Guildford road closure postponed to allow further consultation
It was due to close in January.
Last updated 19th Dec 2022
A road closure which “galvanised anger not seen in Guildford for 30 years” has been postponed to allow time for residents’ views.
A section of the A3100 London Road, which runs between Guildford and the A3, was due to close northbound for five months from January to put in cycle lanes and crossings and improve bus stops.
But Surrey County Council announced on Wednesday (December 14) that the works would be postponed “to allow more detailed discussion with the local community”.
Nearly a mile of the road in Burpham will close in the direction of the A3, from the Boxgrove Road roundabout up to the New Inn Lane roundabout where Aldi is.
County Councillor Fiona Davidson said at a meeting of Surrey County Council on Tuesday (December 13) that the road had a northbound queue from 3.30pm each day and that the closure would lead to gridlock over a wide area of the town.
‘Locals think Surrey County Council is trying to strangle the town’
Cllr Davidson (Residents for Guildford and Villages, Guildford South-East) added: “It will lead to misery, economic damage and it will increase pollution.
“The longer term disadvantages of the scheme significantly outweigh the benefits and there are two further phases.
“People right across Guildford are incredulous. They think Surrey County Council is trying to strangle the town.
“The scheme has galvanised a level of anger that I’ve not witnessed in 30 years in Guildford, except possibly for the anger over car parking at Newlands Corner.
“It is quite simply the wrong scheme in the wrong place.”
Cllr Davidson said cycle lanes were needed but in other parts of the town, and raised concerns about the consultation process that had been carried out by the council in 2020.
A county council spokesperson said the delay would “help ensure the benefits of the scheme are widely understood and delivered”.
The authority has previously said the works fit into the county’s aim to be net zero by 2050, and will make roads safer and more accessible for children, pedestrians and cyclists in Guildford.
Council leader says not all residents were fully aware of details
After the announcement was made to postpone the closure, Cllr Davidson said in a statement she was “very pleased” the council’s leader, Cllr Tim Oliver (Conservative, Weybridge) had responded to “significant and reasonable” concerns raised around the project.
She added: “We all now need to work together – residents, councillors, schools, businesses and Surrey County Council – to find a way forward that is acceptable to all parties. I look forward to being part of the revamped consultation exercise.
“Councillor Oliver has agreed to participate in a public meeting that I have arranged on January 5, and I appreciate his willingness to engage directly with residents.”
In a statement Cllr Oliver said he had received a number of emails from residents regarding the construction of the cycle lanes and that while there was support from many residents, there had also been concerns raised about the disruption.
He said consultation had been carried out including with Guildford Borough Council, local councillors and a representative sample of the local community.
Cllr Oliver added: “However I appreciate that not all residents were fully aware of the detail and I have therefore agreed to delay the implementation pending further discussion with residents and their representative groups.
“It is important that we continue to invest in public transport and appropriate schemes that will promote safer walking and cycling routes across the county if we are going to reduce our carbon emissions, but it is equally important that residents are supportive of such schemes.”
A drop in session which was due to take place on December 17 has also been cancelled, while new ones are being planned in the new year, with full details to be announced.