The new development will offer much more than later-living apartments to West Byfleet. There will also be 10-15 retail units, configured to suit independent operators and specialist stores. Located along both Station Approach Road and Old Woking Road, which will have their entrances directly into the new public square, we envisage a mix of retail and leisure. The proposed units have been specially designed with small, independent retailers in mind, and with consideration for how they might need to serve customers through a front window or street-facing serving hatch.

These images were taken from the architects’ model, shows the retail frontages facing onto the proposed public square.

The square will have benches and fixed tables for public use as well as trees and planters. The store fronts, as well as the proposed replacement public library, present detailing that is intended to complement the character of other parts of West Byfleet. Where the current site presents a brutalist type design, our architects’ design eschews modernism and adopts a contemporary approach that acknowledges key criteria of the Arts & Crafts movement. Lowering the ceiling heights of the retail area, compared with the original planning consent, has helped bring more local character to the designs and the relationship between the entrances and the pedestrian areas.

The project design team has been developing ways to reflect the arts and crafts character of West Byfleet in both the architecture and materials of the new building.

We have taken inspiration from the neighbouring conservation areas in an effort to capture the village character and compliment existing references.

Alongside the retail units, we are also introducing a number of public shared amenities. These include a Café and restaurant as well as community space and leisure facilities.

The red line below shows how the new scheme fits within the boundaries of the existing outline planning consent

Planting Palette

Our expert horticulturalists and arboriculturalists, working with our landscape architects have devised a comprehensive planting palette. Designed to ensure the trees will thrive in the local conditions and contribute to people’s enjoyment of the new development for many decades to come.

The species being considered include: Cercidiphyllum japonicumPhotinia x Fraseri ‘Red Robin'(Pleached), Parrotia persica, Betula utilis, Betula albosinensis, Picea pungens and Acer palmatum ‘Phoenix’