A couple of weeks ago, we wrote about the fact that the car park at Guildford Railway Station was going to be closed for a period due to ongoing work in the area. Now it has been confirmed that another car park close to the station is also being closed, but this time as part of plans to build new homes on the site.
Close to £90 million is being invested in turning the ‘underutilised’ car park into just shy of 250 new homes. Their location close to the train station will make them ideal for those looking to take the train as part of a commute into London for work or leisure reasons.
What Is Happening
Guildford Borough Council has confirmed that plans have been submitted that would result in the redevelopment of the car park on Guildford Park Road. The car park itself is used by both people looking to head to Guildford Railway Station and also those that need to go to the University of Surrey Campus, given the fact that both venues are about ten minutes’ walk from the facility. Rather than just aiming to make the venue better known to people so that it gets more use, the aim is to redevelop it completely and make it somewhere that people can live in houses there.
The developers, Wates, in partnership with Guildford Borough Council, have submitted detailed plans for the creation of 248 new homes, of which in the region of 40% would be ‘affordable’ and come under the management of the Council. Although planning permission still needs to be granted, the fact that the Council itself is one of the co-signers of the initial plans means that there will be a hope that the plans will indeed get given the go-ahead. The aim is for construction to get underway next summer, whilst the new homes themselves would be completed within two years.
The Link to the Train Station
Given the car park’s proximity to Guildford Railway Station, you’d be forgiven for thinking that there was a need to ensure that it remained open for commuters to use. The good news for those that use the station to make the trip to the likes of London is that there are plenty of options nearby. In fact, when the closure of the car park at the train station was announced, the two car parks that rail users were advised to turn to were one at Farnham Road and another at Bedford Road, whilst the Guildford Park Road option was never mentioned. That might help to explain why it remains so underused.
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time that the car park has seen planning permission granted to turn it into something else. Back in the November of 2016, Guildford Borough Council gave the go-ahead for 160 new homes to be built there, along with, crucially, a multi-storey car park. That would have resulted in 51 one-bed and 82 two-bed flats being built, as well as 27 three-bed houses. On top of that, 64 units would’ve remained under Council control for use as affordable housing, whilst a car park with just shy of 500 spaces was going to be built, in spite of objections from local residents.
Plans in Place Since March
Guildford residents that follow such news closely will no doubt have the feeling that this all seems eerily familiar. That is on account of the fact that news broke in the March of this year about exactly these plans. The announcement of the plans to see 248 new homes built on Guildford Park Road was made in order to gain the views of locals, thanks to the launch of a consultation on the issue. At the time, the plans had not been finalised, even if they sound strangely like the plans that have been confirmed in recent days. Those plans showed designs for numerous different building types.
As well as four interconnected apartment buildings, which would range from four to six storeys in height, there were also sketches featuring 15 terrace houses of between two and three storeys. They were all being put around public space that was being designed to ‘celebrate the town’s unique character’. They were part of what Councillor Julia McShane said at the time was a plan to ensuring that Guildford is ‘an inclusive community, where local people can find homes that suit their needs at a price they can afford’. The only thing some will want to know is if said plans have changed much.
The Plans as They Are Now
Whilst some might like the fact that Guildford Park Road car park is underused as it allows them to know that they’ll almost certainly be able to find a space there, there will be many others who feel as though getting more out of the area is crucial for the long-term aims of the town. Given the fact that plans like this have been in the offing since 2016, it isn’t all that surprising that they remain part of the conversation now. Wates Construction was selected as the development partner to work alongside Guildford Borough Council back in 2024 and have been working on plans since.
With more than 1,250 responses being given to the Council, the majority of them have been positive and offering support. The feedback had been ‘reviewed’ before plans were submitted, which look very similar to those that were mooted earlier in the year. The proposals as they are now include family homes and apartment buildings, which range from four to six storeys in height. On top of that, the plans include 15 two and three storey townhouses, with the buildings in general being set on either side of what is being referred to as a ‘Living Street’, prioritising cyclists and pedestrians.