This week, Woking Borough Council will agree a new plan for Sheerwater which was shaped by local residents in a recent public consultation.
 
In July the Council ended its development agreement with Thameswey due to its severe financial challenges and announced it would not commence any further phases of the £495m Sheerwater Regeneration Project. 
 

The council is required to complete a full review of its polling districts, polling places and polling stations every five years, to ensure that electors have reasonable facilities for voting, and that polling places are accessible to all electors.

The review requires the council to:

A consultation on proposals to make changes and reduce council services will begin on Monday 2 October 2023, following a decision by councillors during last night’s Full Council meeting (Thursday 28 September).

To address the council’s severe financial challenges the council must become a smaller, more efficient council focused on delivering essential services to residents.

A report recommending the closure of the Victoria Arch Widening Scheme, in Woking town centre, has been published ahead of the meeting of the Executive on Thursday 5 October.

The report outlines that the project will no longer be able to proceed due to a projected £53/£54million cost increase above the original budget of £115million, which the Council and Homes England are unable to support.

Woking Town Centre played host to the return of the Trident Honda Woking Car Show on Sunday 24 September – a free event that drove thousands of visitors and car enthusiast into town. 

The showcase of 70 Classic, American and Custom cars stretched from Victoria Place to Jubilee Square and included several Mustangs, Hot Rods, Chevrolet Pick-ups, vintage Rovers and a rare Alpha Romeo GTV.

Woking Borough Council has published a report setting out the strategic financial approach required to deliver the council’s Improvement and Recovery Plan (IRP) and tackle its severe financial challenges.

The council faces a critical financial shortfall owing to its historic investment strategy that has resulted in unaffordable borrowing, inadequate steps to repay that borrowing and high values of irrecoverable loans.

Cllr Liam Lyons, Woking Borough Council’s Portfolio Holder for Planning and Regulation, said: “I shared the frustration and disappointment of many local residents when we learned that Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funds were not currently available due to the financial restrictions as a result of the council’s Section 114 Notice, issued in June.

Woking Town Centre is gearing up to host the Trident Honda Woking Car Show – a diverse and exciting showcase of locally owned and loved Classic, American and Custom cars. 

This free, one-day event on Sunday 24 September 2023 is being organised by local car enthusiast, Terry Fox, and sponsored by Trident Honda, which this year is celebrating its 60th year in the motor trade.

A robust plan that will deliver a smaller, more efficient organisation and tackle the severe financial challenges facing Woking Borough Council, has been adopted following last night’s extraordinary meeting of Full Council (Tuesday 22 August 2023).

A survey giving residents and community partners the opportunity to have their say on the future of discretionary council services has ended.

The month-long resident engagement, which closed on Thursday 10 August 2023, received over 8,000 responses and is one of the most successful engagement exercises conducted by Woking Borough Council.

Respondents were broadly representative of the borough’s demographic when compared with the recent Census.

Woking Borough Council residents are being urged to check their electoral registration details or risk losing their chance to vote on decisions that affect them. 

The annual canvass allows the Council to keep the electoral register up-to-date, to identify who risks losing their voice at elections, and to encourage them to register before it’s too late. 

Cllr Ann-Marie Barker, Leader of Woking Borough Council, said: “I was deeply shocked and saddened to hear of the tragic death of a young girl in Horsell.

“This is such heart-breaking news. Words simply cannot express the pain and sorrow that comes with such a devastating incident. My thoughts are with the family and friends and all those in the local community during this incredibly difficult time.