Commonly Asked Questions
Could the Church find a different site to relocate to? No. The Church has considered numerous options over the last 16 years, but none have been viable. The Church is a key part of the life of Woking's community, and it needs to maintain its town centre location. This means that all of the other options in the last 16 years have been too small, too expensive or too far out of the town centre. Put simply, the last 16 years have shown that commercial and residential developers are able to pay more money for any newly available town centre land than a church can afford to pay.
How much residential accommodation is included in the proposals? There are three separate residential elements to the plan. Firstly, two floors above ground level on Oaks Road next to existing houses, rising to four floors above ground level as it approaches the junction with Church Street West. Secondly, five floors above ground level on Church Street West. Thirdly, a 20 storey landmark tower above the ground floor retail and church accommodation on the corner of Church Street West and Oaks Road. Depending on the split between studio, 1, 2, and 3 bedroom flats, this would provide over 200 new homes for Woking town centre, strongly weighted towards the "town side" on Church Street West rather than the residential side on Oaks Road.
Could there be less residential accommodation in the proposals? The first consideration is that Westminster has set strong targets for Woking to provide more and more homes in the town over the next 20 years. We need as a town to make sure that we use all existing brownfield sites to the full if we are not to sacrifice our town's greenfield sites to achieve this. The second consideration is that the new homes are integral to the plan because they enable the church to afford the new church building. The Coign exists almost entirely through the voluntary donations of its members who are ordinary Woking residents. The Church simply doesn't possess the spending power of many commercial businesses, and is relying on the sale of the new flats to make the redevelopment affordable. We think that the proposals represent an excellent compromise between the need for new homes, the need for the plan to work financially, and the need to participate in the evolving look and character of Woking into the 21st century.
Could the residential accommodation involve a smaller tower? The site is a regeneration area which will serve as an important Western Gateway to the town centre. The Centrium apartments have set a new benchmark for the new look of Woking town centre, and a proposal for a 25 storey office building on Victoria Way is looking to continue this trend. The tower will not only make the rest of the site less 'bulky', but will also create an iconic building to mark the western entrance to the town centre.
What about car parking? There is a nationwide mandate to reduce the number of car parking spaces in all town centre accommodation in order to make the best use of land, to reduce traffic problems, and to protect the environment. A further consideration for this particular development is that the sandy soil beneath the site only allows for one level of car parking. This will provide 114 car parking spaces for both church and homes, and so some flats will be sold without a car parking space, with commuting to London in mind. The site lies within walking distance of the town's excellent rail and bus services.
What is the general timing for the proposals? We spent the past few months considering the comments which arose from the public consultation, and working with architects to produce the best initial proposal to take to Woking Borough Council's planners. The next step will then be to finish work on the right detailed planning application later this year. Once we have the right design and it has been given planning consent, we will then be able to move forward with a two-year redevelopment of the site, with a grand opening some time in 2011.
So far the feedback from church members and from non-church Woking residents has been very positive. We would also like to hear your views and comments. To register your comments or to ask questions, please click here to email us.