THE Sanway-Byfleet Flood Alleviation Scheme will go ahead, after Woking Borough Council agreed to meet its required £5 million contribution.

A full council meeting, the last before next month’s local elections, confirmed that the scheme will be returned to the investment programme, effectively making it a “live” scheme once more.

The News & Mail understands that the council’s contribution would be both land for the scheme, with a valuation of about £1m, and up to £4m in cash, with further funding from Surrey County Council and the Environment Agency, which is leading the scheme.

The agreement supports the progression of the project towards a full business case in May 2024.  

As the borough council is not the only partner in the scheme, the Environment Agency and Surrey County Council must also ensure they have what they require, so the business case moves forward in line with the progress of all those involved. 

The borough council’s financing of the scheme rests on the distinction that, as part of the investment programme, it can be funded by borrowing.

In this case, the News & Mail understands, the council has in its Medium Term Financial Strategy allowed for the costs of borrowing to meet the up to £4m contribution in its future financial planning.

It has not diverted spending from other areas, nor drawn upon any reserves.

Amanda Boote, Independent councillor for Byfleet and West Byfleet and a long-time campaigner for the flood alleviation scheme, addressed council and, recalling her first-hand experience of the devastating 2013 floods, said: “I’m delighted to see the scheme come forward for funding. Everyone has finally seen sense about funding such a scheme to protect our residents.

“The final piece of this puzzle is the £5m that Woking Borough Council have hopefully promised to contribute to the £15 million scheme, along with the £10m already secured.”    

Cllr Boote, who paid tribute to her fellow and former councillors Mary Bridgeman and John Bond for their efforts, is not the only one delighted with the outcome.

Josh Brown, Conservative councillor for Byfleet and West Byfleet, has hailed “possibly my biggest achievement since becoming a councillor” in funding for the scheme being agreed.

“I’m very grateful to the council leadership and Cllr Ayesha Azad for seeing how this project needs to be excepted from money-saving measures.

“I’m also grateful to Cllr Boote for her work prior to my election. In being able to ‘close the deal’ I’m finishing what she started. I’ve been able to build a relationship with colleagues in the [Conservative] administration to persuade them over some months that this was of paramount importance – this has been instrumental in making a difference.”

Cllr Boote was less convinced by Cllr Brown’s narrative as the party spat warmed up.

“Here we are, five weeks away from the election and all of a sudden the Tories conjure up the money for the scheme,” she said. “They are using Byfleet as a political football, sadly.

“Cllr Brown has a video saying he has secured the funds, yet he has never attended a single one of my flood forum meetings since they started nine years ago.”

Cllr Brown responded: “When I was elected [last May], I quickly realised that the key to getting things done for Byfleet and West Byfleet was talking to the right people.

 “I don’t believe that this had been done effectively by the sitting councillors, so I made it my job to make things happen rather than just make noise.”

And those “right people”? “The leader and deputy leader of the council,” said Cllr Brown.