Date:
Following agreement to use compulsory purchase powers, Woking Borough Council has made an Order to progress the Sheerwater Regeneration Project.
If confirmed, the Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) will give the Council the legal right to obtain any remaining land or property interests within the Sheerwater regeneration area without the consent of the owner.
A CPO is an important tool widely used by councils to help deliver social, environmental and economic change. The multi-million pound transformation of Sheerwater will deliver 1,142 high-quality homes creating a sustainable garden suburb in the centre of Sheerwater complete with new community facilities, public spaces, pocket parks and improved access to other parts of the borough.
Cllr David Bittleston, Lead Member for the Sheerwater Regeneration Project said: “We have secured nearly all of the homes and properties earmarked for redevelopment via voluntary purchase, and even if the order is confirmed, we are still willing to negotiate to acquire the land we need.
“We will only use compulsory purchase powers as a last resort and we have made the order so that we can tie up all of the remaining miscellaneous patches of land that legally we need to acquire before we can progress the next phases of the project.”
The Council has a statutory obligation to notify everyone affected by the CPO and if any valid objections are made (before the 26 November 2020), a Public Local Inquiry will be held by an Inspector who will report the findings and any recommendations to the Secretary of State.
A copy of the Order and the accompanying Order Map are available to view (by appointment only) at the following locations:
- Civic Offices (Gloucester Square, Woking, GU21 6YL), between the hours of 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday. To arrange an appointment please call the Director of Legal and Democratic Services on 01483 743030.
- Parkview Centre for the Community (Blackmore Crescent, Sheerwater, Woking, GU21 5NZ) between the hours of 9am and 3pm, Monday to Friday. To arrange an appointment please call Parkview on 01483 743974.
In addition, as a result of the extraordinary measures being imposed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, an online copy of the Order and Order Map has been made available on the Council’s website. Please visit woking.gov.uk/sheerwatercpo to view.
Making an objection
Any objection to the order must be made in writing to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government before 26 November 2020 stating the title of the order, the grounds of objection and the objector’s address and interests in the land.
Objections should be sent to:
Planning Casework Unit
5 St Philips Place
Colmore Row
Birmingham
B3 2PW