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A six week long exercise to consult local people about future development sites within Woking Borough will go ahead from Thursday 18 June 2015, following a decision by the Executive at its meeting on Thursday 4 June.

The Draft Site Allocations Development Plan Document (DPD) identifies potential urban and Green Belt sites for future housing, employment and infrastructure within Woking Borough to ensure it meets its future development requirements.

The Site Allocations DPD is an important document which Woking Borough Council is committed to prepare to enable the delivery of its Core Strategy. The Woking Core Strategy, which was adopted in October 2012, makes provision for the delivery of:

• 4,964 additional dwellings
• 93,900 sq. m of additional retail floor space
• 28,000 sq. m of additional office floor space
• 20,000 sq. m of additional warehouse floor space.

The Woking Core Strategy does not allocate specific sites for these proposals. It commits the Council to do so through the preparation of a Site Allocations DPD.

This document identifies 52 urban sites that are prioritised for development between its adoption and 2027. It also identifies six sites within the Green Belt for release between 2022 and 2027, and another eight Green Belt sites to be safeguarded for future development between 2027 and 2040.

Cllr Graham Cundy, Portfolio Holder for Planning Policy, said: “The Draft Site Allocations Development Plan Document is a very important piece of work which will identify future sites for housing, employment and infrastructure development within the Borough until 2027 and we are keen to hear what local people have you say about our proposals.

“Contrary to previous media reports, the Council is not allocating or releasing land from the Green Belt in the following areas: land adjacent M25, north of Parvis Road, West Byfleet; land east of Sopwith Drive and north of Parvis Road, Byfleet; land north of Pyrford Common Road, Pyrford; Woking College, St John the Baptist School, Coniston Road allotments, Hoebridge School, land to the south of White Rose Lane, the Hockering Estate, Old Woking; St Johns Lye; land at Horsell Common and to the south of Littlewick Road otherwise known as Goldsworth Park Recreation Ground or Horsell Common, Wheatsheaf Recreation Ground to the Six Crossroads

“Whilst the issues are complex, we have tried hard to present them in a way that residents and businesses can understand, and we will also be making staff available during the consultation period, which begins on Thursday 18 June, to answer questions and give further information, where it is required.

“I would urge residents and businesses to take this opportunity to review the draft DPD and have their say about future development sites within the Borough during this consultation period.”

During the six week consultation period, the Council’s Planning Policy Team will be out and about at key locations around the Borough such as shopping centres, farmers’ market and supermarkets to raise awareness of the consultation and answer questions face-to-face. There will also be workshops, meetings with residents’ associations, developers and local businesses.

The consultation ends 5pm, Friday 31 July 2015. To find out where the Woking 2027 team will be from Monday 18 June, please visit www.woking2027.info or call 01483 743871.

The documents will also be available to view at the Civic Offices and the Borough’s libraries (Byfleet, West Byfleet, Knaphill and Woking). From Monday 18 June, the consultation document will be available online at www.woking2027.info Hard copies of the document will be available on request by calling 01483 743871.

Once the consultation process is complete, all responses received will be considered before a submission version of the DPD is published for further consultation. The Site Allocation DPD will then be examined by an Independent Inspector who will assess whether the DPD is ‘sound’ before being adopted by the Council.

Members of the Woking 2027 team will be available to discuss the proposals at the following locations.

• Thursday 25 June, 12noon to 2pm, Wolsey Place Shopping Centre, Woking

• Tuesday 30 June, 3pm to 5pm, Peacocks Shopping Centre, Woking

• Friday 3 July, 10am to 7.30pm, Civic Offices, Woking

• Saturday 11 July, 12noon to 4pm, Party in the Park, Woking Park

• Tuesday 14 July, 2pm to 4pm, Waitrose Supermarket, West Byfleet

• Friday 17 July, 2pm to 4pm, High Street, Knaphill

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