Are existing brownfield/retail sites being used wisely?

Only 2,742 homes are planned in Guildford Town Centre and urban areas. One third of jobs will be lost in the retail sector by 2020 according to The British Consortium,
because of increased internet shopping (13% of retail) and higher costs to retailers on the High Street. The recent closures of well known brands highlight a change in shopping habits.

Keith Meldrum of Guildford Residents Association stated in a press release June 2016, ‘Why do we need a 40% increase in retail space in the era of the internet when that land could be used for homes? Why are our politicians, who promised to protect Green Belt, offering up so much countryside for development and making so little
progress in better planning the town? Guildford Residents Association wants to see the following changes in the Local Plan, a realistic housing target that focuses on the needs of Guildford and takes full account of the constraints of being a congested gap town, a bus interchange which means you can travel easily in any direction from central point without needing a car...”Guildford’s green setting, tree lined approaches, fine view, historic centre and riverside maintained as valued and distinctive features of the town; a realistic housing target that focuses on the needs of Guildford, taking in full account of the constraints of being a congested gap town’.