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Our Website Has been Upgraded View article We have implemented an upgrade to our Website to allow us to make the website easier to use, provide extra capabiliites to our audience and move to a later version of the underlying version of the software platform..  Users will notice t... View article Missing NHS Facilities in Guildford? View article The government is aiming to transform health care, by making the NHS work around the lives of patients - not vice versa.      One of the elements of this change is to create more neighbourhood health care centres across the country,... View article Filling in the Countryside View article Guildford is at risk as planning policies are being changed by revised the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) combined with a new Housing target for Guildford mandated by central government. Developers, sensing an opportunity, have applie... View article Local Government Re-organisation - more Information View article The Guildford Borough Council is being replaced in 2027 by the West Surrey Unitary Authority (WSUA).  This will report to a Mayorial Combined Authority (MCA) proposed to cover the whole of Surrey (East & West) from a date yet to be dete... View article Guildford Design Awards 2025 Winners Announced View article The Awards ceremony for the Guildford Design Awards was held on the evening 13th November at 3000 Cathedral Hill, one of the award-winning buildings. The awards are run jointly by The Guildford Society and Guildford Borough Council every two yea... View article Guildford is to become part of West Surrey View article The Government has confirmed plans for local government reorganisation in Surrey.  It has announced that two new unitary councils will replace the existing twelve councils in April 2027.  This is claimed to create a simpler and more efficie... View article Surrey Local Government Reorganisation View article The Society has responded to the consultation on Surrey Local Government Reorganisation. The Response can be seen below reponding to the the questions asked as part of the consultation.  Two similar sets of qustions for a 2 Unitary vs. 3 Un... View article 10 year NHS Plan - the challenge for Guildford? View article The Guildford Society believes a healthy population is a primary indicator of an attractive place to live. Although it is dependent on good health care provision, best health status comes when there are high standards in the built environment, g... View article Removal of Debenhams opens up Guildford Town View article The removal of the Debenhams store has opened up a series of views that have not been seen in about six decades.  The replacement of the Debenhams Store will start in a few weeks with the Native Land St Mary’s Development consisting of two... View article Community Governance Review: Guildford Town View article Guildford Borough Council is considering conducting a Community Governance Review (CGR) to evaluate whether the currently unparished urban areas of Guildford should form a new parish. This review, guided by the Local Government and Public Involvement... View article Local Government Re-organisation View article Proposals for re-organinsing Surrey into 2 or 3 unitatires authorities was duly submitted on the 23rd March with a final version to be submitted by the 7th May. The debate has caused a split between Surrey County Council which favours a 2 Unitary ... View article Local Authority Changes - News as at Feb2025 View article Further documents have been published by the government which clarify the processes and eventual model being adopted for the Devolution of Local Government, particularly how Mayoral Authorities align with Unitary Authorities. The debate between th... View article Summary - Annual General Meeting 2024 View article The Society welcomed it's members to the 88th meeting of the Society in it's present form.  The Annual report in shortened form can be by clicking on the post. The second part of the meeting consisted of a short presentation on the ... View article Impact of the New Government View article As a new Labour government takes charge, it is worth looking at the Labour Manifesto as to how the new government might affect the bult environment and natural environment of Guildford Borough.  Obviously, any Political Manifesto has to be ... View article Leave the Car at Home View article Surrey Hill National Lanscape (Previously the Surrey Hills Area of Outstsing National Beauty (AONB)) has lauched a guide of walks in the North Downs accessible via the Rail Network and in some cases by the bus network.   Leaving the car ... View article Guildford Society Aims and Objectives View article Although the aims and objectives of the Guildford Society have not changed, it is appropriate periodically to highlight areas the Society is concentrating on. Reminder of our Aims and Objectives We are the Guildford Civic Society... View article 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