Opinion: Will Walnut Bridge Be Pop Up No 2?

Published on: 9 Aug, 2018
Updated on: 10 Aug, 2018


By Alistair Smith

a director of Guildford Vision Group (GVG), Alistair Smith gives his view on the proposed replacement Walnut Bridge…

Following on from its experience with Pop Up No 1 – “The Village” – the borough council seems determined to double up on the former’s demise by launching what will surely be Pop Up No 2 – the Walnut Bridge.

Walnut Bridge built 1986, over the River Wey.

The bridge, for cyclists and pedestrians, will replace the existing functional pedestrian bridge that links Walnut Tree Close with Bedford Road, across the River Wey.

The new bridge, costing over £3 million (ie over twice The Village loss), will be wider, less safe and lead nowhere in particular.

Planning approval will be sought at the September meeting of Guildford Borough Council’s reshuffled Planning Committee. Cllr Rooth, as a key advocate of good husbandry of ratepayers’ money, will not now be able to cast a vote, having lost his committee seat (see: July council meeting webcast).

The new bridge is expected to be in place by May 2019, just in time for the Local Election photocalls.

As the lead councillor for infrastructure and governance, Cllr Matt Furniss is the principal promoter of the new bridge. It’s part of his Sustainable Movement Corridor (SMC) – perhaps a candidate for the accolade of “Pop Up No 3”!

The SMC creates stretches of segregated bus and cycle routes in various parts of Guildford. But, worryingly, it is unclear at this time how these SMC routes will link up to create completely safe, uninterrupted journeys across town.

There is also a question mark over whether the proposed routes tap into the more dense areas of population – surely key criteria for uptake in the case of buses?

As supporters of segregated corridors for pedestrians, cyclists and buses, the Guildford Vision Group (GVG) has shown how better, safer cross-town links might be created.

In its masterplan for the town centre, GVG has demonstrated how an overarching vision for the town, with bold infrastructure initiatives, can really revitalise the town centre.

The GVG masterplan delivers wider pedestrianisation, dedicated cycleways, comprehensive bus routeing, a transport interchange centred on the railway station and much more housing than currently planned by the council, among other goodies including a re-invigorated riverside.

GVG’s approach has clearly chimed with the Local Plan planning inspector, who, after listening to GVG, The Guildford Society and other resident groups and with the benefit of his own observations, called on the council to produce a new policy – “S3” – for the town centre.

Sadly, the council planners have rebuffed GVG’s offer to help with formulation of the new policy. We think S3 should focus on the town centre (and another, S4, should focus on the other urban areas).

Public consultation on it (and other Local Plan main modifications) will take place in the autumn. You can see our proposals for S3, “S4” plus notes on the policies here: S3, S4 and notes.

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