Woking council news
Woking council news, newest first: decisions, budgets, council tax, bins and services, each linked to the council's own papers.
Top story
Woking Annual Canvass: 4,100 Homes Yet to Reply by 30 Nov
Canvassers are calling at 4,100 Woking households that have not answered the annual electoral register check. The deadline is Monday 30 November.
More stories
Council
Woking Town Centre PSPO Starts 28 October: £100 Fines
From 28 October, officers can fine people £100 for street drinking, masked anti-social behaviour and intimidation in Woking town centre. What the rules cover.
Council
West Surrey Council HQ: Woking Approved, Guildford Chamber
Approved 12 Oct: Woking's Civic Offices and Victoria Gate become West Surrey Council's operational HQ, with full council in Guildford. Review within six months.
Council
Woking Council This Week: New HQ Vote, 3.3% Pay, Taxi Rules
Three meetings, 12 to 15 October: West Surrey picks its Woking HQ, and Full Council votes on a 3.3% pay rise and new licensing and taxi policies.
Planning
Woking Planning: Councillor Call-Ins End on 31 October
From 31 October Woking councillors lose the power to call in extensions and small housing schemes. Officers must decide them under new national rules.
Council
Woking's ThamesWey Housing Loans Cut by £156m to £248m
Woking's loans to ThamesWey Housing were marked down by £156m to £248.2m in its 2025/26 accounts. Victoria Square's rose by £32m. What it means for the borough.
Sheerwater
Sheerwater Deal Approved: Woking Pays £4.4m to Buy Back Leases
Approved 8 Oct: Woking will pay its own company £4.4m for 31 Sheerwater leases and take on the Copper phase road, adding about £275,000 a year in interest.
Council
Woking Council 8 Oct: £326k Energy Rise, Tenant Payouts
Woking's own energy firm is charging the council about £326,000 a year more, and it cannot switch. Also on 8 Oct: tenant payouts and £20,000 for the Arbor Centre.
Licensing
Woking Saturation Zone Scrapped After 19 Years
Scrapped: Woking's town-centre curb on new pubs, bars and late takeaways, in force since 2007, has gone after the Licensing Committee agreed with Surrey Police.
Council
Woking Council This Week: Saturation Zone, 3.3% Staff Pay
Woking council meetings, 30 Sep to 1 Oct: the town-centre saturation zone, a new taxi policy, a 3.3% staff pay rise and a West Surrey council tax support decision.
Business
Woking Street Trading: £1,240 a Year, £50 for Charities
Woking's proposed Street Trading Policy sets fees at £1,240 for a new year-long consent, £135 for a day and £50 for charity events. Comments close 15 November.
Housing
Lakeview Estate Woking: 85 Leaseholders Face Repair Bills
Woking has awarded the contract to refurbish 14 Lakeview blocks. Cladding costs are waived, but windows, doors and roofs are recharged. The bill is exempt.
Bins and waste
Woking Fridge Collections Paused: Use Martyrs Lane
Woking has suspended fridge and freezer collections with no end date. Martyrs Lane still takes them, and collections already booked will still go ahead.
Council
Woking Approves Sale of Triangle Site and Goldsworth Park
£72m of council property sold so far, £54m under offer. Five more holdings approved on 16 September, the Triangle site among them. Call-in ends 24 September.
Woking
West Surrey Council Chief Executive Named on £236,485
Susan Halliwell will be paid £236,485 to run the council that takes over Woking's services in April 2027. Nine people applied and the vote was unanimous.
Woking
Woking Council Still Closes in 2027 Despite National Pause
Ministers paused council mergers across England on 7 September, but not in Surrey. Woking Borough Council still ends on 31 March 2027, date unchanged.
Woking
Woking Mayor Set to Survive Council Abolition in 2027
Woking's mayoralty passes to charter trustees on 1 April 2027 if ministers agree. Pyrford becomes the borough's first parish council on the same day.
Woking
Woking Council Complaints Doubled to 72 in One Quarter
Complaints to Woking Borough Council rose from 35 in the first quarter to 72 in the fourth, and the council says AI tools may be part of the reason.
Woking
Woking Debt: Government Repays First £8m of £500m
The government settled an £8 million Woking loan on 1 September, the first of £500 million it repays by March 2027. The borough owes about £2.2 billion.
Horsell
Horsell Play Area Shuts Monday, Reopens 18 September
Queen Elizabeth Gardens play area in Horsell closes on Monday 7 September for about two weeks. A new roundabout, monkey bars and resurfaced safety flooring.
Woking
Veolia to Run Woking's Bins in £632m 21-Year Deal
Veolia takes over Woking's bin rounds on 6 June 2027, beating Biffa and Suez. The award notice values the four-council deal at £632m with VAT, over 21 years.
Woking
New Firm Takes Over Woking Bin Rounds on 6 June 2027
Amey is leaving the waste market, so Woking's bins pass to a new contractor in June 2027. The council has committed £4.2m towards a replacement lorry fleet.
Licensing
Woking Licensing Policy: Drink Spiking Rules, Views by 6 Sep
Woking's draft licensing policy would ask pubs and bars to train staff on spiking and offer drink covers or test kits. Comments close on Sunday 6 September.
Woking FC
Woking FC crowd cap lifted: 3,000 limit ends after 4 months
Surrey County Council has lifted the 3,000 cap at the Laithwaite Community Stadium after safety work and a test run at the Sutton United game on 8 August.