Guildford's, not Mole Valley's
Effingham is covered by Guildford Borough Council rather than Mole Valley District Council, even though it sits closer to Leatherhead and Dorking than to Guildford town centre itself, a quirk of the borough boundary worth knowing before applying for planning permission here.
An engineer's final resting place
The engineer credited with inventing the bouncing bomb used in the Second World War Dambusters raid, Barnes Wallis, is buried in the village, one of a number of notable people with a connection to Effingham.
A historic clubhouse on the golf course
Effingham Golf Club's clubhouse, built in a Georgian style, is a listed building, its course laid out on land south of the village in the 1920s.
Only part of the parish reaches the protected hills
Only the southern part of Effingham parish, beyond the golf club, falls within the Surrey Hills National Landscape; the village itself, on the lower ground to the north, sits outside the boundary.
Frequently asked questions
Is Effingham covered by the same council as Dorking?+
No. Effingham falls under Guildford Borough Council, not Mole Valley District Council, despite sitting closer to Dorking than to Guildford.
Is Effingham within the Surrey Hills National Landscape?+
Only its southern edge, beyond the golf club, sits within the protected boundary; the village centre itself is outside it.
Nearby areas
Services
Useful local links
- Reigate and Banstead Borough Council – Planning — The planning authority covering Reigate and Redhill, a separate borough from Mole Valley.
- Epsom and Ewell Borough Council – Planning permission — The planning authority covering Epsom, a separate borough from Mole Valley.
- Elmbridge Borough Council – Planning permission and applications — The planning authority covering Cobham, a separate borough from Mole Valley.
- GOV.UK – Planning permission: when you need it — Government guidance on when planning permission is required in England and Wales.
- GOV.UK – Party Wall etc. Act 1996 guidance — Government guidance on notifying neighbours and resolving disputes over shared or boundary walls, relevant to attached garage conversions.
- Planning Portal – Garage conversion — National guidance on when planning permission is needed for a garage conversion in England.
- Planning Portal – Outbuildings — National guidance on permitted development rules for garden buildings and outbuildings, including height and coverage limits.