The people of Guildford are proud of the majority of things about the town, which includes how it looks. Anything that poses a threat to the state of Guildford will always be looked upon with disapproval by those that live in the area, which might well be part of the reason why the Council has decided to reject a proposal that would’ve seen new industrial blocks built at Dennis Way.
The plan was for the Alexander Dennis bus depot to be knocked down and replaced with a flexible business hub, with developers claiming as many as 400 jobs would’ve been delivered, but it now won’t go ahead.
What Was Being Proposed
Dennis Way is to be found on the Slyfield Industrial Estate, with plans having been put forward that would’ve seen eight new units built there. The units would’ve replaced the Alexander Dennis bus depot at the location, seeing a mixture of storage units and industrial ones erected. The development company considered the proposals, which could’ve seen in the region of 400 jobs delivered to Guildford, as a ‘vital upgrade’ to the area, which is one of the main employment zones in the town. The buildings would’ve been as tall as 16.18 metres, making them the tallest industrial buildings Guildford had ever seen.
Given the fact that 16 metres would’ve been almost twice the height of everything else located on Slyfield Estate, it is fair to say that the plans were ambitious. When you also consider the fact that the estate houses the likes of a dump, the sewage works and an abattoir, those hoping to add the new buildings to it might consider the rejection of their application to be slightly unfair. Charles Everest spoke to the Council on behalf of the applicant for the new buildings and said that the aim was to add a ‘modern, sustainable hub’ to the Slyfield Estate, rather than just a replacement for the bus depot. He also added that the height of the new buildings was important in order to make use of the limited space in the area.
Why the Proposal Has Been Rejected
From the point of view of the Council, it wasn’t so much the idea of new industrial buildings being added that was the problem, so much as the height that they would stand at in comparison to other buildings coming in at more like eight to ten metres. A building coming in at more like 16 metres would tower over the existing ones, as well as add an ‘unacceptable’ impact to the area when viewed from Jacobs Well Road nearby. Equally, there is a lot of open countryside nearby, which would also be impacted badly by the addition of tall industrial buildings onto the estate.
The decision to refuse the application came on the eighth of October, seeing some Councillors being concerned about the addition of such visually dominant buildings to the green belt area. Ryan Bachelor is a local resident and spoke to the Council in order to oppose the buildings being allowed, saying, “Sixteen metres is twice the height of almost everything else on Slyfield. You cannot call this ‘in keeping’ when it’s never been seen before.” He made the point that if the proposal was allowed, it would see an ‘unprecedented height record’ put in place for the area.
Councillors Reluctant to Say ‘No’
Although the proposal for the new industrial buildings was given short shrift by some Council members, there was also a sense of reluctance to turn them down amongst some people that make up the Council. Councillor Howard Smith said, “I do have sympathy for the residents of Jacobswell Road, but I do think there’s a good distance between their homes and the existing industrial site.” This opinion was one that was shared by other members of the Council, feeling that the notion of the impact on the visuals from those living was slightly exaggerated.
Part of the problem was that the proposal didn’t gain enough support, with many of those on the Council unhappy to support such a scheme. There were others that warned that the financial cost of the appeal was worth bearing in mind, should the refusal have been overturned. A big part of the dilemma for Councillors came in the fact that bringing jobs to the area is never something to be sniffed at. At the same time, more houses are being built in the surrounding area, so allowing for something that might make them less appealing for house-hunters is a major issue.