Plans submitted for Guildford town centre regeneration

By Sam Pither

22 August 2022

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A planning application to rejuvenate a brownfield site on Guildford’s North Street has been submitted by St Edward – a joint venture between The Berkeley Group and M&G Real Estate.

If accepted, the application for the site, known locally as The Friary Quarter, would see a new neighbourhood of 473 homes in buildings ranging from four to 14 floors. The ground floors would feature a mix of commercial and community spaces including a medical centre.

A CGI render of the proposals for Guildford's North Street

Sustainability would be a key focus of the new development, with a total biodiversity net gain of 201 per cent, a 72 per cent reduction in carbon emissions and sustainably sourced construction materials used in the renovation.

It would also feature electric vehicle charging points, and an electric car club with three available vehicles.

The designs also designate four landscaped public areas, including a new town square. North Street would be pedestrianised as part of the scheme, removing more than 300 vehicles per peak hour from the street, improving air quality by up to 10 per cent.

Another CGI render of the plans for North Street

The newly pedestrianised street would have new trees planted along it, new paving and a playable water feature for children.

The proposals would also see the existing, run-down bus interchange replaced with a new one, supporting the government’s ‘Bus Back Better’ initiative.

A CGI render of the proposals for the new bus interchange

Jack Nicholson, Land & Development Director at St Edward, said: “After nearly three years of design development, and extensive stakeholder and community engagement, St Edward is extremely proud of the final scheme which will transform this long derelict site into a contemporary new neighbourhood.

“We believe this development will become a beautiful addition to Guildford, delivering new homes to bring investment into the town, as well as creating beautiful spaces for the whole community to meet, eat, relax, gather and play.

“The suite of infrastructure improvements offers huge benefits to the community and will be transformational to the wider area.”

Guildford Borough Council is expected to consider the plans in November 2022, with an expected start to construction in summer of 2023.

By Sam Pither

Sam is the Regional Editor of Biz News, responsible for both Hampshire and Dorset.

A new recruit to journalism, Sam started writing for the Business Magazine as a freelancer in May of 2022 after completing his degree in English at University College London. His passion for local businesses and ability to tell a story soon caught the attention of the publication’s management team and have led to his meteoric rise.

Sam, who lives in central Reading, takes a particular interest in technology, gaming and food and drink, having been a chef before starting his degree.