Council Endorses Flood Alleviation Scheme But Hears Cautionary Note On Funding

Published on: 8 Apr, 2026
Updated on: 9 Apr, 2026

By Martin Giles

Following complaints about a lack of action by Guildford Borough Council, councillors voted to formally endorse the Guildford Flood Alleviation Scheme (FAS) at its meeting last night (April 7).

The scheme is required not only to protect the town from future flooding but also to allow housing developments on what is currently the River Wey’s flood plain.

The motion passed confirmed the council’s “commitment to working in partnership with the Environment Agency and Surrey County Council and the West Surrey shadow authority (once elected), to secure its delivery.”

Critics have accused the council of being lukewarm in its support of the scheme and the associated masterplan “Shaping Guildford’s Future”.

Guildford has a long history of flooding, with recent floods recorded in 1968, 2000 and during the winter of 2013-14, causing damage to homes, businesses, and disruption to essential infrastructure such as roads and utilities. Climate change is believed to further increase the risk.

Cllr Joss Bigmore

The leader of the Residents for Guildford & Villages, Cllr Joss Bigmore (Merrow), a keen supporter of the initiative, said he was “already looking to the next stage” and hoped GBC could take the lead on the necessary planning application “while we still have a borough council” and before it “…could, potentially, get lost in the transformation or transition to West Surrey [Council]”.

Cllr Pat Oven

The leader of the Guildford Greenbelt Group, Cllr Pat Oven (Send & Lovelace), supported Cllr Bigmore’s comments adding: “Only a month ago, the Wey came perilously close to overflowing. It was only, literally, inches below the path outside these offices. So we were lucky then, but we may not be lucky next year or the year after.

“I really think this need is an absolute priority, and a unified council approach on this will encourage the Environment Agency to prioritise this, which I think is absolutely essential.”

Only the former lead councillor for Finance, Richard Lucas (Lib Dem, Ash Vale) appeared to have concerns. While he was generally supportive, he said he had reservations about the project, its scope, sequencing, the “freelancing” of it, and whether it represented best value.

Cllr Richard Lucas

Currently, he explained, there are two major pinch points on the river that increase the flooding risk. One was the footbridge in Millmead and the other the town bridge.

If the flow could be increased through them the flooding risk would be reduced: “You get 90 per cent of the value, from a flood prevention point of view, for about 5 per cent of the expenditure by redesigning, increasing the span of the foot bridge, and of removing the decorative iron work on the old town bridge.”

Then, turning to the associated funding issues, he said: “Weyside Urban Village nearly killed this council financially.

“What we need, like a hole in the head, is another project where we’re acting as the bank and funding the cash flow on a major regeneration project, spanning several years. We cannot afford that… I’m not sure this [current proposal] is the best value approach.”

He continued by making a point from his Ash ward’s perspective: “A quarter of the urban population of the borough is in Ash, and it’s pretty much all built on floodplain.

“Three quarters of the urban population, is in Guildford town, [but] most of it on hillsides. So if you want to prevent flooding of housing and businesses, the best way of doing that, the most cost effective way of doing that, is clearing the junk out of the River Blackwater.

“So let’s be clear about what this is, and let’s be clear before we take more concrete steps forward about how this is going to be financed.”

In addition to endorsing the FAS, the council resolved to write to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs urging the Government to prioritise funding approval for the scheme’s business case, emphasising the project’s importance for climate resilience, economic protection and community wellbeing.

It will also request a meeting with the MP for Guildford, Zöe Franklin, to seek her active support in championing Government investment in the scheme and raising the issue in Parliament.

See: Opinion – Guildford Cannot Afford to Delay Decisions on Flood Alleviation

Former R4GV borough councillor John Rigg, in his opinion piece, argued that Guildford risked missing out on central government funding if it delayed further.

John Rigg

He told The Dragon yesterday: “The urban area of Guildford town comprises ten wards within the borough, with a population estimated at between 52,000 and 80,000, depending on how the boundary is defined, out of a total borough population of around 143,600 (2021 Census).

“Making a success of council-owned brownfield sites, currently blighted by flooding, offers a real opportunity to deliver thousands of sustainable riverside homes within walking distance of the town centre and station. That would reduce pressure on greenfield land and villages, while also bringing more life and spending power back into the High Street.

“I am proud to support a genuine win-win for both the urban and rural parts of the borough — delivering modern, well-planned solutions instead of the poor planning and missed opportunities of recent years.”