Next phase of 1,500-home development approved

Plans for 187 homes as part of the regeneration of land around an industrial estate in Guildford have been given the green light.

The Weyside Urban Village masterplan includes 1,550 homes, and the latest application to be approved is phase three of the development.

The application was unanimously voted through by Guildford Borough Council's planning committee on Wednesday.

Construction for phase two started at the end of October, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

New homes will range from one, two and three bedroom apartments to four bedroom houses, with 40% classed as affordable.

Councillors highlighted the compactness of this phase of the project, at 90 dwellings per hectares, saying it seemed quite dense.

But council officers explained, as a sustainable development, the council is trying to make the best of the brownfield site.

Planning documents state the proposal has been designed to "reflect the industrial waterfront character of the area", a reference to the retained Victorian Pump House which will be put to community use in future.

As part of the site still has the sewage treatment works, construction will only start when this is relocated to the north of Slyfield industrial estate.

In April, the council's application to relocate allotments to a green belt site north of the industrial estate as part of the redevelopment plans was agreed.

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