Residents have their say on Masterplan as consultation closes

A consultation giving residents and key stakeholders the chance to have their say on a new framework to guide future development in Woking town centre has ended.

The comprehensive 12-week Woking Town Centre Masterplan consultation, which closed on Monday 17 October 2022, received over 850 formal responses.

During the consultation period, there were almost 5,000 visits to the Masterplan website, over 5,900 views of the informative videos, 2,000 document downloads, 500 visitors to the Masterplan pop-up shop in Mercia Walk, and almost 500 people attending various roadshows and seminars.

All responses received are currently being analysed and will influence the final Masterplan supplementary planning document.

The Masterplan will establish an overarching vision for the town centre that will enable design-led, sustainable development, such as building new homes, cultivating a thriving retail and business environment and strengthening Woking's cultural and leisure offer.

It sets out detailed standards and principles that deliver a shared vision for the town centre, such as building heights and density. It will provide a long-term vision of what Woking's skyline could look like by 2030 and beyond.

Cllr Liam Lyons, Woking Borough Council's Portfolio Holder for Planning and Regulation, said: "A key pledge of this administration was to give residents their say on the future development of Woking town centre, particularly around the design and height of buildings.

"I would like to thank everyone who took the time to attend one of our many roadshows, visited our pop-up shop, downloaded the various documents and gave their feedback on our Masterplan proposals.

"Your comments are invaluable and will assist officers to shape the final Masterplan document which will support the development of a modern, welcoming and vibrant town centre and enable us to deliver Woking's continued growth."

Once all the responses have been reviewed and the Masterplan document updated, a detailed report will be presented to the Council's Executive in early 2023 before being presented for adoption by Council later in the spring.