South Woking Action Group #takebackourcommunity

South Woking Action Group (SWAG) represents local residents and football fans from Hoe Valley and Mayford neighbourhoods and beyond.

We seek to work with Woking Football Club, Woking Borough Council and developers to find an optimal solution to future-proof the Football Club but not to the detriment of the local community, in terms of overdevelopment and unsustainable pressure on local infrastructure and services.

Goldev Woking have submitted an application (December 2019) to re-develop Woking FC stadium and build a 9032 capacity stadium, which will be funded by 1053 high rise flats and also 45 houses at Egley Road. The density and scale of this proposal is entirely out of keeping with the out of town location and contradicts Woking Borough Council’s own and national planning regulations. The council are also loaning £250m of public funds to a developer who has no assets nor the experience building anything of this scale.

What comes first...developer profits or people?

SWAG are looking to raise funds to assist us in our campaign to raise awareness of this proposal with 7k local residents and borough wide, as if it is granted planning, it would set a precedent for high rise housing development in out of town locations across Woking.

We needs funds for:

- Awareness driving campaign - leafleting/posters etc

- Legal advice and representation if required

- Independent consultant advice on planning and transport

- Woking FC and developer have appointment PR firm CT partners to sway public opinion and launch a #whynotwoking campaign - we at SWAG shall be going city wide and nationally with a #whynotworking for Woking campaign

Any contribution to support this campaign against the largest housing development proposal in the Borough, driven entirely by an ailing football club whose ‘benefits’ are not as quantifiable as the impact that development will have on the daily lives of those living around it and beyond is so very welcome.

Thank you.

The SWAG Committee