Letter: Local Residents Have Many Objections to Cathedral’s Property Development Plans

Published on: 4 Jan, 2017
Updated on: 4 Jan, 2017

The meeting of local residents concerned with the proposal to build housing on the hill by Guildford Cathedral

From Olive Edwards

55 local residents attended Guildford Park Church on Guildford Park Road last night (January 3) for a forthright discussion about the Linden Homes housing development proposal for Cathedral Hill due to be considered by the Guildford Borough Council’s (GBC) Planning Committee.

Objections raised included:

• the land in question is currently designated as a “Protected Open Space” in the current Local Plan and should therefore not even be considered for housing;
• GBC requires 35% (rising to 40% in the draft new Local Plan) affordable housing yet the plans only offer 27.5%;
• the Linden proposal for 134 dwellings is a dense, overbearing development creating significantly overlooking nearby houses because of the proposed height of the buildings, combined with the topography of the land and the inclusion of a large number of balconies;
• the development has the potential to increase chronic drainage problems lower down the hill for residents in Alresford Road, Ridgemount and Scholars’ Walk;
• there will be an increase in traffic on the immediate local roads, Guildford Park Road, Madrid Road, The Chase and over the Farnham Road bridge, particularly considering the recently approved Guildford Park Road Car Park plans.

The meeting, attended by our ward councillor Tony Phillips, was informed of a site visit by GBC on Thursday, January 5 at 9.30am and a display of the plans by Guildford Cathedral on Thursday, January 5, between 6 and 8pm. Councillors are due to have a question and answer session on the application on Wed,  January 25.

Meeting organisers urged those present to write in with their comments and concerns to councillors.

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