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Woking Council

Government Commissioners

Appointed by Secretary of State|May 2023-present (led by Jim Taylor)
Actively overseeing council recovery

Team of commissioners appointed by the Secretary of State in May 2023 to oversee Woking Borough Council's financial recovery. Led by Jim Taylor, the team has broad powers over the council's financial decisions and has published four reports documenting the scale of the problems and progress of recovery.

Key Actions

  • Published four reports documenting the scale of financial failure and progress of recovery
  • Overseeing the council's financial recovery and decision-making
  • Working to unwind complex commercial arrangements with Thameswey companies
  • Managing the transition toward Surrey local government reorganisation

Details

The government commissioners were appointed by the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 25 May 2023, following the disclosure of the scale of Woking's financial crisis. The appointment was announced via a Parliamentary Written Statement.

Led by Jim Taylor, the commissioners were given broad powers to oversee the council's financial management, including the ability to direct the council on financial matters and approve major spending decisions.

The commissioners have published four reports (September 2023, February 2024, June 2024, and April 2025), each documenting the scale of the financial problems, the governance failures that led to them, and the progress being made toward recovery.

The commissioners' work has involved unwinding complex commercial arrangements, reviewing the council's relationships with Thameswey companies, and working to establish a sustainable financial position for the authority.

The commissioners continue to oversee the council as it transitions through the Surrey local government reorganisation process, which will see Woking absorbed into the new West Surrey unitary authority in April 2027.

Sources

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