Council moves forward with Pyrford Parish Council plans
Plans to create a parish council for Pyrford have taken a step forward following agreement of key recommendations at last week’s Council meeting (Thursday 11 December).
The decision follows strong public support during an eight-week consultation on creating a parish council for the Pyrford Neighbourhood Area. Of 446 responses received, 68% agreed that a parish council should be established.
Under the recommendations, a parish council would be created with 10 elected members and no separate wards. If approved, the first election could take place in May 2027, with elections held every four years thereafter.
A second consultation will now be undertaken from Tuesday 6 January to Saturday 28 February 2026, focusing on the specific arrangements of the proposed parish council, such as the number of councillors, responsibilities and governance structure.
All feedback received will inform the final decision on the creation of a parish council that will be presented to Council in 2026.
Cllr Ann-Marie Barker, Leader of Woking Borough Council, said:
This is an important milestone for local democracy in Pyrford. The strong response to the initial consultation shows that residents value having a greater say in decisions affecting their community.
The next stage will be to consult on more specific arrangements in respect of any potential new parish council and I encourage everyone to take part in the consultation when launched in the new year.
A parish council is a local elected body that represents the community and provides certain local services. These can include maintaining open spaces, managing allotments, supporting local groups and commenting on planning applications.
During the meeting, councillors also agreed to progress a borough-wide Community Governance Review (excluding the Pyrford Neighbourhood Area), subject to Council approving the necessary budget in February 2026.
Read the Pyrford Community Governance Review report
Appendix 1 – consultation platform responses
Appendix 2 – written responses
Appendix 3 – draft recommendations to Council
Appendix 4 – Pyrford Neighbourhood Area map
Consultation feedback
The initial consultation invited feedback on creating a parish council and its electoral arrangements, including the number of councillors, wards and boundaries, as part of the Pyrford Community Governance Review.
The review followed an application from Pyrford Neighbourhood Forum proposing that a parish council be established covering the Pyrford Neighbourhood Area.
Key consultation findings:
- 446 responses were received (443 via the consultation platform, two via email and one via the council’s website feedback form).
- 68% supported creating a parish council for the Pyrford Neighbourhood Area.
- 27% opposed the proposal.
- 52% favoured between five and 10 councillors; 38% preferred 11-15 councillors.
- 67% opposed dividing the council into wards.
- 48% preferred the term ‘Parish Council’.
- 95% of responses came from residents within Woking Borough (most common postcode: GU22).