http://www.f1-live.hu/UserFiles/images/matthew_mclaren/mclaren_logo_new_tcm351106472.jpg


With the world eagerly awaiting the launch of the new 12C in 2011, McLaren is building a new production and assembly site next to its futuristic McLaren Technology Centre (MTC) headquarters in Woking, England. The £40 million McLaren Production Centre is developing fast and the construction programme is ahead of schedule. Great news for future 12C owners!

The MPC will be the home of McLaren Automotive’s range of high-performance and highly efficient sports cars, supporting up to 800 jobs and manufacturing around 4,000 cars by the middle of the decade. New standards of quality will be introduced into the sports car market, as well as innovative new technologies unique to McLaren.

All components on the cars are bespoke to McLaren.Construction began in January, meaning approximately one year will pass before the first 12C rolls off the new production line. Despite a remarkably tight deadline for the completion of the programme, McLaren is making every effort to ensure the development is sensitive to its local environment.

http://www.mclarenautomotive.com/uk/insider/Lists/Photos/mclaren_inside_out_mpcplan.jpg

McLaren (http://www.mclarenautomotive.com/uk/insider/archive/2010/03/24/a-new-factory-at-hq-%E2%80%93-the-mclaren-production-centre-mpc.aspx)

McLaren Automotive on Facebook - Includes a timelapse video of construction so far (http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=445700900870&ref=mf)

http://www.ohgizmo.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/mclaren_mp412c.jpg

Thanks ill tonkso.

As well as the new developments going on at McLaren, there are some fairly major projects happening in Woking which I'll compile a list for at some point this week.

Surely this should be in the London Metro area sub-forum?

Copied in to this thread, all credit to jeremai :)

Some pictures I took a couple of weeks ago of the new town square ("Jubilee Square") and New Central tower in Woking:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8445/7996416554_98a8979049_b.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8444/7996413173_3f532d1590_b.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8455/7996433405_74200941a5_b.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8451/7996431932_71d61b68bc_b.jpg

And another proposed new development for Woking, bringing Marks & Spencer back to the town as well as other retail units, a hotel and apartments on the block currently occupied by the fire station, market and old Post Office:

http://www.woking.gov.uk/images/instances/000050477148.C0A801BA.00006ECC.0014.jpg

Article here:
http://www.woking.gov.uk/news?item=0000504770A0.C0A801BA.00005AB0.001B

Well go Woking, it's good to see a council so pro development. Woking has always felt deficient in the shopping department since M&S moved out. Plus since they already ruined the town centre in the 70's there has been plenty of opportunity to redevelop it since.

I'm often surprised by how high rise Woking has become.

I'm quite impressed too, the new square outside Wolsey/Peacocks shopping centres is lovely, as are the plans for the Bandstand area.



It would be nice if they found an alternative area for the market to take place.

Some more developments happening:

http://altura-woking.com/index.html

http://www.rbiassets.com/GetImage.ashx/81016807632/commercial_image_ks26962_1.jpg

I think that render might be a bit old. Will dig out the current plans later.

WWF's UK HQ is being relocated to Woking:

http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/about_us/the_living_planet_centre.cfm

http://horsellresident.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/wwf_proposed_hq.jpg

http://assets.wwf.org.uk/img/lpc_16828.jpg

I love the WWF headquarters but not new central! :(

Surely this should be in the London Metro area sub-forum?

Woking is not in London, it's in Surrey

Work has recently begun on the new 11 storey Premier Inn hotel next door to the Altura site

Work has recently begun on the new 11 storey Premier Inn hotel next door to the Altura site

Nice, I thought the pilling rig was for Altura, but ho hum.

Woking is not in London, it's in Surrey

That doesn't mean it's not in London's metro area. A quick google reveals Woking is connected to London's centre by continuous urban sprawl.

Haha, i live here and I didn't even realise this thread existed :p

I love the town but I can't help thinking that alot of the things they do end up a bit scrappy. Like the main car park for instance, redesigned a couple of years ago but the main hub of it is terrible! To get out you need to turn and chicane and chicane a bit more and take a tight corner and chicane again... Ive seen plenty of people just drive through the drop off/pick up point as it is quicker! Also, if you go to new central you will notice the steps leading up from street level to the New central plaza. You will notice that the stairs lead to no-where in several places? I think it ruins the look of the steps and plaza entirely, I cant help but notice it and think 'How f***ing stupid, why didn't they just do it properly'.

Woking is not part of London. It is surrounded by green belt for the time being at least but now WWF are in town it looks more likely to stay that way than to end up in London's inebitable 'urban sprawl'. However it does have good transport links to London and that's good.

It looks like they're finally starting work on Altura after a year of absolutely noting. However a loomk on their website shows new renders that aren't the same as the original plan, but I hope they stick to the original plan as it looks much better.

New town square is alright, WWF building should be cool (although I preffered the original plans, those stingy residents who wanted more ramps to the car park and less access to the building annoy me).

And that thing with Marks and Spensers where the post office was should be cool but will take LONG to build. I wonder how long it will take until there isn't a major development happening in woking.

Woking is not part of London. It is surrounded by green belt for the time being at least but now WWF are in town it looks more likely to stay that way than to end up in London's inebitable 'urban sprawl'.

I would suggest a good look at Woking on Google Map's satellite images. Woking clearly forms a sort of peninsula of urban sprawl stretching into a sea of green belt which surrounds the town on all sides except one which is connected to the rest of London's urban sprawl.

Also what does the WWF being in the town have anything to do with preventing urban sprawl?

Property week has published some more up to date images for the Bandstand site and the improvements to Commercial Way including changes to Alexander House, you may need to register to the site to view them.

http://www.propertyweek.com/news/news-by-region/south-east/council-spends-£150m-to-get-town-woking/5045491.article

http://www.propertyweek.com/marks-and-spencer-woking-in-council’s-favour/5042288.article

I would suggest a good look at Woking on Google Map's satellite images. Woking clearly forms a sort of peninsula of urban sprawl stretching into a sea of green belt which surrounds the town on all sides except one which is connected to the rest of London's urban sprawl.

Also what does the WWF being in the town have anything to do with preventing urban sprawl?

No. It isn't part of London. I live here, i'd know.

WWF will probably vote against any big developments in the towhn that are not enviromently friendly and therefor more expensive to build, at the rate it's going it shouldn't take long for woking to grow into a very big town but im sure WWF wouldnt want that and they will have alot of influence in the town now.

That doesn't mean it's not in London's metro area. A quick google reveals Woking is connected to London's centre by continuous urban sprawl.

It's outside the M25 so it isn't part of London!

To the two people above. You do know the definition of a metropolitan area right? Woking clearly fits inside London's metro area. Among other things it's connected to it by continuous urban sprawl. Also I dont think the WWF really have much of an impact on what does and doesn't get built in the town. I cant imagine they have an impact on the London Borough of Woking Council's decisions or other things which would affect what gets built.

Interesting diagram of tallest buildings in Woking:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/27/Woking-Tallest-Buildings.svg/800px-Woking-Tallest-Buildings.svg.png

To the two people above. You do know the definition of a metropolitan area right? Woking clearly fits inside London's metro area. Among other things it's connected to it by continuous urban sprawl.

It's not in London. It's not considered to be part of London. The green belt ensures that it won't get swallowed up by London.

It's not in London. It's not considered to be part of London. The green belt ensures that it won't get swallowed up by London.

Thats not what I am saying. What i'm saying is that you can go from Woking to Central London without leaving the urban sprawl hence Woking is part of both London's urban and metropolitan area. Note you can clearly find out this is the case by looking at satellite images and the Office of National Statistic's data on British urban areas which list Woking as part of London.

Also since it is part of London's urban area it could easily be argued that the town has already been swallowed up by London although as I said earlier in this thread it acts as sort of a peninsula into the green belt meaning it's not surrounded by urban sprawl on all sides which would be a good way to argue that it has not been swallowed by London.

There is no way Woking is in London and only a fool would try to argue it is.
I live in Woking, I WOULD KNOW!

WWF dont currently have any impact on the town except the inconvinence of the new HQ they are building, what i'm saying is that they will have a major say in projects and developments in the town which they will often vote against unless it is 'sustainable' and 'good for the enviroment'. They will get a say in big decisions because the council want to keep them here, it makes the town look good, and they could still appeal against new developments as local residents anyway.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R88ee1vd-fA/TiJkODIosJI/AAAAAAAAALY/f752thR0-8Y/s1600/london+green+belt.jpg

Here's a picture of London's green belt. Woking is labelled on there but it's a bit low resolution so it's hard to make out. It shows that Woking is just about part of London's urban area.

The following link is a thread on this site about London's built up area. It also says Woking is part of London's urban area.
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1538003

The following link is from the ONS and if you look at the first excel spreadsheet on there it clearly lists Woking as belonging to the Greater London urban area.
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/re-reference-tables.html?edition=tcm%3A77-211059

So yes if you use the urban area definition then Woking would indeed be part of London and so would a number of other towns like Hemel Hempstead and Gravesend (according to the ONS). Actually living in Woking is irrelevant to whether the town forms part of London's urban area.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R88ee1vd-fA/TiJkODIosJI/AAAAAAAAALY/f752thR0-8Y/s1600/london+green+belt.jpg

Here's a picture of London's green belt. Woking is labelled on there but it's a bit low resolution so it's hard to make out. It shows that Woking is just about part of London's urban area.

The following link is a thread on this site about London's built up area. It also says Woking is part of London's urban area.
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1538003

The following link is from the ONS and if you look at the first excel spreadsheet on there it clearly lists Woking as belonging to the Greater London urban area.
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/re-reference-tables.html?edition=tcm%3A77-211059

So yes if you use the urban area definition then Woking would indeed be part of London and so would a number of other towns like Hemel Hempstead and Gravesend (according to the ONS). Actually living in Woking is irrelevant to whether the town forms part of London's urban area.

Think you're wasting your time here. This is something that's been annoying me for years. I suggest the London Metro Area forum be re-named the Greater London forum to avoid confusion as it's never covered anywhere outside the region's boundaries.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R88ee1vd-fA/TiJkODIosJI/AAAAAAAAALY/f752thR0-8Y/s1600/london+green+belt.jpg

Here's a picture of London's green belt. Woking is labelled on there but it's a bit low resolution so it's hard to make out. It shows that Woking is just about part of London's urban area.

The following link is a thread on this site about London's built up area. It also says Woking is part of London's urban area.
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1538003

The following link is from the ONS and if you look at the first excel spreadsheet on there it clearly lists Woking as belonging to the Greater London urban area.
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/re-reference-tables.html?edition=tcm%3A77-211059

So yes if you use the urban area definition then Woking would indeed be part of London and so would a number of other towns like Hemel Hempstead and Gravesend (according to the ONS). Actually living in Woking is irrelevant to whether the town forms part of London's urban area.

This is crazy. You can clearly see a gap between the 'island' that woking is in london. Im sure you could go from woking to Birmingham without ever actually venturing into the countryside, that dosent mean birmingham is in London. And even if you can get from woking to london without leaving urban areas that dosent mean woking is in london. There are towns and cities all round the world which are close together but they arent the same town or city.

I know living in the town dosent mean its out of london but I know the town because I live here and there is nothing to suggest we are in London. We dont have London busses, we dont have London trains, everything around says we are in surrey...

I dont even know why i'm arguing this, its official. Some areas are on the border, hard to tell, fair enough, like Kingston or Wimbledon or Hampton court but Woking is so clearly in Surrey no-one but you would ever consider arguing it.

This is crazy. You can clearly see a gap between the 'island' that woking is in london. Im sure you could go from woking to Birmingham without ever actually venturing into the countryside, that dosent mean birmingham is in London. And even if you can get from woking to london without leaving urban areas that dosent mean woking is in london. There are towns and cities all round the world which are close together but they arent the same town or city.

That pic probably wasnt the best way to show it but if you look at satellite images and at a closer scale it is more evident and if the Office of National Statistics say that Woking is part of London's urban area then it is, as the Office of National Statistics define those areas.

Unless you dont count roads or railways as part of the countryside the idea you can get from Birmingham to London without entering the countryside is absurd a simple look at any satellite image will show this is not the case.

And again you are misunderstanding me. I am saying that Woking is part of London's metro and urban area which doesn't necessarily mean it is part of London.


I dont even know why i'm arguing this, its official. Some areas are on the border, hard to tell, fair enough, like Kingston or Wimbledon or Hampton court but Woking is so clearly in Surrey no-one but you would ever consider arguing it.

:ohno: All those three areas you mentioned are in London boroughs and so are undeniably part of London.

A metropolitan area is a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually comprises multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships, cities, exurbs, counties, and even states.

The town is part of the commuter belt, the metropolitan area surrounding london. Not in london, not part of london, surrounding london. I dont think anywhere outside the M25 can be classified as london.

When Woking was built it was built as a town completetely seperate to london, in the days when london was smaller. The urban sprawl may have crept outwards but nothing official says we are part of london at all.


I think you can call Wimbledon and Hounslow in the met area of london, but Woking is in west surrey, and if that is considered part of london, even the met area of london, then that is just ridiculous.

Even some areas inside the M25 closer to central london than woking are clearly not 'urban areas' like the surrey downs, epsom, dorking, redhill, leatherhead ect. Not all inside the M25 but all of those are clser to london.

I think if you look at a map of the built up areas around london there is a spit out into woking. This will be because of the train links into london, and the areas built up around the railways where commuters like to live. I dont think that counts as part of the london area though, it's in west surrey, like 90 miles from central london.

Even some areas inside the M25 closer to central london than woking are clearly not 'urban areas' like the surrey downs, epsom, dorking, redhill, leatherhead ect. Not all inside the M25 but all of those are clser to london.

I think if you look at a map of the built up areas around london there is a spit out into woking. This will be because of the train links into london, and the areas built up around the railways where commuters like to live. I dont think that counts as part of the london area though, it's in west surrey, like 90 miles from central london.

According to google maps Woking is around 25 miles from central London. (worked out by using the getting directions putting in Woking and London as A and B and selecting walking to get the shortest distance as by road it's 30 miles)

Also Redhill, Dorking and Leatherhead are all outside the M25. Epsom on the other hand is a very urban area and looking at google maps is undeniably part of London's urban area (it's also unsuprisingly considered part of London's urban area by the ONS). Epsom also almost became part of Greater London if Wikipedia is to be believed.

Oh yes, i dont know where I got 90 from :/

They may be outside the M25 but theyu are much closer to London than woking and the surrey hills extend to the area between woking and london, between surrey and the m25.

The town is part of the commuter belt, the metropolitan area surrounding london.

So what are you disagreeing with? The sub-forum is called "London Metro Area". No-one has said Woking is part of London. Westminster used to be seperate from London.

So what are you disagreeing with? The sub-forum is called "London Metro Area". No-one has said Woking is part of London. Westminster used to be seperate from London.

The area surrounding london. Seperate to london entirely, we arent even close to london really?!

The area surrounding london. Seperate to london entirely, we arent even close to london really?!

Do you know what a metropolitan area is? It's not an urban area.

The area surrounding london. Seperate to london entirely, we arent even close to london really?!

The metropolitan area includes London and areas that surround it. It doesn't surround London.

Also your deluded if you think Woking is not close to London, the town is just off the M25. With parts of Woking borough being inside the M25.

Woking sounds a bit like wanking. I'm off to have a woke.

http://m.gmgrd.co.uk/sbres/370.$plit/C_67_article_2120041_body_articleblock_0_bodyimage.jpg?05%2F09%2F2012%2015%3A51%3A52%3A953


The new towers blocks part of this development are apparently going to be taller than Woking's current tallest building: Export House.

Also your deluded if you think Woking is not close to London, the town is just off the M25. With parts of Woking borough being inside the M25.

Im not denying it's relatively close to London, I just wouldn't say it's part of London, anyway...


http://m.gmgrd.co.uk/sbres/370.$plit/C_67_article_2120041_body_articleblock_0_bodyimage.jpg?05%2F09%2F2012%2015%3A51%3A52%3A953


The new towers blocks part of this development are apparently going to be taller than Woking's current tallest building: Export House.

Possibly taller than export house but probably not taller than New Central.

Altura is finally being built:

http://www.rbiassets.com/GetImage.ashx/43116380110/commercial_image_ks26962_1.jpg