State-of-Brownfield-...
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Guildford Borough Council (GBC) has received in the last 6 months a series of significant applications to provide new housing that totals circa 4500 dwellings (this equates to nearly 11,000 added to the population of the borough at an average 2.4 people per dwelling) .
Two of the schemes are for sites identified in the last Local Plan Strategic Sites Document (LPSS) approved in 2019. Others are for sites considered for inclusion in the last LPSS but not proceeded with in the final version, and others are ‘windfall sites’.
The LPSS had a housing number of 562 units per annum added to housing stock in the Borough. As the plan is no longer current, having expired in 2024, an update is underway, Guildford now has to adopt the Standard Method of determining housing need, which for Guildford is 1170. The Standard Method is simplistic and takes little account of the practicality of development e.g. large areas of Guildford Borough are in Greenbelt/Surrey Hills Natural Landscape. CPRE have produced a useful update (9/2025) concerning the potential to develop Brownfield land where they argue 1.4Million dwellings could be built. See Report at this link
Most of the sites pose challenges to provide infrastructure e.g. Water, Sewage, and particularly Transport (Note: Surrey has 1.49 cars per household so circa a extra 5,500 to 6,000 cars on the roads). Creating truly sustainable neighbourhoods, hopefully using the principles of the 20 minute neighbourhood, is going to be a challenge. There is also much work to do to integrate into exisiting locations for Education and Health services and/or set up facilities on the sites.
Updated 2-2-2026
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Development |
Dwellings |
See More |
|
Eashing Lane |
234 |
|
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Manor Farm Tongham |
420 |
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Shortlands Farm Ash |
200 |
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Flexford/Wanborough |
950 |
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Guildford Park Road |
248 |
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Gosden Hill |
1800 |
|
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Grove Heath North |
540 |
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Send Marsh |
140 |
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Total |
4532 |
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More details
Our map of the significant developments in Guildford Borough can be accessed here, and entries can be opened up to provide further details.
Like the rest of the website the map can be viewed on mobile devices.
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We want our town to be vibrant, attractive and liveable. We support development that brings a sense of place and enhances the best aspects of our town. If such aims can be embraced, we believe Guildford has the chance to lead the way in enabling sensitive and sustainable development.
Pressures for development are increasing. Planning rules are being eased. The Society’s commitment to standing up for Guildford is needed more than ever.
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