Please Help!
WAOS, (Woking Amateur Operatic Society), along with HADS (Horsell Amateur Dramatic Society), and PLT (Pyrford Little Theatre) are active and leading amateur dramatic societies.
We currently have the use of the Woking Borough Council depot situated at Wishbone Way, Goldsworth Park, Woking - used for storage of scenery, props and costumes as well as a place to build our scenery and sets. The Woking Lions also use the site for storage. WAOS and the Lions are both 'Registered Charities'.
A planning application has now been received by WBC for development of the site (PLAN2011/0883). This threatens the very existence of the theatrical Companies in particular, who will not be able to afford the commercial rates for hire of premises (or any rates considering that most societies are existing on limited and often precarious finances) and will have nowhere to go.
These Societies have been in existence for a long time, in fact, well before the Woking Ambassadors Complex was even thought of. These societies fully participate in the cultural life of Woking, as well as meeting the objectives of their own charitable status, (namely to promote the Arts and educate), which is very much in keeping with the ethos of the “Big Society” one hears so much about.
If you would like to view the application please do so - the link has been provided above, (just click on the planning reference number). You will then notice that the consultation period has ended. WAOS were not OFFICIALLY informed of the planning application, despite the fact that WAOS has been the accredited company to look after the depot site for the past 10 years. We only found out accidentally and though we managed to lodge a few objections, we had little time to mobilize others to do so.
We would like to encourage you to raise an objection to the planning application and will be grateful for your support. Since the website is now closed for objections, we respectfully ask if you would contact your local Councillors (by letter or email) in order to raise the profile of our plight and spell out the consequences of this planning application on the survival of the various societies and charities.
Thank you,
Roger Thomas - WAOS Chairman
Martine Young – WAOS Business Manager
WAOS, (Woking Amateur Operatic Society), along with HADS (Horsell Amateur Dramatic Society), and PLT (Pyrford Little Theatre) are active and leading amateur dramatic societies.
We currently have the use of the Woking Borough Council depot situated at Wishbone Way, Goldsworth Park, Woking - used for storage of scenery, props and costumes as well as a place to build our scenery and sets. The Woking Lions also use the site for storage. WAOS and the Lions are both 'Registered Charities'.
A planning application has now been received by WBC for development of the site (PLAN2011/0883). This threatens the very existence of the theatrical Companies in particular, who will not be able to afford the commercial rates for hire of premises (or any rates considering that most societies are existing on limited and often precarious finances) and will have nowhere to go.
These Societies have been in existence for a long time, in fact, well before the Woking Ambassadors Complex was even thought of. These societies fully participate in the cultural life of Woking, as well as meeting the objectives of their own charitable status, (namely to promote the Arts and educate), which is very much in keeping with the ethos of the “Big Society” one hears so much about.
If you would like to view the application please do so - the link has been provided above, (just click on the planning reference number). You will then notice that the consultation period has ended. WAOS were not OFFICIALLY informed of the planning application, despite the fact that WAOS has been the accredited company to look after the depot site for the past 10 years. We only found out accidentally and though we managed to lodge a few objections, we had little time to mobilize others to do so.
We would like to encourage you to raise an objection to the planning application and will be grateful for your support. Since the website is now closed for objections, we respectfully ask if you would contact your local Councillors (by letter or email) in order to raise the profile of our plight and spell out the consequences of this planning application on the survival of the various societies and charities.
Thank you,
Roger Thomas - WAOS Chairman
Martine Young – WAOS Business Manager
