Work to Start on ‘Blot on the Landscape’ Station Redevelopment Despite Concerns

Published on: 25 Oct, 2019
Updated on: 25 Oct, 2019

An artist’s impression of Solum’s development at Guildford station.

Work on Solum’s redevelopment of the Guildford Station building and the surrounding area is expected to start next week (commencing Oct 28).

Solum, a development consortium formed by Network Rail and Keir Group, says that the new “Station Quarter” will bring much-needed improvements, generate over 300 new jobs in Guildford and provide more than 400 high-quality new homes.

But Guildford’s MP and local politicians, from across the political spectrum, continue to express serious reservations. Anne Milton says her concern remains “above all [about] the scale and design of the development”. Guildford’s lead councillor for Major Projects, John Rigg (R4GV, Holy Trinity) puts it more bluntly: it will be, “a massive blot on the landscape”.

Solum Station Development leaflet

In a press release, Solum focus on the positives: “The scheme will generate £25m of station enhancements, delivering a new modern station building, a plaza designed to reduce congestion, improved taxi drop-offs, enhanced retail/café and a larger main ticket hall. The redevelopment will also provide a new multi-storey car park which will have improved, safer pedestrian access and reduced average walk time from car to platform.

“Early works will focus on a new access road and a temporary two-storey car park.  This will reduce the number of available car parking spaces. Station users that use cars are encouraged to use the nearby Farnham Road car park, if the station car park is full.  Although all efforts will be made to minimise interference with commuters’ journeys, extra time to park vehicles may be needed.

“The project is anticipated to be completed by 2025 with the first homes welcoming residents in 2022.  A new multi-storey car park will open in 2021.

Solum Station Development leaflet

Alan Jones, Development Director said: “Solum has a wealth of experience of successfully developing railway station sites throughout the country. We are very pleased to be beginning work on our redevelopment of the Guildford Station area. Our aim is to reinvigorate the area and provide major improvements to the station.”

“Throughout our work on the regeneration, we will aim to keep disruptions to a minimum to ensure the best experience for commuters and local residents.”

But there will be disruption. A leaflet distributed by Solum states that from October 28 “there will be a reduction of the number of car parking spaces”. 47 spaces will be lost in the first phase.

Mr Jones and other project team members were at Guildford Station to inform members of the public using the station about the project.

Local residents and all borough councillors had already been informed by letter drop or email.

He said that there had been a steady trickle of people who had spoken to him or his colleagues, estimating that by 6pm they had spoken to around 50. The reaction, he said, had been mainly positive but there had been negative comments too.

Many who stopped to talk were mainly interested in the disruption and effect on the journeys or use of the station and parking. Some questioned whether it would improve railway services. One questioner had asked when it would be possible to purchase one of the flats to be constructed.

Rt Hon Anne Milton MP

Reacting to the news, Anne Milton MP told The Guildford Dragon: “I was extremely disappointed by the outcome of the planning appeal on the development by Solum at Guildford station, and have continually raised concerns with successive Secretaries of State about cycle and pedestrian access, the percentage of affordable housing and many other aspects.

I had numerous meetings with Transport and Planning Ministers to highlight, again and again, the issues local residents raised with me about the lack of benefit to rail users, access for cyclists, pedestrians and people with disabilities, the absence of any real improvement to the station itself for passengers (who will bear the brunt of disruption) and above all the scale and design of the development.

“I have also had meetings with Kier, Network Rail and SouthWest Rail about this on several occasions.  I most recently brought this up yet again in a debate in the House.

“The height was scaled back a little from the original application, but this development will still be starkly visible within Guildford and from a long way away.  I asked more than once for a pause in the process to listen more closely to what local people and organisations wanted.

“I think the travelling public will be very surprised that the re-development includes no provision for improving train services from Guildford, nor improving access to platforms.”

Cllr John Rigg

Cllr John Rigg (R4GV, Holy Trinity) said his party was: “disappointed that the Solum scheme on the station received consent on appeal. It is will be a massive blot on the landscape due to its size and massing.

“This 10 story block is longer and higher than the Houses of Parliament are to the Thames. It also prohibits expansion of the station on the town side where pressure groups had requested the building be setback by only five metres. Currently, their proposal prohibits expansion of the station on the town side to allow an additional platform in the future. This is required to cope with train congestion and avoid the current delays whenever there is an incident on the line to Waterloo.

“But consent has been obtained and it is going to happen. We will have to welcome the positives of new homes, new car parking provision and a new station hall.

“New investment is welcome but Network Rail have put profit ahead of community ambitions for a state of the art station design which is disappointing.

“Guildford must avoid repeating the same planning mistakes again which was due to our having no adopted local plan and no town centre master plan to set the planning rules. We still have further work delivering these documents before we are safe.”

Cllr Ramsey Nagaty

Ramsey Nagaty speaking on behalf of the Guildford Greenbelt Group, added: “GGG, in principle, supports locating new housing development on brownfield and town centre sites as opposed to building on greenfield sites.

“As such, you would think that we would welcome the proposed Solum development. However, GGG feels strongly that this important site at Guildford Railway Station, which is the first building that many visitors will see on arrival, should reflect the character, scale and style that is Guildford.

“Overly large and tall apartment buildings which will form a continuous development of three buildings restricting light and obstructing views is not something that GGG can support.

“We say no to the “Great Wall of Guildford”. Shame on Solum that they cannot come up with an exceptional iconic design incorporating 40% affordable or reasonably priced housing.”

Cllr Caroline Reeves

And Council Leader Caroline Reeves (Lib Dem, Friary & St Nicolas) also expressed her disappointment: “It’s very unfortunate that Solum is branding the proposal as a state-of-the-art station when basically it’s only the ticket hall that will be a new building for the station.

“It was the intervention of the planning inspector that ensured a lift had to be installed, and there’s nothing to improve the seriously compromised situation on the Guildford Park Road side of the station site. An improved station concourse is welcome but is unlikely to be completed until the end of the development.”

Development work will take place Monday to Friday 8am-6pm. If Saturday work is required it will be carried out between 8am and 1pm.

Share This Post