Society

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 North Street Plans Rejected View article The Society continued to object to the proposed North Street plans due to a multiplicity of reasons chief of which was the overbearing Mass and Scale of the development and its impact on the character of Guildford.  You can find the final letter... View article St Mary's/ Debenhams Scheme a Poor Scheme Approved View article The council planning committee passed the planning application for the redevelopment of the Debenhams site in the Town centre by Six votes to Five last night with two abstentions.  Voting was along party lines, Residents for Guildford and Villag... View article Guildford Deserves Better View article The Society has written to all councillors making the following comments on the St Mary's/Debenehams application for redevelopment. Note sent to Councillors The Committee in its determination of the application to redevelop the Debenhams/St... View article Guildford Masterplan View article The Council Executive at its meeting on the 20th September 2022 approved the next stage to create a full Town Centre Masterplan (Shaping Guildford's Future). The webcast of the meeting and the supporting papers is available on the GBC W... View article Guildford Design Awards 2022/3 and Guildford Design Awards Exhibition. View article The Guildford Design Awards is a joint initiative between the Guildford Society and Guildford Borough Council, established to encourage and recognise good design in new buildings, restoration and conservation projects which ensure... View article Guildford - Walnut Tree Close View article As an experiment Walnut Tree Close is closed to through traffic southbound from the 29th May for six months, The road between Wey Corner and the Royal Mail Delivery Office is North bound only. Traffic is still allowed south to the Roayal Mail... View article Planning changing in England?? View article The government have produced the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill that supports the White Paper produced earlier in the year Levelling up the United Kingdom. Main Themes The Bill covers four main themes: Providing a legal basis for... View article St Marys Update View article The proposals for the redevelopment of the Debenhams site on the River Wey to form a new St Mary’s Wharf development continue to attract comment on the Guildford Borough Planning website.  Many support the application but those, includi... View article St Mary’s - Historic England Comment on Plans View article In a rare development Historic England has formally objected to the Debenhams redevelopment proposals. Historic England is the government body that looks after England's historic environment, including listing buildings, and reviews planning appl... View article St Mary’s Wharf Development - Objection Submitted View article The Society Today submitted an objection the currently proposed scheme for St Mary’s Wharf. The Society believes that the site is one of the most important sites to be brought forward for development in Guildford over the last few decades.&n... View article Guildford Architecture Lecture 2021 - Event Videos View article The Society, in conjuction with the University of Surrey held its Annual Architecture Lecture on the 20th October 2021. Providing quality multiple housing has a special importance for Guildford with several large new developments planned in the To... View article AQMA for the Town Centre View article The Joint Committee of Surrey County Council and Guildford Borough Council have reviewed a report on Town Centre Pollution.  The Committee agreed that to meet legislative requirements it is necessary to declare an ‘air quality management a... View article Guildford Society Letter on St Marys View article The Society has written to key members of the Council expressing our concerns at the proposed Debenhams/St Mary's Wharf Development.  We are not against redeveloping the site but the current proposals don't do justice to the site or... View article Statements of Community Involvement - Time for a Revision? View article Civic Voice the national body to which many Civic Trusts belong, including the Guildford Society, have been reviewing the use of Statements of Community Involvement (SCIs).  As part of a research partnership between Civic Voice and the U... View article Guildford Crematorium appears in the Architectural Press View article The Guildford Design Awards are well underway for 2021.  Despite Covid Issues with building completion we have a adaquate number of entries to consider, and judging will start shortly..  We are, for the first time, working in partnership wi... View article Guildford and Waverly Councils agree to increase co-operation. View article The recent study sponsored by Surrey Borough councils on unitary authorities prompted by the proposal to have one Surrey Unitary Authority, was supported by KPMG.   KPMG identified that Guildford and Waverley Boroughs could be natural pa... View article Success in campaign to purchase extension to Pewley Down View article Pewley Down  is a protected area and local nature reserve managed by Guildford Borough's Countryside Team and a group of conservation volunteers.  It is much used by Guildford Residents as a place to walk and admire the countryside... View article Planning - the Society responds to Commons Select Committee View article Three developments have occurred in the fight to get the Permitted Development Rights (PDR) changes and associate Use classifications reconsidered. Parliament The Select Committee for Housing, Communities and Local Government is conducting a sh... View article Auriol Earle View article Sadly, we have to report Auriol Earle, who was an active member of the Society over many decades died on 30/04/21 at the Guildford home where she had lived in since 1961. Impact on Guildford Over the best part of sixty years Auriol channelled h... View article Doug Scott View article Doug Scott died recently after a short illness. Doug was a valued member of the Guildford Society Executive, and Design and Heritage work group for many years until recently. Doug was also well known as a speaker at Heritage Open days where he pro... View article