Public access to the Wey at Guildford at last

THERE has been little public access to the Wey in the centre of Guildford, but this it about to change, writes Roger Fox.

Access was limited since the construction of a large Debenham’s store in the middle of the last century,

This is all about to change with the approval of a new development which will give an acre of public space adjacent to the river with housing set back allowing access.

Visitor moorings

It would be excellent if visitors' moorings were to be included in the final scheme, as Guildford has many attractions for travelling boaters. The image shows an artist's impression of the finished work.

This is all part of the St. Mary’s Wharf scheme that is set to provide 185 private homes along with 21,000 sq ft of retail and restaurant space, and almost an acre of new riverside public space.

Work is expected to start by February next year with pre-construction taking nine months plus a 30 months building programme.