By 2033, Guildford town centre will have:
• a new retail-led, mixed-use development of 45,000 sq m (gross) of additional comparison goods floorspace on the North Street regeneration site within its primary shopping area.
• developments of other town centre uses that contribute to the liveliness of the town centre including food and drink, more gyms and cinema screens;
• approximately 1,172 new homes, particularly on upper floors as part of mixed use developments;
• more varied uses during the evening and night-time, including along the riverside, with residents and visitors feeling safe;
• active use of the riverside and the river;
• more effective routes within and across the town centre for pedestrians and cyclists
• new public squares and other informal meeting areas.

Retail and leisure proposals over 500sq m (gross) located outside of Guildford town centre, local or district centres, and where the site is not allocated in this Plan, must be supported by a retail impact assessment.

Within the Primary Shopping Frontage as defined on the Policies Map proposals for change of use of existing ground floor shops (Class A1) to other uses will not be permitted.

Within the Secondary Shopping Frontage defined on the Policies Map, planning permission for the change of use of ground floor shops (Class A1) to Class A2, A3 or A4 will be permitted where all the following criteria are met:

• the additional uses result in no more than two permitted ground floor non-retail uses adjacent to each other; and
• the additional use results in no more than one third of this section of the defined street level frontage (as defined in Appendix B) in permitted non-A1 Use Class; and
• the use does not result in loss of amenity in terms of noise, disturbance, smell, litter or traffic generation; and
• the proposed use will not be detrimental to the shopping function or character of the town centre.

Exceptionally loss of shopping area uses (Class A) at ground floor level will be permitted, subject to the above criteria, where the proposed use is appropriate to a town centre shopping frontage.

Proposals for new food takeaways within 500m of schools will not be accepted because of the potential negative impact on the health of school children.