Welcome to our consultation website on proposals for new homes on Sydenham Road, Guildford

Overview

The land adjacent to Sydenham Road and Bright Hill is being reimagined as a carefully designed residential development delivering much-needed new homes in Guildford town centre.

AMA Buchanan Investments Ltd is bringing forward proposals to transform a car park on a brownfield site in the centre of Guildford into a high-quality residential development delivering 32 much-needed new homes, widening the public footpath along Sydenham Road, re-opening the upper levels of Bright Hill car park and improving the junction between Bright Hill and Sydenham Road.

The proposals have evolved through pre-application discussions with Guildford Borough Council and have been carefully shaped by the site’s steep topography, surrounding heritage assets and townscape context.

The proposals will also re-open the upper levels of Bright Hill car park and improve the junction between Bright Hill and Sydenham Road and introduce new planting, biodiversity enhancements and communal amenity spaces throughout the development and widen the public footpath along Sydenham Road.

We are now seeking your feedback on our emerging proposals before submitting a planning application to Guildford Borough Council.

The Site

The site is located adjacent to Sydenham Road and Bright Hill, within a short walk of Guildford High Street and the town centre.

The site includes the site of the former Robin Hood Public House and forms part of the Bright Hill Car Park.

The site sits within the Guildford Town Centre Conservation Area and is close to a number of locally listed and historic buildings, including the Guildford Adult Learning Centre, Holy Trinity Church and views towards Guildford Cathedral.

The steeply sloping topography of the site has strongly influenced the design approach, requiring a carefully considered response to levels, massing and townscape context

The proposals seek to improve the overall appearance and environmental quality of the site, replacing large areas of hardstanding with new landscaping, planting and sustainable residential buildings.

The site forms part of an allocation for residential development in Guildford Borough Council’s adopted Local Plan (Allocation A11 – Bright Hill car park).

the team

AMA Buchanan Investments Ltd

AMA Investments Ltd is a family-owned business wholly owned by the Buchanan family, who have for over 60 years, been actively developing and building within the South East of England, with a particular focus on Guildford.

Our long-standing connection with the town reflects our commitment to responsible development that enhances the local area and contributes positively to the community.

AMA acquired the former Robin Hood Public House site in 2021 and planning permission for its redevelopment was subsequently granted in 2023. We then entered into discussions with Guildford Borough Council (GBC) to explore the opportunity to acquire the lower tier of Bright Hill car park. This additional land would allow a more considered and efficient use of the site and enable a higher-quality redevelopment proposal. Contracts for the purchase of the land were formally exchanged in December 2025.

As a long-established local developer with deep roots in Guildford, our intention is to deliver a carefully considered, high-quality development that complements the character of the town and enhances this important gateway location.

As a family business with a long history in Guildford, our focus is not only on delivering a successful development but also on contributing positively to the town’s built environment for the long term.

Our Proposals

We are proposing a high-quality, sustainable redevelopment  that will deliver:

32 much-needed new homes on an allocated brownfield town centre site

Three sensitively designed residential buildings responding to Guildford’s character and heritage

New planting, landscaped communal courtyards, biodiversity enhancements and a widened public footpath

Sustainable and energy-efficient homes supported by green roofs and renewable technologies

Stabilise the hill and allow the re-opening the upper levels of Bright Hill car park and improve the junction between Bright Hill and Sydenham Road

Secure basement parking and substantial cycle storage to support sustainable travel and reduce the visual impact of vehicles at street level

Delivering new homes in Guildford town centre

The proposals will deliver 32 new homes on a site allocated for residential development within Guildford Borough Council’s adopted Local Plan.

Redeveloping this underused brownfield site will help contribute towards Guildford’s identified housing needs in a highly sustainable location within a short walk of shops, services and public transport connections

The proposals also seek to improve the experience of the site for neighbours and residents through high-quality architecture, landscaping and a widened public footpath.

A design shaped by Guildford’s character and heritage

The design has been carefully developed to respond to the character of Sydenham Road and the wider Guildford Town Centre Conservation Area.

The architecture draws on the prevailing red brick character of surrounding buildings, with each building designed to appear as a cluster of smaller double pitched volumes that blend harmoniously into the wider roofscape.

The scheme has been broken into three distinct building forms to respond to surrounding townscape context.

The proposals have also been carefully designed to preserve important views towards Holy Trinity Church and Guildford Cathedral.

A greener and more sustainable development

The proposals will significantly increase greenery across the site, replacing areas of hardstanding with planting, landscaped courtyards and biodiversity enhancements.

Two communal landscaped courtyards and shared amenity spaces are proposed, alongside private external amenity space for all homes.

Green roofs are proposed across all three buildings to improve biodiversity and environmental performance, while photovoltaic panels and air source heat pumps form part of the scheme’s sustainability strategy.

The development has been designed to create energy-efficient homes within a greener and more attractive environment.

Retaining parking and improving access

The proposals retain public parking within the wider Bright Hill car park while improving the functionality of the site overall.

The development will stabilise the hill and allow the re-opening the upper levels of Bright Hill car park.

Resident parking is provided within a secure basement level, helping reduce the visual impact of vehicles at street level. One parking space per home will be provided, alongside more than 50 secure cycle parking spaces to encourage sustainable travel choices.

The proposal will improve the junction between Bright Hill and Sydenham Road. The access into the basement car park from Sydenham Road has been carefully designed to work safely and efficiently with the surrounding road network

Attend our consultation event

We are committed to engaging openly and collaboratively with neighbours, local businesses and Guildford Borough Council as the proposals continue to evolve.

Feedback from the local community will help inform the next stage of the design process ahead of the submission of a planning application.

Please share your feedback by completing our online survey or attending one of our upcoming consultation event.

Public Exhibition

Have your say!

Take our survey and share your feedback on the proposals.