Public consultation on a new employment development at the former Nuthill Fruit Farm
Mortimer RE is preparing a planning application for new employment space on the former Nuthill Fruit Farm, next to the A3 to the north-east of Guildford.
The map shows the site area marked in red, in the context of the proposed new housing development at Gosden Hill which is allocated in the Guildford Local Plan.
At this stage, the planning application will be ‘outline’ only, to agree the scale and type of development, with all other matters to be agreed in a subsequent planning application. However, several illustrative plans will be submitted to demonstrate the high-quality architecture and extensive landscaping that is proposed. You can read more about our proposals below.
This website has been set up to provide you with access to the latest information about the proposals and enable you to provide feedback. Your comments will inform the planning application before it is submitted to Guildford Borough Council.
The site
Nuthill Fruit Farm site is currently used as a car boot sale for part of the year.
The 10-acre site that will be the subject of this planning application sits adjacent to the main car boot sale. It is not in the green belt. The land was allocated for development in Guildford’s Local Plan as part of the much larger Gosden Hill development.
Although it forms part of the Gosden Hill allocation, it is not part of the residential-led proposals being prepared by Martin Grant Homes.
The proposals
Our ambition is to create a modern, high-quality employment development. This will include:
16,000 sqm of employment space across a number of two-storey buildings that will provide a range of unit sizes
Landscaped public realm to create an attractive working environment
Vehicle parking and servicing areas
New green planting and landscaping, creating screening for the site and wildlife corridors
New ponds, to manage rainwater and improve wildlife habitats
Cycle connections to the site
A road connection linking the site to the wider Gosden Hill development
Illustrative masterplan
Why here?
One of the main barriers to Guildford’s economic growth is now the lack of flexible, modern premises.
Guildford has a strong economic base in industry sectors like aerospace, medical technology, gaming, digital content, software, and AI. These high-value, high-wage specialised employment sectors are crucial to the borough's economy.
However, despite its highly skilled workforce and strengths such as the University and Surrey Research Park, a critical shortage of new, fit for purpose space has forced employers to look outside the borough for new premises, taking the jobs and investment they provide with them.
The Nuthill Fruit Farm site offers the potential to help meet this need in a sustainable location – on an allocated site, and within walking distance of a planned new residential community and its public transport and cycling connections.
Create more than 300 jobs, within walking distance of the new homes proposed at Gosden Hill
Contribute £24 million a year to the local economy
Generate up to £300,000 in business rates for the council to spend on local priorities
Help to address the shortage of modern commercial space in Guildford
Design and architecture
We are preparing an outline planning application at this stage. However, our early design concepts include a contemporary design with distinctive ‘barn style’ features, which co-locates industrial and office space.
The buildings will be around two storeys high – to avoid impact on the wider landscape, while creating an attractive, human-scale environment for workers to enjoy.
The images below show the sort of buildings that are inspiring the project's architects.
Sustainability and landscaping
Mortimer RE wants to create an exemplar of sustainable employment development.
The team previously developed Bourn Quarter in Cambridgeshire – a life sciences R&D park six miles from Cambridge that set a new standard for sustainable development, with Net Zero Carbon operational capabilities. The same design principles will be applied to this new proposal in Guildford.
Sustainability features could include:
Rooftop solar PV panels
Rainwater harvesting
Biodiversity net gain
Green walls and street trees
Buffer planting of trees and greenery all around the site
Rainwater wildlife ponds and rain gardens
Access and transport
Access to the new business park is proposed to be through the Gosden Hill development. We in active discussions with Martin Grant Homes about connecting to the proposed new junction for Gosden Hill.
Linking our proposals with the new residential neighbourhood gives us the opportunity to integrate the site with the foot and cycle paths and public transport upgrades being delivered in the area.
To ensure that local people, including the new residents of the planned Gosden Hill neighbourhood, are able to take advantage of the jobs at the site, and can get to work without needing to use cars, the plans include:
Linking cycle and pedestrian paths to the Gosden Hill network
Bus service to the site
Have your say
We want to hear your views on the proposed development. Please let us know your thoughts and ideas on our proposals.
You can do this by filling out the form, or contacting us on:
All of the feedback will be collated and analysed by the project team before an application is submitted.
About us
Mortimer RE
Mortimer RE is a privately owned company that provides development and asset management services, specialising in industrial and commercial projects. Sustainability is at the core of all their projects.