Guildford Scheme Recommended for Refusal

A council report has dubbed a development on the site of Guildford's Casino nightclub as "unbalanced", "awkward" and a "detrimental and alien townscape feature".

The report, put together ahead of a planning committee meeting, recommends the council object to plans to transform the site into 300 student bedrooms, retail space and a restaurant.

The report added that the development was a poor standard of design and lacked the elegance expected from a building of the scale proposed.

Regarding the student accommodation element, the report suggested the design would result in a poor-quality living environment, lacking in natural light and communal spaces.

Despite the concerns, the nearby Academy of Contemporary Music and the University of Surrey Students' Union (USSU) have supported the plans.

Chief executive of the USS, Alan Sutherland, said: "As a union, we are in complete support of this application which will create urgently needed purpose-built accommodation in Guildford for students studying here."

"This will in turn free up HMO accommodation for the non-student population who also find difficulty in finding affordable, appropriate accommodation in our town."

The final decision will rest with the planning inspector, although timeframes for this are unclear at this stage.