With the housing crisis being something that virtually every town and city in the United Kingdom is struggling with, it should be no real surprise that Guildford has fallen foul of it as much as anywhere else. As a result, there have been numerous schemes and plans put in place in order to see more and more houses brought into Guildford, such as with the Weyside Urban Village and the North Side Regeneration projects. Guildford Park Road is also going to be part of the housing-led regeneration plans for the town, bringing in as much as 40% of affordable housing.
Building Homes Instead of Car Parks
In the July of 2024, it was revealed that Guildford Borough Council had reached a deal with the property development firm the Wates Group to see the development of a site where a car park stood. The hope was that around 250 new homes would be built, with the authority making a commitment to 40% of them falling into the ‘affordable housing’ bracket. The council had long wanted to redevelop the car park at Guildford Park Road in order to make better use of it as an asset, with numerous different schemes considered at one point or another.
The Council earmarked £86 million for the development, with the Council Leader at the time, Julia McShane, saying that just shy of £40 million from the housing revenue would be used to buy the affordable homes. She said, “This new neighbourhood will include a mix of new council homes for rent and affordable homes to buy. Our focus is to create a high quality, sustainable development where people are proud to live”. At the time, the consultation over the area and the final designs was still to take place, ensuring everyone was happy with what was built.
A Balance of Different Homes
There is obviously no use developing just one sort of home in a town like Guildford. Instead, there is a need for a mix of numerous different homes, which is what the developer, Wates Group, has promised. There will be one, two and three-bedroom homes build in the place of the car park, as well as some townhouses. With Guildford Council already owning 5,000 council homes, the creation of more affordable ones to add to the list can only be seen as a good thing in an area where people are struggling to find somewhere to live.
Part of the plan is for the development to meet the Future Homes Standards, exceeding them as much as possible. That means that there will be a 90% reduction in carbon emissions, as well as a 30% net gain in biodiversity so as to improve the natural habitat. Another £11 million is also being aimed at a social value programme, which will include the creation of around 40 new jobs for local residents as well as training and up-skilling opportunities. It is part of a wider housing-led redevelopment project for Guildford in general.