We have a track record of working closely with local authorities across the South East and East of England, working collaboratively with them to develop bespoke programmes that address their specific challenges. But there are a number share similar characteristics – predominantly rural, but with a number of historic settlements – and challenges – the pressure of growth against constraint of the Green Belt.
Guildford Borough Council a local authority area with an important historic urban centre surrounded by smaller settlements in high-quality, sensitive landscape. It is experiencing considerable development pressure which it is responding to with plans for significant housing allocations, including a new settlement, and a limited amount of development planned for the historic urban centre. Over the past six years we have helped the council deal with proposals for higher density city centre proposals, often in sensitive historic contexts. In the absence of a masterplan for the area close to the station, the panel has provided consistency of design advice on a number of high-density residential or mixed-use schemes, therefore having a significant impact on the quality and emerging character of the historic town centre. We have also helped to shape schemes of 300-500 homes in the urban fringe and 2-4,000 home urban extensions and we currently selecting a group of panel members to assist with Wisley Airfield Garden Village.
Panel chairs
To find out more about our current work with the council, click here.