Head to any town or city centre anywhere in the country and there will usually be one or two buildings that stand out against the crowd. Over time, they become somewhat iconic, dominating the area in which they stand to the point that it starts to be difficult to imagine life without them. That is precisely what Guildford residents are going to have to do when it comes to the building that has housed Debenhams for nearly 60 years, however, as it is due to be demolished in order to allow for the building of some new houses.
Work Has Been in the Offing Since 2022
The department store chain Debenhams was founded in 1778 in London, but grew to have more than 170 locations across Europe and the Asia Pacific. One of those locations was Guildford, with the store there opening in a building that had been built nearly 60 years prior. On the 26th of April 2019, however, the company confirmed that it was going to have to close as many as 22 stores, including those in locations such as Altrincham, Kirkcaldy and Guildford itself, leaving around 116 Debenhams stores elsewhere in the country.
The store eventually closed its doors for good in the May of 2021, leading to many wondering what would happen to the iconic building from which it had operated. Residents were divided on the plans for what should come next, but in the November of 2022 Guildford Borough Council decided by six votes to five that it should be demolished in order to make way for nearly 200 new homes. Initial plans suggested that just five of the 185 homes being proposed by the developer would become affordable housing.
More Than Just New Homes
Whilst there has been some objection to the plans, the majority of Guildford residents are likely to be quite happy about the plans for the location where the old Debenhams building stood. There will be 185 new homes available to those looking to buy in the town, but more important is what will come around the new home building. Around 20,000 square feet of restaurants and business space will be opening there, alongside an acre of public walkways and gardens that will sit on the banks of the River Wey.
It is hoped that it will present a chance to ‘unlock the potential of land and buildings’, as well as to revitalise urban neighbourhoods in the Guildford area. Native Land, the company behind the new scheme, have already been responsible for the building of modern flats near to the Tate Modern in London, which have proven to be popular. It will be the first time in around 50 years that the River Wey has been accessible directly from the High Street, which presents all sorts of opportunities for new businesses to thrive.
It’s the Next Phase in Building Work
Although the demolition of the Debenhams building is set to be the next phase in the project, it actually won’t be the first part of it. In fact, construction work began in the April of 2024, with the interior of the building being ‘gutted’ as a first step. Native Land said in January of 2025 that ‘internal and external construction work’ would get underway, continuing the process of getting rid of one of the buildings that was nominated as one of the town’s best back in 2023. It was joined by Guildford Cathedral and the Guildhall on the short list.
The hope of the team behind the new homes is that they will be seen as being just as impressive in the eyes of the Guildford Design Awards as the building was when it housed a Debenhams. When the building work is eventually complete, it will offer those that live there the chance to be within walking distance of Guildford Train Station, as well as a host of other important locations in the town centre. As a result, it is likely that the new homes will prove to be popular with those who need to commute to London for work.