Following the reopening of Victoria Way, Will wrote to any one who had got in contact with him about it with the following:

"I am writing to you with the good news that following partial repairs to the cladding, it is now safe to reopen Victoria Way, and the road reopened on 25 April on Friday night. The construction company responsible Sir Robert McAlpine (SRM) will continue working on the remaining cladding over the coming months with the aim to have it fully repaired by summer and they have assured us that the road will remain open during this period.
 
This drawn-out lengthy process has disrupted our community, caused local businesses to lose money, and put ordinary people’s lives at risk. This is unacceptable and I will continue pushing for compensation from SRM. I will let you know of any further developments and you can also sign up to my latest news here: Contact Will Forster MP - Will Forster MP"

Building Safety and Retrospective Accountability

Following recent events in my constituency of Woking, it is evident that there is a stark need for stronger retrospective accountability for failures in construction.

In the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy, the Government introduced much-needed reforms through the Building Safety Act 2022. However, as we see in towns and cities across the country, these reforms do not go far enough in addressing past and ongoing failures, nor in ensuring justice for affected residents and businesses.

The Hilton Hotel in Woking town centre, built by Sir Robert McAlpine Limited, stands as a glaring example in my constituency. This 20+ story building was supposed to put Woking on the map as an economic hub. It has certainly put Woking on the map, but unfortunately for all the wrong reasons.

Multiple cladding failures not only delayed the building’s opening from October 2020 to Halloween 2024 – an ominous sign of what was to come – but have also caused the repeated closure of Victoria Way, our town's main thoroughfare. These road closures have disrupted local businesses, massively inconvenienced residents in their day to day lives and garnered national media attention.

Earlier this year, the road was reopened for just 11 days before another cladding panel came off during Storm Éowyn, forcing it to close again. This closure is now expected to last until after Easter, with the full works not expected to be completed until the summer. This was the fourth time in very short succession, including over the Christmas period – the key time of the year for most shops and businesses.

One family-owned restaurant told me their bookings had dropped, and unfortunately, they had to cut staff hours. A carers agency said that their staff were constantly being delayed in delivering necessary care to vulnerable people.

According to the Charted Institute of Building - under the common law of negligence, losses that are purely economic are generally not recoverable. However, they could be under contract law.

Why is this not standard practice for public building projects?

This is a systemic issue and there is pressing need for stricter oversight, stronger retrospective enforcement, and clearer accountability for those responsible.

In Woking, there is another glaring reminder of terrible impact failures of the construction industry can have on residents and businesses. In late 2023, over 100 residents of the building Eastgate were evacuated from their homes after an appraisal report identified significant structural defects and stated it is not safe.

Those residents and businesses have still not been able to return, yet the developer has not been held accountable.

The persistent issues surrounding the RAAC concrete scandal mean that the hospital where I was born, Frimley Park, is currently crumbling – an issue so bad that the Government has committed to rebuilding it as a matter of urgency.

This is a facility with a vast catchment area. A facility that now poses a risk to the very patients it is there to help.

Woking’s Community Hospital is expanding to house a new state-of-the-art diagnostic centre. It was meant to be opened by now but delays due to slow construction meant it hasn’t. This is directly impacting patient care for my residents and the rest of Surrey. 

Al Pinkerton, Liberal Democrat MP for Surrey Heath, has spoken recently about fraudulent EWS1 forms, and the scandal he has uncovered regarding Tri-Fire, which continues to affect property owners, including some in my constituency.

Not only that, but we know from the Grenfell report, that there was systematic dishonesty about the production and sale of the cladding. A key factor that resulted in the deaths of 72 adults and children.

The construction industry and developers need to be held accountable for this myriad of failures that continue to affect the daily lives of millions of people across the country.

The Building Safety Act does not go far enough. As it stands, the construction industry is unregulated by an overseeing body.

I know that the UK Government has proposed establishing a Construction Industry Regulator to oversee building safety, but this isn’t until 2028. That is 11 years after Grenfell. It needs to urgently be brought forward.

As a result, construction companies are cutting corners and passing the buck onto businesses, residents, and local councils – anyone but them.

We need to ensure that going forward, especially when we’re trying to build 1.5 million homes in this Parliament, we hold them accountable for their failures.

I believe that the Government needs to take immediate action to: strengthen retrospective accountability measures within the Building Safety Act, ensure that developers, not leaseholders or the public, bear the financial burden of remediation, accelerate safety inspections and repair timelines for buildings with identified safety risks, and introduce stronger penalties for contractors who fail to meet safety and construction standards.

The Federation of Master Builders has been calling for the introduction of a mandatory licensing scheme for UK construction firms, to remove rogue traders from the industry to deliver the high levels of protection from poor quality builders and tradespeople that consumers deserve.

On top of this, I believe the Government should consider holding developers criminally liable for negligence, as Building Inspectors can be under Section 57 of the Building Safety Act 1984.

I am on the Housing Communities and Local Government Select Committee and have been a councillor for many years and I know from experience that councils, are all too often left to pick up the pieces when developments go wrong.

From stepping in to enforce safety measures to dealing with the wider economic and social consequences of failed or delayed projects, local authorities, already struggling under the weight of chronic underfunding, are bearing responsibilities they simply do not have the resources to handle.

We cannot expect councils to manage the fallout. The Government must act urgently and introduce a regulator without delay to ensure that developers take full responsibility for the safety and quality of the buildings they construct. I have met with Alex Norris, the Minister for Building Safety, Fire and Local Growth to press the Government for immediate action on this issue.

Dear Alex,

I am writing to take you up on your kind offer to discuss building safety and accountability of the construction industry, and potential changes to the Building Safety Act.

As you might know, my constituency of Woking has been plagued by continuing failings of the construction industry for some time.

The Hilton Hotel, constructed by the developers Sir Robert McAlpine, was not only four years delayed in opening due to cladding fixture problems, but has continued to cause havoc on the town because the cladding falls off every time there is a slight gust of wind.

This leads to the main road in Woking to be closed. Once, it opened for just eleven days – much to the relief of Woking residents – only to close again.

Residents in my constituency are facing huge traffic chaos - delays in their commutes, school runs – all because the developers could not ensure that the cladding panels and fixtures were fit for purpose in the first place.

For context – this is a building that is over 20 floors and next to the main road in Woking. It was designed to put Woking on the map, by bringing commerce to the town. However, it has put Woking on the map for all the wrong reasons.

Just a stone's throw away there is another building safety issue following failures of the construction industry.

In late 2023, over 100 residents of the building Eastgate were evacuated from their homes after an appraisal report identified significant structural defects and stated it is not safe. The residents and businesses in that building are still not able to return - Eastgate remains abandoned, a visual and stark reminder of the failings in building safety.

Yet, the developer has been able to get away with this.

There isn’t a strong oversight of regulation. The Building Safety Act does not go far enough. Construction companies are cutting corners and passing the buck onto businesses, residents, and local councils – anyone but them.

I would like to formally discuss how we can hold the construction industry to account. I am deeply concerned that with the ambitious building targets the Government has laid out during this Parliament, right now the country will be burdened with unfit homes and buildings for the future.

Please reply to me at your earliest convenience.

Best wishes,
Will Forster 
MP for Woking

Will Forster, the Member of Parliament for Woking, has written to both residents and businesses in the town centre, urging them to share their stories of how the repeated closures of Victoria Way have affected them. The closures, caused by cladding failures at the Hilton Hotel, have been a source of ongoing disruption for months, and Will is calling for urgent action from the responsible party, Sir Robert McAlpine.

Ongoing Disruption and Unacceptable Delays

The road closures have caused significant disruption to daily life in Woking, with residents reporting increased noise, traffic diversions, and safety concerns. Business owners, too, have faced considerable challenges, including loss of passing trade, delays in deliveries, and negative impacts on staff and customers. Most recently, the road was shut down after Storm Eowyn—just 11 days after it had been reopened.

In response to this ongoing issue, Will Forster is demanding urgent action to address the situation, calling for a thorough safety review of the cladding, a permanent solution to prevent further disruptions, and proper compensation for those affected by the closures.

A Strong Call for Accountability

In his letters to local residents and businesses, Will has called for:

• An independent safety review of the cladding, to be funded by Sir Robert McAlpine, the company responsible for the building works.
• A clear and permanent fix to the cladding issues, ensuring there are no further road closures.
• Compensation for affected residents and businesses, recognising the significant impact these repeated disruptions have had on people's lives and livelihoods.

Will is determined to hold Sir Robert McAlpine accountable and ensure that Woking’s residents and businesses no longer have to endure this ongoing inconvenience. He is urging anyone who has been impacted by the closures to share their experiences and help build a strong case for action.

Your Voice Matters

If you are a resident or business owner in the area and have been affected by the closures of Victoria Way, Will wants to hear from you. Your stories will help to strengthen his efforts to press Sir Robert McAlpine for immediate action, a permanent solution, and compensation for those who have been harmed by the cladding issue.

To share your story, please email Will directly at will.forster.mp@parliament.uk.

Together, by raising our voices and standing united, we can make a difference for Woking and ensure that these road closures are addressed once and for all.

Get Involved and Make Your Voice Heard

Will Forster continues to stand up for the residents and businesses of Woking. He remains committed to ensuring that the cladding issue at the Hilton Hotel is resolved quickly and permanently, preventing further disruption and securing compensation for those who have been affected.

Share your story today and join Will in the fight to fix Victoria Way once and for all.

Woking residents have been left battling gridlock, frustration, and delays as roadworks continue to wreak havoc on the town’s roads. Local Member of Parliament, Will Forster, has stepped up to demand urgent action to resolve the ongoing disruption and to ensure that the people of Woking receive the proper support and services they deserve.

In a letter to Matt Furniss, the responsible local government official, Will highlighted the significant challenges residents are facing due to ongoing roadworks, utility failures, and uncoordinated developments that are leaving Woking’s streets in a constant state of disarray. Will expressed his full support for the concerns raised by local councillor Ann-Marie Barker and echoed the urgent call for action to fix the situation.

"For too long, Woking’s residents have been enduring chaos on our roads,” Will said in his letter. “Parents are struggling to get their children to school, carers are missing vital appointments, and workers are taking unsafe routes home. This isn’t just an inconvenience; it’s putting lives at risk."

Will’s letter specifically addresses several key problem areas:

• Goldsworth Road: The MP has called for immediate reinstatement of this crucial route after gas pipe work is completed, especially the section closest to Victoria Way (A320). The delays in this work are causing significant disruption to traffic, and Will is pressing for quick action.
• Triggs Lane: After UKPN completed power restoration work last week, traffic lights remain in place for no reason, and the site has yet to be cleared. Will has demanded that UKPN remove the traffic lights and finish their work without further delay.
• Maybury Hill: The sudden appearance of traffic lights due to SGN works is exacerbating congestion. Will has backed the call to pause these works until the situation on Goldsworth Road is resolved, arguing that unnecessary works should not continue while the town’s roads are already overloaded.

Will has made it clear that this level of disruption is unacceptable, particularly when it has a direct impact on the safety and well-being of local residents. He is calling for better coordination among utility companies and contractors to ensure that planned works are reconsidered when the town is at a standstill.

“Woking’s roads are a mess, and residents are beyond frustrated,” Will stated. “There must be better coordination, and we need an action plan to fix this. I am committed to standing up for Woking and demanding that the voices of our community are heard.”

Will’s letter is part of his ongoing efforts to ensure that Woking remains a thriving town, with safe, accessible roads for all residents. His leadership on this issue shows his dedication to addressing the real, everyday concerns of the people he represents.