Letter: Guildford – Another Opportunity Missed?

Published on: 26 Jul, 2024
Updated on: 26 Jul, 2024

Hoardings around No 1 Farnham Road. Photo Alistair Smith

From Alistair Smith

chair of the Guildford Society

The erection of hoardings around No1 Farnham Rd (planning application 23/P/00764) shows that the developers of the site appear confident that their planning application to rebuild the office block with an extra storey in modified form will get approval.

The Guildford Society does have concerns related to details of the proposed redevelopment, including height and mass, and is writing concerning the plans as recently amended. However, the concept of re-using the basic structure of the existing block to provide upgraded office accommodation is to be commended.

Think Beyond the Site
Our major issue is the lack of consideration as how this development relates to the wider area. Guildford, which lacks strategic plans for areas of the town centre, continues to consider proposals at a site level rather than creating opportunities on a wider scale. No 1 Farnham Road illustrates this on many aspects.

Adjacent Sites
The site at No1 Farnham Road is a windfall site and not covered by any Local Plan (LPSS2019) site policies however it is adjacent to an allocated site A7 that covers a large area of the western side of the station, this currently is proposed to allow Network Rail to revise the track layout of the station to cover potential future growth in services.

However, this has also been considered as an opportunity for development as evidenced by plans for the revised west entrance to the station proposed both by Allies and Morrison in its never adopted Strategic Plan 2015 and Solum the developers of the east side of the station identified an opportunity for a revised west side. and created initial plans, as a subsequent phase of station redevelopment. Although not in Shaping Guildford’s Future, for unclear reasons, it does identify the site as a potential interchange location.

Creating a multi-mode proper interchange based on the station working in conjunction with the revised North Street Bus Station should be an aim.

The site is bordered by Guildford Park Road and Farnham Road and the Farnham Road Rail Bridge. Surely there needs to be consideration of how the current junction might be made better for traffic, heavy vehicles often ride up the kerb as they turn onto the bridge. Better provision for pedestrians and cyclists is also required ideally well separated from the traffic. Although there is discussion of a open pedestrian way across the station access is still required by many straight up the Farnham Road.

Ageing Bridge
Although in recent years Network Rail have performed a maintenance exercise on the Farnham Road Bridge there has been no change to its dimensions or capabilities. At some point in the future the Farnham Road Bridge will need to be replaced which will require a worksite. A site being re-developed at No1 Farnham Road provides a unique opportunity to create a worksite to enable full renewal/redevelopment of Farnham Road Bridge.

Access to Farnham Road Car Park
No1 Farnham Road is bordered on the station side by the access road to Farnham Road Car Park. This road may be required by Network Rail if plans to add more platforms to the station materialise in the future (Adding platforms to the east side of the station would now be very difficult due to the Solum development). This may require access to be re-provided from a revised Farnham Road Bridge.

Note, an understanding of the station requirements and Farnham Road Car Park access may result in a planning gain as it may be feasible to build out over the existing road access even if it ultimately is converted to rail use.

A Plan Urgently Required?
The redevelopment, as planned, should only proceed once there has been consideration on how the west side of the station is improved, including allowing for transport developments such as the link to Heathrow. GBC/SCC and Network Rail need to take a strategic approach to the West Side of the Station and Farnham Road Bridge working in conjunction with the owners of No1 Farnham Road.

More details can be found at: https://www.guildfordsociety.org.uk/No1FarnhamRoad.html

Responses to Letter: Guildford – Another Opportunity Missed?

Helena Townsend Reply

July 26, 2024 at 9:36 pm

The Guildford Society speak about this site as if there isn’t a building on it. Whilst a plan for the town centre is needed, No 1 Farnham Road is in existence, is in good condition and it is not up to its freeholder to make space for a wider bridge or provide space for welfare facilities if development happens within the immediate environs, or to provide an improved access to the station car park.

The station does not need anymore platforms – there’s no demand nor is there capacity for additional lines out of Guildford to warrant another platform.

This is not another opportunity missed – it’s an opportunity missed a decade ago.
- Bibhas Neogi Reply
  
  August 9, 2024 at 7:35 am
  
  If a road improvement is deemed necessary for the benefit of the majority, the highway authority would seek to acquire the land or the property that is needed.
  
  An existing building would either be demolished or altered to make room for the route. If negotiation for the acquirement fails, the authority can buy it under a compulsory purchase order.
  
  The owner of the property has recourse to an appeal and the authority has to justify that the improvement is necessary and that there is no other viable alternative for the improvement scheme.
  
  If the justification is accepted and the appeal is rejected, the authority could then proceed.
Bibhas Neogi Reply

August 4, 2024 at 2:47 pm

There are five important measures that would produce a truly better, safer, more pedestrian and cycle friendly town centre.

Briefly these ar:

1. Removing the gyratory by creating a new east-west route over the river and the railway. Affordable housing could be built alongside this route on the remaining areas of these sites. In addition to the widened access by the church to the housing development on the car park site, a spur leading to Guildford Park Road and creating an improved access to the west station entrance area with bus stops, taxi rank etc. would be a great improvement.

2. Creating cycle lanes on Farnham Road Bridge and building a new footbridge alongside between it and the building at No.1 Farnham Road to provide better access to the station and the town centre.

3. Redesigning traffic movements in North Street development to keep both entry and exit of the buses on the north side of the bus station. Creating cycle lanes in that area including a southbound cycle lane on Onslow Street and a right turn provision to Bedford Road leading to new Walnut Bridge the railway station.

4. Closing motorised traffic on Friary Bridge in order to regenerate a more pleasant riverside and by realigning the two southbound Onslow Street lanes away from the river to open up the riverside.

5. Active flood controlling using both upstream lowered flood plains and deeper reservoirs to store flood water. Exploring the possibility of private financing for building and operating leisure facilities in and around the deeper reservoirs in order to raise revenue for covering running costs.

I hope the councils and the Environment Agency would consider these suggestions while drawing up the Plan for the town centre. As Alistair Smith has said the plan needs to be holistic and not consider each site separately.
- Alan Judge Reply
  
  August 8, 2024 at 10:03 am
  
  Bibhas Neogi missed the most important sixth measure.
  
  Make Guildford flatter. It’s the hills that stop most people cycling/walking, not the roads.
  - Mike Smith Reply
    
    August 10, 2024 at 7:06 am
    
    While there are parts of town where I might have to get off and push, I find it easy enough in my retirement to cycle into town, or out to a superstore, for shopping.
    
    It’s the traffic that scares me, not the hills and anyway you’ll find that the more you walk or cycle the flatter the hills become. Of course, e-bikes also flatten hills and although these can be quite expensive they’re still a fraction of the cost of a car.
  - Bibhas Neogi Reply
    
    August 12, 2024 at 7:13 am
    
    I think Alan Judge should congratulate himself for spotting this important omission of a ground-breaking (excuse the pun) method.
  - Harry Eve Reply
    
    August 12, 2024 at 2:06 pm
    
    Wait a minute…. Wouldn’t that spoil the views ?
  - Jon Harris Reply
    
    August 16, 2024 at 1:43 pm
    
    Did, years ago, before the now ubiquitioius electic bike.
Paul Spooner Reply

August 11, 2024 at 8:22 pm

I have read the original letter and the comments with a happy smile. It is good to see informed debate on this site and I hope that GBC take into account the comments as this so called windfall site moves forward.

Paul Spooner is a former Conservative leader of GBC