Residents, students and those on their way to work travelling from other areas of Guildford to the Royal Surrey County Hospital, Surrey Research Park and Surrey Sports Park can now enjoy a smoother, safer journey thanks to the completion of the next phase of improvements we have made working with Surrey County Council and Highways England.

The project called ‘The Sustainable Movement  Corridor’ includes pedestrian and cycle improvements being carried out between Tesco’s by Bannisters Field, the Stag Hill campus of the University and onwards towards the main rail station at Guildford. It is a key example of our commitment to encouraging people out of their cars and will help reduce air pollution in the area.

Cllr Caroline Reeves, Leader of the Council said:  “We need to do all we can at a local level to help our borough to reduce it’s carbon footprint and improve air quality. These improvements mean these pathways – which are a key route for many – are now safer and welcoming for pedestrians and cyclists and we hope to see more people using them. We remain committed to becoming a net-zero carbon borough by 2030 and working with our partners and the wider community we will tackle environmental issues together.”

Matt Furniss, Cabinet Member for Transport at Surrey County Council, added: “Transport is one of the biggest contributors of carbon emissions in Surrey, so its important to help our residents to leave the car at home and walk or cycle whenever they can to help us to tackle the causes of climate change. I welcome these improvements between Bannisters Field past the university and into the town, and hope they encourage residents to try using cleaner and greener ways of getting around Guildford.”

Alessio Mancino, Service Delivery Manager at Highways England said: “Highways England are happy to support Guildford Borough Council’s Sustainable Movement Corridor, and are pleased to help improve sustainable transport and active travel.”

Stephen Wells, Director of Estates, Facilities and Commercial Services at the University of Surrey, said: “We are proud of our green campuses and their location so close to the heart of Guildford. These improvements make it safer and more pleasant to travel on foot or by bike between our Stag Hill and Manor Park campuses and are a real benefit to our students and the wider community. The enhanced cycle paths also support our nextbike scheme which allows people to hire bikes to move between our campuses.”

The Sustainable Movement Corridor is a major project and aims to improve walking and cycling in and around Guildford. These works form part of a bigger programme of planned upgrades to paths and roads between The Royal Surrey County Hospital, the University and the town centre. This includes the Surrey Research Park, Tesco Superstore, Royal Surrey County Hospital, Surrey Sports Park, Manor Park and Stag Hill University campuses and Guildford’s train station.

The next steps include pedestrian and bus improvements on Guildford Park Road, at the entrance to the train station and  the installation of traffic lights at the Tesco Roundabout that includes bus priority.

These works are expected to be completed in summer 2021.