Wokingham

The Empty Car campaign in Wokingham has had great success in reducing vehicle crime in the borough.

Since the beginning of the year, the Wokingham Empty Car Campaign team of volunteers has checked over 2,000 vehicles, offering crime prevention advice to owners.

During 2008, over 10,000 empty Wokingham vehicles were checked, of which 131 were found to be at risk of being targeted: 43 contained laptops, 21 mobile phones, 10 handbags and 11 were found to be left unlocked. Another 11 had out-of-date tax discs, which were reported to DVLA.

Norman West, who heads the campaign in Wokingham and Reading, said: “We operate in areas like Dinton Pastures and Showcase cinema where members of the public are leaving their vehicles.

“We have recently started targeting pub car parks and will operate anywhere which is deemed safe for volunteers (particularly after sunset) to operate.

“We work with police, who provide advice on where the vehicle crime hotspot areas are so we can make a difference in problem areas.

“The campaign has been considered a success and has been responsible for big reductions in car crime in the areas we have operated.

“It is a good campaign in that it gets the message across to the public in a polite face-to-face way, rather than by leaflets.The advice we offer to owners has been very well received.

“We see items such as laptops and mobile phones left on display in vehicles, which are obviously enticing to thieves.

“I would like to stress to owners that sometimes it is not enough to put your laptop in the boot while you go in the pub, as thieves may watch you do this and then break in to steal it.

“Laptops should never be left on stand-by unattended, as their presence can then be detected by Bluetooth.

“Volunteers of all ages are welcome provided they are prepared to work outside. The more we have, the greater the impact the campaign will have.It is a good stepping stone for those considering joining the police in introducing them to talking and interacting with members of the public in a friendly way.

Insp Lindsay James, deputy commander of the Wokingham Local Policing Area, said: “This initiative has been running for a number of years. Its aim is to educate motorists not to leave anything valuable in the vehicle.

“The volunteers have been the backbone of its success in reducing theft from motor vehicles. It’s fantastic that we have such committed members of the public giving up their free time to help reduce crime across Wokingham Borough.

“If anyone else is interested in giving up some of their free time then contact me.”

Insp James, or your local crime reduction advisor, can be contacted via the 24-hour police enquiry centre on 0845 8 505 505.

Thames Valley Police ~ Wokingham

Wokingham Police are appealing for witnesses after a man was seriously injured in a traffic collision on Saturday (21/2).

At 2.05am, a blue Volkswagen Polo was travelling north along Old Wokingham Road toward Wokingham when it left the road near to the junction with Easthamstead Road and collided with trees and fencing. No other vehicles were involved.

The three occupants of the vehicle were taken to Frimley Park hospital. The front passenger, a 31-year-old man from Bracknell, remains in a serious but stable condition after suffering head injuries. The driver, a 41-year-old man from Bracknell, suffered minor injuries.

PC John Denzel, of Taplow Roads Policing, said: “I am keen to speak to anyone who witnessed the collision, or who may have any information relating to it.”

Anyone who witnessed the Wokingham collision is urged to contact PC Denzel at Taplow Roads Policing department via the 24-hour Police Enquiry Centre on 0845 8 505 505.

If you do not want to speak to the police, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Thames Valley Police ~ Wokingham

“Despite the tough economic climate and severe under-funding from central government, we have set a budget that invests significant additional sums into social care and children’s services.” That’s the message from council leader Cllr David Lee as Wokingham Borough Council sets its budget for 2009 - 2010."

“We are able to do this because we are prioritising our people services and shifting resources from backroom services into frontline care services. This enables to us invest in much-needed services such as extra care housing for elderly people and early-intervention services to safeguard our vulnerable children,” explains Cllr Lee. We are also going to invest more money in waste disposal services and in the regeneration of Wokingham Town Centre. And we are looking to accelerate our affordable housing programme,” he added.

Wokingham Borough Council agreed its budget and council tax increase for 2009-10 at its meeting last Thursday February 19, 2009. An additional £1.28million is to be invested into social care for adults, bringing the total budget for this vital frontline service to more than £38million. And some £2.7million of this £38million will be spent on preventative services that help people’s needs from escalating.

An extra £1.2million will be invested in Wokingham children’s services, bringing the total budget (excluding money that goes directly to schools) to more than £24million, with some £12million of this £24million ear-marked to safeguard children. In addition, some £88million will be delivered to schools in the form of dedicated schools grant (DSG).

Some £2.2million is to be spent on maintaining the Wokingham borough’s roads. Almost £380,000 in grants will go to voluntary and community groups in the borough, an increase of £34,000 on last year and part of an overall package of support for 2009 - 2010 which equates to over £2.5million. And the council is set to embark on a £30.3million capital programme, with some £19.4million to be spent on children’s services, including schools.Cllr Lee said: “This has been a particularly tough budget round. Not only have we had to contend with continued severe under-funding from central government, there is a clear need to invest more money in our vital frontline care services to protect vulnerable children and adults who are our top priority.

“For many years now, keeping council tax as low as possible has been our highest priority but now we need to shift the balance in favour of protecting those most vulnerable in our community. And to me it’s quite simple, if it comes to a choice between cutting grass and protecting a child, then the vulnerable child would come first."

“This is not to say that we’re suddenly going to become a profligate council - far from it. We have made savings and efficiencies over the past five years of some £16million and there’s very little, if any fat, left in the organisation. We have reviewed all our services and made some very difficult decisions to cut back on some so that we can redirect money into the frontline care services but, without sensible funding from central government and continued growth pressures caused by the need to look after some of the most vulnerable in our community, we are going to have to turn more to our taxpayers."

“We are the worst funded unitary authority in the country per head of population. The latest available figures show that we receive from central government just £124 per person compared with, for example, Slough which gets £468 and Reading £381. For 2009-10, we will receive just under £285,000 extra cash from central government. This doesn’t even cover inflation, which will equate to approximately £1.9million.And even this nominal increase from central government could be reduced next year to £271,000. This in turn means we have to raise 79p from residents via the council tax for every £1 we spend on services, against an average of 50p for other unitary councils."

“But, against this background, we remain dedicated to delivering much-needed services to our residents that represent value-for-money and allow us to meet our priorities. I am confident that we are best placed to do this but we mustn’t under-estimate how tough it will be in the future and how difficult it will be to balance responsible council tax increases with the need to protect the most vulnerable in our communities. We also remain strongly committed to delivering a far-reaching vision dedicated to ensuring that Wokingham Borough remains one of the best places in the country to live.”

Wokingham Borough Council’s share of the overall council tax for 2009 - 2010 was set at £1,176.39, representing a 4.79% or £53.78 increase at Band D. This is equivalent to a rise of £1.03 per week.

The average total council tax bill, which includes the police authority, fire and rescue service and parish or town council levy, for properties in Band D will be 1,434.55 for 2009 - 2010 - an annual increase of 4.68% or £64.11. (The figure for each parish will vary as each levies different charges.)

Reserves stand at some £7.6million.

Wokingham Borough Council

The neighbourhood policing team in Wokingham Town Centre have set up a youth volunteering project in partnership with Wokingham Borough Council’s youth service.

Wokingham Activities will include cleaning up the local skate park, picking up litter, removing graffiti and helping out at a local day centre.
There will be incentives for completing an activity, such as a trip to a theme park or ice rink, or vouchers for leisure activities, such as cinema tickets or bowling.

The projects will be open to young people from Wokingham, Norreys and Wescott, Emmbrook and Woosehill, Winnersh and Finchampstead.

The group will meet at the Wokingham youth centre but the projects will take place in various areas around Wokingham.

Police Community Support Officer Vicki Williams, acting as project leader, said: “We hope this will lead to a reduction in low-level anti-social behaviour.

“These projects will benefit the community and give young people something to do – by means of the activity, as well as the reward attached.”

“The first project takes place on Saturday 28 February at Chestnut pre-school in Woosehill. The school suffered a burglary and some incidents of criminal damage in December 2008.”

The project will involve painting a mural and planting flowers to improve the school’s appearance.

Thames Valley Police ~ Wokingham

Wokingham Countryside rangers gave a helping hand on Sunday morning when the Friends of Heathlake took on an early spring clean of the nature reserve in Nine Mile Ride.

Mucky pups in the working group were helped by young people in the Wokingham Duke of Edinburgh group – who are in the process of completing their Duke of Edinburgh Award – to clear debris and vegetation from the stream.

Tools, instructions and guidance were given to everyone who took part and a variety of community groups helped the clear-up.

Lynn Yardley, Wokingham countryside ranger, said: “Heathlake is a really beautiful reserve in the Wokingham Borough and while it was messy and wet work to clear up the stream, the result was worth it. This is the source of the River Emmbrook so it’s very important that it flows well. All the Duke of Edinburgh students worked really hard and we were all enjoyed the toasted marshmallows afterwards! I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who gave time and helped out on Sunday.”

The Wokingham Countryside Service organise regular practical work parties, if you’d like to come along please call (0118) 934 2016 for more details.

Wokingham Borough Council

From money-saving tips to beat the Wokingham credit crunch to joining in an Afro-Anglo singing workshop, there will be plenty of reasons to visit your local library in March.

All the Wokingham borough’s libraries run regular events for children and adults, such as rhymetimes, storytimes and craft activities for children and bookclubs and reading cafes for adults. But each month special events are also organised and a great range is planned for March.

History buffs will be well served through the month with a chance to learn more about Twyford’s past at a local history session at Twyford Library from 2pm to 3pm on Tuesday March 3. Members of Twyford History Society will be on hand to reminisce with residents. And those keen to find out more about their ancestors should make their way to Making the Connection: Family History Advice Day at Wokingham Library from 10am to 3pm on March 28. Members of Berkshire Family History Society will provide advice throughout the day and there will also be informal teaching sessions on such topics as starting your research, using the census, using websites and the Berkshire Record Office. Both these events are free.

The second Afro-Anglo Singing Workshop will take place at Wokingham Library from 10am to 12.30pm on Saturday March 7 following this month’s successful first event. Again, Southern African performer and promoter Lucky Moyo and Anna Tabbush, an up-and-coming star of the folk music scene in the UK, will run the sessions. They will be teaching and leading traditional songs with exciting rhythms and harmonies from Southern Africa and England. The workshop will cost £2 and places must be booked from the library on (0118) 978 1368.

The focus will be on Islamic arts at Lower Earley Library through the month, with four workshops run by Hadil Tamin, a ceramic artist and trainer, to teach how to copy traditional Islamic designs and create you own greeting cards and pictures. The sessions will run from 10.30am to midday on Thursday March 5, 12, 19 and 26. Sessions cost £2 and places must be booked in advance from the library on (0118) 931 2150.

Best-selling author Sarah Harrison will be visiting Wokingham Library from 7.30pm to 9pm on Tuesday March 24 to talk about her books, such as The Flowers of the Field and A Flower That’s Free. The evening will be free but places must be booked from the library on (0118) 978 1368.

Advice on how to make your money go further will be available at the Beat the Credit Crunch workshops at Wokingham Library on Friday March 27. The two sessions will offer advice on using the internet to save money on such things as bills, insurance, credit cards, mortgages and entertainment. They will run from 10am to 11.20am and then 11.30am to 1pm. They will be free but places must be booked from the library on (0118) 978 1368.

Other highlights in the month will include complementary therapy taster sessions at Wokingham Library from 10am to 1pm on Saturday March 14 and 21. These will be run by the Wokingham Complementary Therapy Clinic and will include reflexology and back message. The sessions will be free and there is no need to book.

Lower Earley and Wargrave libraries will host composting surgeries by the Waste and Resources Action Programme in March. The Lower Earley session will be from 10am to midday on Saturday March 7 and the Wargrave session will be at the same times on Wednesday March 18 and both are free with no need to book.

Executive member for community development Cllr Dianne King said: “The variety of events on offer in the borough’s libraries never ceases to amaze me. In just one month, library members will be able to learn about complementary medicine, composting and beating the credit crunch to name a few. They really are a great resource for residents and I would urge people to take advantage of them.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Wokingham Borough residents have been dropping potential fraudsters in it as part of national the Scamnesty campaign.

The Wokingham borough council’s trading standards team have been leading the fight against scam mailings during an amnesty of get-rich-quick leaflets, fake psychic letters and unbelievable offers – otherwise known as Scamnesty.

Wokingham Residents still have time to bin the scam mail at one of the special Scamnesty bins located throughout the Wokingham Borough as the campaign runs until Sunday February 15. Any junk mail that residents suspect could be a scam can be dropped in the bin anonymously.

All leaflets, letters and flyers will be passed on to the Office for Fair Trading for further investigation. It is estimated that only around five per cent of scam mailing is reported to trading standards and so this added push could help catch conmen who target vulnerable and elderly people in the borough.

Claire Taylor, Wokingham trading standards officer who has coordinated the Scamnesty campaign in the Wokingham Borough, said: “Scamnesty is a vital campaign in helping us catch potential fraudsters who are trying to rip-off the borough’s most vulnerable people. If you have junk mail you suspect could be a scam mailing please drop it in one of the Scamnesty bins so it can be investigated.”

Cllr Norman Jorgensen, executive member for corporate services, added: “There are still a few days left for residents to drop potential scam-artists in it! If you, or somebody you know, has received a piece of junk mail that you suspect may be disingenuous then please put it in the Scamnesty bin – just by doing so you may save someone from being conned out of thousands of pounds.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Starting this month (February), the Wokingham Brambles Children’s Centre will be offering additional speech and language services to families with children from the Wokingham Borough aged between two and five years old.

Any Wokingham parents who have concerns about their child’s speech and language development can drop in to the centre, located in Budges Gardens in Wokingham, on Friday February 27 between 9.30am and 11am.

The informal Wokingham sessions are being run by speech and language therapist and language consultant and they will be on hand to offer support and advice to help parents enhance their child’s speech and language development. (Please note this service is not available to children who have already been referred to the NHS speech and language service and children will not receive an individual assessment.)

Belinda Barrett, Wokingham children’s centre manager, said: “The centre has been open for just over a year and we are delighted that it has been so well received by parents and children. We are looking forward to welcoming many more new faces to the Brambles this year. The centre offers a wide range of services under one roof for families in the Wokingham Borough who have children under the age of five.

“Children will not receive an individual assessment. However it will be a chance to meet the therapist and language consultant and children will either be referred for a full assessment or their parents will be given advice to encourage and support your child’s development.

Cllr Rob Stanton, executive member for Wokingham children’s services, said: “The Brambles Children’s Centre is a great place to get help and information on a range of issues as well as providing a number of free activities which offers parents and carers the chance to meet other parents and make new friends.

“Every child has different needs and by providing a range of services, like speech and language therapy, under one umbrella, we can help ensure each child gets the support they need in order to flourish.”

Further speech and language sessions will be held on the last Friday of the month (except in August when they will be no session and December’s session will take place on December 18).

Wokingham Borough Council

A brand new Wokingham community centre at the heart of Finchampstead is a massive step closer this week now that Wokingham Borough Council and Finchampstead Baptist Church (FBC) have signed a ground-breaking land transfer agreement to move the project forward.

Now that this legal agreement is signed and sealed, construction work can begin on this long-awaited development that will allow Finchampstead residents to benefit from significantly enhanced community facilities and services.

In addition to a purpose-built community centre, the new multi-million pound FBC Centre will boast a children’s centre, library, sports hall, café and other facilities such as a parish office and a local police base. It will also be a place of worship for Finchampstead Baptist Church.

The £4million-plus development will be funded primarily from church funds with additional funding from Wokingham Borough Council, The Big Lottery Fund's Community Buildings Programme, Sport England and Surestart grants, and Finchampstead Parish Council.

Deputy leader of the Wokingham council Cllr Simon Weeks said: “This is a much-needed community facility for the residents of Finchampstead and I am delighted that the project is now fully under way.

“This partnership between the church and the council will bring major benefits to the Finchampstead community. It has been a long time coming but now that we’re over the main legal hurdles we can crack on with construction.”

Jim Gallagher, Deacon at Finchampstead Baptist Church, said: “This is a very exciting time for the church and for the people of Finchampstead. I’m delighted that the land transfer agreements have been signed and that we can now concentrate on the construction of this fine new facility for all residents of Finchampstead.

“We aim to start construction at the beginning of March. The building phase is 41 weeks so hopefully we will be in the new FBC Centre by Christmas time. Obviously there will be some disruption to the area during the construction phase but we hope to keep this to a minimum. We will be holding a local meeting with Mansell, the builders, and local residents soon to explain the timetable.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Members of the public are being invited to take a closer look at Wokingham Borough Council’s draft core strategy with a government planning inspector in March, during its official examination in public.

The debate on the document, which is a blueprint for development in the Wokingham Borough for the next two decades including homes, schools, roads, parks, shops, leisure, businesses, will start on Tuesday March 17.

The independent Wokingham examination will cover a variety of topics including ecology and landscapes, housing delivery, transport, town centres and employment opportunities and will be led by planning inspector Geoff Salter, who has been appointed by the secretary of state for communities and local government.

Throughout the examination, Mr Salter will establish whether the core strategy complies with legal requirements and if it is justified, effective and consistent with national guidelines.

Members of the public and press are more than welcome to attend the meeting, which starts at 10am at the Professional Development Centre, Reading Road, Wokingham.

The Wokingham council unveiled its draft core strategy in August and, as well as highlighting where potential infrastructure and businesses could be located, it also outlines 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. That number is still to be negotiated but some development is inevitable.

The four main sites are located at:

• Arborfield Garrison – 3,500 homes are proposed

• South of the M4 in Shinfield/ Spencers Wood/ Three Mile Cross – 2,500 homes are proposed

• South of Wokingham –2,500 homes are proposed

• North of Wokingham – 1,500 homes are proposed

The examination will look at these four sites in some detail as part of the discussion. It will take into account evidence submitted from the council and comments from residents sent in via the public consultation, which ran last autumn, on the core strategy as a whole and the possible housing locations.

Cllr Gary Cowan, executive member for local and regional planning, said: “The core strategy is a hugely important document as ultimately it lays out how the Wokingham Borough could look in the next 20 years.

“Residents, community groups and organisations took a lot of time submitting comments on the draft core strategy in the autumn and we have made changes to reflect those suggestions where possible. The government inspector will now look at whether the strategy can progress and become our development guide for the next 20 years. It is a significant document and the public is more than welcome to come along and hear the debate.”

The examination will run over 14 days in March and April, with one day dedicated to each proposed housing location site. The Arborfield site will be looked into on Thursday March 19; the site south of the M4 will be discussed on Friday March 20; the north Wokingham development location will be examined on Tuesday March 24 and the south Wokingham site will be looked into on Wednesday March 25. All sessions start at 10am and are open to the public and press.

Anyone wanting full details of the hearings and issues due to be examined can log on to www.wokingham.gov.uk/core-strategy where further information can be found under the examination heading.

Wokingham Borough Council

Wokingham Teenagers have only one week to go before they get a taste of life behind the wheel for the very first time.

Young people, aged 15 to 19, in the Wokingham Borough have been invited on a course about how to drive safely so they can avoid collisions on the road, and best of all they will get to take their very first short driving lesson for free!

The one-day Wokingham workshop will aim to give teenagers the ‘Motorvation’ to drive safely when it takes place on Wednesday February 18 at Woodley Airfield Youth and Community Centre. There are still some tickets left for the event, which are completely free.

The workshop will cover a range of topics, including:

• Hazards facing new drivers and driver awareness

• The legal requirements of driving a vehicle on public roads

• The impact on family, friends and the community when a young person is involved in a road accident

• Issues that can arise when buying a second-hand vehicle

Cllr Keith Baker, executive member for Wokingham Highways and transport, said: “The Motorvation workshops are always popular and there are a few spaces left for the latest course, which is not only full of helpful information but is fun and practical and will give youngsters their first hands-on experience of driving.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Wokingham Choral Society

St Valentine’s Day should be a celebration for all Wokingham couples but it is just another day of fear and torment for those stuck in abusive or violent relationships and Wokingham Borough Council’s community safety team is determined to reach out to those people

Domestic abuse is often a hidden crime that is under-reported across the country but it accounts for 23 per cent of violent crimes in the UK and occurs among people of all backgrounds, income levels and cultures and takes many forms: physical, psychological, sexual and financial.

Victims of domestic abuse are often made to feel helpless, but in fact, they are not without help in the Wokingham Borough and the Council’s community safety team hope to use Valentine’s Day to highlight the sort of help that is available.

The Council and the Wokingham Domestic Abuse Forum (a group of local organisation that work together to prevent domestic abuse) have produced an information pack detailing how people can get help as well as a detailed directory of services – both local and national – that offer a range of support to victims. These are available on the council’s website at www.wokingham.gov.uk/domestic-abuse and copies can also be requested from community safety officer Carol-Anne Bidwell on (0118) 974 3798.

Cllr Rob Stanton, who is lead member for Wokingham community safety, said: “Many of us may enjoy a romantic evening on Valentine’s Day but that will not be everybody’s experience and the contrast between a happy couple enjoying a romantic meal and a couple in an abusive relationship is extremely stark. Our message is that people do not have to suffer in silence – there are a lot of ways to get help and we can point you in the right direction for them.”

Victims of domestic abuse should call 999 in an emergency or alternatively can contact Thames Valley Police’s 24hour line 0845 8 505 505.

Berkshire Women’s Aid can be contacted on its hotline on (0118) 950 4003 and the group can give information on housing and financial matters as well as legal advice and can also arrange a safe place to stay.

Details for many other organisations that can help men and women who are victims of domestic abuse are provided in the information pack and directory of services.

Community safety officer Carol-Anne Bidwell said: “Domestic abuse can destroy people, not just through physical harm but through psychological damage as well and that is why it is vital the people know that help is there for them. We want to make it as easy as possible for victims to find that help.”

Wokingham Borough Council

New crime-fighting technology will soon be hitting the streets of the Wokingham Borough.

The Wokingham borough’s first two Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras will soon be in place. ANPR cameras read the number plates of passing vehicles and check them against ‘wanted lists’ such as the Police National Computer or the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. Number plates that match those on the lists can flagged up immediately to the appropriate authority and any vehicle flagged up can be stopped and investigated by the police.

ANPR cameras are used to investigate specific crimes and to build up intelligence on known criminals. They are not ‘safety’ cameras and are not used to catch speeding drivers.

There are currently 43 mobile cameras and 72 static cameras in the Thames Valley, but there are no static cameras in the Wokingham Borough. Police research has shown that a sizable proportion of crimes such as burglary and car theft are committed by criminals prepared to travel widely to find their victims and so ANPR in the Wokingham Borough will help officers investigate these and other crimes.

Lead member for Wokingham community safety Cllr Rob Stanton said: “These cameras are bad news for criminals and great news for Wokingham Borough residents. They are intelligent bits of kit that will really help the police protect people from thieves and other wrongdoers. Criminals use cars for their illegal activities and these cameras will help police deny them the use of roads and help close the net upon them.”

Thames Valley Police are currently developing a new force-wide system to monitor all static ANPR cameras that will allow a faster response rate across the region.

The two cameras in the Wokingham Borough will cost a total of £45,000 and they are being funded by the Wokingham Borough Community Safety Partnership.

Inspector Nigel Scarratt, of Wokingham Town Centre Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “The introduction of ANPR cameras to Wokingham is excellent news for the community and the neighbourhood policing team. I have been involved with many ANPR operations – it is an excellent piece of equipment that catches criminals in the act and helps us to solve crimes that have been committed.

“The cameras help with our intelligence gathering by giving vital information on who is coming and going within our area. When criminals become aware of these cameras they will think twice about entering the Wokingham Borough.

“Often people think these cameras are used as a speeding device but they are there to prevent crime and aid investigations. They are money well-spent and another example of excellent partnership work that is going within the borough, particularly through the Wokingham Borough Community Safety Partnership.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Wokingham Police are urging residents not to make life easier for burglars by leaving tools around that can be used to gain entry into properties.

Since the beginning of January 2009 there have been 19 burglaries in Wokingham and 12 in the Reading area where force with tools has been used to break into the houses. This compares with 13 for Wokingham and 7 for Reading over the same period last year.

Malcolm Wills, a Wokingham Crime Reduction Advisor, said: “Burglars are reluctant to take tools with them to break into houses as they run the risk of being arrested for the offence of going equipped.

“They are relying on finding tools at the house they are going to burgle. Invariably they will find garden tools lying around outside or loose paving slabs and bricks. If they can’t find them lying around then they will often look for them in a shed or outbuilding.

“Residents need to make sure they don’t provide the means for a burglar to break into their house. All tools must be locked away in a secure shed - don’t make it easy for them.”

Malcolm’s security tips:

* Review the effectiveness of your garden perimeter
* Remove any items in the garden that could be used as a lever for the wrong purpose
* Do not store high valuable goods in sheds
* Ensure that the shed is robust enough to be a secure place for what you have stored
* Use good quality locks and ensure that hinges are not exposed
* If you are building a shed, try and site it within view of your house or a neighbour’s
* Use security lighting to help you see the shed at night
* Mark all of the contents with your postcode and house number.

Thames Valley Police ~ Wokingham

Mark Moon, head of place and neighbourhood services, said: “Wokingham Borough Council has taken the difficult decision to only grit primary road routes from tonight owing to a national shortage of salt. Therefore the council is urging all residents and motorists to be extremely careful tonight and tomorrow when using pavements and roads and to only travel if absolutely necessary.

“Despite having a supply of grit delivered daily to the depot we use, the salt supply in the Wokingham Borough is diminishing very quickly owing to the severe weather this week and we simply do not have enough salt to meet the increased demand.

“To make sure the busiest and most hazardous stretches of road are clear we will continue to grit all primary routes which includes the A329m and major A class roads. Primary routes make up 37 per cent of the borough’s highway network and it takes 34 tonnes of salt and three hours to do a full round.

“We will continue to monitor the road situation hourly and will start gritting secondary routes as soon as resources allow.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Police are appealing for witnesses to a sexual assault on a woman in Wokingham.

The victim, a woman in her forties, was walking along Barkham Road towards Wokingham railway station when she was approached by two schoolboys.

One of the boys touched her inappropriately before running off after a passerby shouted ‘leaver her alone’.

Wokingham Police have been unable to get an exact time when this offence happened. However, it is believed to have taken place on a Monday between the start of December and January 5, between 9.25am and 9.45am.

PC Mandy Gibson, who is investigating the Wokingham incident, said: “At the time we have limited information about the incident but we are obviously very keen to trace the woman who intervened by shouting at the boys. She could obviously have information that could help us progress the investigation.

“The schoolboys were wearing blue or purple blazers and dark trousers but other than that we don’t have any more information about them.

“The victim is extremely distressed by the incident and I would urge anyone with any information about this incident to contact police urgently.”

Anyone with any information should contact PC Gibson via 0845 8 505 505.

Alternatively, if you do not want to speak to police or leave your name please contact the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.

Thames Valley Police ~ Wokingham

Lead member for Wokingham concessionary travel Cllr Rob Stanton said: “The decision to increase the age at which residents become eligible for travel tokens to 70 was a challenging one and the executive closely considered all the implications and detailed evidence submitted to it by the overview and scrutiny management committee before it was made.

“However, the council is committed to targeting its severely restricted resources towards its top priority, which is supporting and protecting its most vulnerable residents. By raising the age limit and by finding more efficient ways to distribute the tokens and bus passes, the Council is able to continue the travel token scheme for those who most need it – those aged 70 and over and disabled people. Indeed, no change will be made to the concessionary travel scheme for disabled people. We are also going to look for better ways to tell people about the schemes so those eligible know about them and know how and when to apply.

“Although this was a difficult decision and nobody on the executive is pleased to be raising the age limit, it must be pointed out that Wokingham Borough Council remains one of only two local authorities in Berkshire that offer any travel tokens to its elderly or vulnerable residents – all disabled and older people in Reading, Bracknell Forest, Slough, Windsor & Maidenhead receive only the national bus pass. And despite the changes agreed by the executive the Wokingham Borough will still have the most generous concessionary travel scheme in Berkshire.

“It is also important to point out that we are not talking about cutting expenditure on concessionary travel – we will still be spending more on this service next year than we have this year – we just have to control that increase.”

The Wokingham council’s executive committee decided at its meeting on January 29 to continue to offer its concessionary travel token scheme to all disabled residents and all those aged 70 and over.

The free national bus pass scheme will continue to be available to all residents aged 60 and over.

“I believe this to be a much better option for residents as it offers unlimited bus travel on any bus route – a view shared by more than 11,000 people in the borough who currently enjoy their free national bus pass,” said Cllr Stanton.

Wokingham Borough Council

In the current difficult economic climate and in the face of minimal funding from central government, Wokingham Borough Council is reviewing and realigning its services in order to channel its resources into meeting its top priority which is to protect vulnerable children and adults.

Wokingham Council leader Cllr David Lee said: “We are having to look very closely at our priorities as we are only set to receive some £285,000 extra cash from central government for 2009-10 - this doesn’t even cover inflation which will equate to some £2.7million. And this is why we are going to have to look at shifting resources from our support teams and our non-people services so that we can fund further investment in the crucial frontline care services.

The Wokingham council has already made considerable investment recently into services for the vulnerable young and old in our community:

• Work to redevelop the old and out-dated sheltered housing at Crescent House in Woodley into extra care housing for older people is well under way and will see self-contained accommodation for elderly people and flexible care as required for their changing needs.
• Major investment is also being made in the borough’s schools - Maiden Erlegh has recently benefited from a £8million make-over; planning permission has just been given for a £31million rebuild of Waingels; a brand new Addington is due to open in April 2009.
• And we have made a bid of up to £100milllion bid for government Building Schools for the Future money to rebuild four other secondary schools.

And significant sums will be ear-marked for adult social services and children’s services. We are also set to invest more money in waste disposal services and in the regeneration of Wokingham Town Centre. We are also committed to providing more affordable housing.

Cllr Lee said: “We have never had unlimited funds and in today’s climate the situation is even worse. And to me it’s quite simple, vulnerable children and adults are our top priority and we will continue to shift the balance in their favour.
“We will also be looking at our services for vulnerable people to see if we can provide them in a better and more efficient way. For example, we are leading the way in the national Putting People First agenda, which basically means giving adults eligible for social care their own budgets so they can plan and arrange the care that best suits them.

“As this personalisation of vulnerable people’s budgets progresses, we need to look at whether the services we are currently providing are really the best way of doing things. For example, we will be looking at what we need to provide to give people more individual choice.

“These are the issues we need to look at and that is what we will be doing over the coming weeks. Setting our priorities means that we will do those things that are priorities and reduce or stop doing those things that are not. Inevitably that will have an impact on the number and types of jobs that we need and could result in redundancies of backroom staff.

“We have always delivered value-for-money and we will continue to do so. We also remain committed to keeping council tax as low as possible but, given our funding situation with central government funding and the difficulty in achieving ongoing efficiencies, this is becoming increasingly difficult.”

The council’s budget for 2009-10 will be set at the meeting of the council on Thursday February 19, 2009.

Wokingham Borough Council