Guildford Borough Council has awarded McLaren Construction a £38.4m contract to build a new operations hub at the Weyside Urban Village regeneration site.
The scheme will consolidate the council’s services for waste collection, fleet maintenance, MoT testing, parks, countryside, housing repairs, engineering and the town museum archive into three buildings.
Designed to support the council’s 2030 net-zero goal, the depot will use a ‘fabric first’ approach, air source heat pumps, solar panels and a combination of blue and brown roofs.
The buildings are also intended to cut energy consumption, reduce maintenance costs and provide flexible future use.
McLaren’s subcontractor team includes ICS for roofing and cladding; Bauder for the roof system; SCWS for steelwork; C&M Fabrications for secondary steel; Halsall for mechanical and electrical services; Stark for drylining; and Schindler for lifts.
The facility will be built on former scrubland east of the Slyfield Industrial Estate, which was previously used as a landfill site.
The land has undergone decontamination and level-raising works above the Burpham water main.
Deputy council leader and lead member for regeneration Tom Hunt said relocating the existing depot would free up land for housing and help deliver services more efficiently. “The facility has been designed with staff input, and includes electric vehicle charging bays to support our transition to a greener fleet,” he said.
McLaren Construction managing director for industrial and logistics David Gavin said the depot would offer long-term value, delivering modern workspaces despite financial constraints.
The project, part of the wider Weyside Urban Village masterplan, will enable development of around 1,500 homes alongside employment and community space. Construction is expected to complete in summer 2026.
Source: McLaren press release