Local organisations have celebrated the official opening of a fully refurbished and renovated community centre in Old Woking by the Mayor of Woking, Cllr Ilyas M Raja, on Wednesday 8 November 2023.

Following the works, Old Woking Community Centre (OWCC) in Sundridge Road now boasts an extensive two storey extension. Renovations include a refurbished main hall, new dance studio and specialist dance floor, lifts making the upper floors accessible to all, new children’s nursery, café and toilet facilities.

A consultation giving residents and stakeholders the chance to have their say on proposals to make essential changes to reduce council services has ended (Sunday 12 November 2023).

The six-week service review consultation, which received 5,801 individual responses, sought the public’s views on proposals to become a smaller, more efficient council focused on delivering essential services to residents and how it can balance its budget.

This year a Chelsea FC legend has the honour of lighting up the borough’s biggest Christmas tree and switching on the Christmas mood in Woking Town Centre. 

An enormous Norwegian Spruce, kindly donated by the Woking Asian Business Forum (WABF), will once again adorn Jubilee Square and be the centrepiece of the town’s seasonal decorations.

A landlord who repeatedly failed to comply with a Planning Enforcement Notice has received a hefty fine during a sentencing hearing at Guildford Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 24 October 2023.

Mr Sultan Mahmood, owner of 34 Monument Way, Woking, was fined £12,000 for repeatedly failing to remove an ‘L shaped’ dormer that did not comply with approved plans. Mr Mahmood was also ordered to pay the council’s legal costs totalling £3,532.50 and a victim surcharge of £170.

If you know that you won’t be able to get to the polling station on polling day, you can vote by post or ask someone you trust to cast your vote for you, which is called a proxy vote.

You can now apply online to vote by post and for some types of proxy vote. You also need to prove your identity when applying by providing your National Insurance number.

Jubilee Square in Woking town centre will host the borough's Festival of Remembrance (11 and 12 November 2023). All are welcome to attend the Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday commemorations.

Armistice Day - Saturday 11 November 2023

Join the Mayor of Woking and invited guests in Jubilee Square at 11am on Saturday 11 November 2023 to observe the national Two Minute Silence to mark Armistice Day.

The Chief Executive of Woking Borough Council has announced she is stepping down from the role. Julie Fisher, who joined in April 2021, will remain with the organisation until February 2024 when Council will agree its budget for 2024/25. 

Announcing the news to council staff, Julie said: “I have made the difficult decision to leave Woking Borough Council.

Woking is gearing up to host its annual Diwali lantern parade once again, in a celebration of new beginnings, good versus evil and the triumph of light over dark.

Diwali, the Festival of Light, is celebrated worldwide by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains. Woking residents and visitors are invited to be a part of the celebrations locally, filling the town with joy, togetherness and positivity.

Woking Borough Council’s action on climate change is the best in Surrey according to Climate Emergency UK (CEUK) which assesses all councils on their progress towards net zero.

Representatives, working on behalf of Woking Borough Council, will start visiting households that have yet to respond to this year’s annual canvass communications.

Over the last couple of months, the Council has contacted every property in the borough, via post or email, to find out if there has been any changes to the household’s occupants and invite new residents to register to vote. 

Government-appointed commissioners, appointed to Woking Borough Council following its financial and governance challenges, have published their first report on the council’s progress since intervention began.

The report has now been published on the government’s website and accepted by the council.

Woking’s popular Voluntary Sector Fair returns next month, bringing together more than 70 groups, charities, and voluntary organisations. 

The free public event offers residents the chance to find out more about the community support available to them provided by the extensive voluntary sector in Woking. It is also an excellent opportunity for the public to consider volunteering themselves and find out more about how giving back to the community can enrich their lives.