Residents' Aspirations for Guildford

Originally written in 2012, this document has provided the basis for our responses to the various consultations held on the draft Local Plan. 

Residents have felt marginalised in recent years and we have sought engagement with our representatives and officers on behalf of RAs.

 We are interested in the whole of Guildford, we want change to be for the better and we want past errors to be addressed.

We wish to have a joined up debate that considers the valued character and viability of our town centre, business parks, suburban communities, villages and countryside, even in relation to sensitive matters such as identifying housing sites.

We ask for a more sophisticated approach to managing the car which distinguishes between ownership and use. We support discouraging avoidable car use by promoting attractive alternatives but seek a rethink on policies that have left us with streets crammed with parked cars, facilities lacking essential parking and car parks earmarked for redevelopment.

Guildford needs a longer term plan that reflects joined up thinking to shape its future.

We want Guildford to

• be highly innovative in planning for the creative and high technology enterprises of the future,
• avoid over-expansion of our retail areas,
• adopt a bold and imaginative approach to intractable issues such as traffic congestion and lack of infrastructure investment,
• ensure that any opportunity for redevelopment is used wisely to enhance our quality of life and to create a legacy in which we can take pride, and
• take good care of the highly prized legacy we inherit.

We have set out our Aspirations under four themes:

1. Develop a holistic, community focused plan for the Town & Borough

2. Put in place infrastructure to allow innovative, sustainable development whilst maintaining Guildford’s distinctiveness & quality of life

3. Value the green & historic character of Guildford

4. Protect & enhance our countryside & open spaces both within the town and the borough

Under each theme, we have set out our enduring Aspirations followed by a list of Actions. We ask our Councillors to support our Aspirations and implement the Actions, many of which can be delivered by means of the Local Plan.