New Affordable Homes for Effingham
Aster Group is a housing association which provides quality, affordable homes to thousands of people across the south of England and London. Our vision is that everyone has a home.
We are proposing a sensitive, proportionate development of around 37 new homes to the north of Orestan Lane in Effingham. Situated among the existing trees, the homes will be designed for new and growing families and will include one, two and three-bed properties. A minimum of 50% of these homes would be Affordable, with the aim to get to 100% using grant funding available after planning permission is granted. With this model, Aster has successfully delivered plans with 100% affordable homes many times. The homes would be a mix of tenures and types. Some homes could be for rent, which take people from the local housing waiting list, others could shared ownership which helps people get a foot on or back on the ladder by buying a share of their home at a time.
An indicative example of homes that would be provided by Aster on this site.
Our plans in brief
Around 37 new homes
At least 18 (50%) new Afforadble Homes with the ambition for all 37 (100%) to be affordable
New public open space and children’s play provision
Ecological improvements and Biodiversity Net Gain
Surface water drainage ponds and swales across the site, which will create new habitats
An enhanced landscaped buffer on the northwestern edge of the site
Retained and enhanced trees and planting
Low-carbon energy sources and EV charging infrastructure
The Site
The site is close to the village centre, with existing homes on three sides along Orestan Lane and Leewood Way. It is mostly hidden by thick trees and hedgerows along each of these sides.
The northern part of the site is an area of grassland. While no homes are proposed for this area, it will be secured as part of these plans, helping to provide landscaping and biodiversity improvements across the site.
Whilst the site is designated as Green Belt Land it abuts the edge of the historic core of the settlement of Effingham and lies adjacent to modern ribbon development along Orestan Lane.
The Effingham Conservation Area also covers the site, and the plans have been designed to maintain a gap between the village centre and existing homes along Orestan Lane, which form the western part of the village.
A Landscape-Led Approach
Effingham is a village with a green, leafy character and Aster’s plans will respect and enhance this as a local feature. Our plans have been carefully designed with a landscape-led approach, making best use of the existing mature trees and hedgerows.
The mature trees at the centre of the site will form a green heart for the plans, clearly separating new homes into two, maintaining the present gap between the village centre and Orestan Lane. Around these trees will be publicly accessible green space, improving access to open space for new and existing residents.
Biodiversity and Ecology
These plans carry major benefits for local biodiversity, with enhancements to the existing mature trees and hedgerows on site, and protection of the northern part of the site for wildlife. The plans would also provide new habitats on the site, with drainage ponds on the eastern side especially valuable to native plant and insect species.
The plans will deliver a Biodiversity Net Gain through these enhancements and new habitats.
New Affordable Homes in Effingham
Aster is a not-for dividend housing association which was set up in 1990, now with a portfolio of social housing worth £2.5 billion. Aster is committed to tackling the housing shortage by delivering a wide range of housing options.
Affordable Homes are urgently needed in Guildford Borough, where the housing waiting list is the highest it has been in a decade with 2,266 families waiting for a permanent home. The average waiting time for a two-bedroom home locally has reached seven years.
These plans would deliver 37 new homes, with at least 18 of them (50%) being Affordable Homes of a range of types. Since 2015, Guildford Borough has delivered only 60 Affordable Homes a year, so these plans alone could represent up to a third of the existing Affordable Housing supply for the area.
It is Aster’s ambition to deliver 100% of the homes as Affordable Homes, using grant funding, available after planning permission is granted. Through this model, Aster has delivered many other sites as 100% affordable.
A sensitive design to reflect the rural character of Effingham.
An indicative example of homes that would be provided by Aster on this site.
Accessibility and Sustainable Travel
Effingham is identified as a large village by Guildford Borough Council, and it benefits from a good selection of local amenities and services.
This site is an easy, less than 10-minute walk from the village centre, which has a small supermarket, bakery and other shops. Roads around the site, including Orestan Lane, have footpaths which make it convenient to get around the village on foot.
It is also easy to reach public transport from the site, such as the 479 bus which runs from Church Street to Guildford or Epsom, or trains from Effingham Junction or Bookham stations, each less than a 10-minute cycle or bus away.
Nevertheless, the site exceeds the parking requirements of both the Effingham Neighbourhood Plan and the Guildford Local Plan with 64 spaces across the site, including EV charging facilities for all homes. There will also be ample parking for cyclists, in accordance with Guildford Borough Council standards for new developments.
Background and Planning Policy
These plans provide new homes between the existing edge of the historic village centre of Effingham and the more modern development along Orestan Lane. While the site is within the Green Belt, it is surrounded by existing development and mature trees and hedgerows which leave it visually separated from other parts of the Green Belt.
Government policy has recognised a category of land that performs poorly against the core functions of the Green Belt, which has been called ‘Grey Belt’. National planning policy promotes the release of Grey Belt sites for development where any harms from the scheme are appropriately mitigated.
This site can be released from the Green Belt without impacting the setting of the wider Green Belt around it. Through Aster’s landscape-led plans, the site will positively contribute to providing much needed housing and affordable housing to the benefit of the community in Effingham and the wider borough.
Summary
Around 37 new homes
At least 18 (50%) new Afforadble Homes with the ambition for all 37 (100%) to be affordable
New public open space and children’s play provision
Ecological improvements and Biodiversity Net Gain
Surface water drainage ponds and swales across the site, which will create new habitats
An enhanced landscaped buffer on the northwestern edge of the site
Retained and enhanced trees and planting
Low-carbon energy sources and EV charging infrastructure
Next Steps
Please leave your feedback here by 10 December 2025. Aster will consider all feedback we receive, before we then submit the final plans to Guildford Borough Council.
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