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The University’s approach to housing students has an effect across the whole of Guildford and a major influence on housing “need” assessments. We suggest the University of Surrey has a special responsibility, as a university in a Green Belt, commuter belt town, to minimise its impact on our housing stock. The target of 60% of university students being housed on campus is far too low in these circumstances. The University is currently making a case for a Green Belt development of over 3,000 new homes although it has planning permission for 2,350 bed spaces that it has not built on land released from the Green Belt in 2003.
Insufficient attention has been given to unifying Guildford which is not only a constrained gap town but also physically divided due to the limited options for crossing the river, railway and A3. Some options for the town centre currently being assessed involve moving crossing points (eg a major new road bridge at the bottom of the High Street) rather than increasing options and capacity. The Solum proposal could block some options or make them unaffordable if land is not safeguarded.
The reference to an A3 ‘tunnel’ in our Plea is more an indication that a significant long term strategy for managing the impact of the A3 needs to be agreed and implemented rather than a specific solution. We are looking for leadership on this issue which should not be ducked.
Home NAG News Guildford Residents' Association sends plea to members about housing numbers
