Core Strategy Preferred Option

The Council's preferred option sees the Town Centre as the best location for sustainable development: It is centrally located, has the best public transport access, and has a lot of potential for new housing and commercial development to provide a high quality, higher density Town Centre.  The preferred option is based on Option 2, which was the most popular option, from the Issues and Options consultation which was carried out in June/ July 2005.

Development will still take place in the rest of the Borough.  This will be at about the same rate as has taken place in the last few years.  There will be no change to the Green Belt boundary.

Important environmental areas, such as flood plains, nature conservation areas and public open spaces will be protected from development.  All new building will need to be designed to make best use of sustainable and renewable energy.

This approach will meet the majority of future requirements for new homes, new offices and industrial units, new shops and community facilities.  In particular it will deliver the 240 new homes each year for Woking likely to be proposed in the Draft South East Plan (produced by SEERA - South East England Regional Assembly).

Long-term development

Although Options 3 and 4 were not chosen, the Council's preferred option includes one element of these options.  Two safeguarded long-term development sites at Moor Lane, Westfield and Brookwood Farm, Knaphill will be considered for future development, particularly to meet the need for affordable family housing which is a top priority for the local community.  These sites will only be released if the Council cannot find enough land in the built-up area to achieve this.

Options 3 and 4 were not chosen because these would exceed the number of new houses proposed in Woking in the Draft South East Plan, and was not popular with local people.

This means that the suggestion to develop West Byfleet as a second centre for the Borough, of encouraging higher density development throughout the Borough, and of increased business development on industrial estates, is not included in the preferred option.

Option 1, which outlined the lowest rate of growth, had less public support and was not chosen because it would also fail to provide the level of housing proposed in the Draft South East Plan.

Proposals Maps show broad locations for new development and key areas of protected environment.  The maps are available to download at the bottom of this page. 

Consultation

Consultation on the Preferred Option ended on Friday 10th March 2006.

If you would like to be added to our database to ensure you are informed of future progress on the LDF, please let us know.

Preferred Option Papers

The Preferred Option papers are available below in pdf format.