Woking Borough Council Corporate Strategy – Woking For All

As we publish our updated Woking for All Strategy, we do so at a time of significant change for local government in Surrey.

With Local Government Reorganisation now underway and Woking Borough Council due to be abolished on 31 March 2027, it is vital that we remain focused, disciplined and forward‑looking.

Our priority remains clear. Deliver reliable, high‑quality core services for our residents while continuing to progress our improvement and recovery journey.

Strengthening how this council operates by ensuring our services are sustainable, effective and well‑managed, we place Woking in the strongest possible position as we prepare to join the future West Surrey Council.

Addressing the council’s historic financial challenges is paramount and this recovery work remains essential to ensuring stability and safeguarding services.

This strategy reaffirms our commitment to transparency, partnership and responsible decision‑making. Through collaboration with our communities and partners, we will keep improving and adapting our services to meet local needs throughout this transition period.

A successful council is one that understands its purpose and delivers it with clarity and conviction. This strategy continues to guide that approach, helping us remain focused on what matters most for our residents today, while laying firm foundations for the future.

Together, we will continue building a resilient and thriving Woking for all.

As we move toward the abolition of Woking Borough Council on 31 March 2027, our priority is to maintain stability, continue our improvement work, and ready the organisation for transition.

Our responsibility is threefold. First, we must maintain safe, reliable and affordable services for residents. Second, we must continue strengthening the way the council operates, by sustaining momentum behind the Improvement and Recovery Plan. Third, we must ensure we use our expertise to support a well‑managed, disciplined handover to West Surrey.

This means keeping momentum behind our Improvement and Recovery Plan, embedding financial oversight, better systems and controls, and ensuring our workforce has the clarity and support needed to deliver.

This strategy provides that clarity. It focuses on the essential services we must prioritise, the standards we must uphold and the improvements we must complete over the coming year. It is about consolidating the progress we have made and addressing what remains to be done.

We remain focused on our core purpose: providing effective services for residents. This strategy sets out how we will continue to deliver and improve these services and ensure that we meet our Best Value duty.

We continue to work closely with partners across Surrey, share learning and ensure that our contribution to the formation of the new unitary authority is constructive, transparent and grounded in the interests of residents.

Above all, this strategy sets out a clear and manageable programme of work. By remaining focused and disciplined, we can continue to improve our services, and place Woking in a strong position for the future, ensuring a safe and legal transfer to West Surrey Council.