Infrastructure and delivery

Transport Evidence Base

You can read the Guildford Borough Transport Strategy 2017 [2.64MB] here.

More information is provided on the Transport evidence base page.

Guildford Cycle Route Assessments Report

We had a report commissioned to look into cycle routes and parking. The report is by the consultants Transport Initiatives and Urban Movement.

There are two PDF documents:

The outputs from this study were in the consultation on the Guildford Borough Local Plan: Issues, Options and Preferred Options. They were used in: Policy ID10 Achieving a Comprehensive Guildford Borough Cycle Network.

The aim of the policy is to achieve a comprehensive Guildford borough cycle network.

Our study for the Guildford urban area.
Surrey County Council's Local Cycling Plan. This is particularly for the rest of the borough outside of the Guildford urban area.

Find out more Local Plan: Development Management Policies

Infrastructure Delivery Plan

Guildford Borough Infrastructure Delivery Plan December 2017 [5.29MB]

The Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP), including an Infrastructure Schedule, provides detail on key infrastructure needed to support the development included in the Local Plan. The Infrastructure Schedule is now included as Appendix 6 of the adopted Local Plan strategy and sites (LPSS). The schedule in the LPSS is the most recent. Certain projects were renumbered and blank rows removed from the schedule included in the IDP in order to aid clarity.

This IDP will be subject to change, with the IDP Infrastructure Schedule regarded as a 'living document' that will be reviewed and modified as required throughout the plan period as further information becomes available.

Infrastructure baseline

Infrastructure baseline [4.68MB]

The Infrastructure baseline considered the quality and capacity of the existing physical, community and social infrastructure. It examined each type of infrastructure, reviewed existing capacity, and for some infrastructure types, it also noted the plans of infrastructure providers. This infrastructure baseline study was an audit of existing infrastructure provision and provided an informant to drafting of the IDP, along with updated information gathered since its completion. It is not a plan of the infrastructure we need to provide to support development in the future.

Guildford Draft Local Plan: Education Review (May 2016) [1.37MB]

This review considered the need for additional school places over the period of the draft Local Plan consulted on in the summer of 2016. Subsequent to this study, as part of GBC cooperation with infrastructure providers, Surrey County Council reviewed the updated education provision proposals reflected in the Submission Local Plan, 2017 and are satisfied that the education need can be met.

Guildford Local Plan and CIL Viability

At independent examination, we will be required to demonstrate that the draft new Local Plan is capable of being delivered. We must therefore consider how the policy requirements of the draft local plan and other planning requirements would impact on the viability of planned developments. View further information on the Guildford Local Plan and CIL Viability.

Settlement Hierarchy Study

The settlement hierarchy study is a key part of our evidence base for the new Local Plan. It requires that we plan positively for sustainable development. It enables us to have a better understanding of the roles of each of our settlements. It does so by grouping together those settlements that have similar functions and characteristics. This has helped us decide the location of future development across the borough by directing growth towards those settlements which are the most sustainable, or can be made more sustainable through additional growth.

The document is available at the following link:

Guildford borough Settlement hierarchy May 2014 [480.37KB]

The accompanying settlement profiles document contains additional detailed information about each of our settlements. It also makes a preliminary assessment regarding each settlement's capacity to accommodate additional development.

Guildford Borough Settlement profiles [3.28MB]

Green and Blue Infrastructure

The National Planning Policy Framework defines green infrastructure as "a network of multi-functional green space, urban and rural, which is capable of delivering a wide range of environmental quality of life benefits for local communities". Green and blue infrastructure is crucial to the maintenance, protection and enhancement of biodiversity and wildlife in the borough.

The Open Space Sports and Recreation Assessment 2017 audits the current provision of open space, sports and recreation land and facilities to identify areas of deficit. This information will be used to guide development proposals and protect land of public value for sports, recreation and amenity. You can view the Open Space, Sport and Recreation Assessment (2017) on our Planning for Open Space and Green Infrastructure page.

The Assessment of Sites of Amenity Value [16.48MB] was undertaken to assess land proposed to be inset from the green belt to see if it has public amenity value and should be protected from development. This assessment informed the Open Space Sport and Recreation Assessment. See the Amenity Audit spreadsheet [44.55KB] referred to in the assessment.

Water Quality Assessment

The Water Quality Assessment provides an assessment of the impact of local plan proposals on water quality by examining impacts on wastewater infrastructure.