I have worked on projects in Guildford borough, including 22-24 Swan Lane, Guildford, a conservation-area conversion and extension of a town-centre building into six new flats above a ground-floor commercial unit.
Working in Guildford town centre means working within a conservation area, so knowing how the council approaches a proposal is part of getting a project onto the right footing.
- Council planning pages
- Guildford Borough Council
- Local Plan
- The Guildford Borough Local Plan, in two parts: Strategy and Sites 2015-2034, and Development Management Policies (Strategy and Sites adopted April 2019; Development Management Policies adopted March 2023). Local Plan page. A new Local Plan is being prepared.
- What to submit with an application
- Local validation requirements.
- Article 4 directions
- Guildford uses Article 4 directions, particularly to control changes within conservation areas, where they can remove permitted development rights so that planning permission is needed for alterations to public-facing elements such as doors, windows, the roof, driveways and fences. Whether a direction applies to a specific property can be checked on the council's planning information map. Article 4 directions.
- Community Infrastructure Levy
- Guildford has not introduced a Community Infrastructure Levy and relies on Section 106 agreements to secure developer contributions for new infrastructure. Community Infrastructure Levy page.
- Conservation areas and heritage
- The borough has a significant historic environment, with over 1,000 listed buildings, a number of conservation areas with published character appraisals, and a local list of more than 200 locally listed buildings and structures. Permitted development rights are often restricted in conservation areas, and planning permission is needed for changes including demolition. Conservation pages.
- Local guidance
- The council has adopted a range of Supplementary Planning Documents, including a Residential Extensions and Alterations Guide, a Residential Design Guide and a Parking Standards SPD. Supplementary planning documents.
What this means for your project
In Guildford, much of the work I do is shaped by the borough’s historic environment and its protected countryside. A large part of the borough is Metropolitan Green Belt, and it includes part of the Surrey Hills National Landscape (formerly an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) and the Thames Basin Heaths protected area, so Green Belt, landscape and habitat constraints are frequent considerations. If your property is in a conservation area, expect the council to look closely at materials and detailing, and expect to need an application for work that might be permitted development elsewhere. There is no Community Infrastructure Levy here, so larger schemes are handled through Section 106 obligations. I check the current position for your specific address before any drawings are prepared.
Last checked: 26 June 2026. page reviewed Planning policy, charges and local designations change over time, so please confirm the current position with the council before relying on this summary.