We are the Guildford Civic Society. We are linked to Civic Voice, the national charity for the civic movement in England.
Our focus is to:
See more on Civic Voice
Legal Stuff on our Constitution etc
Geographically we concentrate on Guildford town and urban area. We maintain an active interest in major matters affecting the whole of the borough and beyond.
We recognise that Guildford and its environs must develop and evolve to meet the needs of its population. This change needs to be managed, so enough affordable accommodation is built and no part of the population is left behind.
Environmental concerns must be central to our thinking. Our countryside and natural environment must be preserved, and climate change urgently addressed and managed. Thus we will encourage modal transport shift, pollution reduction and measures to cut traffic congestion. We also support alternative energy use, better management and recycling of waste, and proper flood protection. Public transport between Guildford and surrounding towns and villages, and within the town itself, must be improved. We have the example of our twin town, Freiburg in southern Germany – a pioneering ‘green city’ - from which to learn.
Guildford must remain a town in its own right, not just a commuter town for London. To ensure this, we must support diverse economic activity. We should highlight our world class educational facilities (Surrey University, the University of Law and many highly regarded colleges and schools). We should also provide a wide range of public facilities, such as theatres, entertainment venues, galleries and meeting places.
The area needs to be ‘competitive’ with other South East areas in the arc formed by Cambridge – Oxford – Guildford – Redhill - Ashford.
Read more on our Aims and Objectives.
The Guildford Society has operated for over a century. (See Link for our history) During that time it has successfully raised issues related to Heritage Buildings, participated in Local Plan examinations and campaigned vigorously on issues related to Guildford. We also hold social events, such as our bi-annual Design Award, and contribute to art in the town, for example the Bargeman sculpture, which stands in the town centre beside the river Wey.
See our the Timeline of our history
The Guildford Society is a registered charity, politically neutral and strictly independent.
We have specialist scrutiny groups devoted to Planning, Transport, Design and Heritage and the Local Economy of Guildford. These work groups offer high levels of local knowledge and expertise. For more information on these groups, see here.
We engage and collaborate fully with residents’ groups, charities, local government, developers, educational organisations, and public bodies. We also work widely with other groups to publicise and contribute to meetings and events that support our overlapping aims and objectives. See our our Other Organisations page for more details of local groups and other organisations of interest
We seek to build a well informed and engaged membership through our newsletter and website, and by running well-attended public meetings.
See our Constitution and Organisation
Ensuring the future health and attractiveness of Guildford is a major challenge. An independent, well-informed ‘civic voice’ to debate and influence the evolution of the Guildford area is critical. We warmly welcome new members and are especially interested in volunteers who can bring fresh perspectives to our work groups.
The more people who join us, of every age and background, the more we can ensure their views are fully heard in shaping a better Guildford.
We have developed a series of Position Papers that available here
Guildford Design Awards 2023 - Winners Announced View article
The Guildford Design Awards, organised by The Guildford Society in partnership with Guildford Borough Council recognise and reward excellence in architecture, urban design, planning and public art across the borough.
At a event in the Boatyard Gui... View article
What is Happening to Our Town and Borough? View article
As residents of Guildford it can be difficult to comprehend how the Town and the rest of the borough is being changed through the plethora of Building Schemes being discussed or actioned. How Guildford as a place evolves and changes is important to e... View article
Strong Vision and Policies needed for the Town Centre View article
Managing a consistent and integrated approach across proposed developments to develop a proper sense of place within the town is looking increasingly difficult. New developments are too often of poor design, and have height and scale that overpower e... View article
Stag Hill development View article
The Planning Committee are due to consider the Stag Hill Development that is proposing Housing on the South and Eastern slopes of Stag Hill leading up the Cathedral.
Refusal Recommended by GBC
The plan is recommended for refusal by t... View article
Shaping Guildford’s Future View article
The Society has now reviewed the outputs of the Stage II of the Shaping Guildford’s Future Project. We are now publishing our critique, see the document, at the foot of the post. The Critique has also been submitted to the council.&n... View article
Support Us
Getting involved allows the society to continue its work. We welcome new members, from every age and background. Membership provides an opportunity for you to contribute to the continued health of the town and surrounding area, and to meet other people who care about Guildford.
