Meeting our future housing need

As the local planning authority, we must ensure a certain number of new homes are built over the plan period. This target, called the housing requirement, is based on government calculations and changes over time. If we don’t meet this target, we risk penalties that can lead to unplanned development in less suitable locations.

Woking’s annual housing need is 786 homes a year (April 2025) - over double the previous plan’s target. Meeting this increased demand will be challenging and must be balanced with delivering the necessary infrastructure and jobs. 

Whilst there is capacity to build more flats in Woking town centre, this alone won’t meet all housing need, so decisions will need to be made about where the rest of the homes can be built.

An aging population means we also need to plan specifically for housing suited to older people.

Woking also faces significant constraints on where new homes can be built, with around 60% of the borough designated Green Belt. 

Government has asked councils to review their Green Belts to identify any suitable sites for new housing. Woking’s review is underway and will follow government guidelines. The results will be shared before the draft Local Plan is published.

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