Letter: Guildford Tories Should Be Ashamed to Make This Claim on Building Height

Published on: 25 Jan, 2023
Updated on: 25 Jan, 2023

From: David Ogilvie

See more articles on North Street here.

I have recently received a flyer from the Guildford Conservatives saying that they will “stop plans for high rise in Guildford town centre”.

They should be ashamed of themselves.

They had the opportunity when in power for ten years to stop town centre high-rise: they did nothing of the sort but pushed through, at the last minute, the 2019 Local Plan that gave no height protection to the town centre.

Their plan allowed 10 floors on the station development nine floors on the Debenhams site and allows 13 floors on the North Street site.

Click on image to enlarge.

With respect to the North Street scheme the Guildford Conservatives have had four years during its gestation to object to its height but waited until the scheme came before the Planning Committee to object.

However, I am delighted that they have seen the light at last and I hope that they will back a plan for a height limit of six storeys, or 17 metres, in central Guildford in line with other historic towns.

It would be a shame if the river Wey valley in Guildford became filled up with high-rise buildings. There is no doubt that it was the Conservative Local Plan that has allowed more high rise in Guildford town centre.

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