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Decision on local government reorganisation

The Government has confirmed that Surrey will move to a two-unitary council model following its review of local government arrangements. Read our full story and future steps.

Tall Buildings SPD

We have produced a Tall Buildings SPD for Guildford Town Centre. It was adopted by the Council's Executive on 6 November 2025. Read our adoption statement (PDF, 119 KB)

The Tall Buildings SPD (PDF, 1 MB) informs the suitability and guides the design of tall buildings in the Guildford Town Centre, helps to reduce their impact, and supports consistent and high-quality development.

The approved SPD:

  • gives guidance on what we consider to be a tall building in Guildford town centre   
  • provides design guidelines to help manage the visual and environmental impact of tall buildings on nearby streetscapes, heritage sites and public spaces 
  • promotes good architecture and opportunities for innovative design 
  • clarifies what we expect to see submitted as part of a planning application for a tall building, including evidence of its potential impact

We carried out a six week consultation on the draft Tall Buildings SPD during June-August 2025. You can access the draft on our consultation webpage (opens new window). You may also wish to read our consultation statement (PDF, 588 KB).