Last night, 4th November, the Councillors on Woking Borough’s Planning Committee approved the development plans for the area around the bandstand, fire station part of town. As stated in an earlier posting this development will have a significant impact on our bus services. One or two Councillors raised the question of bus routes but their main concern was the impact buses stopping on Victoria Way would have on the flow of traffic. The decision was if the bus stops on Victoria Way did not work just remove them. This would mean that for residents entering town there would be only one bus stop and that would be at the railway station.

Although Councillor’s discussed the plans for over an hour it soon became apparent that the plans would be approved and that the majority of the debate/argument had been held in private. The formal Planning Committee meeting was just a formality.

I am sure that in other debates Councillors will advocating that residents should leave their cars at home and either cycle, walk or take the us into town. When that day comes remind them of their attitude towards bus users in the design of the town centre.

Staying with transport it was assumed that the majority of residents in the 392 new apartments that form part of the plan will be commuters and a Councillor asked if this would have an impact on Woking’s railway stations ability to cope. The answer was yes but not our problem. Typical.