Native Land has submitted a planning application for the 310,000-sq-ft redevelopment of the 1.7-acre former Debenhams department store site in Guildford, to create 215 homes, 21,000 sq ft of retail and restaurant space, and almost an acre of newly created riverside public realm.

The net-zero carbon development, to be known as St Mary’s Wharf, is the first project in Native Land’s recently-announced strategy to acquire opportunities to reposition former retail assets in fundamentally strong UK towns and cities.

St Mary’s Wharf will feature two new buildings of eight and nine storeys respectively, designed by architects Squire & Partners to respect the surrounding heritage of the area. It will also unlock publicly accessible spaces including a new civic square, pocket park and a riverside walk giving access from the High Street to the River Wey for the first time in 50 years. The development will offer a range of apartments, from studios to one, two and three-bedroom homes.