Wokingham

Along with all local authorities across the country, Wokingham Borough Council has been given short notice to change its Tree Preservation Order - TPO -legislation process.

The main changes, which come into force next week, are:

A new mandatory standard application form for work to trees protected by a TPO will be adopted by all local authorities in England and Wales. An application made in any other manner will not be accepted by the local planning authority.
A new requirement has been introduced that information to support the reasons for the proposed work must be provided with the application.
A fast track appeals process has been introduced. Under this new system the Planning Inspectorate will consider appeals based on representations and information supplied with the original application rather than separate written representations.

Under these new regulations, Wokingham Borough Council will not be able to accept any TPO work applications on old versions of the application form (or any means other than the new form) after October 1. Anybody applying in an out-of-date or incorrect way will be requested to complete a new form.

The council will make the new forms available on its website and in hard copy from: Development Management Reception, First Floor, Council Offices, Shute End, Wokingham as soon as it receives them from central government.

Anybody with any questions about the changes can contact the Tree and Landscaping Team on 0118 974 6464 or 6767 or 6469.

Wokingham Borough Council

To mark the Paralympic handover ceremony and the start of the build-up to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, The Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) were ‘quick out of the blocks’ as they ran through the streets of the Wokingham Borough to deliver the handover flag to their barracks in Arborfield on Wednesday (September 17).

The six-strong relay team of soldiers left Wokingham Borough Council’s civic offices on Wednesday afternoon. And along the route* the flag was handed over like a baton in a relay race before arriving at Arborfield Garrison where representatives from the borough council joined the soldiers of the REME in raising a handover flag to celebrate London being the host city for the next Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The flag was hoisted jointly by Brigadier Brian McCall and borough council chief executive Susan Law. This historic occasion was also marked with a gun salute and bugle call.

Cllr Malcolm Bryant, deputy executive member for Wokingham community development, said: “With the handover of the games from Beijing to London these are extremely exciting times for sport and culture in the Wokingham Borough, and a great opportunity to inspire our residents to get involved with leisure activities. This is just the beginning of the Olympic and Paralympic journey for London, and for many of our sports people who hope to compete in the games in 2012. After the success of Team GB in this summer’s games, I hope it will encourage more residents, whether young or old, and those with disabilities, to take part in sport and culture.

“One of the council’s priorities is for better health for all and support for vulnerable people and we want to ensure that all our residents have better access to leisure opportunities. The council continues to invest in sports facilities and promotes healthier living to ensure the legacy of the Olympic Games will be long-lasting in the Wokingham Borough.”

Colonel David Cowan, the garrison commander at Arborfield, said: “The British Army has a long and proud association with the Olympic Games and is set to play significant role in 2012. It participates in every sport, often at national level, and is likely to contribute a number of athletes in 2012. Three soldiers that took part in the relay will be competing at the highest level: Rebecca Hoare of the GB Junior Orienteering Team along with Craftsmen Bret Sharpe and John Davies, both Army boxing champions. The Army, and Arborfield Garrison in particular, greatly appreciates the support it draws from the local community and is honoured to be a part of this great sporting celebration.”

Wokingham Borough Council

World Mental Health Day will be celebrated on Friday October 10 and the event will be marked in Wokingham with a quiz and buffet being organised by a group of service users and carers, the Head First group.

The Wokingham Head First group of mental health service users and carers meet each month to discuss and develop services, such as a fortnightly brunch. The group’s representatives sit on policy boards and ensure that the views of service users are expressed and their concerns addressed.

World Mental Health Day is organised by the World Federation of Mental Health to raise awareness of mental health issues and ensure mental health is at the forefront of public policy.

Wokingham Borough Council executive member for social care Cllr Chris Edmunds said: “Events such as this are a good way to raise awareness of mental health issues and to keep them in the public eye – as well as being a fun social activity for those involved.”

The group will be holding its buffet and quiz from midday to 4pm on Friday October 10 at the Community Resource Service, 48 Reading Road, Wokingham.

Anybody wanting to go to the event can contact Wokingham Community Mental Health Service social worker Graeme Morrish on (0118) 989 0707.

Graeme Morrish said: “The Head First group are playing a important and growing role and this evening is another of the great ideas they have come up with, We are all looking forward to it.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Poetry, thrillers and family history will be among the attractions on offer in the Wokingham borough’s libraries in October.

Visitors to any of the Wokingham borough’s libraries from the start of October will be able to pick up a Marvellous Mysteries bookmark, with suggestions of top crime authors they may wish to read plus the chance to win £30 of book tokens. Library members who read six crime or mystery novels before November 30 and get a stamp for each on their bookmark can enter the book token draw.

Other events in the borough’s libraries in October include a digital camera beginners’ workshop at Wokingham Library from 10am to 1pm on Friday October 3, which is free to attend but places must be booked from the library on (0118) 978 1368. Those attending should take their cameras and camera manuals.

Wokingham borough libraries have seen a growth in the popularity of book groups in recent years and to reflect this, Wokingham Library will host a book group celebration evening from 7.30pm to 9pm on Tuesday October 7. The free event for book group members or those thinking of joining a group will offer the chance to meet bestselling author Jo Rees, nominate their group’s favourite book, enter a literary quiz and enjoy some refreshments. To book a place call the library on (0118) 978 1368. (Jo Rees also writes under the name Josie Lloyd).

The Wokingham Non-Fiction Book Group will meet from 6.30pm to 7.45pm on Thursday October 16. For more details, email bookgroups@wokingham.gov.uk.

Another celebratory evening, this time for poetry, will be held at Wokingham Library from 6.30pm to 8pm on Thursday October 16. Poets Victoria Pugh, Susan Utting and Ian House will read from their work (published by Two Rivers House) and the winner of the Wokingham Borough 2007 poetry competition Martin Haslam will also read. The winner of the 2008 competition will also be announced. The evening is free and refreshments will be provided. To book a place call the library on (0118) 978 1368.

Anybody wanting to find out more about the Home Library Service will be welcome at a Volunteer Coffee Morning from 10am to midday on Friday October 24 at Wokingham Library. The morning will give volunteers a chance to meet their fellow volunteers and celebrate volunteers’ contribution to their communities. If you know somebody who enjoys reading but cannot visit the library go along on to the volunteer coffee morning to find out about the home library service, under which volunteers deliver a regular selection of books to homebound readers. For more information about the day call (0118) 974 6263.

Keen amateur family historians will be able to go to a drop in session with members of the Berkshire Family History Society at Wokingham Library from 2pm to 5pm on Tuesday October 28.

Other events in the borough’s libraries in October include a composting advice session at Lower Earley Library from 10am to midday on Saturday October 11; the non-fiction book group will meet from 6.30pm to 7.45pm on Thursday October 16. There will be regular reading cafes at Wokingham, Twyford, Woodley and Spencers Wood libraries through the month.

Wokingham Borough Council executive member for community development Cllr Dianne King said: “With nights drawing in, autumn is the perfect time for getting into a good book – so all the borough’s libraries will be well worth a visit next month. But the Wokingham Borough’s libraries are not just a place for books; they have a wonderful range of activities to suit all tastes.

For full details of all activities in the borough’s libraries call Wokingham Library on (0118) 978 1368

Wokingham Borough Council

Wokingham Tenant Board’s first Annual General Meeting (AGM) took place on earlier this month, showcasing the achievements of council tenants and housing services during the past year.

More than 50 tenants, leaseholders and staff attended the event which included the launch of the AGM’s first annual report and presentations from the Chair of the Wokingham Tenant Board local resident Maureen Ford and head of tenant services Simon Price.

The meeting also provided an opportunity for attendees to put any questions they had to a panel including council leader Cllr David Lee, as well as staff from Tenant Services, covering topics such as home improvements and maintenance and community events.

The annual elections of Wokingham tenant representatives also took place enabling all attendees to vote for their local tenant representative who will be involved in making key decisions or recommendations about services provided to tenants. Thirteen tenants were elected to represent local areas from Remenham in the north of the borough to Finchampstead in the south.

Maureen Ford said: “We are really pleased to have seen so many people come along to the annual meeting. It’s good to see more Wokingham tenants and leaseholders having their say and an input in to the service and we hope to see this continue.”

Anyone who is interested in becoming a tenant representative or would like to find out more about they can get involved, please contact the resident participation team (0118) 974 3767 / 3759 or email Hannah.Linder@wokingham.gov.uk

Wokingham Borough Council

Wokingham Borough Council’s decision-making executive is set to approve a new homelessness strategy later this month.

The new Wokingham strategy would build on the success of its predecessor, which was adopted in 2003 and has helped reduce the number of homeless people in the borough each year since. As with its predecessor, the main aims of the strategy will be to prevent homelessness wherever possible and to address the needs of anybody for whom homelessness cannot be prevented.

The Council’s draft strategy for preventing Wokingham homelessness focuses on providing good advice, information and flexible help to those in danger of becoming homeless as well increasing the availability of affordable housing. Some of the initiatives that have been set up include a mediation service for families in which young people are in danger of being forced from the family home, the publication of a range of housing advice leaflets and reorganising the housing needs team to provide greater focus on homelessness prevention.

The Council has also introduced Rent-in-Advance and Rent Deposit schemes to give a helping hand to people who need it when they are renting a home.

The new strategy sets out to expand and develop these and other initiatives already under way as well as to introduce new methods of preventing homelessness.

Among these improvements envisaged by the strategy are to collect and study customer feedback from people who have been in contact with the housing needs team, to establish links with an independent financial advice centre to enable referrals for debt advice and to increase publicity to improve residents’ awareness of housing rights.

If approved, the effectiveness of the strategy would be evaluated by a newly created homelessness strategy forum.

Wokingham Borough Council leader Cllr David Lee said: “With the current uncertainty in the housing market and the economy, more people will be in danger of becoming homeless in the next few years – so this strategy is coming at an opportune time. Prevention is the key to our strategy because it is better for all concerned to stop people becoming homeless than to try to help them once they are homeless. Our current strategy has been successful in reducing the number of homeless people in the borough and it is right to review that now in order to ensure further success in the future.”

The strategy will be discussed by the council’s decision-making executive committee on Thursday September 25.

Wokingham Borough Council

A charter between Wokingham Borough Council and the borough’s town and parish councils is set to be approved this month.

The Wokingham borough council’s decision making executive approved a draft of the charter in May and town and parish councils have now had a chance to comment on it. The executive will considered the slightly modified charter on Thursday September 25.

If adopted, the Wokingham new charter will replace one drawn up in 1999, with some of the main changes being greater commitment from the borough council to involve town and parish councils in consultation, information sharing and liaison in areas such as community strategy. Under the proposed charter, the borough council will also designate a town and parish liaison officer, organise at least one town and parish conference per year and ensure a regular supply of two-way information for town and parish councils. An additional new clause would be added to encourage town and parish councils to seek Quality Council status, which is a national benchmark of service provision.

As well as these, the draft charter sets out the practical support Wokingham borough council would give to town and parish councils in services such as printing and purchasing.

Executive member for community development Cllr Dianne King said: “The relationship between the borough council and town and parish councils is extremely important and I believe this charter will help further strengthen those relationships. We have already improved communication with town and parish councils and I look forward to building even closer ties with them.”

Wokingham Borough Council

All those involved in the visual and performing arts and arts education and those who are passionate about seeing more art activities in the Wokingham Borough are invited to the Wokingham Arts Forum next week.

The forum is an open meeting where people can meet fellow artists and art champions and hear about such initiatives as the Sunday Arts Market in Wokingham town centre and the Mall Gallery in the borough council’s Shute End offices in Wokingham. They will also be able to find out about what is happening with arts around the borough and what other opportunities are available.

The meeting will be at Wokingham Theatre in Cantley Park, Twyford Road, Wokingham from 6pm to 7.45pm on Thursday September 25.

The Arts Forum is supported by The Cultural Partnership, which champions arts, sports, heritage and leisure for people of all ages in the borough and is financed by Wokingham Borough Council and the Arts Council England, South East.

Wokingham Borough Council

Wokingham Borough Council’s Mayor caused a stir on Tuesday (September 16) morning by hosting a coffee morning in support of Macmillan Cancer Relief.

Cllr Pauline Helliar-Symons, Mayor of the Wokingham Borough was full of beans when she served up cups of coffee and handed out biscuits as part of the world’s biggest coffee morning event – run annually by the charity.

Local residents as well as council staff and volunteers from Macmillan all stopped off to grab a cuppa – raising more than £200 for the organisation.

Wokingham Cllr Helliar-Symons said: “All proceeds from the coffee morning will be used by Macmillan to provide much needed support to people affected by cancer. Without fundraising events like this, the organisation, which makes a real difference to the lives of people living with cancer and their families, would not be able to provide such a much-needed service.

“Every penny of the £200 raised will be used to improve the lives of people affected by cancer, so I want to thank everyone who joined me on Tuesday morning for giving generously to such a worthy cause. It’s amazing that by doing such a small thing, like having a cup of coffee, can make such a huge difference to someone living with the illness.”

Wokingham Borough Council

With more than 80 organisations expressing their interest in the future revamp of Wokingham town centre, residents can be confident that it is still an attractive place for development, despite the current economic downturn.

Cllr Matthew Deegan, executive member for Wokingham community regeneration at Wokingham Borough Council, said: “We are taking an active role in the regeneration of the town centre as a whole and now that we have secured this all-important interest from developers and other organisations, our next task is to employ the specialist expertise vital to ensuring we get the centre we want.

“The redevelopment will have an impact on the town for decades to come and we have got to make sure that it is done properly and with the right developer to meet Wokingham’s needs. The council’s executive will therefore be asked to approve, at its meeting on September 25, the budget necessary to appoint specialist experts experienced in all the complex and long term requirements of a comprehensive town centre regeneration. As the people of Wokingham have made clear, we can’t just look at this as development of isolated sites, nor can we just accept what is proposed to us.

“To meet this aim we will need to work with experts in their field - retail economists, urban designers, financiers and planners to name a few. They can give the vital advice on how best Wokingham can work from a pedestrian, residential, commercial, leisure and vehicular basis.”

Chief executive Susan Law said: “We are going to facilitate the whole process to ensure we have the right developer in place to regenerate the whole Wokingham town centre rather than individual sites and this must be done in a coordinated way.

“By having an ownership stake in the future development by bringing the Rose Street car park back into the council’s ownership, we can better control what is developed and when it happens, without the town of Wokingham being prey to the priorities of any single private developer. But we need to work with selected professional and experienced experts that can give advice and protect the interests of the council and therefore the people of Wokingham. They will help us to find a partner whose financial strength and experience in town centre redevelopment will complement our ability to represent what the people of Wokingham want by way of development.”

If given the green light by the Wokingham executive on September 25, the next step will be for the council to recruit and work with the specialist consultants to shortlist a small number of prospective developers by the end of the year, with a view to starting the competitive dialogue with the prospective developers early in 2009.

Work will also continue with residents and local interest groups to ensure the council represents what the people of Wokingham want by way of development.

Susan Law said: “We all want to see progress made on improving the town centre and making it an even more vibrant place for all to enjoy and I’m looking forward to working with local people to get these improvements under way.”

To ensure this joint-working takes place, the council is setting up a Wokingham Town Centre Forum comprising representatives from, amongst others, the Wokingham Society, retailers, Business and Residents’ Action Group (BRAG), young people, residents, Wokingham Town Council and the Chamber of Commerce.

Wokingham Borough Council

Wokingham Borough Council’s decision-making executive will later this month look at challenging a series of proposed changes to the South East Plan, which suggests increasing the region’s housing target by a further 1,125 a year.

Central government is currently asking local authorities across the south east for comments on changes to the plan, which dictates how housing, transport and infrastructure is shaped in the region, after it was reviewed in August 2007 by an independent panel.

The Wokingham panel recommended a number of changes, which could affect the borough, and the government has asked local councils to comment after the proposed changes, based on their thoughts on the panel’s recommendations.

One of the main modifications is an increase in housing development across the region from a minimum of 32,000 a year to 33,125. In August the independent panel recommended that 623 houses need to be built in the borough each year, which was an increase from the 523 set out by the South East England Regional Assembly (SEERA) when it submitted the plan in March 2006. While the new to the report does not increase the 623 homes, despite a regional increase, it does not reduce the figure of 523 either - even though the council pointed out that such rates of development would be impossible to sustain given the borough’s infrastructure and environment.

The Wokingham executive will be looking at several points and will be deciding on if it should send a reply to the government’s consultation and, if it does reply, what it should contain. The main areas that the executive will be asked to look at as a basis of a response includes:

• Objecting to the housing figure for the Wokingham Borough and stating it should be reduced from 623 dwellings per year to 320 plus the development of Arborfield Garrison

• Objecting to the redistribution any of the housing figures allocated to Kennet Valley Park in Reading, which have been deleted due to flood risk, to the Wokingham Borough.

• Including in the plan the need for extra crossing capacity over the River Thames.

• Requesting increased investment in Wokingham town centre so that it can be regenerated and maintain its viability and vitality.

• Requesting acknowledgement that the Wokingham Borough needs significant investment it its infrastructure to support housing growth both in the borough and in Reading.

• Reinstating a policy on gaps so that towns in the area are clearly defined, for example so that there is a clear strategically placed gap between homes in Reading and the Wokingham Borough and Bracknell and the Wokingham Borough.

Wokingham Borough Council

Residents wanting to have their say on how communities are created and maintained in the Wokingham Borough over the next two decades have just two weeks left to register their comments.

Wokingham Borough Council unveiled its core strategy in August, which is a development blueprint outlining where housing settlements, schools, roads, community facilities, parks, offices, shops and open space will be created in the borough over the next 20 years.

After the core strategy vision document was revealed the council asked residents, businesses, community groups and organisations to have their say on the plans – which will ultimately shape how the borough grows until 2026.

And with the deadline for comments fast approaching it is essential that anyone wanting to have their say on the extensive plan sends in their comments by Wednesday October 1 at 5pm, so it can be included for future discussion.

Residents can send their views in to the council by using the online form at www.wokingham.gov.uk/core-strategy or by emailing comments to corestrategy@wokingham.gov.uk

The Wokingham draft core strategy currently contains four key housing areas where large-scale developments could take place in order to fulfil the Wokingham Borough’s house-building requirements, set out by government under the South East Plan. While that number is still be negotiated it is clear that some development will be inevitable, therefore having large strategically placed developments will allow for better infrastructure and community facilities. The alternative of scattered development, all over the borough, would put more pressure on the existing infrastructure.

Wokingham Borough Council

Wokingham Borough Council’s executive will make a final decision on whether to standardise car parking charges across the borough at its meeting next week.

Residents, businesses and members of the Wokingham community were asked for their views on the decision to change car parking fees via a consultation last month (August), after the council’s executive agreed to standardise fees in June.

The council’s cross party scrutiny committee upheld the executive’s decision to make the changes when it met over two meetings in July.*

If the executive agrees to implement the changes, which will apply to all borough council-run car parks except Rose Street in Wokingham, Dinton Pastures Country Park in Hurst and California Country Park in Finchampstead, the new charges will apply from Wednesday October 1.

Additionally a 30-minute parking ticket for 50p for people wanting to make a quick stop will be introduced at Denmark Street car park in Wokingham and Headley Road car park in Woodley from October 1. Price increases in Wargrave and Twyford car parks could potentially rise steadily year-on-year to match other Wokingham borough council run car to make the increases more manageable. Currently they are significantly cheaper than other car parks in the borough.

Before making a decision on whether to continue with the proposed levy of increased charges the executive will take into account the 20 comments the council received from the public during the consultation process. Comments were received from residents, retailers and traders, parish and town councils, and councillors.

Cllr Keith Baker, executive member for highways and transport, said: “The executive will be making a final decision at its meeting next week on what changes to car park fees there will be in the Wokingham Borough from October. No-one likes to put up any charges but after absorbing increased costs for the last two years we were left with no option but to consider raising them this year.

“We recognise there is some hardship in the current economic climate but unfortunately the cost of running a car park does go up each year regardless of the economy. Therefore we have to look at ways of funding these increased costs without making the council tax payer foot the bill – which simply isn’t fair on those residents who do not use council car parks.

“If the proposed increases do go ahead this year we will endeavour not to increase any parking fees until 2010.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Stray dogs in the Wokingham Borough have got silver footprints according to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), which declared the council’s environmental health team as one of the most dog-friendly in the country this week.

Wokingham Borough Council’s environmental health team has been awarded a prestigious Silver Footprint for Stray Dogs as part of the RSPCA’s first ever Community Animal Welfare Footprint awards.

The awards have been set up to recognise local authorities and housing associations that have excellent animal welfare policies and practices. Wokingham Borough Council was acknowledged for its stray dog services, which includes a comprehensive out of hours service, dedicated animal warden and schemes to help reunite lost dogs with their owners as quickly as possible.

The RSPCA praised the council for being proactive and said that with some minor improvements, including having more information about the public’s responsibility under the Animal Welfare Act on its website, it could achieve a gold footprint next year.

Joe Dray, Wokingham principal environmental health officer, said: “It’s really encouraging that an organisation such as the RSPCA has recognised how hard we are working to improve animal welfare in the borough and I’m pleased that we received a silver footprint for our stray dog services.

“This award shows that we are already one of the top performing authorities in the country for stray dog services and I hope with a few minor adjustments we will be awarded a gold footprint next year!”

As well as the stray dog service the RSPCA recognised the council’s Dog & Bone text scheme, which helps alert dog-walkers to an escaped pooch via a text message, so that wayward pets can be reunited with their owners as quickly as possible, which was launched in January by animal warden Mandy Dorman. The scheme helped secure the silver footprint award.

Cllr Rob Stanton, executive member for Wokingham corporate services, added: “The council’s environmental health team works hard to make sure animals in the Wokingham Borough are as safe and protected as possible, especially stray dogs.

“I’m delighted that the RSPCA, which is one of the country’s leading animal welfare organisations, has recognised that we have good policies in place for dealing with stray dogs and animal welfare and that we have an innovative approach to improving services.”

Residents who want to register for the Dog & Bone scheme can call Mandy Dorman on (0118) 974 6356 or can email lostdogs@wokingham.gov.uk

Wokingham Borough Council

This week (September 15, 16 and 17), Year 9 students from schools across the Wokingham Borough will have the opportunity to find out more about the new Diplomas, which will be available as part of their option choices from September 2009.

A new qualification for Wokingham 14 to 19 year-olds, the diploma will be available in seven subject areas: business administration and finance; creative and media; construction and the built environment; hair and beauty studies; IT; engineering and society, health and development. Designed to help students develop work-relevant skills in a creative and enjoyable way, the diplomas combine theory in the classroom with practical work experience, giving students the chance to gain transferable skills that any employer, in any sector, will recognise.

And this week sees the national launch of the Diploma Roadshow, sponsored by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), co-hosted by Wokingham and Reading Boroughs. Being held at The University of Reading, the roadshow has interactive kiosks and inflatable pods that allow students to discover the Diploma in a structured but informal environment. Connexions Berkshire personal advisers are on hand throughout the three-day Roadshow (September 15 to 17) to give students practical and impartial information, advice and guidance on the Diploma. Parents who wish to find out more about the Diploma also have the opportunity to visit the Diploma Roadshow, between 4.30pm and 7pm on Monday September 15 and Tuesday September 16 (last entry: 6.30pm) and between 3.30pm and 5pm on Wednesday September 17.

Wokingham Borough Council

Aspiring singers, rappers and musicians are invited to the Wokingham youth service’s new weekly music workshop on Wednesday nights, which begins on September 24.

Young Wokingham people, aged 13 to 19, can get together with other like-minded musicians to learn about organising gigs and how write and record songs! They will have the use of the on-site recording studio and work with experienced local musicians who work within the music industry. Young people can also ask advice about how to publicise themselves or their band effectively.

Elaine Wealleans, Wokingham youth worker, said: “Silverdale Youth Centre has a long-running connection with the arts, and we wanted to offer the young people something that was more of a package than a one-off session. These new music workshops will give them the opportunity to explore many different sides to working in music, and as well as it being fun we also hope they will be able to utilise these skills in life when the sessions are over.”

Sessions will start on Wednesday September 24 at 7pm and entry only costs £1 per session.

For more information about these weekly workshops, please call (0118) 966 9529 or e-mail youthmusicnight@googlemail.com or, if you would like to reserve a place at one of the sessions, please call into Silverdale Youth Centre and pick up a reservation form.

Wokingham Borough Council

Wokingham Borough Council recognises the inconvenience the sudden closure of Arborfield Post Office will cause the local community, especially to elderly and vulnerable people who could be quite badly affected by the closure.

However, Wokingham council is encouraged to hear that Post Office Ltd is apparently seeking alternative premises. That said, there could still be a considerable gap before premises are found and kitted out.

Deputy chief executive of Wokingham Borough Council Paul Turrell said: “Nationally the Post Office has encouraged people to have their pensions and benefits paid directly into their bank accounts but not everyone has been able to do this and would need more time to do so than the current circumstances allow.

“The council will work with the parish council to see if any assistance can be provide to help those most in need to collect their pensions and benefits. I will also contact the national contracts manager at Post Office Ltd to ask why this closure has happened so suddenly and how quickly this valuable and well-used facility can be restored to the community. I urge residents where possible to arrange to have their pensions and benefits paid directly into their bank accounts.”

Cllr Dianne King, executive member for Wokingham community development, said: “I understand the local community is rallying around which is gratifying to see and the parish and borough councils are trying to come up with ideas to help in both the short and longer terms.”

Wokingham Cllr Gary Cowan said: “The council will be encouraging Post Office Ltd to find another suitable location and operator as soon as possible. We sympathise with the difficulties some of our residents will have without a Post Office in the interim, especially those without a car or are disabled or elderly. We will look at how we can help, particularly working with the parish council.”

Wokingham Borough Council

With a brand new state-of-the-art special school being built within The Bulmershe School campus, the Wokingham council is to start the process of planning for the sale and redevelopment of the existing Addington Special School site in Loddon Bridge Road, Woodley.

The existing Wokingham school buildings, which are outdated and unsuitable for modern day teaching, are set to close next year after the new multi-million pound Addington Special School opens its doors in spring 2009.

The new £13.5million school is being built by contractors Balfour Beatty, and construction is progressing well with the walls, floors, ceilings and windows all in place.

But to help pay for the new school, the council has to let the existing site in Loddon Bridge Road, Woodley, go for redevelopment.

An application for outline planning permission for some 52 houses is set to be submitted in October. But to inform this planning application, a local consultation on the draft proposals is to be held before the application is submitted.

An exhibition of the Wokingham proposals will take place at Rivermead School on Saturday September 20, providing an analysis of the site and surrounding area with an illustrative layout for 52 houses, all two storey to fit in with the local area. After consideration of the comments received, an application for outline planning permission is likely to be submitted at the beginning of October. Residents will have the opportunity to make further comments during the normal planning process.

Cllr Norman Jorgensen, executive member for Wokingham children’s services, said: “It's a new era for Addington and I am delighted to see the building work advance. The new school will provide Addington pupils with first class facilities to help them achieve their full potential and I’m delighted with its progress.

“But to pay for these exciting new facilities we are having to release the existing school site for redevelopment. The proposals for residential development are in line with local plan policies and nearby residents will have the opportunity to comment at the public exhibition in September and through the normal planning process.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Roads around the Wokingham borough will be improved over the next few weeks to ensure a smoother ride for motorists.

Resurfacing work and road repairs are being carried out by Wokingham Borough Council’s contractors on four main roads in the borough over the next few weeks – which will mean motorists will need to find an alternative route while the improvements are carried out.

The work will ensure bumps and small potholes are filled in so that the borough’s roads are in a better condition for everyone using them.

Wokingham Highways Alliance* will carry out the work and manage traffic on the following roads:

• Maidenhead Road and Carters Hill – between The Straight Mile and the borough’s boundary with the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. The work, which will include patching the highway and repairing drainage, started on Monday September 8 and last for around two weeks. The alternative route for motorists is The Straight Mile to Binfield Road, to Twyford Road and then on to Church Hill.

• Waterloo Road – between Easthampstead Road and the railway crossing. The work will include patching up parts of the road surface, repairing some kerbs and resurfacing part of the road. It started on Monday September 8 and will last for about one week. The alternative route will be along Easthampstead Road and Old Wokingham Road.

• Milley Lane – between the A4 Bath Road and Milley Bridge. The work will include resurfacing and repairing parts of the road and repairing drains. It will start on Monday September 15 and last for about two weeks. The alternative route is A4 Bath Road, London Road, New Road, Ruscombe Lane, Waltham Road, Twyford Road and The Street.

Cllr Keith Baker, executive member for Wokingham highways and transport, said: “The Highways Alliance is a new team in the borough that has made a commitment to maintain and improve roads so that motorists have a safer and more comfortable journey.

“I’d like to apologise to anyone who is inconvenienced by the roadworks over the next few weeks and thank motorists in advance for their patience while these improvements, and future improvements, are carried out. In our vision we have pledged to the community that as a council we will invest in our roads and improve road safety – therefore this work is essential in fulfilling that promise to make our roads as safe and user-friendly as possible.”

Wokingham Borough Council

More than 20,000 requests to check how hygienic and well managed eateries and food outlets are in the Wokingham Borough have been made in the past 10 weeks alone.

The Scores on the Doors project has seen around 2,000 requests for information from members of the public come in each week since Wokingham Borough Council launched the initiative in the borough on June 23, 2008.

Scores on the Doors is a national system that takes into account the food hygiene and management scores of all food business in a particular area and gives each business, whether it’s a kebab van, café or top restaurant, a star rating.*

It focuses on basic hygiene practices like clean work surfaces and floors, ensuring fridges and freezers are set to the correct temperature and that staff are trained correctly. It does not seek to provide a critique of what quality and type of food is on the menu.

Requests for star ratings are instant and can be made on the Scores on the Doors website, which can be found at www.wokingham.gov.uk/scores, or by text. Some restaurants have also chosen to display their rating on a sticker outside the premises.

A surge of Wokingham requests have been via the website in the last few weeks in the wake of the BBC programme Rogue Restaurants, where Yates’s in Reading was featured. There were more than 880 requests for star ratings in the Wokingham Borough the day after the programmed aired.

Environmental health officers have recently spent a lot of time working and educating poorer performing restaurants and out of the eight zero star food businesses that have been formally inspected and risk rated since the scheme was launched seven have improved to two stars or more.

Star ratings can only go up or down after a food business is fully inspected by Wokingham Borough Council’s environmental health team. The inspectors are independent and use national criteria set out by the Food Standard Agency to rate businesses.

Any Wokingham business that has changed its management or hygiene practice since the last full inspection can request a new full inspection. A charge will be made for this. Changes will then be reflected in a new star rating if standards have improved or worsened.

Premises that change ownership must tell the council straight away so that an appropriate inspection can be carried out a star rating awarded accordingly.

Wokingham Borough Council

To mark the Paralympic handover ceremony and the start of the build-up to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, The Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) will be ‘quick out of the blocks’ as they run through the streets of the Wokingham Borough to deliver the handover flag to their barracks in Arborfield.

The six-strong relay team of soldiers will leave Wokingham Borough Council’s civic offices on Wednesday September 17 at 2.45pm.

Along the Wokingham route the flag will be handed over like a baton in a relay race before arriving at Arborfield Garrison where representatives from the borough council will join the soldiers of the REME in raising a handover flag to celebrate London being the host city for the next Olympic and Paralympic Games. The flag will be hoisted jointly by Brigadier Brian McCall and borough council chief executive Susan Law. This historic occasion will also be marked with a gun salute and bugle call.

Cllr Malcolm Bryant, deputy executive member for community development, said: “With the handover of the games from Beijing to London these are extremely exciting times for sport and culture in the Wokingham Borough, and a great opportunity to inspire our residents to get involved with leisure activities. This is just the beginning of the Olympic and Paralympic journey for London, and for many of our sports people who hope to compete in the games in 2012. After the success of Team GB in this summer’s games, I hope it will encourage more residents, whether young or old, and those with disabilities, to take part in sport and culture.

“One of the council’s priorities is for better health for all and support for vulnerable people and we want to ensure that all our residents have better access to leisure opportunities. The council continues to invest in sports facilities and promotes healthier living to ensure the legacy of the Olympic Games will be long-lasting in the Wokingham Borough.”

Colonel David Cowan, the garrison commander at Arborfield, said: “The British Army has a long and proud association with the Olympic Games and is set to play significant role in 2012. It participates in every sport, often at national level, and is likely to contribute a number of athletes in 2012. Taking part in the relay will be three soldiers competing at the highest level: Rebecca Hoare of the GB Junior Orienteering Team along with Craftsmen Bret Sharpe and John Davies, both Army boxing champions. The Army, and Arborfield Garrison in particular, greatly appreciates the support it draws from the local community and is honoured to be a part of this great sporting celebration.”

Wokingham Borough Council

obseekers are invited to Wokingham Borough Council’s civic offices to learn more about the variety of opportunities on offer working for the local authority. Vacancies are offered in many services at the council, offering good career progression and excellent staff benefits including a flexible working policy, a final salary pension scheme, discounts at local shops and family-friendly working policies. Wokingham Borough Council is an age positive employer champion, and is committed to equal opportunities.

Wokingham Recruitment and Careers Day is a chance for council staff to promote careers in their individual services with displays and examples, and meet potential new recruits in a relaxed setting where people can browse the many different career options.

Wokingham Borough Council

Wokingham Community and voluntary groups, as well as town and parish councils, can get free advice on making their buildings more energy efficient at a special green workshop being held this month. Wokingham Borough Council is hosting the workshop, entitled How Green is Your Community Building? with the Community Council for Berkshire and Thames Valley Energy.

It will offer expert advice on how Wokingham groups can cut their energy bills and make their community buildings more environmentally efficient. There will also be advice on possible uses for renewable energy and on grant funding that may be available for community and not-for-profit groups to become more environmentally friendly. The workshop will be at the Borough Council’s Shute End offices in Wokingham from 7pm to 9pm on Thursday September 18.

Wokingham Borough Council income generation officer Alison Munro said: “Becoming more energy efficient is not just good for the environment but also saves money – which can be vital for community groups and not-for-profit organisations operating on small budgets.”

Executive member for the Wokingham environment Cllr Simon Weeks said: “The council does all it can to help businesses in their quest to become greener and save money. I do hope many businesses will take advantage of this excellent opportunity and I am very pleased we are able to offer it.”

The event is free but places are limited and to book, or for more information, contact Wendy Dacey at the Community Council for Berkshire on (0118) 961 2000 or email: wendy.dacey@ccberks.org.uk or Mandi Beresford at Wokingham Borough Council on (0118) 974 6144 or email mandi.beresford@wokingham.gov.uk.

Wokingham Borough Council

Community and voluntary groups, as well as town and parish councils, can get free advice on making their buildings more energy efficient at a special green workshop being held this month. Wokingham Borough Council is hosting the workshop, entitled How Green is Your Community Building? with the Community Council for Berkshire and Thames Valley Energy.

It will offer expert advice on how groups can cut their energy bills and make their community buildings more environmentally efficient. There will also be advice on possible uses for renewable energy and on grant funding that may be available for community and not-for-profit groups to become more environmentally friendly. The workshop will be at the Borough Council’s Shute End offices in Wokingham from 7pm to 9pm on Thursday September 18.

Wokingham Borough Council income generation officer Alison Munro said: “Becoming more energy efficient is not just good for the environment but also saves money – which can be vital for community groups and not-for-profit organisations operating on small budgets.”

Executive member for the environment Cllr Simon Weeks said: “The council does all it can to help businesses in their quest to become greener and save money. I do hope many businesses will take advantage of this excellent opportunity and I am very pleased we are able to offer it.”

The event is free but places are limited and to book, or for more information, contact Wendy Dacey at the Community Council for Berkshire on (0118) 961 2000 or email: wendy.dacey@ccberks.org.uk or Mandi Beresford at Wokingham Borough Council on (0118) 974 6144 or email mandi.beresford@wokingham.gov.uk.

Wokingham Borough Council

Companies across central Berkshire are this month being urged to talk a load of rubbish as part of a survey to investigate business waste and recycling practices.

Businesses in the Wokingham Borough, Bracknell and Reading are being invited to log their refuse and recycling habits on to a confidential database at www.re3.org.uk , so a full picture of how companies in the area manage their waste can be built.

The results of the survey will form part of a project to reduce business waste in the re3 area, which is currently landfilled but could be reused or recycled.

Wokingham Borough Council has secured a £40,000 Business Resource Efficiency and Waste (BREW) Centre for Local Authorities, so the area’s re3 waste partnership – made up of Wokingham, Bracknell and Reading Borough Councils and Waste Recycling Group- could look at ways to reduce business waste.

The re3 partnership has been helped by Business Link Berkshire to progress the project, including helping re3 contact firms so the research can be undertaken.

The partnership would now like to hear from as many of the 10,400 businesses in the re3 area as possible via the confidential and easy-to-use electronic survey – which can be found by logging on to www.re3.org.uk

It takes around 10 minutes to complete and asks businesses a number of things including:

• Size of company
• Business sector
• If they recycle/ what they recycle
• What types of bins they use
• How frequently they have waste collected

The research project is the first step in slashing the amount of business waste sent to landfill sites – which can have an impact on the environment by causing harmful greenhouse gases, plus it can be expensive for both the company and council running the landfill site.

Once the survey finishes on Thursday September 18 the results will be looked at in greater detail so that practical steps can be taken to support the area’s businesses.

Cllr Rob Stanton, re3 waste board chairman, said: “It’s really important that as many businesses in the area fill in the survey as possible so that we can really understand what their needs are and how we can help them recycle and reuse their waste more effectively.

“Once we have a full picture it will be easier for us to make practical changes that could make a huge difference to businesses, the community and the environment.”

Cllr Mrs Dorothy Hayes, executive member for the environment at Bracknell Forest Council, said: “While our residents work very hard to recycle as much as they can, we need to encourage businesses to do their bit too.

“This survey should give us an accurate picture of what’s happening at the moment, and help us to know how we can support them to recycle more.”

Cllr Paul Gittings, lead councillor for environment and sustainability at Reading Borough Council said: “This is another example of how the joint working between the local authorities will benefit local people. Finding better ways to tackle business waste is absolutely vital if we are to meet our ambitious recycling targets in the future.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Wokingham Borough Council will be helping smoke out illegal tobacco sales in the region over the next 18 months thanks to a new project to stub out under-age and counterfeit trading.

The Wokingham council’s trading standards team is working with 18 other local authorities in the south east on a project to eradicate illegal sales and, with funding from the Department of Health tobacco policy team and Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services (LACORS), confirmed last month it is now going ahead.

Over the next 18 months, the Wokingham council’s trading standards team will be looking at ways to reduce the number of under-age cigarette sales in the borough as well as testing certain tobacco products that could be counterfeit.

There will be a number of initiatives running so that the opportunity for under 18s to purchase tobacco products is significantly reduced. One of the main priorities will be to educate independent retailers in the borough and alert them to any counterfeit products circulating in the area via training, a dedicated newsletter and website.

Wokingham Traders will also be given advice on:

• How to refuse sales
• Why certain goods are age restricted
• Health and legal consequences
• How to train more junior members of staff on dealing with age restricted sales
• Think 21 and reinforcing the ‘no ID, no sale’ message that is more commonly used for alcohol sales.

Test purchases of potentially dangerous counterfeit tobacco products will be carried out on an ad-hoc basis, as will under age test purchases. The Wokingham team will also be on the look out for novelty lighters, which were banned in March 2008, and will be taking action against anyone found still selling them.
Steve Richardson, public protection manager, said: “Fortunately we do not have a huge problem with counterfeit tobacco products in the Wokingham Borough, but this project will allow us to keep all our traders on high alert should there be any illegal products circulating in the region. Keeping frontline staff vigilant is vital in making sure that counterfeit products do not end up being sold to consumers.

“Thanks to the joined up working of 19 local authorities in the south east we can now embark on this safety project to keep tobacco out of the reach of children and make sure adults are only able to purchase regulated tobacco products.”

Cllr Rob Stanton, executive member for Wokingham corporate services, added: “Protecting the consumer from potentially harmful counterfeit products is extremely important and this project will keep these illegal products out of the consumer’s reach.

“Also it’s encouraging that by working together with other authorities and local businesses we can ensure that children do not get their hands on cigarettes, which quite clearly can cause health problems later on in life. If all our traders are educated to use and enforce the ‘no ID, no sale’ philosophy then the Wokingham Borough will be a much healthier place to live.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Families have only got a few weeks left to enjoy the ‘oarsome’ fun at Dinton Pastures Country Park, Hurst before the pedalos and rowing boats are sunk for the winter.

Rowing and pedalling across Black Swan Lake has been a popular activity at the Hurst country park since Mr Toad officially opened the family-orientated water sports in June.

Hundreds of trips across the Hurst lake – which reaches a depth of 117 feet in parts – have taken place this summer after the rowing boats and pedalos were introduced for the very first time.

However, with the autumn weather due to start in the next few weeks the sessions will come to an end on Tuesday, September 30 – so there are only a few weeks left to take advantage of the water-based fun! Boats will be available to hire after this time during weekends in October.

Previously water sports on the Hurst lake have been more physical like dinghy sailing, windsurfing and canoeing, but the pedalos and rowing boats have offered a much more laid back and family orientated water- based activity. The boats and pedalos can be hired from as little as £5 per craft from Black Swan Sailing Club.

As well as water sports and family fun activities the park also boasts a café at Black Swan Lake serving a host of treats and refreshments at the café in Hurst Golf Club, where drinks, snacks and ice creams can be purchased.

Cllr Simon Weeks, executive member for Hurst environment, said: “The pedalos and rowing boats have been a source of great enjoyment at Dinton Pastures this summer. Unfortunately it isn’t practical to carry these activities on into the autumn and winter months, but there is still several weeks left for families to take a trip across the lake!

“Whether it’s a pedal across the water or a gentle afternoon row, there’s still time to have a go before the boats are packed away at the end of September.”

Wokingham Borough Council ~ Hurst

Wokingham Residents in Orbit Close hosted a planting party on Saturday to celebrate their new look road and make sure it has plenty of attractive plants.

Orbit Close, Wokingham has been blighted in the past be a large, ugly mound of earth that was not only unattractive but also proved to be a magnate for anti-social behaviour problems such as fly-tipping and the minority of young people in the area who caused trouble for other residents.

The mound was removed earlier this month and last week the area was landscaped in line with designs drawn up by residents – both thanks to a National Lottery Breathing Spaces grant of £5,500. This weekend residents themselves put the finishing touches to the project when they combined a street party with a chance to plant shrubs and trees.

The Gorse Ride Residents’ Association (GRRA), together with Wokingham Borough Council community development worker Claire Denham and the Council’s tenants’ services, secured the funding and the GRRA organised the party with Orbit Close residents.

GRRA secretary Kathie Sandy said: “It is great to have got the mound removed – it has already made a wonderful difference to Orbit Close. From the outside, it may not seem like much, but for people who live in the area, that mound has been a real problem and it is improvements like this that make a major difference to people’s lives.

“The children were great and joined in enthusiastically doing most of the planting. The weather was perfect and helped the party atmosphere. It is hoped that the circular paving slab from the middle of the plot where a flowering cherry tree was planted, will be engraved to commemorate the day and will be added to in the near future together with some tree stumps given to us by Dinton Pastures.”

Volunteers attending the Wokingham planting party enjoyed music supplied by the GRRA and food and drink provided by Orbit Close residents. A free raffle ticket was given to everyone who helped and prizes included an enormous hamper donated by the GRRA committee.

Wokingham Borough Council

The Wokingham Food and Drink Festival is only a few days away! From Friday September 5 to Sunday September 7, festival-goers will be able to test chefs from Miltons restaurant at Cantley House Hotel to a Ready Steady Cook-style challenge. The members of the public will have the chance to select any three or four ingredients from stalls at the festival and present them for the chefs to prepare a tasty dish from.

As well as this Wokingham challenge, the Miltons’ chefs will be kept busy through the weekend as they will be preparing delights such as venison fillet with blueberry and mint mash and sea bass with sweet corn and samphire salsa for visitors to try. They will also be demonstrating how to cook dishes such as duck terrine and blue cheese tartlet.

To wash down these treats, visitors will be able to sample Premier Cru and Grand Cru Champagnes from Premier Champagnes. Other exhibitors confirmed include Pilgrim’s Choice, Gourmet Med, Spanish Wine Company, a Polish Beer Bar and Butler’s Farm Food.

Wokingham town centre manager Brian Newman said: “Whatever your taste, the Wokingham Food and Drink Festival will have something for you. From Polish beers to the finest Champagne and from Indian delicacies to British roast beef, everybody will be catered for. But the festival is about more than food – it is about fun and there will be music and dancing and children’s entertainment all through the weekend, so I would urge people not to miss out.”

As well as the food and drink on offer, the Wokingham festival will include a licensed bar, children’s fun fair and, on Friday and Saturday nights, there will be music from local bands from 5pm to 10pm. The festival will be in Elms Field, Wokingham, from 10am on each day and will go on until 10pm on Friday and Saturday and 5pm on Sunday. For more information contact Brian Newman on (0118) 974 0889.

Wokingham Borough Council

Plans for the multi-million pound redevelopment of Waingels College in Woodley are a step closer to implementation today after Wokingham Borough Council submitted a planning application to transform the school buildings.

The Wokingham council has submitted plans to rebuild and refurbish the school which will be considered by the planning committee later this year. Plans can be viewed at: www.wokingham.gov.uk/planning (planning application number is F/2008/1844).

Last month (August) the council announced the appointment of building contractors Willmott Dixon to carry out the £31.1million reconstruction of the school in Woodley. This exciting project comes after Wokingham Borough Council was awarded the funds from the government’s Building Schools for the Future pathfinder project last year.

Since March 2007, lots of work has been going on behind the scenes to develop the proposals in consultation with students, staff, governors, local residents and key stakeholders including Bracknell and Wokingham College, Scout Association and Berkshire Maestros. The design has evolved over the past few months and subject to planning permission being granted, the building work will be carried out whilst the school remains open. If the planning application is approved, four existing buildings will remain – the maths, music and sports blocks together with the new Weeks building for ICT.

The construction of Waingels College will see a new timber-based build system used for the first time in this country to build a large secondary school. The college will be constructed with solid timber panels that would arrive in sections and then be assembled to create the school’s structure.

The school will continue to accommodate 1,500 students and 172 members of staff and there will be four distinct pavilions arranged around a central courtyard, to be known as the ‘heart pavilion’.

Three of the four learning pavilions will each house 500 students. They will also house two paired faculties (applied sciences and maths, communications and creative arts and humanities and technology) and the students will move between each pavilion in order to access different aspects of the curriculum. There will be flexible spaces, including internet cafes and break out spaces, within each faculty to allow for informal one-to-one meetings between teachers and students. The fourth pavilion will house the main library, hall and dining areas as well as accommodation for administration staff and work space for teachers when they are not teaching. It will also provide a place for six formers to socialise.

Classrooms will be big, light and airy, and there will also be large learning spaces in each pavilion to enable up to 120 students to be taught at any one time. Sporting facilities will also be enhanced with the refurbishment of the sports hall.

Wilmott Dixon has produced designs that will provide a more sustainable building to help reduce the school’s carbon footprint. The building has been designed to meet the latest ‘very good’ BREEAM* rating, which measures the environmental performance of a new building. It is anticipated there will be a 60 per cent reduction in the carbon emissions when the school opens thanks to good natural light, energy efficient lighting, plus a biomass boiler to generate heat and hot water would be installed.

Cllr Norman Jorgensen, executive member for Wokingham children’s services, said: “This project provides the college with a learning environment that makes a significant difference to students and staff.

“Much thought has been given to the designs and they are the result of hard work, innovative ideas and consultation with a whole range of interested parties. We now have a design that suits the needs of the students and the wider community. These state-of-the-art modern facilities will benefit students for generations to come.

Wokingham Borough Council

A new era is about to begin for pupils in Wokingham when a new primary school – All Saints CE Primary School – opens its doors for the first time on September 4.

The new Wokingham primary school was formed after the amalgamation of Palmer CE Aided Junior School and Whitelocke Infant and Nursery School on September 1. For many years the two schools have had a very close working relationship, and during the last two academic years, they worked in partnership with one headteacher.

Wokingham Borough Council’s Deputy Mayor Cllr Barrie Patman and Wendy Woodcock, general manager children’s services, will join pupils and staff and other dignitaries including Leslie Stephen, director of education at Oxford Diocese and Wokingham Town Mayor Cllr Brian Willis at the official opening ceremony. The school gateway will be decorated with balloons welcoming the children to their new school. An assembly will be held for the whole school to attend before moving outside to the school grounds where doves will be released to mark the special occasion.

Leslie Stephen will officially open the school. He said “The opening of All Saints marks an important next step on the journey for both Whitelocke and Palmer and we wish all the children, parents, staff and governors the very best for the new school year.”

Tina Norman, Wokingham headteacher, said: “Following two years of collaboration it is with great excitement that we see the new All Saints School come into being. We are all looking forward to providing seamless transitions for children on their learning journey from the age of three to 11. Our vision is that not only should children have a good start to their school career but should have a wide range of opportunities to achieve and excel as they grow and develop. We are committed to a caring and nurturing ethos and will continue to strengthen relationships with All Saints Parish Church and our community.”

Wokingham Borough Council’s general manager children’s services Wendy Woodcock said: “I am delighted that All Saints Primary School is opening its doors to pupils this academic year. We want all our pupils to have the best possible educational opportunities available and the new primary schools brings many educational benefits for pupils including a smooth, seamless progression for all pupils at key stage 1 and 2. I wish the school lots of success in the future.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Anti-social behaviour takes many forms and knowing whom to turn to when you suffer or witness it can be confusing – and that is where a directory produced by Wokingham Borough Council and its partners could help.

The Wokingham directory lists telephone numbers and email addresses for residents who want to report anything from mini-moped menaces and abandoned trolleys to drug dealing and arson. It also gives advice on how to stay safe and how to ensure Wokingham Borough remains a safe place to live and work.

The Wokingham directory includes advice on what to do if you or your neighbourhood are suffering anti-social behaviour, such as keeping a diary of incidents and names or descriptions of those involved and ensuring that all problems are reported to the relevant organisations. The directory is also designed to encourage people to get involved with local activities in order to help build safer and stronger communities.

Executive member for corporate services Cllr Rob Stanton, who is responsible for Wokingham community safety, said: “There are many ways in which anti-social behaviour can blight people’s lives but there are also plenty of ways in which the problem can be tackled – and plenty of ways people can get involved in their community in a positive way. This directory is a really useful tool to help residents build stronger and safer communities.”

The directory has been distributed to community centres but copies are available to residents from community safety officer Stephanie Nagiel on 0118 974 3798.

Wokingham Borough Council

Drivers planning to use the Wokingham station level crossing will need to use an alternative route later this month as it will be closed for two nights for maintenance work.

The work will take place on Wednesday September 3 and Thursday September 4 from midnight to 6am and closures will be in force while signs are in place throughout those hours.

It is necessary to close the Wokingham level crossing to all traffic so that essential barrier maintenance can be completed safely by Network Rail. Pedestrians will not need to find an alternative route as access will be maintained throughout the closure.

The Wokingham alternative diversion route will be via B3349 Barkham Road, into Molly Millers Lane, then on to A321 Finchampstead Road and Wellington Road, or by this route reversed. Owing to height restrictions under the railway bridge on Finchampstead Road it is only suitable for vehicles under 12ft 6ins.

Vehicles over 12ft 6ins should use A321 Reading Road, B3030 King Street Lane, Bearwood Road and then B3349 Barkham Road, or this route reversed.

Wokingham Borough Council

Local Wokingham residents will be full of beans next month when they join Wokingham Borough Council’s Mayor Cllr Pauline Helliar-Symons in supporting the Macmillan Cancer Relief world’s biggest coffee morning.

Mayor Cllr Pauline Helliar-Symons will be hosting her own coffee morning on Tuesday September 16 between 10am and 1pm, in The Mall, Civic Offices, Shute End in Wokingham.

Wokingham Cllr Helliar-Symons said: “Macmillan use monies raised at these coffee mornings to provide much needed support to people affected by cancer. They do such splendid work and make a real difference to the lives of people with cancer as well as their families.

“It doesn’t matter how much we raise because every penny will be used to improve the lives of people affected by cancer. So I hope that you will join me and staff and elected members at Wokingham Borough Council to make your cup of coffee count. We aim to cause a huge stir! It is amazing how enjoying yourself whilst having a cup of coffee with your friends can help so many people living with this illness.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Local Wokingham residents are being reminded they have just over a month to go to submit their entries for Wokingham Borough Council’s Mayor’s photographic competition.

The competition, based on the theme Wokingham Borough…Past and Present, is being supported by Snappy Snaps, Wokingham. The competition was launched in July with the help of pupils from Bearwood Primary School who joined the Mayor for a photographic workshop. During the hour-long workshop, pupils learnt more about photography and picked up some tips on how to take good pictures.

Mayor Cllr Pauline Helliar-Symons said: “Residents young and old of the Wokingham Borough have just over one month to get submit their entries into my competition. The theme is quite broad as I want all entrants to think about the Wokingham Borough and photograph something that captures either the past or the present or even a combination of both! I am very grateful to our sponsors Snappy Snaps for being willing to support the competition. We have received some exciting and innovative entries so far.”

Snappy Snap’s Jacqueline Chang said: “I am delighted to be involved with the Mayor’s photographic competition. Photography is a rewarding pastime that everyone, young and old, can be involved with. This wonderful competition will allow people to show off their talents while showing off our borough. I am really looking forward to the final exhibition.”

The Wokingham competition has four categories: Adults; young people aged between 11 and 14; young people aged between 15 and 18; and all borough primary schools. Full details of how to enter can be found on the council’s website at: www.wokingham.gov.uk/mayor. Prizes up for grabs include a studio shoot, canvas images, and personalised gifts including mouse-mats, t-shirts and mugs. All winners will win membership to Snappy Snaps’ digital club.

Finalists will be invited to a prize reception in the autumn and their photos will be exhibited in The Mall Gallery at the civic offices, Shute End in Wokingham, before the exhibition tours the borough and visits libraries.

Wokingham Borough Council

The final touches to the Wokingham Food and Drink Festival are being put together and two exciting additions to the line up have been confirmed.

At midday on each day of the Wokingham festival - which runs from Friday September 5 to Sunday September 7 - the festival-goers will be able to test chefs from Miltons restaurant at Cantley House Hotel to a Ready Steady Cook-style challenge. The members of the public will have the chance to select any three or four ingredients from stalls at the festival and present them for the chefs to prepare a tasty dish from.

As well as this challenge, the Miltons’ chefs will be kept busy through the weekend as they will be preparing delights such as venison fillet with blueberry and mint mash and sea bass with sweet corn and samphire salsa for visitors to try. They will also be demonstrating how to cook dishes such as duck terrine and blue cheese tartlet.

To wash down these treats, visitors will be able to sample Premier Cru and Grand Cru Champagnes from Premier Champagnes.

Among the other attractions during the Wokingham weekend will be the Jimmy’s Farm as seen on the hit TV shows Jimmy’s Farm and Jimmy Doherty’s Farming Heroes will be selling their produce, such as their prize-winning sausages . Other exhibitors confirmed include Pilgrim’s Choice, Gourmet Med, Spanish Wine Company, a Polish Beer Bar and Butler’s Farm Food.

As well as the food and drink on offer, the festival will include a licensed bar, children’s fun fair and, on Friday and Saturday nights, there will be music from local bands from 5pm to 10pm.

Wokingham town centre manager Brian Newman said: “Whatever your taste, the Wokingham Food and Drink Festival will have something for you. From Polish beers to the finest Champagne and from Indian delicacies to British roast beef, everybody will be catered for. But the festival is about more than food – it is about fun and there will be music and dancing and children’s entertainment all through the weekend, so I would urge people not to miss out.”

The festival will be in Elms Field, Wokingham, from 10am on each day and will go on until 10pm on Friday and Saturday and 5pm on Sunday. For more information contact Brian Newman on 0118 974 0889.

Wokingham Borough Council

A large mound of earth that had been a perennial source of problems for Wokingham residents in Orbit Close, Gorse Ride, Finchampstead has been removed and will be replaced with a clean and clear public space.

Wokingham Tenants and residents in the neighbourhood have long wanted to see the back of the mound in the middle of Orbit Close, as it was a hotspot for anti-social behaviour that was used by a minority of trouble-making youths to throw stones from and by thoughtless fly-tippers.

And now, thanks to a partnership between the Gorse Ride Residents’ Association (GRRA) and Wokingham Borough Council tenants’ services – and a National Lottery’s Breathing Spaces grant of £5,500 – the mound has been removed and the area will now be landscaped.

Wokingham Borough Council community development worker in Gorse Ride, Claire Denham, said: “The mound served no purpose and just caused problems for the vast majority of law-abiding tenants and residents who just want to live quiet, peaceful lives. We worked with the GRRA and tenants’ services to secure the grant and it has already made a fantastic difference just to have the mound down. Residents have come up with a design for the new open space and local gardeners are going to help advise with planting and landscaping. I cannot wait to see the transformation, so well done to everybody involved for their hard work and determination.”

Contractors will be on the site from Tuesday August 26 to turn the residents’ designs into reality and, when they have finished, residents are being invited to a Planning and Celebration Day to lend a hand to plant up the new public space on Saturday August 30. The volunteers will meet at 10am and the GRRA are putting on music and the residents of Orbit Close will provide food and drink for all those joining in.

Wokingham Borough Council