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Letter: Guildford Must Give Birth to a New Life for Our Neglected Tunsgate Quarter
Published on: 12 Dec, 2019
Updated on: 12 Dec, 2019
From Mary Hartley
Today (December 11) I went shopping in the Tunsgate Quarter. The experience was dismaying.
The area was unappealing, unwelcoming and deserted, only about 10 other people there. The website claims this is “the most stylish place to shop, eat and meet in Guildford”. Clearly, this was not.
Tunsgate Quarter calls itself an “upscale mall”, cultivating an image of specialities and exclusivity. Yes indeed, the ultimate is in exclusiveness. Empty.
The dismal presence of this development is having an effect on Tunsgate as a whole. An attractive, historic area at the heart of our town is being allowed to die.
With a little will and imagination, and probably a fraction of the original development cost spent, Tunsgate could be re-vitalised. For example, the drab pedestrianised area could be brought to life throughout the year by staging frequent seasonal presentations and activities.
The independent businesses lining each side of Tunsgate are such a valuable addition to the big chains, and they impact character and variety to Guildford. We are lucky to have them, and we need to advertise their presence. They deserve to be supported. Everyone would benefit from more footfall in this part of town.
Does anyone in a position to act have the vision and the courage to see what is happening to Tunsgate and at least start talking about how to revitalise such a valuable asset enduring such neglect?
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Royce Gundelfinger
December 12, 2019 at 8:22 am
The “new” Tunsgate is badly designed. It used to be a wander through and browse walk, but not now.
John Murphy
December 12, 2019 at 9:34 am
So far, a lost opportunity. Pity.
Denise Hilton
December 13, 2019 at 8:21 am
Having lived in Guildford for most of my life, I am dismayed and hugely disappointed that what was a vibrant area of “Tunsgate Square” is transformed into a no man’s land of “Tunsgate “Quarter”. What does “Quarter” mean? Somebody decided to make the area sound more contemporary and interesting. It is anything but.
I visited once out of curiosity when it opened and haven’t been there since. There are no shops for the middle market and all for the upmarket, upper-income shoppers. There is no cafe and worse are the wooden coffin style benches without a backrest. There is also no atmosphere and no thought to the average shopper.
I wonder what the footfall is, since opening, compared to the footfall when Heals and the cafe existed?
It was a huge error of judgement by developers and the council.
Valerie Thompson
December 12, 2019 at 9:37 am
I only went to look at what they had done once. I didn’t find the area as appealing as before. No cafe, no visitors.
We lost the shops we used to use regularly and now you can’t walk through from the other Tunsgate. Sad.
“If it ain’t broke don’t fix it” is a lesson Guildford could learn in many cases.
David Smith
December 12, 2019 at 1:26 pm
It seems people are forgetting what the old Tunsgate Shopping Centre was like – anchored by Heals (the only decent shop) and a café that described itself as “continental” yet specialised in jacket potatoes and flapjacks wrapped in cling film (it’s no surprise the place relocated to Woking).
The Centre housed a series of small shops most of which were empty as they did not meet retailer’s needs.
In one of the most challenging retail markets we have all seen, Queensbury Real Estate has decided to invest heavily in this centre and as a result has attracted a series of brands that Guildford has not seen before including the very popular (and constantly fully booked) Ivy, the beautiful OKA shop and Loaf. Indeed, the new centre was designed to take advantage of views to Guildford Castle, unlike the original, and so it’s met this objective and led to whole pedestrianisation of Tunsgate.
It appears that Queensbury is being very selective on the remaining units. There is no aggressive marketing boards here – in fact, I have never seen space advertised in the commercial world. I have heard that Design Vintage is opening up in the centre and they have announced an opening in Guildford.
Perhaps we should all be a little bit more grateful for the investment?