Guildford Borough Council • 26/W/00015
Demolition of four disused military buildings proposed at Keogh Barracks
Keogh Barracks, Keogh Barracks Access, Ash Vale, Guildford, GU12 5RQ
The Ministry of Defence has applied to demolish four disused buildings at Keogh Barracks, including a pre-Second World War structure previously used as a Catholic church.
- Status
- pending
- Type
- other
- Received
- 2026-03-09
- Consultation ends
- 2026-04-04
Summary
Four buildings at Keogh Barracks could be demolished, removing around 3,000 square metres of floor space in total. The structures include a 1979 training classroom, a pre-Second World War timber hut that was once a consecrated Catholic church and café, a 1980 sergeants' mess, and single living accommodation. All are described as disused. The barracks sit within a landscape of protected heathland. Within 500 metres are three overlapping ecological designations: the Ash to Brookwood Heaths SSSI, the Thursley, Ash, Pirbright and Chobham Special Area of Conservation, and the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area — one of the most sensitive heathland habitats in south-east England. A museum is a few minutes' walk away at 245 metres. This is a prior approval application, not a full planning application. The council can only consider how demolition is carried out and how the site will be left afterwards — not whether the buildings should come down. However, ecological impact and protected species remain material considerations given the proximity to designated sites.
What you can do
You can comment on this application at Guildford Borough Council's planning portal using reference 26/W/00015. Because this is a prior approval, the council can only consider how demolition is carried out and how the site will be restored — not whether the buildings should be removed. Comments should focus on demolition method, hours of operation, dust and noise controls, ecological protection measures, and site restoration.