Merel Rehorst-Smith
Guildford Borough Councillor for Effingham
Merel Rehorst-Smith moved to Surrey in 2006 and settled in Effingham with her family in 2010. She works locally as a vet. Both her daughters are currently at the Howard of Effingham School, after attending primary schools in Effingham and Bookham.
As a local mother, Merel has two particular concerns: improving road safety and protecting our green belt and village character from over-development. Improved facilities at the Howard School will be welcome, but the Berkeley Homes scheme to provide a new-build school in return for over 400 new houses tacked onto our village and pouring traffic onto narrow village roads means our community is paying too high a price.
Merel says: 'New homes in the village are needed, but they should be affordable for local people, be in compliance with Effingham's Neighbourhood Plan, and should come with improvements to our already over-stretched infrastructure.'
