Woking tower block plans refused over 'ghetto' fears

The developer argued the plans would change the lives of more than 224 households

A proposal for an affordable housing skyscraper has been refused over fears it would "segregate" people on lower incomes into a "ghetto" block.

Abri Group's plans for a 224-home, 25-storey block in Woking town centre were rejected by the council on Tuesday.

Executive director of development at Abri, Steven Lodge, said the plans would create "opportunity and hope".

But planning chairperson, councillor Louise Morales, cautioned against affordable housing for the sake of it.

She told the committee: "If we put 224, which is more than an entire street of current social housing, into one single block there might potentially be inappropriate living conditions for the most vulnerable residents in Woking."

Mr Lodge argued the council had a housing waiting list of more than 1,000 people and that only 182 affordable homes had been developed since 2020.

He said: "If approved, this development would change, for the better, the lives of more than 224 households.

"It will create opportunity and hope for some of the most financially vulnerable members of your community."

The committee heard concerns that putting so many lower-income households into one block would risk segregating them

Councillor Steve Dorsett, Conservative shadow housing portfolio holder, said 224 units was "nothing to be sniffed at, and dear God that would fix our affordable housing issues down the road".

But committee vice chairperson councillor Tahir Aziz said: "We need better quality housing. We don't want to create just ghettos and put people on lower income in separate blocks, segregating them."

He added: "I hope they come back with something more acceptable, more reduction in volume, bulk and mass, better designed."

The committee voted seven to two to refuse permission and heard from the planning team that it was confident the reasons would stand up to any potential legal challenges. 

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