. The achievement marks another milestone for the South Farnham Educational Trust, which celebrates the success of four of its schools ranking among the top 25 in the county. In addition to South Farnham’s impressive first-place finish, The Raleigh School secured second place, while Great Bookham School, which joined the Trust in July 2022, placed ninth. Highfield South Farnham also made a strong showing, ranking 24th in Surrey. The rankings are based on Key Stage 2 test results in reading, writing, and maths, where South Farnham School excelled not only locally but also on the national stage. On a national level, South Farnham ranked 35th out of 20,940 schools for the expected standard and an impressive 7th for higher standards, solidifying its reputation as a leader in primary education. A spokesperson for the trust said: “These results reflect the unwavering dedication and collaborative efforts of our pupils and staff across all our schools. “At South Farnham Educational Trust, we are committed to achieving excellence, not only in academic performance but in providing a rich curriculum that nurtures creativity and character. From performing arts to sports and music, we ensure every child thrives.” The results come as a testament to the trust’s dedication to fostering an environment of academic excellence, well-rounded development, and community engagement across all its schools. Comments Tel: 01252 725224[email protected]Follow us Further Links Owned or licensed to Tindle Newspapers Ltd | Independent Family-Owned Newspapers | Copyright & Trade Mark Notice & 2013 - 2025 the leading UK hospitality group backed by Alchemy Partners Great Bookham in Surrey as part of its continued growth and follows the acquisition of The Prince of Wales The Old Crown dates back to the 1930’s and was built by Kingston brewery Hodgson’s the pub will undergo an extensive multi-million pound refurbishment to create 150 covers in the enhanced bar and dining room and a further 50 covers in the large enclosed garden The pub will feature Heartwood’s signature quirky welcoming style with cosy snugs rich colour schemes and textures that reflect the history of the pub and the local area Guests will be able to enjoy Heartwood’s seasonally-changing menu which is developed in line with the Group’s ethos for delivering sustainable This sits neatly alongside a carefully selected wine list Heartwood has the highest possible rating from the Sustainable Restaurant Association (Three stars) and also recently won ‘Best Food-Led Pub Group 2023’ at the Restaurant Magazine’s Awards The acquisition of The Old Crown brings the total number of pubs operated by Heartwood Inns in Surrey to nine including The White Horse the Group’s first pub with rooms which opened in February 2024 “The Old Crown is a fantastic pub located in the beautiful Surrey village of Great Bookham The pub will undergo a significant refurbishment to ensure that it remains a part of village life for many years to come.” For more information on The Old Crown please visit http://www.oldcrowngreatbookham.com/ For more information on Heartwood Inns please visit www.heartwoodinns.com For more information on Heartwood Collection please visit www.heartwoodcollection.com For any media enquiries please contact Emma Martin: press@heartwoodcollection.com / 020 3166 2727 Heartwood Collection is the Group that operates 23 Heartwood Inns pubs and 14 Brasserie Blanc restaurants across the UK Heartwood Collection’s current site portfolio is as follows: The Plough & Harrow – Long Ditton Heartwood Collection is backed by Alchemy Partners recently announced news that Heartwood Collection recently secured an additional £100m of funding from its owner Alchemy Partners and its banking partner OakNorth to support the Group’s continued growth in freehold pubs and freehold pubs-with-rooms Heartwood Inns has been awarded the Best Managed Pub Group and Best Operations Team Awards at the Publican Awards 2024 alongside the R200 Best Food-Led Pub Group Awards It has been shortlisted for four Casual Dining Awards including Best Pub Group and Best Employer Third-party news items that are posted on the Guild website’s news section come from press releases received by the Guild These press releases are posted as they have been received and their publication on the Guild website is intended as an informational service provided to our members and website visitors the publication of a story from a third-party source is neither an endorsement of the content please use the contact details that can be found at the bottom of each post Email secretary@beerguild.co.uk Copyright © The British Guild of Beer Writers 2025 Developed by HGA the UK hospitality group backed by Alchemy Partners CLH News is published by RBC Publishing Ltd Contributions are welcome for consideration no responsibility will be accepted for loss or damage Views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher or the editorial team Whilst every care is taken to ensure accuracy the publisher will assume no responsibility for any effects All material is assumed copyright free unless otherwise advised Surrey County Council’s Land and Property service is currently in the design phase for the Bookham Youth Centre It is anticipated that the revised planning application will be submitted in autumn 2024 Surrey County Council (SCC) and Mole Valley District Council (MVDC) have agreed terms on the lease for the site and both councils remain committed to the development Infrastructure and Waste said: “Our Land and Property team is working at pace to progress plans for Bookham Youth Centre aiming to bring back this important space for the local community.” said: “We look forward to seeing SCC layout plans for the proposed Bookham Youth Centre MVDC remains committed to promoting health and wellbeing through enabling the provision of sports leisure and cultural activities and encouraging responsible enjoyment of our parks Chair of the Bookham Youth and Community Association Chair of the Bookham Residents’ Association commented:  “We welcome this positive statement from SCC and MVDC We have been communicating with both councils for some time now We now look to both councils to work quickly and effectively together to get the new centre built The new Bookham Youth and Community Centre is such an essential community facility that we will continue to engage with both councils until it is up and running again.” Source:  Image by Richard M Lee Shutterstock Mole Valley District Council is recruiting a design team to re-masterplan Bookham and Dorking in Surrey [Deadline: 22 February 2024] The winner of the estimated £150,000 contract will draw up a pair of masterplan documents which are both supported by UK Shared Prosperity funding and aimed to complete in March 2025 The Bookham masterplan will look at ways to promote walking cycling and overall accessibility within the village The Dorking masterplan will meanwhile explore options for adapting the townscape to support the changing local demographic and provide a space suitable for ‘children and young people and to older people.’ The masterplans will also look at key development sites throughout both settlements According to the brief: ‘Mole Valley District Council (the Council) invites tenders for the provision of professional services to construct two masterplans as set out in these documents The council is procuring this contract following the open procedure under the council’s procurement code The council will be awarding one contract for the provision of all services detailed in the specification ‘The council is seeking to contract with an organisation that will manage the services to the highest levels of satisfaction professional standards and cost effectiveness.’ Dorking is a historic market town located 34 km south of London and 16 km east of Guildford Key challenges faced by the settlement include heavy traffic a lack of ‘defined individual character’ in key spaces poor condition public realm and inconsistent lighting design Bookham – comprising the two villages Great Bookham and Little Bookham – is located 37 km south-west of London and 16 km east of Guildford Key ambitions include making the high street ‘more attractive and accessible’ reducing congestiong and relocating pedestrian crossings to encourage footfall at retail areas Bids to deliver the contract will be evaluated 70 per cent on quality and 30 per cent on cost Applicants must hold employer’s Liability Insurance of £10 million Public Liability Insurance of £10 million and Professional Indemnity Insurance of £2 million Hutchison Ports is recruiting a design team for its new £9 million… An open international contest is being held for a major €27.5 million… An international design and build contest is being held for 25 new… The UK Research and Innovation Science and Technology Facilities Council (UKRI-STFC) has… Mole Valley’s Christmas Window Competition inspired over four hundred votes in just seven days with entrants listing their top two festive shop front window displays from a choice of striking options available Bookham and Leatherhead took up the challenge to dress their shop windows in the very best Christmas fare Mole Valley District Council’s Cabinet Member for Sustainable Economy said: “Not only did this competition help raise awareness of the special effort businesses go to at this festive time of year but it was intended to inspire residents to spend time in our high streets and come to see them – and many other shops – first hand it is my pleasure to confirm the five favourite window displays: “Here are the five winners lucky enough to have their names drawn from everyone who entered the competition each winning a Christmas hamper kindly donated by Waitrose in Dorking and Leatherhead: Carla Ward; Frances Gray; Janusz; Mark Blight and Tania Blanco call and collect and some will even offer local delivery “Whatever your plans over the festive period please keep yourselves and others safe and have a happy and healthy Christmas and New Year.” Work is underway to refresh Bookham station to improve passenger journeys and preserve the much-loved structure The work – which is likely to take about six months – will take place while the station is open and will not affect South Western Railway services The main focus is to repair the station’s structure which unfortunately has been plagued with wet rot Teams from Network Rail and its contractor Osborne will also replace a large section of the roof Engineers will also refurbish and repaint the station’s footbridge – which is also Grade II listed – with most of that work taking place at night when there are no passengers passengers will not be able to access the station building and a temporary ticket office has been built in the car park all of the floors and walls will need to be treated by chemicals before the station can be returned to its former glory the station was opened in 1885 and has 2 platforms which provide train services to Guildford and London Waterloo via Epsom and Worcester Park said: “We are delighted to be able to refresh the historic station at Bookham for the benefit of passengers and the local community “While the work is taking place on this Grade II listed station we will try to keep noise to a minimum and apologise for any disruption.  South Western Railway customer experience director said: “Our customers will see big improvements at Bookham station and it will be great to see the footbridge restored to its former glory “We recognise these works will be disruptive but the station will remain open and operational throughout I’d like to thank our passengers for their patience whilst these vital works are carried out.”  to grow and expand the nation's railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced - a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years A South East home developer has celebrated the completion of a sustainable new community in Surrey On Tuesday 8th September, Cllr Mary Huggins (Chairman of Mole Valley) officially marked the completion of The Martingales, Bookham by Billingshurst-based Thakeham Group (www.thakeham.com) The celebration officially unveiled 121m of newly-installed hedgerows (longer than a football pitch); a 1675 m2 wildflower meadow (equivalent to over 6.5 tennis courts) and  885m2 of marsh grassland (as much as three tennis courts) Thakeham is no stranger to sustainable development having publicly committed to ensuring at least 20% net gain in biodiversity on all its housing developments by 2025 Net gain in biodiversity is a simple public commitment to leave the natural environment measurably better than before building began That’s why The Martindales boasts more than 100 retained trees hedgehog houses and highways in fences (to allow hedgehogs to pass through) said: “Each time we design and build we focus on integrating nature with the communities we serve But The Martindales takes our sustainability mission to new levels We hope that the way we have blended so many ideas here will inspire planners and show other communities in the South East exactly what is possible “We are especially grateful for our partners in this project including Mole District Council and Mount Green Housing Association who both shared and supported our sustainable vision for the community.” each of the 25 homes off Lower Road in the community will enjoy smaller bills thanks to a reduced carbon footprint The energy-efficient homes are powered by 100% renewable energy The whole development was designed and built by Thakeham with a bespoke courtyard theme following the original footprint of the traditional farmstead off Lower Road stable block and a barn to reflect the agricultural feel and tradition of the site Chairman of Mole Valley District Council who officially marked the opening said: “It was a pleasure to officially open the new homes at The Martingales in Bookham delivered for local people across Mole Valley.” Chief Executive of Mount Green Housing Association said “Mount Green are delighted to be a partner in delivering these much needed affordable homes in Mole Valley for local people who need subsidised housing to rent and shared ownership homes to part buy It’s been a highly successful venture with Thakeham Homes and Mole Valley District Council that has produced high quality homes that sit beautifully in the local area respecting the location and nature of the area.” For more information about The Martingales in Bookham, Surrey visit: https://thakeham-homes.com/the-martingales-bookham-new-homes Bookham Business Initiative group and ILiveInBookham.com brought Bookham’s community together through The Bookham High Street Party The Street Party was hosted on Bookham High Street and showed support to the local businesses that have kept the community going throughout the pandemic Everyone delighted in the variety of musical performances from local residents with the assortment of luxury gin handcrafted in the Surrey Hills Children were thrilled by the array of activities and entertainment Music was also provided throughout the day by the Surrey Hills Community Radio with live band ‘The Voodoo Goats’ and soloist ‘Millie Jane Franks’ MVDC’s Cabinet Member for Sustainable Economy and Security said: “It was wonderful to see everyone together on Saturday The event was a much needed and well spirited celebration for the community; and I could tell everyone – myself included – was having a great time Another huge thank you to the organisers who worked incredibly hard and put together such a successful afternoon On Saturday 11 September over 4,000 visitors attending the free Bookham Food Festival were treated to a jam-packed programme of star-studded live cooking demonstrations the free one-day event was organised by Bookham Eats Limited (a not-for-profit organisation founded by Bookham residents) and brought together cuisines from all across the world The Festival Kitchen featured live demonstrations from well-known chefs including 2010 MasterChef winner Dhruv Baker, 2011 MasterChef finalist Tom Whitaker and Mandira, founder of Surrey-based award-winning food producer Mandira’s Kitchen Families of all ages enjoyed the garden games and live entertainers whilst the licensed bar serving craft beers local gins and prosecco proved so popular that some options even ran dry towards the end of the day The festival raffle raised over £1,500 for charity Profits from the day are to be re-invested into future community events and used to provide further grants to local good causes.  said: “Organising the inaugural Bookham Food Festival required a huge team effort led by myself and Ben Rodway and supported by friends and family it was great to see so many people enjoying themselves on the day and to receive so much positive feedback We were bowled over by the support from the community and can’t wait to announce the total raised for good causes.” Cabinet Member for Sustainable Economy and Security said: “The Bookham Food Festival event was a great fun day out for the whole family and a terrific success for the local community The demonstration kitchen was full of activity and it was an honour to have some truly creative and talented chefs share their culinary knowledge and expertise with the residents of Mole Valley.” The Bookham Food Festival was supported by the Welcome Back Fund (which supports the safe recovery and return to high streets following the Covid-19 pandemic) and is part of MVDC’s ‘Summer Events in Mole Valley’ programme. For details of all late summer and autumn events check out the Mole Valley Together website Care Home Professional Surrey County Council has said it will close eight ‘dated’ care homes built in the early 70s and early 80s which support almost 150 elderly residents and employ around 500 staff Surrey County Council’s Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health said: “Our focus as a council is on supporting older people to live as independently as possible with specialist accommodation and the latest technology For people who need more intensive support we’re working with partners to provide a wider choice of care which is geared towards meeting complex and high needs our dated care homes were built in the 70s and early 80s and lack the facilities many people now need and expect – with rooms often too small or lacking en-suite bathrooms The homes are at the end of their natural life span – instead of propping up these buildings we need to invest in the right mix of provision to meet the needs and aspirations of our population “We’ll work closely with residents and their families to ensure all moves are arranged sensitively and carefully – nothing about the process will be rushed as our priority is to make sure that residents get the very best care We want to retain as many of our skilled and dedicated staff as possible so staff will be redeployed within other areas of our service or the wider council and if this isn’t possible we’ll offer to help them find work elsewhere.” and website in this browser for the next time I comment The ad-free version is ready for purchase on iOS mobile app today we couldn't find that page";var n=e.querySelector("h2");return n&&n.remove(),{staticContent:e,title:t}},d=function(e){var t=document.createElement("button");return t.innerText=e,t.classList.add("error-page-button"),t},f=function(e){var t=document.createElement("div");t.id="recirculation-404",t.classList.add("brand-hint-bg");var n="\n \n \n Tick here if you would like us to send you the author’s response Sign up to our free daily newsletter for daily roundups of the biggest headlines and breaking news from SurreyLive Thank you for subscribing!We have more newsletters A horse rider is in hospital following a crash in Bookham Surrey Police said officers were called to Guildford Road at around 3.50pm They said the horse rider has been taken to hospital and their next of kin have been informed The A246 Guildford Road remained closed in both directions at Groveside Rectory Lane and Woodlands Road as of 7pm on Friday while emergency services worked at the scene Surrey Police said: "We are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed the collision to contact us with any further information or dash cam footage Read more: Warning for Surrey dog owners after case of deadly Alabama Rot "If you have any information, please contact us quoting PR/P22225518 via webchat on our website; online; calling us on 101 please call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111." West Clandon dog owner spends 24 hours in crate and sprays it with vinegar to recreate smell of urine I went on Surrey's magical bluebell walk in charming woodland and found perfect time to go Guildford 10,000 home plan formal review delayed over uncertainty fears Strictly Matt Goss' kind gesture to Surrey teacher who called him a 'peacock' Woking Peacocks shopping centre faces uncertain future as owner plunges into administration Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right Home > News > Mazda celebrates best of its UK dealer network at annual All-Stars Awards News Mazda has been celebrating the very best dealers in its UK network at its annual All-Stars Awards The Japanese brand has 122 retail sites across the country with the finest awarded gongs at the ceremony The evening celebrated the top 25 sales and top 25 aftersales dealers who were nominated for stand out performance Dealerships were judged in a number of different categories including customer satisfaction surveys Surpassing the national average in Mazda’s All-Stars Sales League Nunns Mazda achieved first place in the sales league rankings TW White & Sons Mazda Great Bookham secured the top spot in the All-Stars Service League table Other winners from the 11 award categories include: Chris Allen Mazda for Customer Satisfaction within its sales department Stourbridge Mazda for Customer Satisfaction across its service department and Milcars Mazda for its Service Loyalty Among those who received individual awards were Jason Stephens from Johnsons Mazda Oxford Jess Walker from Brindley Mazda and Jasmine Kempton from Essex Mazda Commenting on this year’s All-Stars results said: ‘The Mazda All-Stars awards evening is a fantastic opportunity for Mazda UK to celebrate exceptional performances of the top performing dealers across sales as well as certain hand selected star performers from each territory ‘We recognise that delivering a strong performance across a variety of areas consistently throughout a 12 month period takes focus ‘Mazda UK is grateful to be able to host this very special awards evening so that we can thank everyone for their hard work and contribution to the success of our brand.’ Jack joined the Car Dealer team in 2021 as a staff writer He previously worked as a national newspaper journalist for BNPS Press Agency He has provided news and motoring stories for a number of national publications including The Sun It cannot be by chance that Jane Austen chose to set her novel about a rich teeming with upper-middle-class families prone to gossiping and matchmaking a cosseted cocoon of comfort and self-congratulation But what is it about Surrey that makes it so desirable to some Fans say it has the best of both worlds: easy access to London with all the benefits of country life Others claim the opposite — that it’s too far from the metropolis to be exciting and too "I don't think we've completely got to the bottom of what caused this By Christy O'Brien · 30 April 2021 Disgruntled parents outside the gates of Oakfield Junior School in Fetcham Fourteen children in Fetcham have been left without a place at their local school with Surrey County Council unable to find a reason why Families of children who go to Fetcham Village Infant School discovered on Monday last week they had been denied places at the nearby Oakfield Junior School and instead may have to travel as far as Bookham for their education A county councillor representing the area says the issue has surprised him with the council unable to find an exact reason as to why the apparent anomaly happened who's daughter Evie eventually received a place at Oakfield after being omitted originally says the issue has generated anger from affected parents two or at maximum three children in the village haven't got a place at Oakfield," she said "There's obviously been huge outrage about it Six children are being sent to West Ashtead Primary School one child is being sent on his own over to Dornay School [in Great Bookham] "We're a little village with one junior school servicing that village and there are still 14 families that have no place at a school which is no more than kilometre or so away from them There needs to be a change in catchment areas and village schools actually serving village families These poor kids have been through enough these last 12 months," she added The story seems go against the county trend Surrey County Council figures show nearly 93% of all applicants had been given their first choice preference the figure rising to almost 97% for applicants given a place in one of their four preferred schools who represents the Leatherhead and Fetcham West ward said he did not fully know why the omission had happened While he suggested a surplus of siblings (who get preferential treatment in the system) and parents only putting down one school on their preference form as potential factors Cllr Hall admitted it was an "unusual" situation He also said he would have further meetings with the council's educational and school admissions teams to get to the bottom of the issue and find a "sensible answer."       He added: "I don't think we've completely got to the bottom of what caused this It's unusual for so many children who's nearest school is Oakfield not to get their nearest school "The people who have had offers are either siblings or it's their nearest school so it's not that anybody who has got a place isn't entitled it's the fact we have more pupils than we have places "It was a complete surprise when it turned up nobody had any expectation this would be an issue which is unusual "It seems very much to be a Fetcham issue which is unusual and it's the first time in a long time we've had an issue like this."   See the latest news, information, conversations and much more, all tailored to your neighbourhood, in your InYourArea live feed here LoadingDaily Email Updates {{contentTitle}} A sign advertising Berkeley Homes in  Effingham Lodge The rumble of resident resistance to the Berkeley Homes demand for 110 extra homes on Effingham Lodge Farm green belt is growing louder even more voices raised in stubborn opposition Further questions to Berkeley Homes by The Dragon to help clarify the situation have been ignored and queries answered only by referring to a previous reply from Stonycraft See also: Berkeley Homes Demand 110 Extra ‘Enabling’ Houses in Effingham Another mystery is why the initial BH demand for 55 houses has suddenly doubled in 18 months representatives from Effingham Parish Council Effingham Residents’ Association and others attended a meeting called at the request of Tony Pidgley Mr Pidgely said there was a financial shortfall which meant 55 more houses needed to be built to enable the school build Now BH wants 110 additional homes to meet the same shortfall See also: Let Us Build More Green Belt Homes Or No School, Says Berkeley the BH development director: “Was the shortfall caused by changes in specifications for the school and who set them and when?” He did not answer that and Cllr Clare Curran (Bookham & Fetcham West) strongly oppose the demand for 110 more houses The Berkeley Homes site cleared ready for consruction Cllr Iles said: “Berkeley Homes advised [at the meeting 18 months ago that] the cost of the new school had increased from £32 million at the time of the public inquiry to £40 million “To fill the resultant funding gap they proposed to change the boundary between the school land and the residential land on Effingham Lodge Farm “Two pieces of land would come out of the new school site and be attached to the original residential site to be used for 55 additional dwellings They talked about affordable housing and increasing S106 infrastructure obligations “They had considered other options for bridging the funding gap including reducing the size of the new school to just 1,600 pupils as it is now But that would not provide sufficient savings to fill the gap and the Howard Partnership Trust were unwilling to accept that proposal “They had submitted the reserved matters application for the new school to GBC and the reserved matters application for the residential site was to be submitted later that year The additional housing sites would then be submitted as a separate planning application “The S106 Infrastructure was also touched on briefly “If an application is to be submitted for yet more housing Surrey County Council would need to provide input as a statutory consultee on infrastructure needs primary school-place provision and traffic modelling “While we might all be able to appreciate the attractions of a new school and the benefit that could provide to pupils to foist an uplift of about 40% on the present number of houses in the village cannot be right “I have been clear in my objections to the original proposals for 295 houses and I’m certainly not in favour of taking even more “The deal to build a new school rests entirely with the academy trust and Berkeley Homes The increase in the number of pupils (from 1,600 to 2,000) simply reflects additional students from the proposed increase in housing numbers and was not made out in school-place planning forecasts without that additional housing.” Effingham Residents Association (EFFRA) welcomed the support by Sir Paul Beresford an Cllrs Iles and Curran against the building of 110 more enabling houses in the village A statement said residents were very disappointed by the decision in 2018 by the Secretary of State to allow 295 enabling houses on green belt land in Effingham for a new and much larger Howard School after it had been turned down by Guildford Borough Council In addition to the irreversible damage to the green belt they believed it was inappropriate in a small semi-rural village and the local infrastructure The statement added: “We have always believed the issues regarding the condition of the existing school should have been dealt with by refurbishment on the existing site rather than a rebuild of the school on a new green belt site “Increasing the school’s size from 1,600 to more than 2,000 pupils is inappropriate in a small village.” Founder of the campaign “Say No to Berkeley Homes” said: “There is such a strong objection to this proposal within the local community and several villages that will be affected it was only right to put these questions to the wider objective community via the Facebook group “The following responses have been collated from an almost overwhelming reaction.” What are your thoughts about the transport arrangements being proposed over the four to six years estimated for construction (Effingham Common Road) large vehicles will not follow the correct route and travel down The Street and Lower Road There is fear of inadequate risk assessments along Effingham Common Road with local primary schools meaning young children are crossing an already very busy and very dangerous road and we also have safety impacts on horse-riders and cyclists We have an already unstable Effingham railway bridge A legal case is being discussed against BH by some residents for existing properties suffering potential future damage by increase of traffic causing vibration to the foundations and personal health deterioration Will double-yellow lines be put in along both Lower Road and Effingham Common Road because Berkeley Homes claim their masterplan will ease traffic on already congested roads Four-bedroom houses are proposed with only two parking spaces and the inclusion of narrow roads within the masterplan means cars will be parking on Lower Road and also use Effingham Common Road to park completely ruling out their idea of helping the known problems Where will all those wanting to use Effingham Railway station park especially once the Wisley development of 2,000 homes takes off The carpark is insufficient at present with no preventative measures on neighbouring roads for parking taken into account by BH for residents wanting to commute how do Effingham and Little Bookham residents feel about the prospect of 500 or more cars running through to and from the school twice a day An estimate of 500 cars seems a little low and this is only the start of the problem Have you tried driving along Effingham Common Road Lower Road at peak times and school rush-hour Throw into the mix even more sixth-form students driving to the school and travelling in from Horsley Effingham and Bookham and it’s going to cause severe disruption Add to this the estimation of a further 800 cars to the village due to the number of houses wanted on the site and the whole area at peak times will be unbearable and dangerous for pedestrians What are your concerns about the infrastructure measures being proposed to alleviate the potential problem The site is close to several nursery schools a primary school and the secondary school as well as residential properties Not once have The Howard Partnership Trust asked for views from parents of younger children within the Trust at neighbouring schools Where is the survey to other parents asking them if there are any concerns or ascertaining asthmatic children numbers close to the site Once the construction traffic starts and continues for years and if building work starts on the site then there is a real concern for those living with underlying health conditions especially with Covid now a further factor Also with skylarks known to be nesting on site BH should not be doing anything on site at all The local nature and hive of activity will be destroyed What are your thoughts about the infrastructure measures being proposed to alleviate the potential problems of for example surface and foul waters Will BH be underwriting the flood insurance for the new school and new houses due to the houses and school being built on a land mass with well-known underground springs Effingham Common Road and further surrounding roads frequently flood heavily and have done for decades due to the land type Will BH be providing written letters to all immediate neighbours of the site reassuring them that no flooding will take place within their properties due to the build-plan and if houses do start to flood will BH admit liability Ms Lawrence added: “Enabling development When this story started it was the new houses enabling a new school Now it’s the new school doing the enabling It’s in danger of enabling not only another 110 houses but more green belt destruction What on earth is this charade of local Conservative representatives opposing the application Surely it’s governmental responsibility to finance education We need the school; we must find a compromise ASAP Education should be a public service and thus funded from taxes which most Surrey residents can well afford – or Many fine schools have been fully funded in both these ways for centuries Parents beware: trading bits of our countryside with property developers is a pact with the devil that will only lead to ever more housing ever higher demand for school places and thus the need for ever bigger schools Guildford borough’s population is scarcely due to rise in the next 20 years and there is no need for schools to suck in students from other areas just to assuage the egos of certain school governors and headteachers they will always be outsmarted by professional speculators stop commoditising local children in this shameless game of financial leverage and protect the green space that they will need long after they leave school Mr Jacobs should note that the County and Parliamentary elected representatives related to this application are united in wanting the new school and oppose the new extension housing application they are Conservatives elected by local voters who they are representing That is called democracy and the united front strengthens their position Sir Paul Beresford is the Conservative MP for Mole Valley As Liberal Democrat District Councillor for Bookham North I am totally opposed to the Berkeley Home’s housing development on this site Not only will it affect Effingham it will have a severe detrimental effect on the lives of my constituents in Bookham sufficiently large to accommodate every child from Bookham and surrounding villages who wishes to go to the school it is the responsibility of the central government to pay for the school not to expect a property developer to build it in return for being allowed to profit by concreting over a large stretch of green belt land I and many others would like to know who proposed this way of providing the new school in the first place If Cllr Adams was to read the article or pay sufficient attention to the background and previous application he would have picked up the answer to his question “The deal to build a new school rests entirely with the academy trust and Berkeley Homes The increase in the number of pupils (from 1,600 to 2,000) simply reflects additional students from the proposed increase in housing numbers and was not made out in school-place planning forecasts without that additional housing.” Therefore there is no funding required from the Department of Education School Basic Need allocations Julie Iles is a Conservative county councillor for The Horsleys The detailed background to this scheme, including the original permission given at appeal by the Secretary of State in 2018, is set out on Effingham Parish Council’s website here It is clear from the planning inspector’s report that the lack of an alternative source of funding carried substantial weight in the decision Those of us who gave evidence at the Public Inquiry were extremely concerned that the scheme would set a precedent by which public facilities such as an improved state school could be funded by allowing development in the green belt That will be thoroughly tested out when the planning application for this latest proposal is considered against current government planning policy Liz Hogger is a Lib Dem borough councillor for Effingham Due to the village not having a doctors’ surgery for some years would you like a medical centre in Effingham which could be paid for with some of the monies at an estimated cost of £1 million received by Guilford Borough Council This is something I campaigned for on your behalf with the former Surrey Downs CCG A new surgery would greatly relieve the Great Bookham doctors especially as residents this side of the Borough boundary were in a survey I am given to understand “concerned with the capacity at our GP surgeries.” Whether this current medical provision was made worse by the pandemic it was not possible to say I greatly object to building houses on the green belt in Effingham and Bookham We have congestion already on the Lower Road during rush hours and have great difficulty in obtaining an appointment with our GP More houses would mean more infrastructure and more places required at the Howard The Howard should be refurbished at our government’s expense We also have natural springs which flood the Lower Road from time to time Effingham is only a small village and would be overwhelmed with more cars and very little parking at Effingham Station for commuters Mr Beresford may very well be “wanting” the new school but local democracy charged him and his government with responsibility to provide it with policies enabling builders to build it If the builder cannot afford to do so without adding to the original application then government policy is failing local voters One wonders how much Berkeley Homes has contributed to the Conservatives Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Horrified shoppers revealed there was a "colossal explosion" as the vehicle was consumed with flames while the man, in his 50s, was inside. The victim is believed to have suffered 80 per cent burns in the horrific blaze in Bookham, Surrey, on Monday afternoon. Despite being rushed to St George's Hospital in Tooting, he tragically died yesterday. The Surrey Coroner is now preparing to open an inquest as police compile a file of evidence. The inquest is due to be opened and adjourned which would seek to determine who the man was and how he died. Gerald Coates, who lives opposite the row of village stores next to where the tragic incident happened, was in his cellar when he heard the explosion. He described the chaotic scenes which followed and saw four firefighters desperately dragging the unclothed man along the ground and away from the burning car. Mr Coates said the thick flames were “60ft high” as the car continued to burn. He told The Sun Online: “It was a colossal explosion and was like nothing I had ever heard. “My wife was upstairs and was screaming ‘there’s a fire, a car is on fire’. It was a colossal explosion and was like nothing I had ever heard “I looked outside and the flames were huge, at least 60ft high. “I ran outside and I saw four firefighters desperately dragging a man across the ground. “He wasn’t wearing any clothes and police officers were telling everyone to get the children and families away from the scene. “They managed to drag him away from the fire and was laying on his back. “He was alive but I’m not sure if he was conscious at this point. “The man was then flown to hospital in an air ambulance.” A spokesman for Surrey Police said: "We were called to Lower Shott car park near the High Street in Bookham, Surrey, at 12.40pm on Monday afternoon after a report that a man had been found with serious injuries and a car was on fire. "Surrey Fire and Rescue Service, the air ambulance and South East Coast Ambulance Service were also in attendance. "A man in his 50s was taken to hospital via air ambulance. However he sadly passed away yesterday afternoon," "We were also joined at the scene by the air ambulance A man with serious injuries was treated at the scene before being airlifted to St George’s Hospital." No details of the man's identity have yet been released Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/