Work Starts On the Controversial Station ‘Great Wall’ Development

Published on: 23 Mar, 2019
Updated on: 24 Mar, 2019

Trees in full blossom being cut down on the corner of Walnut Tree Close and Station View.

Preliminary work commenced today on the highly controversial redevelopment of Guildford railway station by Solum, the development consortium formed by Keir Properties and Network Rail.

Planning permission was only granted on appeal following unanimous rejection by Guildford Borough Council who where strongly supported by other town institutions including The Guildford Society and Guildford Vision Group.

Once built, it is believed that the development, nicknamed “The Great Wall of Guildford” by its detractors, will represent the biggest change to Guildford’s townscape ever.

Cutting down the trees in Station View.

Today (Saturday, March 23) workmen were cutting trees down on the corner between Walnut Tree Close and Station View as construction work started on Solum.

The felled trees were quickly chipped.

A source told The Guildford Dragon NEWS that work on an access road for the Solum site was in the process of being tendered. The trees were being cut down to ensure that construction work would not be delayed by birds nesting in the trees.

Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, any tree or hedge becomes a protected site the moment a bird settles in it. The bird nesting season is generally from about February until August and nesting birds could potentially delay work on the site.

Clearing up.

Only last week nets were removed from trees further down Walnut Tree Close which had been put in place to prevent bird nests delaying their felling. (See: Council Leader Steps In To Have Nets On Trees Removed.)

The project was given the go-ahead in January 2018 after winning a planning appeal. (See: Solum Wins Planning Appeal for Controversial Railway Station Re-development.)

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