When Guildford North Street transformation will begin 477 new homes planned

Work on Guildford North Street, near the High Street, is set to start this year. The construction of 477 new homes will begin in Autumn after a lengthy planning process.

Permission for the development was given in December 2023 after years of back and forth over what to do with the area, with a previous proposal being rejected back in January 2023.

The plans from the developers, St Edward, include 477 new homes, 10 per cent of which will be classed as affordable. Other features include the pedestrianisation of North Street, major refurbishment of the bus station, a new medical centre and space for cultural and leisure uses.

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Developers say that they hope the site will complement the high street rather than compete with it. The development will take in the land between North Street Leapale Road and the bus station.

Since permission for the scheme was granted in December 2023, St Edward has been working with Guildford Borough Council, Surrey County Council, local businesses and other community stakeholders to prepare for initial work to begin.

The St Edward team has met local businesses on North Street to agree the timeline for the highways, bus station and pedestrianisation works. They have said that roads will not be shut straight away. Closures will be done in a staged process with dates and durations agreed by consultation with local stakeholders, the developer said.

While timelines are subject to change, webinars in January scheduled the that the full site would be finished in 2031. Work should start with the demolition of three buildings, before efforts start on the bus station.

There have been plans to redevelop the North Street area for several years now, including a pop up village that sat opposite the Friary Centre in 2016. When previous plans have been submitted there have been concerns about the height of the buildings as well as their density.

Plans also include three new public squares and a wellness garden. The site is meant to achieve a net biodiversity gain of 240%, with the homes being billed as ‘highly sustainable’. In 2024, St Edward is also sponsoring Guildford in Bloom, alongside the Guildford Fringe and the Guildford Lions Fireworks.

The developers are hiring three apprentices to join the project team and have invited local people to apply. They will also be forming North Street’s Community Liaison Group, with interested parties invited to email info@housegroup.co.uk.

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