WOOD STREET VILLAGE ASSOCIATION AGM MINUTES
Monday, 13th April 2026
Alex Waugh welcomed everyone to the 56th Annual General Meeting of the Wood Street Village Association.
There were apologies from: Alison Johnson, Keith Witham, Belinda Baker, David Grey, Nicky and Martin Parsons and Richard Watson.
Present: Alex Waugh, Bob McShee, Terry Wright, Jennifer Wright, Caroline Mankelow, Janet Sutton, Robert and Linda Grimmond, Dave Strike, Louise McCann, Nuala Crampin, Reverend Dawn Lucas-Brown, Philip and Honor Brooker, Richard Trinick, Pam and David Hypher, Malcolm and Sue Orchard, Helen Bell and Bilal Akhtar.
The minutes of the previous AGM had been distributed before the meeting.
The minutes were then proposed as being a correct record of the meeting by Bob McShee and seconded by Janet Sutton. There were no matters arising.
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT- Alex Waugh
During the winter, The Village Association has been meeting via zoom on the second Monday of every month but now that the weather has improved, we will start meeting again in St. Alban’s Church. Everyone in the village can attend meetings and new members would be most welcome.
Hester’s Yard
As anticipated at the 2025 AGM, the developers for Hester’s Yard submitted a new application for development following rejection of the original proposal at appeal. The new proposal, which has still to be determined by Guildford Borough Council, is very similar to the original apart from a change to the proportion of affordable housing, now proposed at 50% of the total of 50 residential units on the site. It retains the original proposal for an office to be provided to the Parish Council virtually free of charge. The main change since the original proposal was rejected is that a revised planning framework is encouraging for developers building on “grey belt” sites. The developers for this site and also Hillplace Fram (see below) argue that they fall withing the grey belt definition. Although a planning decision has not yet been made, the owners have given notice to existing tenants on the site.
Hillplace Farm
During the course of the year, proposals were submitted for the development of 18 houses on the site of Hillplace Farm, along with the enlargement of the existing listed farmhouse and the creation of a new barn/outbuilding to be associated with the farmhouse. As with Hester’s Yard, no decision has yet been made by Guildford Borough Council on this proposal.
Litter picks
The Association has planned regular litter picks (thanks to Ali Johnson for organising all who turn out for these). There has been a record number of people helping out, and it really makes a difference – if only for a short while. The VA has also linked up with WSV School which also gets its children involved in litter collection.
Summer Show
The village show is run in partnership between the VA and the Horticultural Society, which has its annual exhibition and competition in the marquee. The financial side of the show is covered in the Treasurer’s report. It was very wet on the morning of the show in 2025, meaning that attendance was lower than the excellent turn out in 2024. There was a very good mix of stalls (congratulations to Caroline Hanford for managing that) and entertainment including Wood Street’s own maypole dancers. Despite the weather, the showground filled in the early afternoon and people were well distributed round the green. The event helps raise money and awareness for local groups such as the Scouts (who also help with car park management), the Church (who run the tea tent), and small local charities. There are many people who help with the day from both the Horticultural Society and the Village Association. We are very grateful to everyone who helps in any way, but especially to members of the show committee who put in the hours in the months leading up to the event.
The 2026 show will take place on 18th July, so please avoid booking your holidays and come along to join in and help out. The show is the core of a weekend’s entertainment including the band playing in the evening (thanks Terry Wright for organising) and the Jazz Festival on Sunday in support of Challengers. It really is a special weekend in the life of our village and helps raise funds for local causes.
Carol Singing
The communal Carol Singing on the village green in December was, once again, a very memorable occasion and it was great to see so many people enjoying themselves as well as raising around £500 for The Children’s Society. Thank you to everyone who helped organise the event.
Local Pubs
During the course of 2025, both the White Hart and the Royal Oak have been closed. The latter was sold to a group of investors who are now trying to resell it (most likely for an alternative use). The White Hart is owned by Stonegate Ltd, a company which owns thousands of pubs. However, they are having difficulty in finding a suitable tenant. In the meantime, the building is boarded up and some essential repairs are being undertaken.
In December 2025 the VA organised a meeting to discuss the situation, attended by more than 100 people. There was much discussion and several individuals expressed enthusiasm for the community to purchase and run one of the two sites. We have benefitted from the help of local surveyor Tom Norris-Jones and hospitality consultant Radford Chancellor. However, at present there are no plans in place to take on either prospect as (a) the acquisition costs are high; (b) there would be considerable further investment required, especially at the Royal Oak; and (c) hitherto there have not been enough people indicating they would be prepared to back the venture financially.
It is possible that there will be further developments in 2026. Stonegate, in particular, seems determined to find a new tenant for the White Hart.
Newsletter
Thanks to Richard Trinick and his team of distributers, a village newsletter has again been produced three times during the year and is an important part of informing residents of village events and news.
Flood Action Group
Following the closure of the Flood Forum convened by Worplesdon Parish Council, a new Flood Action Group has been set up with the support of Surrey County Council and the National Flood Forum (an independent charity). Several villagers have been involved and developed thinking about how to protect against a repeat of the flooding that took place in 2024/25. Ensuring regular maintenance of existing capacity by local authorities and riparian owners is a priority. Worplesdon Parish Council has done an excellent job in ensuring culverts are clear during 2025/6, which is nominally the job of Guildford Borough Council. A first meeting of the action group involving other authorities is due to take place on 16th April.
Footpath between Broad Street and Fairlands
During the course of 2025/26 this footpath has been completely refurbished and now offers a firm, mud free walk way between Wood Street and Worplesdon schools. Thanks are due to our SCC Councillor Keith Witham who has pursued this project tirelessly.
Thank you Evening
A successful event was held at St Alban’s Hall on 30th September to thank everyone who helps in the village in any way – the Show, litter picking, delivering newsletters, attending meetings, clearing footpaths. It is one event where nothing is expected of anyone, just come along and meet the many people who help out during the year.
Other matters
A range of other matters have also been discussed at Village Association meetings including the SANG beside Frog Grove Lane, damage to the village green, the Connect bus service in the village and antisocial behaviour. A drop-in session was organized by WPC for villagers to meet the police and talk about any issues; this led to an increased police presence in the village for a short time.
Local Councils
The Association works closely with members of the Parish Council, Guildford Borough Council and Surrey County Council who all come to the meetings. It should be noted that the arrival of a new unitary authority will mean that there is no longer a Guildford Borough Council, and Surrey County Council will be divided into two, with West Surrey incorporating the Guildford area. It remains to be seen how the new arrangements will work in practice, with the full effect likely to be visible only in 2027/28.
We are very grateful to our councillors for the time they put in and their willingness to explain what is happening at VA meetings. By the same token, the meetings are an opportunity for members to raise matters of concern with their representatives.
It is always good to see members bringing forward issues and to know that the Village Association is a useful meeting place to discuss different ideas and new projects for our community.
Thank you to all who participate and support the Association.
Pam asked whether anyone had contacted The Surrey Advertiser regarding the closure of the pubs in Wood Street. Richard explained that the issue had been widely reported on social media and on Radio Surrey but had not been included in The Surrey Advertiser.
TREASURER’S REPORT- Terry Wright
The 2025 Summer Show may not have equalled the roaring success of 2024 but, taking all into account, it was not without merit and the success still helped towards the VA funds.
Footfall at the Summer Show was somewhat down on that of 2024 probably for the main part due to the poor weather overnight and into the morning of show day and since we spent far less on publicity than in previous years. However, the sun eventually came out and the show gave a lot of enjoyment to all those who came along.
Sadly, even the late sun was not enough to make people rush to the drinks tent and whereas in 2024 we completely sold out of drinks, this year we had much left over and, as a result, our 2025 drinks surplus fell short of our expectations. 2025 gave us a surplus of £450 whereas in the previous year our surplus on drinks sales was in excess of £900.
However, as in previous years, Bourne Estate Agents gave us a contribution towards the general cost of holding the show and having spent little of that on publicity banners, their £500 contribution helped us maintain our overall surplus.
Looking back, it was fortunate that 2024 was such a good year for our funds since we were even able to set aside a reserve of £300 towards future maintenance and replacement of our gazebos. So, when we were offered two bell-top gazebos in very good condition, we were able to put that reserve towards the cost and, consequently, the 2025 accounts have only had to bear the cost balance of £700. As well as providing a good attraction for our future shows, there may, of course, also be an opportunity to recoup some of the cost of those gazebos by hiring them to other local events.
Further showers during the afternoon did nothing to help the Fun Dog Show but it continues to grow in popularity, helped in part by the ability for owners to now reserve their dog’s place in the competition on the Show Website, https://www.woodstreetvillageshow.co.uk. The same facility will be open soon for the 2026 show.
2025 was not entirely without national celebrations and we were able to successfully celebrate VE Day the cost of which was offset by specific grants and donations.
To summarise, the Summer Show still provided a healthy contribution of nearly £670 to the Association’s funds and the other events during the year, provided a further surplus of £176.
Remember, the Summer show this year will, as usual, be on the third Saturday in July and this year that will be the 18th July. Save the date!
(The accounts can be found at the end of these minutes.)
Janet suggested that a timer could be used so the Christmas Tree on the green was only lit up at night, thus reducing the electricity costs.
The acceptance of the report was proposed by David Hypher and seconded by Alex Waugh.
SURREY COUNTY COUNCIL
There was no report from SCC.
GUILDFORD BOROUGH COUNCIL REPORT
Alex thanked all three councillors for coming to the meeting.
Honor Brooker gave the report on behalf of Guildford Borough Council.
- Not much is happening at GBC at the moment as we’re all in election mode. Polling for the West Surrey Unitary Council takes place on 7th May and each division will have 2 candidates elected.
- At Full Council on 16th March 2026, it was resolved
- That the Council agrees to recommend to the Executive of the future West Surrey shadow authority that it creates a parish council for Guildford from 1 April 2027.
- That the Council approves a supplementary estimate of £300,000 from reserves to be used to fund the set-up costs for the Parish Council in the event that the future West Surrey shadow authority agrees to its creation. So it will still need approval from the new authority.
- At Full Council on 7th April 2026 a motion was passed to:
- formally endorse the Guildford Town Centre Flood Alleviation Scheme and to working in partnership with the Environment Agency and Surrey County Council and the West Surrey shadow authority (once elected), to secure its delivery.
- Write to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs urging the Government to prioritise funding approval
- Request a meeting with Guildford’s MP to seek their support.
- No funding is expected to be provided by GBC
- A major fire broke out at the John Gunner Waste Site on the Aldershot Rd, caused apparently by a lithium-ion battery. No one was hurt but significant damage was done to buildings.
Bilal was asked about the Hillplace Farm planning application. This was not discussed at GBC’s April meeting but will hopefully be brought to committee at the May meeting.
The SANG saga continues and it is hoped that the Land Trust will eventually take control of the site.
Alex asked about GBC’s debt and Bilal reassured him by saying GBC does have debts but also has many assets.
PARISH COUNCIL REPORT
Bob McShee gave the report on behalf of the Parish Council:
- Pond Maintenance (Algae Control) Barley straw has been deposited in all ponds managed by the Parish Council, including Wood Street Village Pond. This is intended to reduce algae blooms, which have previously impacted water quality and oxygen levels.
Works were carried out by Steve Gunner on behalf of the Parish Council.
- Wood Street Village Pond – Verge Protection Temporary signage has been installed adjacent to Wood Street Village Pond. This is intended to discourage parking on the verge and prevent damage to the surrounding area.
- Great Crested Newt Survey Pond testing for great crested newts is scheduled for 1 May 2026.
- Graffiti Removal Graffiti has been removed from the Broad Street bus shelter by Parish Council groundstaff.
- Parish Council Vacancies There are currently councillor vacancies. Further information is available on the Parish Council website: worplesdon-pc.gov.uk
- BT K6 Phone Kiosk – Frog Grove Lane Repeated vandalism has resulted in damaged glass panes. Will WSVA confirm if they will continue to fund replacements on an ongoing basis?
- Reporting Issues
Potholes: Report to Surrey County Council via https://tellus.surreycc.gov.uk/ or call 0300 200 1003 (urgent cases).
- Fly-tipping: Report to Guildford Borough Council in the first instance.
- Bonfires/Burning (Clasford Common): Report to the Environment Agency pollution hotline on 0800 80 70 60.
- Clerk to the Council Gaynor White has announced her retirement, effective end of July 2026.
Alex asked Bob to express the thanks of WSVA for all that Gaynor has done for the Association over many years. She will be sorely missed but we wish her a very happy and well-deserved retirement.
ELECTION OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Alex thanked all the members of the committee for their support and hard work over the year.
Alex had asked if the Treasurer and Secretary were willing to stand again and they both agreed:
Treasurer – Terry Wright
Secretary – Alison Johnson
This was proposed by Alex Waugh and seconded by David Hypher.
The auditor of the Association has sadly passed away and Alex suggested that Louise become the auditor for WSVA and also to be elected as Deputy Chairperson for the Association.
It was agreed that the rest of the committee should be voted back ‘en bloc’.
This was proposed by Alex Waugh and seconded by Janet Sutton.
The Chairperson will be voted in at the next WSVA meeting in May.
ANY OTHER BUSINESS
Cheesmans are planning to have a van selling coffee there soon. There is also a new van selling coffee during dog walking hours in a drive on Frog Grove Lane opposite the SANG.
Robert questioned why a pink cherry tree and not a white one has been planted near the roundabout at Rydes Hill to replace one that has died. There are already two white cherry trees there. It was suggested that the choice had been made so that they will flower at different times.
Janet talked about the field of crocheted and knitted poppies she is organising for the roadside outside both churches for Remembrance Day. Anyone can contribute to this project: patterns and wool can be obtained from Janet or the Parish Office.
Louise has created a WhatsApp group that anyone in the village can join and which could be a useful method of communication for village events. Please contact her to join the group:
https://chat.whatsapp.com/Dv3qqqqyGP8KBc7VzasYzL?mode=gi_t
The meeting closed at 9.20pm.
The next Wood Street Village Association meeting will be held on Monday, 11th May at 8pm at St. Alban’s Church.
WSVA Accounts to 31st December 2025
