A previously rejected and “unaltered” 25-storey tower block on the former BHS site in Woking town centre is due back before the planning committee next week.

It comes after changes to government housing targets, which means boroughs are under greater pressure to build new homes.

Developers Donard Real Estate hope to tear down the former store and replace it with 272 flats in a project dubbed Crown Gardens. The plans, which will be voted on at an extraordinary meeting of Woking Borough Council’s planning committee on January 7, also feature retail and commercial zones on the ground floor of the Commercial Way site.

“The development proposed under this planning application is unaltered from that which was previously refused,” according to documents published ahead of the Tuesday, January 7 meeting.

The plans had previously been refused due to its impact on the character and appearance of the town, lack of car parking, and the absence of a Section 106 Legal Agreement to secure the provision of affordable housing” among others.

Donard Real Estate has appealed the council’s refusal and a public inquiry has provisionally been scheduled to open in May 2025. However, the developers have also submitted the same application in light of the sweeping changes announced by the government to planning that include huge housing delivery increases for councils.

The report, which recommends the plans be approved, reads: “It is clear that the proposed development would make an important, and significant, contribution to the provision of new homes within the borough and would assist in achieving the council’s overarching aim to deliver 1,980 new dwellings within Woking Town Centre by 2027.

“The proposed development would also make an important and significant contribution to maintaining, in the medium term, a five-year housing land supply, including appropriate buffer, in the context of the greatly increased local housing need (of about 794 new homes per year) which the Government introduced on December 12, 2024.”

The plans also have the backing of the Surrey Chambers of Commerce. Writing in “enthusiastic support” of the application, the chamber said: “Our chamber represents every sector of the workforce, and we aim to connect business and people, advancing opportunity, skills and knowledge within the Surrey community. I believe that this development will bring significant benefits for the Woking neighbourhood and the broader Surrey region.

“Surrey is one of the most productive regions in the UK with an economy over £40billion and net tax contribution of circa £6billion to the exchequer. Having held positive engagement with the developers and reviewed the plans and economic benefits assessment put forth, I am convinced that this project aligns with our vision for sustainable growth and thoughtful urban planning.”

In all, the application received eight objections, with many focusing on its “extreme” height. Examples of the objections include: “The development of the area is highly desirable; however, the height of this proposal is extreme. The proposed height of 25 storeys is not in keeping with this end of the town centre. 25 storeys are too high and would be a blot on the landscape, visible to hundreds of residents. The so-called flagship development on Victoria Way (which has its own notoriety) should not be used as a Trojan Horse to permit other excessively high tower blocks.”

The meeting to decide the application takes place at Woking Borough Council at 7pm on Tuesday, January 7.