Stocklund Square

Stocklund Square is a late 1960s shopping precinct with residential use above, located on the southern side of Cranleigh High Street. Heritage Potential were very pleased to have supported an application for full Planning Permission to regenerate the precinct, which received unanimous approval from the Waverley Borough Council’s Planning Committee in August 2024.

The proposals sought the demolition of existing and unsightly structures within the public realm, including pavilions, a pergola and street furniture. The proposals sought to entirely upgrade the facilities, accessibility and aesthetic through the erection of a new café, pavilion, bin & bike store, replacement hard landscaping and street furniture, alongside the addition of a canopy to the existing shopping parade. The ambition was to rejuvenate a prominent area at the heart of Cranleigh and tie together different phases of development within a holistic new design.

In particular, the historic Cranleigh Rail Station, which closed in 1965 adjacent to the square, acted as architectural inspiration for the newly proposed buildings. Railway sleepers are incorporated into the hardstanding and all the structures share a common material palette. The introduction of new seating, soft landscaping and hardstanding also aligns with the spacing and materiality of the larger built form that frame the square, strengthening the quality of the area whilst complementing the layers of historic built form in the surrounds.

As a result of this place centred design evolution, Heritage Potential were able to prepare a robust heritage statement to support the planning application, acknowledging the prominence of the site within the Cranleigh Conservation Area and wider setting of listed buildings, including the Grade II listed Cranleigh War Memorial. Through a townscape views assessment, we were able to demonstrate that the scheme would present no harm to these heritage assets, whilst delivering genuine social and economic public benefits to Cranleigh.