Cabinet decision on London Road, Guildford

Following extensive engagement and consultation regarding changes to a section of London Road in Guildford, Cabinet Members at Surrey County Council have decided not to proceed with a major part of the scheme. 

Residents and people who travel through the area were invited to give their views on a proposed new cycling and walking route on the A3100 in Burpham.  

Views from the local community generated support for various elements of the scheme, but also highlighted significant concerns about the proposed carriageway widths for large vehicles and adjacent shared paths for pedestrians along section one of the scheme (New Inn Lane to York Road). Officers subsequently commissioned an independent technical review of the scheme. 

Cabinet members have considered the recommendations of this review, alongside the strength of feeling from the local community, and decided not to proceed with this part of the scheme. 

Cllr Tim Oliver, Leader of the Council, said: “Unfortunately, despite much work going into the design of this scheme, many residents, representative groups and ourselves as Cabinet Members, could not be fully convinced that it would lead to greater safety on this particular stretch of road. I wholeheartedly want to see more residents walking and cycling instead of using the car, but to encourage this our infrastructure must be safe. We will continue with many great schemes across Surrey to make active travel easier and safer, including in Guildford, but this particular section of the London Road scheme will not go ahead.”

Section two of the proposed scheme, which is funded by a central government grant, is still scheduled to go ahead, involving the remodelling of the Boxgrove Roundabout to make it safer for all road users. 

Although this particular scheme has not been approved in its entirety, Surrey County Council remains committed to improving Surrey’s active travel infrastructure and will continue its work to design and deliver schemes across the county that make walking and cycling easier and safer for people of all ages. 

The council has invested £6.3m on eight significant active travel improvement projects over the last three years across the county, with a further £6m of schemes due for delivery this year, including new and improved cycle lanes. 

The council is also delivering a £3m programme of improvements to cycling and walking safety outside 29 schools, including zebra crossing routes, wider pavements, and signals, all designed to make active travel easier and safer. 

This is on top of nearly 50 miles of pavement resurfacing over the last 18 months.