A Council that focuses its energy on services that make a difference to people in the borough. A place where residents feel safe and lead healthy and fulfilling lifestyles.
Priority: High quality homes for all
Our objective: Invest in our Council homes to ensure they are safe and well-maintained in a way that is financially sustainable and responsive to tenants.
We will achieve this through
- Delivering fire safety remedial works and management actions.
- Completing stock condition surveys to inform the medium-term investment strategy for the council’s housing stock.
- Delivering prioritised improvements to Council homes through the implementation of capital investment plans.
- Implementing a comprehensive Housing Improvement Programme that aims to improve systems, data, and processes across the service.
- Developing and implementing a Sheerwater strategy to refurbish retained homes within the regeneration area.
- Setting a sustainable Housing Revenue Account (HRA) 30-year business plan.
Outcomes
- Safer homes through compliance with fire risk assessment recommendations.
- Completion of key work to the fabric of homes, upgraded heating systems, kitchens, and bathrooms.
- Clear strategy enabling prioritisation of effort and associated works.
- Internal resources upskilled/qualified.
- HRA business plan to allow sustainable investment in the housing stock.
Success measures
- Compliance with Decent Homes Standard.
- Improved tenant satisfaction measures as part of an annual survey.
- Approved action plan that ensures adequate resources (staff, skills, and ICT systems).
- A viable 30-year HRA business plan approved.
- Reduction in Sheerwater void rental losses.
Our objective: Working to prevent homelessness and address its root causes.
We will achieve this through
- Delivery of the Bed and Breakfast Elimination Plan.
- Retaining and refurbishing approx. 100 homes in the Sheerwater Regeneration area, making use of the Government’s Local Authority Housing Fund (LAHF).
- Reducing the time it takes to re-let Council homes to minimise voids.
- Taking account of the Borough’s housing needs through the Local Plan review.
Outcomes
- Homeless households will spend shorter time in emergency accommodation.
- Reduction in families being placed in bed and breakfast accommodation.
- Reduction in bed and breakfast dependency and associated costs.
- Council owned housing stock being used as effectively as possible.
- Additional affordable housing unlocked through the review of the Local Plan and effective partnerships.
Success measures
- No families with children in bed & breakfast accommodation for more than six weeks.
- Long term empty homes in Sheerwater are brought back into use and available to households in need.
- Occupation of at least 13 additional temporary accommodation units through the use of the Government’s LAHF grant.
- Reduction in the average number of days taken to re-let properties.
- Increased delivery of affordable housing.
Priority: Health and wellbeing for all
Our objective: Support our most vulnerable residents to access key services, as cost effectively as possible, and in conjunction with partners.
We will achieve this through
- Ensuring that Careline and Community Meals discretionary services operate on a self-funding basis.
- Working with the North West Surrey Alliance to develop and strengthen the support available to vulnerable people in Woking neighbourhoods.
- Adapting properties through the Disabled Facility Grant (DFG) scheme.
- Working with the voluntary sector and sign-posting support provided by partners to maintain and/or expand services available to residents.
Outcomes
- Elderly and vulnerable residents supported to be independent in their own homes, reducing the need for care.
- Wrap-around support provided to vulnerable residents in 'Woking Neighbourhoods' through the North West Surrey Alliance.
- DFG adaptions enabling residents to remain as independent as possible.
Success measures
- Accurate financial information to evidence discretionary services covering costs.
- KPI's and outcomes produced by the North West Surrey Alliance to demonstrate partnership effectiveness.
- Home adaption targets are met.
Priority: Safe, attractive, and greener communities
Our objective: Promote sustainability and continue to invest in green spaces and clean streets.
We will achieve this through
- Implementing and promoting the 2024 Climate Change Strategy.
- Mobilising and embedding the new grounds maintenance and street cleaning contract.
- Implementing improvements to parks and play areas with the use of UK Shared Prosperity Funding.
- Working with voluntary and community groups through the Community Asset Transfer process to explore opportunities for external investment in sports fields and green spaces.
Outcomes
- Better informed staff and residents in relation to climate change.
- Delivering value for money through the new grounds maintenance contract.
- Attractive, safe, clean, and well maintained parks and play areas.
- Outdoor recreation to support health and wellbeing for residents.
- Investment in sports fields/green spaces maximised to maintain standards whilst reducing costs to the Council.
Success measures
- Reduction in the Council’s carbon footprint.
- Mobilisation of grounds maintenance contract in March 2025.
- Detailed monitoring of the contract against predefined performance indicators.
- Extended life expectancy of refurbished play areas/features across the borough.
- Sports fields and green spaces continue to be fit for purpose and remain well used by community groups across the borough.