Weyside Urban Village

Guildford Borough Council

Chess Engage was appointed by Guildford Borough Council in 2019 to lead engagement for the Weyside Urban Village regeneration scheme the outline planning application. Following subsequent competitive tendering process, we have secured further contracts with the council to lead the strategic communications and engagement activities across the wider regeneration.

We designed and delivered nine thematic consultation for the outline planning application which was approved in 2020. We have subsequently designed and led consultation and engagement for:

• An allotment decant programme with allotment holders which resulted in the Secretary of State approving a disposal under the Allotments Act 1925.
• Three separated Reserved Matters Applications for housing and new infrastructure
• S16 and S38 Common Land Applications, working closely with the council's legal advisors, we designed and delivered consultation activities in compliance with statutory requirements.

We continue to deliver an integrated communications and engagement programme across multiple regeneration workstreams, supporting effective stakeholder management and helping maintain community confidence in the project.

The Weyside Urban Village Regeneration Scheme remains an ongoing project, with Chess Engage continuing to provide strategic communications, stakeholder engagement and consultation support throughout its delivery.

Testimonial

Chess Engage’s professionalism and creative ideas have been crucial to the success of Weyside Urban Village. Without Chess Engage, the level and quality of engagement that we have had with Councillors and the local community about this major project would simply not have been the same. 

Leigh Edwards, Guildford Borough Council