Water infrastructure report is submitted to Surrey County Council

Woking Borough Council is urging Surrey County Council to adopt a more pro-active approach to water management and in a submission to the county council, it has outlined its concerns about flooding on highways in the Borough and asks for better partnership working with local water companies to prevent problems in the future.

The submission, which was made in February to Surrey County Council's scrutiny meeting, outlined concerns about increased highway flooding within Woking. With instances of heavy rainfall likely to increase as a result of the impacts of climate change, the submission highlighted that one of the primary reasons for this flooding is the inadequacy of existing infrastructure.

Woking Borough Council described the work it is carrying out to alleviate the problem within its planning policy, which includes a stipulation that any new development must take into account the predicted impacts of climate change and flooding on the existing infrastructure. The submission urges Surrey County Council to adopt a similar approach and co-ordinate this action across the whole of the county.

Finally, the submission sets out the work Woking Borough Council is currently doing to promote water conservation in existing residential properties in Woking. This includes measures to reuse grey water, such as rain water. Woking Borough Council is investigating the scope for partnership working with Three Valleys Water to further its work on water conservation. The report urges Surrey County Council to seek similar partnership working in order to work on ways to reuse surface drainage water on the highways as a source of grey water across the whole Borough.

The submission is currently with Surrey County Council for consideration and, should they wish to take the matter further, Woking Borough Council may be asked to give oral evidence.

Cllr Philip Goldenberg, Woking Borough Council's Portfolio Holder for Planning Policy, said: "I encourage Surrey County Council to take our submission seriously and seek evidence from Woking Borough Council on how best to move forward. The current infrastructure is not sufficient and I encourage the county council to work closely with local water companies to seek solutions to the flooding problems throughout Surrey."