Road and Shopping Centre Section Closed in Woking Following Storm Bert Cladding Concerns

Concerns regarding loose cladding on a high-rise building in Woking have resulted in the closure of a road and a segment of a shopping centre. The Surrey Fire & Rescue Service (SFRS) reported that strong winds during Storm Bert caused a panel on the structure to become dislodged. According to a police officer at the cordon on Sunday, a 35ft (10m) cladding panel had come loose but remained attached to the side of the building, situated above a viewing deck. An SFRS spokesperson stated that loose cladding was observed on the building around 15:00 GMT on Sunday, leading to Victoria Way and part of Victoria Place shopping centre being closed to the public. A spokesperson for Woking Borough Council challenged claims that the panelling had become detached. They said: “High speed winds caused by Storm Bert led to a small amount of visible movement to an exterior panel on level seven of the Green Car Park. “As a precaution, Surrey Police temporarily closed Victoria Way. We can confirm that Victoria Way has reopened.” The spokesperson further added that they wished to “reassure residents that the building remains safe” and that Victoria Square Woking Ltd was collaborating closely with its construction contractor, Sir Robert McAlpine, to ensure that best practice continued across the project. “We would like to thank Surrey Police and Surrey Fire and Rescue who attended the scene and would like to apologise for any inconvenience this has caused,” they concluded. In October 2021, cladding panels fell off the Hilton hotel in the town, which led to months of road closures in the town while repairs were carried out. A Hilton spokesperson confirmed that the loose cladding reported on Sunday was not from its building.