Relocating Guildford sewage treatment works

Over the next 5 years, we’ll be working to relocate our Guildford sewage treatment works (STW) in support of Guildford Borough Council’s Local Plan 2019 to develop new homes.

Why we’re moving Guildford STW

Guildford STW is based in an area that used to be known as the Slyfield Area Regeneration Project (SARP), and Guildford Borough Council has recently included this area in its redevelopment plans. They’re planning to build approximately 1,500 homes while protecting the surrounding countryside in an exciting new development called Weyside Urban Village (WUV).

We’re moving our Guildford STW to support the council and make room for these new homes. We’ll build the new sewage works on the former Slyfield Industrial Estate landfill site – our first new sewage works since Reading STW opened more than 14 years ago.

The map below shows the location of the Slyfield Area Regeneration Project. We’ve marked our new STW site in red and the new transfer tunnel in blue.

Timeline for the works

2020 – Procurement and investigations

We’ll look for a design and build contractor to complete the work while we investigate the best options for our planning application submission.

2021 – Public consultation and planning application submission

In early 2021, we’ll welcome you to a public consultation session to share your feedback on our plans. We’ll use your feedback to shape the final proposal we submit with our planning application later in the year.

2022 – Construction starts

Subject to planning permission being approved, we’ll start building the new sewage treatment works and transfer tunnel. The old STW will continue treating wastewater until we’ve finished construction.

2025 – Complete construction of new works and start commissioning

We’ll aim to complete construction by 2025. We’ll test the new works carefully to make sure they work properly before we turn off the old works, gradually transferring the wastewater flows from around 100,000 customers.

2026 – New works online and old site decommissioned

Once we’ve commissioned the new site and it’s passed our strict safety tests, we’ll close the old site. The WUV development will then demolish the existing site before they start building houses.

Key benefits to the relocation project

• Relocating our STW makes room for the Weyside Urban Village development to build 1,500 new homes, as agreed in Guildford Borough Council’s Local Plan 2019.
• Locating the new STW further away from the centre of town uses up empty space on a former landfill site at the northern edge of the Slyfield Industrial Estate.
• Future-proofing the new STW prepares us for population increases as Guildford grows.

Want to know more?

We’re still in the early stages of planning our work, so keep an eye on this page for more updates over the coming months. If you have any questions, please email us.

Learn more about Weyside Urban Village development.