Woking's Bandstand Square redevelopment gets county council backing

A MAJOR redevelopment of Woking Town Centre is set to get county council backing this week.

Woking Borough Council (WBC) recently unveiled its plans for new shops, nearly 200 new flats and a hotel at the Bandstand Square area of the town.

Surrey County Council (SCC) is expected to formally back the proposals at a cabinet meeting being held on Tuesday (September 25).

The Bandstand Square redevelopment includes a 129-bed business class hotel, 190 apartments, 500 car park spaces and a 60,000 square foot Marks and Spencer store.

An additional 120,000 square feet of retail space will be built, with plans to open the new stores by October 2017. The redevelopment will create 600 jobs.

Woking fire station will be moved to a new "fit-for-purpose" building with enhanced training facilities as part of the plans.

Calling on SCC cabinet members to back the scheme, Tony Samuels, cabinet member for assets and regeneration programmes, said: "The development will ensure the economic regeneration of a major and intrinsic part of Woking town centre and will ensure the long-term viability of the existing retail offer in the town."

The re-development follows improvements in Town Square - soon to be renamed Jubilee Square - and the transformation of Commercial Way, which is due to start early 2013.