Letter: Greif and Groan – The Town Centre Masterplan

Published on: 9 Sep, 2015
Updated on: 9 Sep, 2015

From Barry Williams

In early October, Guildford Borough Council (GBC) will release the fifth draft of the Guildford Town Centre Masterplan (TCMP) for detailed public consultation.

This represents another opportunity for residents to have their say and help shape the future of our town over the next 20 to 30 years, hopefully to leave something for future generations of which we can be proud.

The TCMP envisages:

Creation of a larger town centre whilst protecting the historic core
New public squares and pedestrianised areas
Improved access to the riverside and creation of waterfront community parks
Improved pedestrian access to the railway station and new east-west bridges over the river for foot and bike traffic
Provision of new homes, office, retail and leisure space in underused areas
Improved traffic flows and a reduction in through traffic, better sustainable transport and parking facilities and other transport improvements

So what’s not to like?

Well quite a bit if one concentrates only on the transport element and the modal shift that is being suggested in the section entitled “A Healthy Approach To Movement” which includes:

Major infrastructure changes through the adoption of a two way traffic system to replace the gyratory (the plus side being better connection and access to the riverside)
“Interceptor” car parks and an upgraded park and ride system
Replacement of the bus station with bus gates in a more central on-street location
Vague reference to the railway station becoming a major transport hub and transport interchange

The TCMP has some great ideas, it is aspirational, but GBC needs to present all the critical factors needed for a wider programme of supporting measures designed to modify driver habits and routes within Guildford before seeking your opinion.

It is a nice wish list but do we really want a revised two way gyratory layout that includes the potential closure to through traffic from Farnham Road and Walnut Tree Close during peak periods? Where is this traffic to go? Where are the A3 improvements to the north of town that might help the problem? What is Highways England’s view?

The Guildford Town Centre Highways Assessment study (which GBC have christened “GoTCHA”) has provided advice to the TCMP team and no doubt includes comment by the Guildford Town and Approaches Movement Study (GTAMS), but this information is not easily available or understood by Joe Public.

I suggest that GBC should publish key elements of this data as part of the public consultation to better inform our viewpoint when considering the many plus points within the document.

Dare I suggest two other acronyms?

GREIF – Guildford Residents Expect Information and Facts
GROAN – Guildford Residents’ Opinions Are Needed.

I urge Guildford Dragon NEWS readers to study the TCMP when it is released. Our voice has to count if we really want the best for our town.

We should welcome change but we should also challenge assumptions.

Responses to Letter: Greif and Groan – The Town Centre Masterplan

Bibhas Neogi Reply

September 10, 2015 at 5:03 pm

GBC’s approach to solving the traffic problem is quite simple – make Guildford so congested that motorists would never again dare to drive into Guildford.

Who needs Town Centre Highways Assessment study and Guildford Town and Approaches Movement Study when the solution is so simple? I remember seeing some sketches by one of the North Street development bidders that showed roads tied up in knots as their preferred solution to traffic. I must congratulate them for their foresight and now that GBC appears to have taken that for real, we should all get rid of our cars and use buses or walk to Guildford.

So, ‘do nothing’ is not an option. Rather ‘do something to even restrict traffic further’ seems to be the way forward. What would be the point in having public consultation? Congratulations to GBC for such an novel approach to solving traffic problems. This is almost like Gandhian approach to withstanding cold by not putting on more clothes but by increasing one’s endurance.
Martin Elliott Reply

September 11, 2015 at 7:35 pm

Indeed, it’s a novel solution. Strikes me a few officers have been to a couple of Urban Transport Conferences and selected easy, low cost schemes and the written the requirements.

To date (for decades) I haven’t seen what we should have had from the borough council i.e. a proper assessment of all traffic coming into and through Guildford and why. Then there should have been a justified case to produce an optimal system.

Instead, the aim is to join the shopping areas with leisure areas on the river seamlessly. Then totally reduce the traffic flow North-South and to cut off the university, the Royal Surrey County Hospital, Onslow Village etc. I’m sure there is an analysis of where through traffic and visitors go.

Dare I suggest a review against Kingston (sorry). Even with a presumed embargo on new departmental stores, and similar issues of higher education colleges, restrictions on through routes, they have created a large central pedestrian zone with a leisure area. But they have taken advantage of development and brownfield to build wide new roads circling the area, creating new rail crossings and large department stores.

Guildford seems to have decided on its objectives, though done a poor case in selling it as the (very late) Local Plan. Unfortunately, as one begins to pick it apart, it seems to do little to serve Guildford town residents, workers or even regular visitors.