‘Long Overdue’ Facelift for 1960s Cranleigh Village Square

Published on: 28 Aug, 2024
Updated on: 29 Aug, 2024

Stocklund Square as it looks today Image Waverley Borough Council

By Chris Caulfield

local democracy reporter

A new café and social hub is set to bring a Surrey town square to life after planning permission was granted this week.

Stocklund Square in Cranleigh was built after the town’s railway station closed in 1965. In 2004 a Sainsbury’s supermarket was added to the housing and shopping development.

The new café will fill in the square, obscuring the dated rows of shops and housing while also acting as a draw to increase footfall and time spent in the area – which has increasingly become a thoroughfare linking the car park to the supermarket.

CGI of how the development will look from street level

The plan, unanimously approved at a meeting of Waverley Borough Council’s Planning Committee on August 21, is for a café with outside seating and a pavilion.

The designers will also add bike storage and a canopy to the existing building. Charlie Minty, speaking on behalf of the application, said they were aware they had to “preserve the special qualities of Cranleigh” and wanted the “square to contribute more to the village”.

Another view of Stocklund Square as it is. Picture: Waverley Borough Council

The meeting heard that other options such as extending the shops forward was simply unviable as they would become too deep and create spaces that were harder to fill.

Mr Minty said: “It’s an unattractive space. People hurry through the square to the high street and shops beyond but nobody dwells. Bringing this space alive is positive.”

CGI giving an aerial view

The square could also be used to broadcast large sporting events or concerts, he added. Mr Minty said a rejuvenated and well-used space would support rather than compete with other businesses – something that was reflected by Cranleigh Chambers of Commerce in its backing of the bid.

The application was brought before the committee after objections were lodged but the meeting heard design issues had since been ironed out. New features included using railway sleepers in a nod to the site’s history as well as reshaping the café .

Cllr Liz Townsend

Cllr Liz Townsend (Liberal Democrat, Cranleigh West) said: “I do welcome the smartening up the Stocklund Square. It’s long overdue. It’s going to create a covered café area and the developers have changed the box to make it more interesting.”

Cllr Alan Morrison (Liberal Democrat, Cranleigh West) said: “Stocklund square a rather uninteresting drab 1960s-70s square so typical of many shopping centres across the UK. In the late 60s we did not seem to care so much about our heritage and architecture.”

Cllr Carole Cockburn (Conservative, Farnham Bourne) said: “Stocklund Square really does come as a shock. The bland uninteresting frontage of the shops – just to have something in front of them will improve them no end.”