Wokingham

The Wokingham Horticultural Association is the gardening club for Wokingham. It has a trading store for members only which stocks a wide range of seeds, bulbs, composts etc. There are four horticultural shows a year and gardening talks throughout the winter. In the summer there are coach trips and a plant sale in May.

To join, pick up our new pamphlet at Wokingham library or Information Centre or contact the Membership Secretary, 35 Molly Millars Lane, Wokingham RG41 2RU enclosing a SAE. Annual subscriptions are £5 for adults/families 18-60 and £3 for over 60 or under 18.


Mary Jenno
Press/Publicity and Talks Organiser 0118 977 6917
Wokingham Horticultural Association

Wokingham Horticultural Association Talks in 2006

All on 2nd Tuesday in month in Methodist Church, Rose St. 7.45pm
Admission free

Talks Organiser / Press & Publicity – Mary Jenno 0118 977 6917

10th January AGM followed by ‘Safety in the garden’ by Ann Jeater of the Red Cross

14th February ‘Beginner’s guide to fuchsia growing’ by Christie Leary

14th March ‘Cactus country – USA’ by Peter Brandt

11th April ‘The wide diversity of fungi’ by Maurice Moss

10th October ‘Growing vegetables organically’ by Lyn Brooks

14th November ‘Photography in the garden’ by Derek Leary

12h December Christmas Social

9th January 2007 Wokingham Horticultural Association AGM

 

Wokingham Horticultural Association SHOWS
Held at St Paul’s Parish Rooms, Reading Road, Wokingham.
Open to the public at 2 pm. Admission 30p

Contact Show Secretary – Sheila McKeand 0118 962 9364 for a show schedule

25th March Spring Show

1st July Midsummer Show

23rd September Autumn Show

18th November Winter Show

St Vincents Veterinary Surgery is a one man small animal practice now open in Wokingham town centre, owned and run by Mr Michael Morrow MRCVS. Michael has 10 years of experience in small animal medicine and surgery, and opened in June 2005 after converting a vacated dental practice into a veterinary surgery. Michael qualified from the Faculty of Veterinary Science, Onderstepoort, South Africa, and worked in Cape Town for several years before moving to Wokingham in January 2000. Having worked and lived in the area since then, he set out to find a site to open a veterinary practice providing his own brand of personal and caring service for all pets. With full surgical, medical and diagnostic facilities the surgery aims to provide both high quality medical care as well as a friendly environment to suit owners and pets alike.

Qualified nurses are able to advise on all aspects of your pet's healthcare, from diet to behaviour problems, dental hygiene to parasite control; as well as providing high level nursing care and anaesthetic monitoring for all inpatients.

Michael and his Wokingham team would welcome the opportunity to show you around the practice and to meet your pets. Should you wish to find out more about the practice please contact:

Mr Michael Morrow BSc BVSc MRCVS
St Vincents Veterinary Surgery
9 Crescent Road
Wokingham
RG40 2DB

Tel 0118 9793200
www.stvincentsveterinarysurgery.co.uk

Chairman of Wokingham Learning Partnership, Robin Cops, is moving on after almost four years at the helm.

The Partnership, hosted by Wokingham District Council, brings together those involved in encouraging people of all ages to fulfil their potential through learning and also acts as the voice of the Wokingham community for adult learning and skills issues within the district. It is now looking for a new champion to build on the position it has established in the community and take the partnership into its next phase.

Robin, who took up the reins of the partnership in 2002 after he retired from the international business world, said: “It has been a fascinating experience to be involved with colleges, businesses, the Learning and Skills Council and Wokingham District Council over the last four years. Working with a great team, I feel we now have an effective partnership well positioned to contribute to the Wokingham’s success as a community. It’s now time for me to step down and let someone else take this partnership through to the next phase of its development. I shall miss the buzz.”

Since the Wokingham Learning Partnership was established in 2000, it has worked behind the scenes to help identify and meet residents’ learning needs. Within the last year, it has sponsored the launch, with record enrolments, of the Learndirect Centre in Wokingham Library and identified needs and supported management courses for local businesses.

The Wokingham partnership has also been instrumental in bringing many new learners to courses at two neighbourhood learning centres, the Karten Centre in Crowthorne and the CresCent Centre in Lower Earley, and been involved with Family Learning Week and the Discover Culture Festival. It takes an overview of all adult learning in the district.

And now the partnership is looking for a new chairman. An increasingly important aspect of its activity will be the leadership of the adult learning and skills responsibility for Wokingham district within the Local Strategic Partnership, working with a wide range of other partners from the public and private sector, and in particular the business community.

The ideal candidate will have experience of holding a senior role in business and will also want to make a contribution to the local community. He or she needs to share the partnership’s vision and become the champion for learning. It is a challenging role but one that offers great opportunity to make a real difference to the district.

Chris Hamilton, corporate head of Wokingham cultural services, said: “The partnership has gone from strength to strength since it was introduced in 2000 and now includes all of the key players, working together to improve and coordinate adult learning and skills across the district. I would like to express my thanks to outgoing chairman Robin Cops for his special contribution to the partnership’s development, benefiting many adult learners across the district. I am looking forward to working with the new chairman in promoting the enjoyment and value of learning to all our residents.”

The role is voluntary but expenses are paid and the partnership receives administrative support from the district council. Anyone wanting more information should contact lifelong learning manager Wendy Crosson-Smith on (0118) 974 6164 and candidates need to register their interest by February 28.

Wokingham District Council

Wokingham District Council’s decision-making executive is set to consider supplementary funding of £25,600 for the Berkshire Community Equipment Store (BCES) at its meeting on Thursday February 23.

BCES delivers equipment to aid daily living of frail and disabled residents across all of Berkshire and Wokingham. The service is managed by the Royal Berkshire Ambulance Trust by joint arrangement and a pooled budget between all six Berkshire unitary councils and the six primary care trusts. If agreed by the ten-strong Wokingham executive, the additional funding will be the district council’s share of the cost of internal works to a new building and associated rent.

Following a review of the service, it was agreed that the two current sites are not fit for purpose. The new site in Theale will have larger and safer facilities and offer better opportunities for efficiencies from recycling equipment.

The new site will produce savings as follows:-

* Efficiency – staff will be able to communicate more effectively, be more flexible and will stop duplication of services

* Economy – the resources used to transport equipment between the two sites will be saved and a new more effective decontamination unit will allow more equipment to be recycled.

* Effectiveness – delivery of equipment within set time periods will be more easily achieved

* Equity – all equipment will be on one site and a new computer system will allow the tracking of equipment and fair distribution of the service to those in need.

Wokingham Cllr Pauline Helliar-Symons, executive member for social care services and housing, said: “Berkshire Community Equipment Services delivers an essential service to enable frail and disabled people across Berkshire to live independently; this is in line with all Wokingham District Council community care policies. Expansion and improved efficiency of this service are both to be welcomed, and will be made possible by this proposed move to new premises. “Sometimes people only need to borrow equipment, such as wheelchairs or walking sticks, for a short while after they have been in hospital. I would like to take this opportunity to ask anyone who has borrowed equipment that they have finished with to return it. Such a lot is not returned, often because people don’t realise it needs to be, or just forget, but it does cost us all thousands of pounds every year in lost equipment."

Wokingham District Council

Local choirs are getting together to stage a Christian musical at Eton College School hall on April 2nd, details as below. The people making up the choir come from Wokingham, Woodley, Crowthorne, Bracknell, Ascot, Slough and Windsor areas. The event is as follows:-

Jailbreak! a Christian musical with combined choirs from the area , to be presented at Eton School Hall, Eton College, Windsor SL4 6DW on Sunday 2nd April, 4pm and 7.30pm.

Tickets: £9,concessions £7.
Call 01344 842078,
visit www.showbiz.uk.net, or
book by email to jailbreak@showbiz.uk.net

The charge for entry is to defer expenses of the venue and organisation taking part only and not for profit.
The drama, dancing and backing music is provied by professional standard performers, and it is being put on in this area as one venue out of many across the United Kingdon during this year.

Wokingham Baptist Church

Wokingham Drivers are being forewarned of the diversions that will be in place during essential water maintenance work on the A321 Finchampstead Road in Wokingham.

South East Water has to carry out much-needed remedial work to a water main under the A321 Finchampstead Road, Wokingham. It is vital that the work is carried out in order to prevent burst pipes and water leaks causing major disruption to road users and inconvenience to Wokingham residents. The work is set to begin on February 27 and will continue through to the end of June. Work will be carried out over the Wokingham school break at Easter, when traffic flow is lower, but not all of it can be done during holidays, so the water company has agreed to the council’s request that evening and Saturday work is carried out where appropriate. Additionally, owing to the immediate nature of the work required, it cannot be postponed until the summer holidays.

Different sections of the A321 Finchampstead Road between Wokingham Tesco and Evendons Lane will be closed during the 16-week period of work from February 27 to June 19. Diversion routes will be in place throughout.

Phase one of the works will require the closure of A321 Finchampstead Road between Landen Court (Tesco) Roundabout and Molly Millars Lane, Wokingham for three weeks (February 27 to March 19). The signed diversion route for all affected traffic will be: Molly Millars Lane, B3349 Barkham Road and Wellington Road or by this route reversed.

Phase two of the works will require the closure of A321 Finchampstead Road between Molly Millars Lane and Evendons Lane for 13 weeks (March 19 to June 18). The signed diversion route for Wokingham bound traffic will be: A321 Sandhurst Road, B3430 Nine Mile Ride, A3095 Crowthorne Road, A3095 Mill Lane, A329 Berkshire Way, A329 London Road, Peach Street, Market Place, Wokingham and Denmark Street.

The signed diversion route for Finchampstead bound traffic will be: Wellington Road, Station Road, A329 Shute End, Rectory Road, Wiltshire Road, A329 London Road, A329 Berkshire Way, A3095 Mill Lane, A3095 Crowthorne Road, B3430 Nine Mile Ride and A321 Sandhurst Road.

The Wokingham road has been clearly signed by the water company with contact details for more information in advance of the start date and this will continue whilst work is taking place. Further information can be obtained by calling a freephone information hotline on 0800 923 0352 or by logging onto www.southeastwater.co.uk/A321

Wokingham District Council

Wokingham District Council’s Community wardens joined forces with a team of caring community-minded people this week for a fence fixing mission.

The fence, belonging to an elderly couple in Winnersh, had been repeatedly damaged by vandals and the owners called the community wardens to the rescue. Tuesday February 7 saw the fence fixers – including young people and local traders - donning their toolbelts and honing their woodwork skills.

“The police were called to investigate who had caused the damage,” said community warden Lesley McCambridge. “But in the meantime, the fence needed to be fixed very quickly. When something has a hole in it, vandals seem to feel encouraged to make it worse. The owners of the fence are quite elderly and we were anxious to help protect their property from further damage.”

Lesley and her fellow warden, Emma Leroy, decided this was an opportunity to bring the community together for positive action. Last week they contacted The Forest, the nearest school, and local tradesmen CTS Contract Trading Service, of Toutley Road Wokingham, for help.

CTS Contract Trading Services kindly donated two skilled tradesmen for the afternoon, and all the wood needed for the repairs. Mr Quine, headmaster at The Forest, asked all his students last week whether any of them would be willing to help, and four sixth-form pupils stepped forward straight away - Max Lockwood from Wokingham, Julian Harley from Wokingham, Alex Pittaway from Winnersh and Matt Jones from Finchampstead. Julian Harley said: “Who would do this to someone’s property? It gives young people a bad name… but we’re not all the same.”

Lesley said: “Len Scruby and Mark Savage, the men from CTS Contract Trading Services, were invaluable. They showed the boys what to do and helped them to rebuild the fence properly. Without their help and the donation of wood, we could not have made this happen. This has shown how young people and local businesses can work together on community issues. The couple who own the fence are so pleased. This kind of team work is something we would like to encourage in Winnersh, and hopefully in other areas of the district too.”

Wokingham District Council

More than half the teachers and support staff in Wokingham's schools have not been cleared to work with children - and the figure in Bracknell Forest is unknown.

Wokingham District Council confirmed that 975 support staff and 870 teachers appointed before March 2002 have not had Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks. It currently employs 1,500 teachers.

While Bracknell Forest education bosses say exact numbers are unavailable, their Wokingham counterparts are unable to "state categorically" how many staff employed since 2002 have yet to be cleared.

Wokingham District Council leader Frank Browne confirmed the problem was being dealt with as a "matter of urgency".

He said: "While it's quite a topical issue at the moment, our officers had already identified it as something we needed to look at, and we take it very seriously."

Wokingham Cllr Browne was unable to put a time scale on the operation, but said it could cost the council up to £60,000 to vet the staff.

CRB checks were introduced in March 2002. Before that, teachers and support staff were checked against List 99 - which contains the details of people barred from working in schools.

The Department for Education and Skills strongly recommends the CRB checks and education Secretary Ruth Kelly will shortly make them compulsory.

Lib Dem councillor for Wokingham District David Hare, who raised the issue at a recent meeting, said: "It's something I discovered by chance and I felt I had to bring it to the council's attention.

"I don't want to be a scare-monger, but £30,000 or so seems worth spending on the safety of our children.

"I'm a father myself and if you're putting your child in the care of someone, you have a right to know if they're in safe hands."

Assistant director of education and children's services at Bracknell Forest Borough Council Alison Sanders said: "We have carried out CRB checks on all new teachers and support staff since CRB checks were introduced in April 2002.

"We are also undertaking a recheck of all teachers and support staff appointed before then. This process has been under way for more than 12 months but there is some way to go.

"Before April 2002, teaching staff working in our schools were also checked against the Department for Education and Skills's List 99 and with Thames Valley Police."

Bosses are currently one year into a three-year checking programme.

ic Berkshire ~ Wokingham

Local Wokingham volunteers who come into their own in an emergency have received a new bursary from Wokingham District Council’s community resilience team.

At a special presentation on January 26, representatives from St John Ambulance, South East Berkshire Emergency Volunteers (SEBEV) Search and Rescue, British Red Cross and WRVS attended a special presentation ceremony to receive the first Adrian Harris Bursaries, funding a place at the Emergency Planning College in Easingwold.

Adrian Harris was emergency planning officer at Wokingham council from February 2001 until April 2005 when he sadly died after a five-year battle with cancer. The community resilience team at Wokingham council decided to form the bursary fund in his name, in line with the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 which sets up a working partnership between local authorities and the various voluntary agencies involved in a major incident or emergency.

Wokingham council receives a grant from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, designed to encourage mutual support between local authorities and voluntary agencies for the benefit of the community. The bursary aims to meet that challenge, allowing the recipients to attend an Introduction to Civil Protection at the Cabinet Office’s Emergency Planning College in Easingwold, Yorkshire. The course helps to equip participants with the knowledge they need as responders to an emergency.

Wokingham Council chairman Cllr Iain Brown, who presented each of the recipients with their bursary certificates, said: “I was interested to meet these people who voluntarily give a large amount of their time to help others. It is during an emergency that these people really come into their own, and any council response would not be complete without their help.

“We always think that a crisis won’t happen to us, but of course it always could. I hope that everyone benefits from the course at the nationally-recognised Emergency Planning College and that they bring back tools and knowledge that will make them even more indispensable during an emergency.

“I much admire the team for setting up such a such a worthwhile way of remembering a colleague.”

Recipients of the Wokingham bursary were: Howard Rayner of St John Ambulance, Jenny Truelove of the WRVS, Neil Tamsitt of SEBEV Search and Rescue and Michael Beswetherick of the British Red Cross.

Any member of a voluntary agency in the Wokingham district is welcome to apply for the next round of bursaries from April 2006. Details are available from assistant community resilience officer Deb Brown on (0118) 974 6473.

Wokingham District Council

Police and road safety officers from Wokingham District Council have stopped dozens of motorists in a road safety initiative in Winnersh.

A team of officers and representatives of the Safer Roads Partnership have so far carried out three seatbelt stop-check campaigns, in Reading Road, Wokingham.

On 17 January, 26 people where stopped between 2.30pm – 3.30pm and spoken to about not wearing seatbelts, with another motorist stopped for using a mobile phone.

On this occasion all the stopped Wokingham drivers, including one who was taking a mini-bus of employees to work, were educated on the dangers of not buckling up.

On 25 January, between 2.30pm and 3.30pm, 11 fixed penalty tickets were issued for not wearing seatbelts and one driver was stopped for using a mobile. A parent was also given advice on inappropriate child restraints.

On Tuesday (14/2), 12 fixed penalty tickets were issued for not wearing seatbelts and four motorists were stopped for using mobile phones.

Winnersh neighbourhood officer, PC Emma Johnson, who has been involved in all three campaigns, said: “Everyone we have stopped has been really positive about the checks, including those that we have given tickets to.

“I think everyone realises and appreciates that we are we doing these checks for their safety.”

PC Johnson and the rest of the team will be carrying out further stop-checks in both Wokingham and Winnersh in the next few weeks.

Thames Valley Police ~ Wokingham

Proposals to bring two schools in Wokingham under one roof are a step closer after Wokingham District Council’s executive committee met on Wednesday (February 8) and gave its support to the recommendations to amalgamate Whitelocke Infant and Nursery and The Palmer Church of England (Aided) Junior schools.

A six-week consultation period was undertaken at the end of last year on the proposals to amalgamate the Wokingham schools to create an all-through Church of England Aided Status Primary School to serve children from three to 11-years-old.

During this consultation period, a public meeting was held and over 60 Wokingham parents attended, while meetings were also held with members of staff from both schools. The proposal to amalgamate comes from the schools themselves, together with the full support and backing of The Oxford Diocese.

During their meeting on February 8, Wokingham council executive committee considered feedback from the public consultation. In total, 62 responses were received and the results show support for the amalgamation. The majority of responses (84%) supported the proposal for an all-through Church of England Primary School, and 40% commented on the importance of leadership at the amalgamated school and of those, 84% expressed a wish for the retention of existing leadership skills and qualities. A potential name for the amalgamated school was put forward and 66% favoured the name ‘All Saints Church of England Primary School’.

Both Wokingham schools’ governing bodies have also considered the outcomes of the consultation at meetings held last month. Next steps will see a further six-week statutory consultation period taking place to allow parents and local people to comment further on the proposals. Statutory proposals on the move were formally published in the local press last week (February 8).

An all-through primary school would have a significant number of benefits for pupils, parents and staff. There can sometimes be a ‘dip’ in a pupil’s progress following the move from infant to junior schools. Therefore a comprehensive curriculum could be developed for all children aged between three and 11 years to ease the transition for pupils through the three key stages of primary education, aiming to improve overall standards of achievement.

Staff would have further opportunities to develop their professional experience and share their expertise across the full spectrum of primary education. This would enable them to build on current professional development, which is a strength of both schools. Amalgamation also offers increased flexibility for organising teaching and learning.

At the core of both Wokingham schools’ approach is the care and development of individual pupils. This will be further enhanced by the move to aided status, which will embrace the Christian ethos across the amalgamated school.

There would also be significant benefits for children with special educational needs whose future support could be planned more easily.

Jenny Partridge, chair of governors of Wokingham Whitelocke Infant and Nursery School, said: “This is an exciting opportunity to build on the strengths of both schools. The new school will provide our children with high quality education in a caring environment from three to 11 years old."

Karen Wellman, chair of governors of Wokingham Palmer C of E (Aided) Junior School, said: “There is still a lot of work to do but the new all-through aided primary school offers many opportunities to build on the hard work that both schools have put into developing the potential of every child.”

Leslie Stephen, director of education at the Oxford Diocese, said: "The Diocese is very pleased with the proposed amalgamation which will bring together two schools with a common purpose and will benefit all the children, staff and parents."

Cllr Frank Browne, executive member for Wokingham children’s services, said: “I was delighted to see such a good response to the consultation with the majority of responses supporting the proposals to amalgamate the two schools. The amalgamation of the schools would bring great benefits to pupils by providing them with the best possible education opportunities available and the executive committee is pleased to support these proposals.”

Wokingham District Council

“Variety is the spice of life!” That’s the message from Wokingham District Council’s chairman Cllr Iain Brown after he sampled more than 20 traditional and contemporary Indian dishes, at the launch of Miah's Restaurants’ charity food fiesta on Monday February 6.

Jamshed Miah and his family own three Indian restaurants in the Wokingham area, and like to cook up a feast for charity. At the Tankerton House restaurant on Basingstoke Road on Monday, Jamshed Miah produced a banquet for the chairman and his guests, to launch February’s food fiesta – a fixed price special menu which includes a £2.50 donation per person, per meal to Sebastian’s Action Trust, the chairman’s charity.

It is traditional that the Wokingham chairman supports a charity during his term in office. Sebastian’s Action Trust is a local charity formed in memory of Sebastian Gates, who tragically died of cancer on Christmas Eve 2003 at the age of nine. His wish was to provide a holiday home in the countryside where children suffering from life-threatening illnesses could go to spend precious time with their families or just for a break to relieve their stress.

Dining guests at Miah’s Restaurants every Sunday, Monday and Tuesday this month – except for Valentine’s Day on February 14 – can ask for the Food Fiesta menu. This includes popadoms with a selection of chutneys and a choice of six starters, followed by a choice of six traditional and contemporary curries, and a choice of breads, vegetable side dishes and rice dishes. The meal concludes with coffee and chocolate. For every person dining, Miah’s will donate £2.50 towards Sebastian’s holiday house. Pre-booking is necessary - visit www.miahs.co.uk or call one of the restaurants taking part, which are:

* Pangbourne Tandoori, Reading Road, Pangbourne (0118) 984 3731
* Tankerton House, Basingstoke Road, Reading (0118) 988 8394
* Garden of Gulab, 130-134 Wokingham Road, Reading (0118) 966 7979

Jamshed Miah says he delights in cooking for other people. “It was my absolute pleasure to cook for the chairman of Wokingham District Council and his guests from Sebastian's Action Trust,” he said. “I look forward to seeing staff and councillors from Wokingham District Council enjoying my food during February and hopefully beyond!”

Wokingham Cllr Iain Brown said: “I would like to thank the Miah’s restaurants for their support of the civic charity throughout the month of February. I hope that many people will come along and sample the wonderful food whilst raising money for such a worthwhile cause.”

Wokingham District Council

Friday evening (February 3) saw over 20 young people from across the Wokingham district performing some of their favourite songs and dance routines in front of a packed theatre at Bearwood College in Wokingham.

The academy showcase was organised by young people from the Wokingham district and was supported by Wokingham District Council’s youth service. All proceeds from the event, totalling £100, will be donated to the children’s clinic at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading.

Wokingham District Council youth worker Cyril Sansum said: “The idea behind the event was to showcase the singing talent of young people in the district. During the auditions the youth service made some fantastic discoveries of young people with real abilities to sing and entertain a live audience, and that takes a lot of courage and self-confidence. Judging by the response of the audience, the event was a huge success and who knows, we may be looking at future pop stars.”

The standard of singing was extremely high thanks to the professional voice coaching given to each participant. One of the aims of the project was to provide young people with access to professional singing lessons. Lori Tingay is a professional voice and communications skills coach with Perfect Pitch Coaching Limited, and has visited youth centres across the district, improving vocal skills and suggesting techniques on how to develop stage presence.

Lori said: “Working with these young people has been a fantastic experience. This kind of opportunity is vital for building self-esteem and giving them a chance to show what they can do. It’s been challenging for some of them but developing their confidence and singing skills to perform in public was a real achievement. Many of the young people sang duets with friends, and working together on a company song, brought a fantastic team effort to the whole of the project.”

The event was organised by Lisa Prior from Wokingham as part of her gold youth achievement award. Young people from Wokingham, Twyford, Finchampstead and Lower Earley participated in the event.

Chairman of the council Wokingham Cllr Iain Brown said: “It was a privilege to have been invited to the academy showcase. Since I became Chairman back in May I have been lucky enough to witness the talents of so many young people. The event on Friday night was a huge success for all those who took part and it is great to see so many young people full of confidence. I would like to extend my thanks to Lisa Prior for her hard work and I was delighted to present her with a bouquet of flowers for her dedication in pulling this professional showcase together so successfully.”

Wokingham District Council

An electrical engineer operating as a sole trader under the name “CTS Contracts” has been successfully prosecuted by Wokingham District Council for breaches of building regulations. On Wednesday February 1, 2006, Mr Stephen Mitchell of Micheldever Way, Bracknell, pleaded guilty by way of letter at Maidenhead Magistrates’ Court on two counts:

1. Failure to make reasonable provision in the design, installation, inspection and testing of an electrical installation in order to protect persons from fire or injury.

2. Failure to notify the local authority of a commencement of work.

Mr Mitchell performed an electrical installation to a house in Greenwood Road, Crowthorne. The installation needed certification by an accredited person, or inspection by the local authority, under current building regulations. Mr Mitchell was not accredited to certify the work himself, and did not notify Wokingham council that inspection was needed.

Furthermore, after inspection of the installation by a qualified NICEIC inspector, it was discovered that the installation was not carried out to the required standard. The test certificate provided for the work by Mr Mitchell was incorrect. Tests by the qualified inspector proved Mr Mitchell’s figures to be inaccurate.

Mr Mitchell was fined £2,800 for count one and £670 for count two, with £500 costs awarded to Wokingham District Council. The court took into account Mr Mitchell’s co-operation with the local authority and his early guilty plea. However, in sentencing the court said that the punishment would be high to indicate the level of risk that householders had faced because of his lack of competency.

Principal building control surveyor Gary Marlow said: “Building regulations are there for a reason – to keep the public safe. The council will take action when necessary to protect the district’s residents.”

Wokingham District Council

Planning officers and councillors at Wokingham District Council are celebrating significant improvement in planning performance.

Chairman of Wokingham council’s development control committee Wokingham Cllr Angus Ross said: “At the end of last year I had cause to write to all staff in the council to congratulate them for the huge improvement we have seen in meeting our development control targets. This is down to officers and councillors working together and they deserve recognition.

“Improvements in the service are obvious both to the applicant and the general public. We are working towards and seeing improvements in customer relations, whether contact is by letter, email, telephone, or in person at the council offices and are seeing real progress. This is a triumph of teamwork with everyone in the service pulling together to achieve this very positive result.”

Each planning authority in the country is measured against government-set targets with significant financial rewards offered for those authorities that improve their performance. Work is also underway to enhance the quality of decision making through a new residential design guide and a review of practice and procedures.

In the period between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2005, Wokingham District Council exceeded its targets for determining planning applications in all areas.

Significant work has been put into improving development control performance by both Wokingham officers and Wokingham councillors at the council and the service has been reorganised to focus on clearly identified priorities. The service is now fully-staffed and senior planners are able to concentrate on the more complicated major applications, whilst career progression is enhanced for junior planning officers. Other improvements have been as a result of increased use of electronic methods for handling planning applications.

The Wokingham council’s good practice in using clear criteria to judge which neighbours to notify of planning applications has also been noted by the Audit Commission, as has the development of the planning pages on the council’s website at www.wokingham.gov.uk which now allow people to view applications online.

A review of planning enforcement and compliance is a priority for this year, as are further improvements in customer focus, working with developers, residents and town and parish councils.

Wokingham Cllr Ross said: “We will continue to work hard to improve still further, developing good working relationships with everyone involved in the planning process. But our recent good performance against government-set targets, is a clear indication that we’re very definitely moving in the right direction. I’d like to thank everyone for all their hard work.”

Wokingham District Council

25/03/2006

Mendelssohn: "Elijah"
Conductor: Aidan Oliver
Orchestra: Brandenburg Sinfonia
Soprano: Rachel Nicholls
Mezzo Soprano: Doreen Curran
Tenor: Daniel Norman
Bass: Andrew Foster-Williams

Eton College School Hall at 7.30pm

Ticket prices £13 (concessions £11) available from:

Sue Bryant 0118 934 0283
Bookends, Peach Street, Wokingham
Wokingham Information Centre
Choir Members

Wokingham Choral Society Concert

Wokingham District Council has issued its first penalty notice as part of its programme to reduce truancy in the district’s schools.

A pupil from St Crispin’s School in Wokingham had less than 80% attendance at school last term and a warning of a penalty notice was issued to their parents outlining the extent of their absence just before Christmas. The pupil had 15 school days to improve, but, there were further unauthorised absences and as a result a penalty notice was issued on January 25.

Having received a penalty notice, parents have three options available to them. They are subject to a fine of either £50 if paid within 28 days of receipt or £100 if paid between 29 and 42 days after receipt. If a parent does not pay in full within this time period, the district council will commence proceedings in the Magistrates’ Court for failing to ensure regular attendance at school.

Wokingham Cllr Frank Browne, executive member for children’s services, said: “Missing out on an education can limit options for the future and if young people are not in school then they are also increasingly vulnerable to becoming involved in crime or becoming the victim of crime themselves. Education is vital.

“The district council remains committed to reducing absence from school and will not tolerate persistent and unacceptable unauthorised absences. We will take the necessary steps to ensure children get their education and this is what we have done in this instance by issuing the district’s first penalty notice.

“The council will be robust in its approach to tackle truancy and will take the appropriate measures to ensure that children attend school regularly, which is vital for their future success. This is a clear message to parents that unauthorised absences are not acceptable and will be addressed, even if it means as a last resort we take parents to court.”

Alex Biddle, headteacher at St. Crispin’s School, said: “There is an obvious link between good attendance and education standards. I fully support any action taken by Wokingham District Council to achieve the highest standards for students in the district.”

Penalty notices came into force in the district in October 2005. They provide a much quicker and more effective way of sanctioning parents to focus their attention on improving their child’s attendance. Every school in the district has powers under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 to tackle poor school attendance. Penalty notices expand the range of options available to offer support to help parents change the anti-social behaviour of their children, or sanctions where appropriate.

It is a well-known fact there is a link between absence by pupils and poor academic achievement. Support and guidance on attendance is always available to parents and carers and the district council would encourage them to contact either their school or one of the council’s education welfare officers to seek advice if they have any concerns.

This week, Wokingham district council has also issued a further ten warning letters to parents and carers whose children have less than 80% attendance at school.

Wokingham District Council

Following the success of last December’s roadshow, which provided information about social care and health services, Wokingham District Council organised an even bigger event at the Pakistan Community Centre, London Road, Reading

During the day, 70 visitors to the centre learnt about the range of services available and picked up useful tips including how to prevent falls in the home and the importance of fitting and maintaining smoke detectors.

To bolster the range of information available to the district’s Pakistan residents, Wokingham District Council’s community care services invited a number of other organisations to the event. Amongst them were the Patient Advice and Liaison Services from Wokingham and Reading NHS Primary Care Trusts, Reading Fire Brigade, the Thames Valley Police racial equalities unit and Reading Borough Council’s Social Care Services. Professionals from the respective organisations were on hand giving advice and answering specific questions. The Rupert Square Tea Shop, the Berkshire Social Enterprise and the Pakistan Community Centre also provided visitors with useful information.

Comments fed back after the event included: “I think this is a good outlet whereby the Asian community have the opportunity to gain information they otherwise wouldn’t have access to, thank you.” And “I think it is a good idea to have events such as this to inform people what organisations do for the community.” Raja Nisar Kiani, vice chairman of the Pakistan Community Centre, said: “Wokingham District Council does a lot of work with the Pakistan Community Centre and they provide very helpful information.”

Ashwani Gupta, social inclusion officer at Wokingham District Council, said: “Wokingham
District Council initiated this important event inviting partners from the health, emergency and other services. The roadshow provided members of the Pakistan community in the district with valuable information about services available to them which they might not have been aware of before. As part of its social inclusion agenda, the council is committed to reaching all residents in the district and inform previously excluded groups. The management of the Pakistan Community Centre were exceptionally delighted to host the roadshow for a second time in two months and believe the Pakistan community of the Wokingham district are benefiting from these events. This event was an example of good partnership working between several different organisations, whose shared aim was to provide information to the Asian community in the district.”

Cllr Bob Wyatt, co-chair of the Black and Minority Ethnic Forum Wokingham, said: “The range of information and advice available at this worthwhile event was impressive and well received by the large number of people who visited the centre throughout the day. On behalf of Wokingham District Council I wish to thank the Pakistan Community Centre for playing host once again. I would also like to thank partner organisations for sharing this opportunity to impart valuable information to the Pakistan community and congratulate all those involved in this highly successful roadshow.”

Wokingham District Council

A 19-year-old man has denied stabbing two teenage school friends to death in a Wokingham country lane.

Thomas Palmer, 19, of Blagrove Drive, Wokingham, Berkshire, is charged with the murders of Steven Bayliss and Nuttawut Nadauld - known as Twood.

Steven, 16, and his 14-year-old friend Twood were found dead in a field in Barkham, near Wokingham, on the night of 11 September last year.

Mr Palmer was told that a provisional date for his trial was set for 8 May.

No application for bail was made.

Relatives of both boys sat in the public gallery of Reading Crown Court as Mr Palmer appeared by video link from custody.

Judge Stanley Spence also ordered a further hearing on 14 March to deal with legal matters.

BBC News ~ Wokingham

The abuse of older people has been well documented on television and in the national newspapers, but what exactly is meant by ‘abuse’ and what is being done to prevent it?

These are the questions Wokingham District Council is hoping to address with its support of a national campaign to help raise awareness and help stop elder abuse. The campaign is being launched today by Help the Aged in partnership with Action on Elder Abuse.

The Wokingham district council recognises that older people and other vulnerable adults such as people with disability or mental health problems, are sometimes harmed, mistreated or neglected by people they should be able to trust. Abuse may be physical or sexual, but can also take the form of psychological abuse, including threats of harm and humiliation which are often difficult to prove. Abuse may also include the neglect of a person’s medical or care needs, the withholding of food and even the theft of a person’s money and possessions. Wokingham District Council investigate approximately 100 concerns about abuse every year.

The Wokingham district council has produced a leaflet ‘What you need to know about Adult Abuse’ – available in Wokingham council offices, libraries and GP surgeries and information is available on the council website at www.wokingham.gov.uk/adult-social-care--carers-support/adult-abuse

The Wokingham council works with vulnerable people and their carers to ensure that people are as safe as possible in their own homes and in residential and nursing homes. They work with health and care provider partners to ensure that they have training and support to recognise and report abuse when it happens. Working alongside the police, the Commission for Social Care Inspection and the health service, the district council ensure that all allegations of abuse are investigated and that vulnerable people are protected.

Wokingham Cllr Bob Wyatt, the council’s champion for older people said: “It is estimated that around 500,000 people may be abused at any one time in the UK, three quarters of who are aged 70 years and above and many are abused in their own homes by someone in a position of trust. It is only right that Wokingham District Council should support the Help the Aged and Action on Elder Abuse campaign which highlights the shocking truth about elderly abuse and provides advice on how to help someone who you suspect is being abused. Older people are amongst the most vulnerable people in our community and we must do all we can to protect them.”

You can help vulnerable people by:

1. Finding out more about abuse and how to stop it.
2. If you think that somebody you know may be being abused:

* Try to ask them about what you have noticed
* Listen to what they tell you and offer to seek help
* If you still have concerns contact Wokingham District Council on: (0118) 974 6800

You can also contact the Action on Elder Abuse confidential helpline on: 0808 808 8141

Wokingham District Council

Roast lamb, corned beef hash and treacle tart are favourite foods at the St Peter’s Luncheon Group in Earley. And Wokingham Cllr Iain Brown, the chairman of Wokingham District Council, enjoyed steak and kidney pie when he visited the club to present the volunteers with flowers on January 27.

The Wokingham chairman usually presents a small gift and a plaque each month to a person or group that has given good service to the community. The volunteers of St Peter’s Luncheon Club won January’s award for their incredible fundraising achievements and lively lunch meetings, which are renowned among Earley’s retired community for their good value food and friendly atmosphere. Volunteer helpers lay all the tables and serve the meal. The food is cooked by Mrs Jean Howard, of Falstaff Avenue, and Mrs Wright, of Chiltern Crescent.

“A lot of people living on their own do enjoy having a meal in front of them and an opportunity to talk to their friends,” said Mrs Olga Wright, one of the club’s volunteers. “We are all delighted to receive the chairman’s award, and I think we should include our husbands. They do all the shopping and carving.”

The luncheon club began in 1995, to raise money for a Flower Festival at the Church Hall. When it was recognised as a valued service to local retired people, it was continued, and soon had over fifty people attending regularly. Over the years the club has raised thousands of pounds for St Peter’s Church, St Peter’s School, Cancer Research, Children in Need and many other charities. The club has also presented a donation of £50 to the Wokingham chairman’s charity, Sebastian’s Action Trust.

Wokingham Cllr Brown said: “The group provides an important service to local people living alone. I am delighted to be able to recognise the enormous effort put in by volunteers. It was also wonderful to receive a donation to my civic charity during my visit. I look forward to seeing the club again at their celebration of the Queen’s 80th birthday on April 21.”

Wokingham District Council

Wokingham Drivers are being asked for their support in the coming months as South East Water and Wokingham District Council make every effort to reduce the disruption caused by vital long-term roadworks by the water company.

“We’re doing the best we can to keep disruption to a minimum by working closely with the water company, but we’re aware that there are going to be difficult times ahead for drivers in the district,” said Wokingham District Council’s executive member for highways and transport Cllr Anthony Pollock.

South East Water has to carry out much-needed remedial work to a water main under the A321 Finchampstead Road. It is vital that the work is carried out in order to prevent burst pipes and water leaks causing major disruption to road users and inconvenience to Wokingham residents. The work is set to begin on February 27 and will continue through to the end of June. Much work will be carried out over the school break at Easter, when traffic flow is lower, but not all of it can be done during holidays, so the water company has agreed to Wokingham council’s request that evening and Saturday work is carried out where appropriate. Additionally, owing to the immediate nature of the work required, it cannot be postponed until the summer holidays.

“Water companies have the legal right to dig up the roads to make necessary repairs to their pipe networks, and the council does the best it can to manage working times and practices. The district council does not have the legal powers to prevent them from working on the highway and, when the work is this urgent, nor would we want to,” said Wokingham Cllr Pollock.

“We are keen, however, to minimise disruption and to this end, we’ve worked with South East Water to manage how the works will be carried out. Evening and Saturday working has been agreed in order to complete the work in as short a time as possible.”

In order to give people information about the work, the water company will write to Wokingham residents and properties in the immediate area. Additionally, the road will be clearly signed by the water company with contact details for more information both in advance of the start date and whilst work is taking place. Further information can be obtained by calling a freephone information hotline on 0800 923 0352 or by logging onto www.southeastwater.co.uk/A321

The council will work in parallel with South East Water to resurface the road and improve highway drainage (within the 16 week timescale if possible), so that a separate period of disruption is avoided.

Different sections of the A321 Finchampstead Road between Tesco and Evendons Lane will be closed during the 16-week period of work from the February 27 to June 19. Diversion routes will be in place throughout.

Phase one of the works will require the closure of A321 Finchampstead Road between Landen Court (Tesco) Roundabout and Molly Millars Lane for three weeks (February 27 to March 19).
Phase two to phase four of the works will require the closure of A321 Finchampstead Road between Molly Millars Lane and Evendons Lane for 13 weeks (March 19 to June 18).

Wokingham District Council

Statement from Ch Insp Tony Ismay

We continue our investigation today after a woman’s body was found at The Forest Boys School in Winnersh, Wokingham yesterday (6/2).

At around 8.20am, a member of staff discovered the body in the grounds of the school.

The investigation is being treated as a murder inquiry and we have a team of around 20 detectives working extremely hard to establish exactly what happened.

The Wokingham school and surrounding area have been sealed off to enable specially trained officers to carry out a thorough search of the area for further evidence.

We are still urging people to come forward if they saw anybody in the vicinity of the school between 5pm on Sunday and 8am on Monday, however insignificant they think it may be.

We are liaising closely with Mr Quine the Headmaster, to keep him informed on the progress of the investigation and to establish when we can allow pupils back into the school as normal.”

The deceased is believed to be Donna Hunt of Church Close, Winnersh, Wokingham. A formal Identification will take place tomorrow (8/2)

A post mortem examination is being carried out today.

Anyone with information that could assist police inquiries is urged to contact police on 0845 8 505 505. If you don’t want to speak to police and don’t want to leave your name contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

A 45-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder. He is currently being questioned by detectives.

Thames Valley Police ~ Wokingham

Grants for community and voluntary groups are set to be discussed by Wokingham District Council’s decision-making executive later this week (January 26) as part of the council’s overall package of support to Wokingham local voluntary and community groups. At its meeting, the ten-strong executive will consider proposals to allocate funding of grants of £165,830 plus continued funding of £151,330 for Wokingham Citizens’ Advice Bureau. Also up for discussion is additional funding of £55,560 for economic development grants for town and village management initiatives across the district.

In addition, improvements in the efficiencies of the council’s concessionary fares scheme has freed up funds, £30,000 of which has recently been awarded as a discretionary payment to Wokingham district’s volunteer community transport providers.

Annually the council gives grants to a number of local voluntary and community groups in recognition of the considerable work they do in providing a wide range of services to local people. The grants being considered next week include:

· Wokingham Volunteer Centre £16,272
· Wokingham and West Berkshire Mental Health Association £6,500
· Earley Volunteer Bureau £2,500
· Reading and District MS Drop-in Centre £2,346
· Relate £546
· Pakistan Community Centre £2,815
· Twyford/Wargrave Volunteer Centre £1,000
· Alzheimer’s Carers Trust £500
· Berkshire Autistic Society £523
· Vitalise £1,215

All applications are subject to a thorough review against priorities laid out in Wokingham council’s Corporate Plan and the Council for Voluntary Action–Wokingham District (CVS-Wokingham District) acted as an independent advisor during the grants process. The council received 69 applications and a proforma and financial appraisal were used to assess the bids.

“The voluntary and community sector in Wokingham district provides a wide range of services to local communities and their work is vital,” said Cllr Dianne King, executive member for community development. “I hope the executive will agree to continue its support of this sector, with existing grant aid to be maintained at current levels plus inflation wherever possible. If agreed, the allocation of monies to the voluntary sector, plus a recent allocation of funds given to transport operators, shows the council’s increased partnership working with the voluntary and community sector, and in particular with the CVA –Wokingham District.“

Wokingham District Council

Police have launched an investigation this morning after a body was found in the grounds of a school in Wokingham.

At around 8.20am, the body of a woman was found at Forest School in Winnersh.

The school has been closed at arrangement have been put in place to transport pupils away.

Unexplained death update - Forest School, Wokingham. Issued: Monday, 06 February 2006, 15:59:14

Statement from Ch Insp Tony Ismay

An investigation has been launched today into an unexplained death at a school in Winnersh.

At around 8.20am, a member of staff found the body of a woman in the grounds of The Forest Boys School.

Scenes of Crime Officers are currently at the school and a team of officers are taking statements from members of staff.

The school has been closed and pupils were sent home this morning.

At this stage we can not speculate into how the woman died but it is believed that she suffered head injuries.

I appeal to anyone who may have seen anything suspicious around the school grounds yesterday evening, or this morning, however insignificant you think it may be to contact police on 0845 8 505 505. If you don’t want to speak to police and don’t want to leave your name contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Thames Valley Police

A Wokingham Neighbourhood Action Group (NAG) has been set up to address concerns raised by people living and working in Wokingham Town Centre.

The group, which comprises Wokingham residents, Wokingham town and district councillors, traders, licensees, and the police, has been set up as part of the roll-out of Neighbourhood Policing and will attempt to solve the priorities raised during a recent public consultation exercise.

Three main issues were raised during that consultation and the group is currently dealing with the concerns raised in relation to the number of empty shops in the town centre and the variety of retail premises, which was overwhelmingly voted for as the top priority.

However, the NAG is still keen to receive further information from the public in relation to the other two priorities, which are anti-social behaviour and parking and congestion issues.

The group can be contacted by e-mail at Wokingham_nag@yahoo.co.uk or through a suggestion box that has been set up in the Wokingham Information Centre in the Town Hall.

Nellie Williams, a NAG representative, said: “The NAG is a forum for people who live and work in Wokingham town centre and those who use it regularly to raise concerns and issues relating to quality of life.

“As a result of the first meeting, which was held at the end of January, several people have been given actions relating to the first priority with a view to seeing what can be done to improve the situation.

“I think it is important to stress that this is a long term process and it may take a year or more to see any improvements.”

The NAG is due to meet again in early March where the progress made on the first priority will be monitored.”

Thames Valley Police ~ Wokingham

A new housing strategy for older people in the Wokingham district is set to be considered by Wokingham District Council’s decision-making committee next week (January 26).

If agreed by the ten-strong executive, the strategy will set out the framework for development of appropriate housing and support for older people in Wokingham district over the next 10 to 15 years.

The Wokingham district has a population of just over 150,000 with 21,000 aged above retirement. There is a prediction that the future number of older people in the Wokingham district, particularly those aged over 75 years of age, will increase and in turn will increase the need for more housing and care services in the district.

Some of the current traditional accommodation available to older people will not meet their needs for the future and therefore the strategy sets out clear targets for the range of accommodation and services needed for the next 15 years.

The far-reaching strategy looks at the development of new initiatives to meet future demands such as extra care housing for those with dementia. And, with many older Wokingham people wishing to remain living independently in their own homes for as long as possible, the council will offer more information and help as well as practical advice to older people to manage their homes allowing them to maintain an independent life.

Wokingham Cllr Pauline Helliar-Symons, executive member for social care service and housing, said: “The district council cannot achieve this ambitious strategy on its own and therefore we need to engage with all our partners if we are able to deliver the vision. The council will work with its partners to improve the range of options available to older people and offer them flexible services.

“I very much hope that the strategy is given the green light by the executive as it will allow for older people to have more choice for accommodation and care over the next 10 to 15 years.”

Over the past few months, many people including members of Wokingham council, health and housing partner agencies and older people themselves, have been involved in developing the strategy and they have been consulted on the draft. Questionnaires were distributed via the older people’s forum with over 50% of members giving their views. And two events were also held in the summer to discuss the ideas outlined and gave participants an opportunity to feedback their views.

Wokingham District Council

Wokingham District Council’s decision-making executive will be asked next week at its meeting on January 26 to consider increasing the budget for the relocation and redevelopment of Addington Special School.

An additional £2.45million is needed to resolve issues that have arisen since Wokingham council made its original funding bid to the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) in 2003.

“The main reason for the relocation and rebuild of Addington Special School is that the current accommodation is no longer fit for purpose and, despite excellent OFSTED inspection reports, seriously impacts on the ability of the school to deliver its curriculum plan to its 200 pupils,” said Wokingham Cllr Frank Browne, executive member for children’s services.

“That’s why, despite these difficulties and the extra cost, the council remains committed to this flagship project that will improve the educational chances for some of the most vulnerable children in our society.”

The original funding bid for some £5million was submitted to the DfES in autumn 2003 to replace the school with a new building. This was the maximum amount allowed at the time, with Wokingham council required to contribute £1.33million in addition to this. And, while the bid was well received then, there were factors within it - not then identified - that now pose a significant risk to the successful completion of the project.

The bid said that the new school would reduce its pupil numbers (198 at the time of the bid) to 60%, with the remaining 40% of pupils being located in ‘satellite classes linked to mainstream primary and secondary schools’. However, the current headteacher and the council are firmly of the opinion that this element of the bid would not best meet the needs of the pupils served by the school. In addition, the bid did not allow for the full present day costs of rebuilding the school. And recent guidance from the DfES has significantly increased the space requirements for special schools.

Together, these factors mean that the Wokingham project is unachievable within the original budget of £6.33million. And to resolve these issues, the council’s ten-strong executive will be asked to approve a phased development that would bring the total cost of the new school to some £11.44million.

Phase One (2006-2008):
To build a brand new school to house the core facilities of the school at an additional cost of some £2.45million. In addition to classrooms, gymnasium and hydrotherapy pool, these would include specialist art, science, ICT, music, drama and physical education facilities as well as SEN (special education needs) facilities such as sensory suite, soft play area and physiotherapy, speech and language and medical areas. Some 30 primary pupils and 35 further education pupils would, however, need be accommodated in the school’s relocated modular classrooms until Phase Two is completed.

Phase Two (under way 2008-2013):
This aims to complete the school by replacing the temporary accommodation with permanent facilities. Work would start on Phase Two within a five year period from the opening of the new school (2008-2013). And the additional cost would be £2.66million, which the council would seek to obtain from the DfES under its Building Schools for the Future scheme. If unsuccessful, the council would provide the funding from its own resources.

Wokingham Cllr Frank Browne said: “I can confirm that if the extra funding is agreed on January 26, the brand new school built in Phase One will be bigger than the current Addington complex and will offer improved specialist and SEN facilities. There will be more space and everything will be on one site, close to The Bulmershe Secondary School and other facilities in the Woodley area. We will also seek to enhance Addington’s specialist music status not only for pupils but for the wider community.”

Headteacher Liz Meek said: “We have worked hard with the district council to get the best possible deal for the children in our care. The council fully supports our vision to become a centre of excellence but we have to accept that it may take longer to fully realise.”

Addington’s vice chairman of Governors Nick Dyer said: “I’m very excited at the prospect of having a new school. It will be a big step forward in providing the best possible environment for our pupils. The phasing of the project is a pragmatic way of achieving our vision.”

A newsletter will be sent to school staff and parents of both Addington and The Bulmershe schools this Friday (January 20), to ensure they are kept up-to-date on this major project to relocate and rebuild Addington Special School.

“A key aspect of this important project is keeping our key stakeholders as informed as possible,” said Cllr Browne. “And if executive give the proposals the green light next week, local people will have further opportunities to have their say as the project moves through the detailed design stage which will go through the normal planning consent process.”

Wokingham District Council

Pupils at Loddon Infant and Junior Schools could be set for a safer journey to school as Wokingham District Council’s decision-making executive considers road safety measures.

At their meeting on Thursday January 26, members of the Wokingham executive will consider proposals to repaint the ‘School Keep Clear’ markings on Silverdale Road making them clearer to road-users as well as a plan to introduce a limited waiting restriction. It is intended that this will be effective during school drop-off and pick-up times whilst allowing parking at other times of day. This measure is designed to increase visibility for vehicles approaching the bends as well as for pedestrians crossing the road. “No waiting at any time” restrictions are also planned for Silverdale Road’s junctions with Hillside Road and Gipsy Lane.

Whilst objections have been raised to this proposal, Wokingham council’s highways consultative board has recommended its approval as it would allow on-street parking outside of the waiting restrictions whilst the restrictions near to the junctions would bring important safety improvements.

The areas left open for parking are also expected to act as informal traffic calming. Wokingham council is currently trying to fill the vacancy for a school crossing patroller and, if the proposals are agreed, the removal of cars at the designated crossing point is intended to ensure visibility for the new patroller when recruited, as well as for parents who will no longer need to cross behind parked cars.

If given the go-ahead by the executive, it is estimated that the work will cost £2,000.

Executive member for highways and transport Wokingham Cllr Anthony Pollock said: “The council is continually exploring new ways to improve the highways service it provides. If the executive gives the go-ahead to these proposed amendments, I hope that everyone using the road will see improved safety.”

Wokingham District Council