Council Confirms Developer Partner For North Street Revamp

Published on: 7 Sep, 2013
Updated on: 7 Sep, 2013

The revamp of North Street has moved closer with Guildford Borough Council (GBC) confirming Land Securities as its developer partner.

Aerial photo showing the North Street redevelopment area

The announcement was made at a meeting of the council’s Executive on Thursday evening (September 5), at which it also announced the formation of a new town centre partnership in a bid to get more people aware of the changes that will take place.

GBC has said it recommended Land Securities “after careful re-consideration, in light of the Friary shopping centre acquisition by M&G Real Estate. Land Securities will work closely with the council and M&G Real Estate following the recent formation of a landowners’ partnership agreement.

The lead councillor for town centre planning and infrastructure, James Palmer, pledged its commitment to “successfully delivering this vital development for the benefit of the town and wider community”.

He added: “Approval of Land Securities brings forward the most timely and effective programme with the right developer. We aim to move the North Street project forward at pace, integrating it with the rest of the town.”

“We have emphasised the importance of public engagement throughout this process. The landowners’ partnership and developer appointment provide an ideal opportunity to create a new partnership of stakeholders to help shape the proposed development.”

Calling for the public’s support Mr Palmer said: “Our local community has people with a wealth of experience and we’d like them to help create the best development for North Street and the wider town centre.”

The project has not been without its difficulties and setbacks down the years. In April a rival developer, Lend Lease, was almost chosen by GBC as its developer partner. There was then a direction change following an intervention by the Friary centres’s owners and the forming of a partnership with its property fund M&G Real Estate.

See earlier story: Click here.

Good news for the town? Will you give GBC your views via its new town centre partnership? Please leave a comment in the box below.

Responses to Council Confirms Developer Partner For North Street Revamp

Bibhas Neogi Reply

September 8, 2013 at 10:26 am

I have said in my earlier posting here in TDG News that it didn’t make sense to leave out Westfield / Hermes from the initial list of interested parties. That omission has been resolved by taking M&G Real Estate on board who are now the new owners of a number of sites within the area of development.

The brief included reconfiguring the bus station into on-street bus bays. I’m not in favour of clogging up this central area with buses and it does not make it any easier for the users if they have to hunt around to find their correct bus bays especially in inclement weather. I recommend provision of comfortable waiting areas and mini hubs of multiple bus stops around the Friary and at the railway station. By relocating the bus station and connecting the railway station by all routes not necessarily by every bus but possibly the alternate ones result in a much better bus service. Such relocation must take account of its effect on the gyratory as well.

In reviewing the scope of work, consideration should be given to relocate the bus station and not go for on-street bus bays. I’ve indicated in my posting on this topic that Mary Road car park site should be considered for the relocation of the bus station. I hope GBC would give my proposals serious consideration. The sketch below shows possible routes of the buses. Please note how the routes take different paths to the station to reduce congestion. Further modifications are possible depending on additional work that may be undertaken in a phased manner.

http://i1130.photobucket.com/albums/m536/Gyratory1/Busroutesjpeg_zps7a22d8c5.png