A £150m regeneration scheme to redevelop the area around Guildford station in Surrey has been approved by the Planning Inspectorate.
The scheme, which is being developed by Solum, the development partnership between Network Rail and Kier, involves transforming the station car park into a Station Quarter.
The scheme will deliver around £25m of improvements to Guildford station including 37,000 sq ft of retail space, 20,200 sq ft of office space, 438 new homes and a new station building with public realm improvements.
The planning inspector, David Morgan, said: “This proposal offers tangible benefits to the built environment around Guildford station. It also provides a significant amount of market housing and a lesser number of viability-calibrated affordable units, in addition to an enhanced station facility.
“The proposals also bring forward a major development site with a mix of uses that will create employment opportunities.”
Alan Jones, Solum, said: “This is a scheme that will transform the area around Guildford Station and provide a new Gateway to the town.
David Biggs, managing director of Network Rail Property, added: “Population growth, increased urbanisation and the housing shortage have prompted us to be more creative in the way we develop railway land.
“This development is yet another example of Network Rail partnering with the private sector to unlock land for mixed-use development, while generating funds to reinvest back into the railway.”
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