Guildford planners approve 301 co-living apartments for millennials in town centre
A plan for 301 co-living apartments aimed at graduates and young professionals has been approved for Guildford town centre.
The apartments – studio flats of various sizes with shared communal areas – will be built on the former Burymead House site, which has been empty for 20 years since the Electricity Generating Board building was knocked down in 2000.
The Guildford Plaza development, on Portsmouth Road and Bury Street, will be four blocks of between four to six storeys, and 67 of the 301 homes will be offered at discounted market rent.
Guildford Borough Council’s planning committee approved the plans with 12 voting in favour and two abstentions last night (February 2).
Council documents said the development will make a positive contribution to the demand and market for smaller rented accommodation in the Borough and the town centre as a whole, though concerns were raised in the meeting about the location next to several Grade II listed buildings and in the Millmead and Portsmouth Road conservation areas.
In planning documents, the developers described co-living as “providing a convenient, flexible living environment and creating a ‘shared experience’ lifestyle, which strongly appeals to the millennial generation.”
Communal areas will include a gym and exercise studios, co-working areas, coffee bar, meeting rooms, communal dining for up to 75 people and smaller private dining areas for up to 12 people, as well as and laundry facilities.
A resident of the Caleb Lovejoy almshouses, run by a charity which provides homes for older or vulnerable members of the community, which are on Bury Street and would be immediately next to the development, spoke at the meeting.
Marie Hanlan said the alms cottages were more 200 years old and the new buildings would “effectively dwarf the cottages” and were likely to considerably reduce the amount of natural light entering their windows.
She added: “It’s not clear to me how this proposal successfully integrates into the community.
“The main entrance to this complex for 300 individuals opens onto a single one way lane, directly opposite the almshouses.”
The studios will range in size with most being 18-20sqm with some larger ones up to 30sqm including wheelchair adaptable units.
The development will also be effectively “car-free” according to planning documents. There will be six car parking spaces on the site, two for a planned car club, two for disabled residents and the last two for service and maintenance vehicles.
All spaces would have electric vehicle charging points.
A application approved in 2018 on the site would have seen 100 assisted living homes built, which officers said should be considered when deciding on the application, because the size of the buildings was not materially different from those plans.
Paul Landsberg, planning director at Barton Wilmore, spoke at the meeting on behalf of the applicant. He said the development had taken account of the listed buildings in the area.
He said: “While any impact on surrounding residents is regrettable, these neighbours should not rely on a long-vacant site, which has been allocated for a significant development, to preserve their outlook sunlight, daylight and privacy.”