Part of a wider transformation of the Guildhall

Guildhall 1 is the four-storey 1970s office building on St James’s Road, adjoining Kingston’s historic Guildhall complex. It was formerly occupied by council staff but has now been cleared.

The council declared both Guildhall 1 and Guildhall 2 surplus to its longer-term requirements as part of its Future Workplace programme. This is intended to reduce the council’s office footprint and eventually bring its principal civic and administrative functions together within a refurbished and extended main Guildhall.

In February 2024, the council formally authorised the disposal of Guildhall 1. The building was subsequently marketed as a freehold development opportunity. The sales particulars described a 0.28-acre site containing approximately 24,800 square feet of offices, with feasibility studies indicating that redevelopment could provide as much as 67,000 square feet of floorspace, subject to planning permission.

Kier Property has now confirmed that it is bringing forward residential-led proposals for the site. Initial information suggests around 100 homes, with shops, offices, more trees and new public and shared outdoor spaces.

A sensitive and important location

Although few people are likely to mourn the architecture of Guildhall 1 itself, its redevelopment will affect one of the most historically sensitive parts of Kingston.

The site stands beside the Grade II listed Guildhall, close to the Grade I listed Coronation Stone and Clattern Bridge, and at the edge of the Kingston Old Town Conservation Area. The Hogsmill River also runs through the wider Guildhall campus.

Heritage work previously commissioned by the council concluded that Guildhall 1 and Guildhall 2 make little positive contribution to the historic setting. Their replacement could therefore provide an opportunity to improve the surroundings of the Guildhall, open up the Hogsmill and create better connections between the civic buildings, the Market Place and the rest of the town centre.

However, the same assessment stressed that any new development must be of the highest design quality. Its height, massing and materials must respect the prominence of the historic Guildhall and protect important views through and across the Old Town.

The consultation will therefore be an important early opportunity to consider not simply how many homes can be accommodated, but what kind of place is being created. Questions are likely to include the scale and architectural character of the buildings, the proportion of affordable housing, the treatment of the Hogsmill, the quality of the public realm and the relationship between the development and Kingston’s historic civic centre.

Members of the Kingston Society and other residents are encouraged to attend the exhibition, examine the proposals and submit comments during the consultation period.

Public exhibition

Thursday 16 July 2026, 3pm to 7pm
Richard Mayo Centre
Kingston United Reformed Church
Eden Street, Kingston

Online consultation link here 

16 July to 16 August 2026
Further details will be published on the Guildhall One consultation website.