Charity calls for a wilder Wokingham

By JAMES HASTINGS news@wokingham.today

CALLS not to cut roadside verges this summer have been branded “irresponsible”.

The Campaign to Protect Rural England wants gardeners to keep their mowers in the shed and local councils and landowners in Berkshire to let parks and other green spaces grow wild.

The charity claims long grass and flowers provide essential habitats and food sources for bees and other insects. It says the numbers of pollinators are in decline in Berkshire and throughout Britain, and “they need all the help they can get.”

There are fears the campaign could become a fire hazard and a danger to motorists and pedestrians.

A number of Wokingham residents and surrounding areas, warn uncut verges could catch alight during warm weather and also obscure traffic on smaller rural roads.

Launching the campaign, Greg Wilkinson, chairman of the Berkshire branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England said: “Gardens are important wildlife havens and if we let our lawns grow in the coming weeks we will be doing nature a big favour.

“Allowing dandelions and daisies to bring a splash of colour to our lawns is also the easiest and most practical way to enable more bees and butterflies to survive.”

One homeowner who contacted Wokingham Today said the charity was “overlooking the blooming obvious.” n Continued on page 13

“I am all in favour of protecting wildlife but you need to use common sense which is clearly lacking in this campaign.

Businesses and cllrs want to see work start before it’s too late

By JAMES HASTINGS news@wokingham.today

WOKINGHAM businesses and a candidate in the next general election have backed the idea of setting up of a Bank HUB in the town.

It comes amid warnings that communities across England could see the end of High Street banking within 10 years.

A rise in online customers and increasing property and staffing costs mean many major banks are pulling out of towns and cities.

Bank HUBS, where a number of banks share one building, have been successfully trialled in Glasgow and Essex.

They provide full banking services including cash and counter transactions.

The call comes following news Barclays in Wokingham town is to close. The former leader of the Borough Council has thrown its weight behind a local hub adding it plans to contact the major banks to encourage them to look at this as a solution to the increasing number of closures in the town.

n Continued on page 13

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