Wokingham Borough
NEWS your magazine from Wokingham Borough Council
Spring 2018
In this issue‌
At your leisure pages 4 & 5
Can you vote? page 21
2018 Budget centre pages
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Winter 2017
WE CHOOSE HYBRID
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JOIN OVER 10 MILLION TOYOTA DRIVERS Contact us today to book a test drive and experience Hybrid for yourself
Jemca Bracknell John Nike Way, Bracknell Berkshire RG12 8TN Tel: 01344 789789 jemcabracknell.toyota.co.uk
Jemca Reading Rose Kiln Lane, Reading Berkshire RG2 0LJ Tel: 0118 907 9768 jemcareading.toyota.co.uk
Models shown for illustrative purposes only.
Official Fuel Consumption Figures in mpg (l/100km): Auris Hybrid Design 5 door 1.8 VVT-i Auto. Urban 72.4 (3.9), Extra Urban 72.4 (3.9), Combined 72.4 (3.9). CO2 Emissions 91g/km. RAV4 Hybrid Icon 5 door FWD 2.5 VVT-i Auto. Urban 57.6 (4.9), Extra Urban 56.5 (5.0), Combined 56.4 (5.0). CO2 Emissions 116g/km. Prius Hybrid Excel 5 door 1.8 VVT-i Auto. Urban 85.6 (3.3), Extra Urban 85.6 (3.3), Combined 85.6 (3.3). CO2 Emissions 76g/km. C-HR Hybrid Dynamic 5 door 1.8 VVT-i Auto. Urban 80.7 (3.5), Extra Urban 68.9 (4.1), Combined 72.4 (3.9). CO2 Emissions 87g/km. Yaris Hybrid Design 5 door 1.5 VVT-i Auto. Urban 85.6 (3.3), Extra Urban 78.4 (3.6), Combined 78.4 (3.6). CO2 Emissions 82g/km. All mpg and CO2 figures quoted are sourced from official EU regulated laboratory test results. These are provided to allow comparisons between vehicles and may not reflect your actual driving experience.
LEXUS SELF-CHARGING HYBRID RANGE
ALWAYS CHARGED. ALWAYS READY.
Lexus Reading Rose Kiln Lane, Reading, RG2 0HS. Tel 0118 907 9769 www.reading.lexus.co.uk Official fuel consumption figures in mpg (l/100km) for Lexus Hybrid range: Urban 38.1 (7.3) - 78.5 (3.6), Extra Urban 47.1 (6) - 80.7 (3.5), Combined 43.5 (6.5) - 78.5 (3.6), CO2 137 - 81 g/km. BIK from 18 - 28%.
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Keeping in touch with us www.wokingham.gov.uk customerservice@wokingham.gov.uk (0118) 974 6000 /wokinghamboroughcouncil /wokinghamboroughcouncil @wokinghamBC /WokinghamBC visit us: Monday to Friday between 8.30am and 5pm Write to us: Wokingham Borough Council, Civic Offices, Shute End, Wokingham RG40 1BN Find out more information by: Email and text updates – register at: www.wokingham.gov.uk/signup
Also in this issue...
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Marvellous returns
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Market Place
Spring 2018
Welcome “We’re looking to the future – a bright future for the Wokingham Borough.” “There’s been a lot of discussion in the media about the future of local government in the face of funding shortfalls. While some councils have cut services, we continue to think outside the box to safeguard those services that mean the most to you, including keeping weekly bin collections, building new schools and roads, and refurbishing and improving our leisure centres. “We’re not just focusing on 2018, but are looking to the future – a bright future for the Wokingham Borough. At the heart of our budget this year is investment. We’re investing and strengthening services; we’re investing in affordable homes for you in the right locations; and we’re investing in infrastructure to create vibrant and successful communities for generations to come. (Pages 12, 13 and 14) “Our budget for the coming year is set out in the centre pages of this magazine. You can also visit our YouTube channel (www.youtube. com/WokinghamBC) to find out more. “We continue to invest in the range and quality of your sports and leisure facilities. Read all about this on pages 4 and 5.
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New communities
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Recycling more
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“In our 21st Century Council programme, we’re redesigning the ways you can interact with us to make it easier for you to do the things you need at your convenience. (Page 19) “We’re also expanding the things you can recycle from the kerbside black box collections. (Page 31) “Keep up-to-date with our latest news on our dedicated website at: http://news.wokingham.gov.uk. This is where all our news, videos and photos are brought together in one, easy to use place for you to enjoy at any time you like. “You can like us on Facebook (facebook. com/ wokinghamboroughcouncil) or follow us on Twitter (@ WokinghamBC). Some of our photos are also available on Instagram (wokinghamboroughcouncil).” If you have any questions or comments, please get in touch with Cllr Haitham Taylor via email at: Charlotte.haitham.Taylor@ wokingham.gov.uk
Cllr Charlotte Haitham Taylor Leader of the Council
Editorial: Wokingham Borough Council’s Communications Team Design and printed by: Digital Solutions on uncoated FSCM 75gsm paper Cost: 5p per person / 11p per household To advertise in Wokingham Borough News, or if any other queries about this magazine including delivery, please contact: communications@wokingham.gov.uk. A pdf version of this magazine is available online at: news.wokingham.gov.uk/wokingham-borough-news
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All at your leisure… With the appointment of the new leisure provider, Places for People, it’s exciting times at our Borough’s leisure centres with significant investment planned to improve your leisure experience. Places for People is due to take over the running of our leisure centres from 1 May. The new 15-year contract will cover Loddon Valley Leisure Centre, Carnival Pool, St Crispin’s Sports Centre, and Bulmershe Leisure Centre, as well as Arborfield Leisure Centre and Ryeish Green Leisure Centre. Places for People is a social enterprise, and says it is passionate about improving opportunities for communities to be physically active. It’s one of the largest leisure operators in the UK managing a portfolio of more than 100 leisure facilities for local authorities across the country. As a social enterprise, its focus is on improving residents’ health and wellbeing. As part of the new contract, huge improvements planned across the Borough include two new council-built facilities to replace Bulmershe Leisure Centre and Carnival Pool. At Bulmershe, a modern building would replace the existing unattractive, outdated, and expensive-to-run facility (subject to
planning permission). The state-of-the-art centre would include a six-lane 25m swimming pool and teaching pool, a larger gym, a four-court sports hall, additional studio and long-term condition gym. The Bulmershe site would have a new café so that families can relax and refuel, following a swim in one of the new pools. The current centre was built in the 1970s and its facilities are tired and in desperate need of investment to bring it up to the standard required to help us realise our vision, ‘to create a great place to live, an even better place to do business’ as well as our borough-wide health and wellbeing strategy. Our leisure facilities offer many preventative health services, which in turn takes additional weight off our social care budget which is already under severe financial pressure. The new Bulmershe Leisure Centre would bring huge benefits to both The Bulmershe School and its surrounding community. A better
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Spring 2018
range of more accessible facilities will benefit everyone – young people, families, and the elderly. It would also encourage more physical activity in Woodley and the surrounding area, including Earley, as well as provide more support to those with long-term health conditions to help us become healthier as a Borough. The start of redevelopment of the Carnival site in 2020 will also see a new facility on the site of the existing leisure centre. The leisure centre will include a six-lane swimming pool, an improved teaching pool and spa area with sauna and steam facilities, large main gym and separate specialist gym for those with long term conditions, a four-court indoor sports hall, studios for classes and events, changing areas including individual showers and changing cubicles as well as a number of community spaces. Like Bulmershe, the new Carnival site will have a café complete with a viewing area, so people can enjoy a coffee and bite to eat while watching swimming events. The new teaching pools at Bulmershe and Carnival will have movable floors, to give greater flexibility to a larger range of groups of all ages and abilities and offer splash sessions. Significant investment into the existing leisure facilities are also planned elsewhere. Ryeish Green Leisure Centre is being refurbished with a cuttingedge fitness suite and dance studio, with a full size 3G pitch already open ahead of its re-opening this summer. A new 3G sports pitch is also open in Arborfield, and work has started on a new skate park at St Crispin’s Leisure Centre. More information: www.wokingham.gov.uk (search for ‘leisure’)
Executive View Cllr norman Jorgensen, Executive Member for Environment, Sports, Environmental health, Leisure and Libraries “Our residents are some of the healthiest in Britain and make extensive use of our leisure facilities. At a time when other local authorities are looking to scale back leisure provision and close centres, we’re improving ours with selffunding brand new centres and other state-ofthe-art facilities.”
Exclusive membership special offer To celebrate the opening of the new Arborfield Leisure Centre this May, Places for People is offering exclusive membership to the first 200 customers who sign up there. For £10 only, this membership gives unlimited use of the gym and group exercise classes with nothing further to pay until June. Standard terms and conditions apply. More information: wokinghamEnquiries@pfpleisure.org
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Marvellous Festival is back! We’re delighted Dinton Pastures is playing host to the popular Marvellous Festival for the third year running. Set to take place during the weekend of 21 and 22 July, Marvellous 2018 promises no fewer than 14 world-class tribute acts on the main stage, plus a second stage marquee featuring a plethora of unsigned local talent. This year’s highlights include tributes to Tom Jones, Coldplay, Bob Marley, Bruno Mars, T. Rex, Santana, Pink, Led Zeppelin, Tina Turner…and many more! Kids of all ages will find plenty to do with fabulous fairground rides, plus loads of free activities in the Big Kids’ Village – including balloon modelling, arts and crafts, games and face painting. It’s all going on, and more attractions are still to be announced. New for 2018 is a ‘Silent Disco’ tent where dancers wear headphones and can switch between two channels of music being transmitted wirelessly to them by the DJ – great fun to do and to watch! Tickets this year are £70 for the weekend (£35 for children), or £43 for the day (£20 for children). Weekend camping and glamping packages are also available, and include an extra free night’s camping on Friday, with a party for campers and crew at the second stage marquee. More information: www.marvellousfestivals.com
COMPETITION TIME To win a weekend family ticket (2x adult and 2x children) including camping worth more than £300 for this year’s event, simply answer these three questions: Tom Jones tribute act Sir Tom is performing at the festival on Saturday 21 July. The song, ‘Mama told me not to come’ was a hit for the original Tom in 2000. 1. With which band did Sir Tom perform the song? 2. Which band had a big hit with the song in 1970? 3. Which American singer-songwriter wrote the song? Email your answer to: Communications@wokingham.gov.uk along with your name and address to be entered into the prize draw. The deadline for entries is 1 June 2018. Standard terms and conditions apply.
Allowing people to live life as they choose in the heart of their community One-to-one service Personal care services Innovation House, Molly Millars Close, Wokingham, RG41 2RX t: +44 (0) 118 402 8923 m: +44 (0) 773 495 7308 info@rainbowsocialcare.co.uk www.rainbowsocialcare.co.uk
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Spring 2018
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‘Talking ‘bout regeneration’ While 2017 was an exciting year for Wokingham’s regeneration, 2018 is pivotal. Work starts on Elms Field this spring and the Peach Place development is due to open this Christmas. Work at Peach Place started a year ago to create new shops, restaurants and homes in the heart of the town. It’s already taking shape with the structures now in place. But during the coming months its brickwork will also be going up, roofs and windows installed, the new square landscaped, and the interiors of the buildings fitted out ready for tenants. Alongside this, we’ve carried out pre-construction work at Elms Field, which included a range of surveys and ground investigations including archaeological, as well as utilities and tree works. Main construction is due to start mid March. Elms Field is an exciting development for Wokingham because it will bring new facilities to the town centre including an Everyman Cinema, Aldi food store and a Premier Inn hotel, along with other shops and restaurants and new homes. We’ll also be building a new road connecting Wellington Road to Shute End. And let’s not forget the fantastic new park and play area with facilities for public events. The Elms Field development will be constructed in phases and is due to be finished in 2020. At that point, we plan to start work on the second phase of Carnival. This is being carefully timed to coincide with the completion of the new Bulmershe Leisure Centre in Woodley, to give you the widest possible choice of leisure activities.
Executive View Cllr Stuart Munro, Executive Member for Business and Economic Development and Regeneration “Regeneration of our towns is important to make sure our residents, both existing and future, have the facilities they need. Wokingham’s going through a lot of change at the moment, and we thank you for bearing with us while we create a town centre we can all be proud of.” More information: www.regenerationcompany.co.uk
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Market Place – watch this space! When all you’ve seen for months are trenches and barriers, it’s understandable to lose sight of the end game – that this temporary work in Market Place is creating a vibrant new heart for the town. We thank you again for your patience during this upheaval, but the work is moving forward and very soon you will begin to see the new continental style Market Place emerging. This stylish new central space will be home to café tables, market stalls and a multitude of other community uses. It will have more than 3,000sq meters of elegant York stone, equivalent in size to 11.5 tennis courts. This new paving weighs more than 240 tonnes, or 21 London buses. Hornbeam trees will be dotted about in special planting pits to direct the spread of their roots in healthy growth while also preventing damage and movement of the new stone. Hornbeams have been chosen because they thrive in urban landscapes. We have liaised with local disability groups and individuals to make sure the design of the new Market Place is safe and accessible to everyone. This includes a consistent flat surface and suitable street furniture. To safeguard pedestrians and improve traffic flow, the former bus lane around the Town Hall from Boots to WH Smiths has been rerouted. It will now run down Rose Street and back around Peach Street on its way to Tesco.
There will be disabled parking spaces in the new Market Place, with capacity spread across two new parking bays; one outside Boots and the other outside WH Smiths. New commemorative benches will be installed, but will retain the dedications of those currently there. The old commemorative benches have been refurbished and relocated to a park of the family’s choosing. Additional bike racks will be around the edges of Market Place, which we hope will encourage people to cycle and not drive into town. Dedicated loading and unloading bays for the shops will be outside Boots and another on Denmark Street. The aim of this £3.8million joint project is to create a pedestrianfriendly central focal point for people to enjoy the shops, the town’s market and events, and bustling outdoor living. This, with the multi-million-pound town centre regeneration scheme which is a separate project, will restore Wokingham’s market town charm and soul. More information: www.wokingham.gov.uk (search ‘market place improvement’) www.wokingham-tc.gov.uk (search ‘improving our market place’)
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Top housing nominations for WBC and WHL Our innovative approach to housing has been recognised with nominations for both us and our subsidiary company, Wokingham Housing (WHL), at this year’s prestigious UK Housing Awards. Wokingham Borough is consistently considered one of the best places in Britain to live. However, this tag has understandably had an impact on our housing market – the average house price in the Borough is now nearly half a million. However, in spite of the dubious honour of being the lowest funded unitary authority in the country, we’ve tackled this issue head on with a local plan that will see 10,000 additional homes by 2020, accompanied by five new roads, two park and ride facilities, three sport hubs, seven primary schools, and five community buildings. In this financial year alone, 500 affordable homes are forecast to be built with Wokingham Housing constructing 123.
The awards, run by the Chartered Institute of Housing and Inside Housing, are the biggest of its kind within the housing sector. We’ve been nominated for the strategic local authority award, which focuses on the relationship between authorities and partners to provide a committed approach to housing need. Meanwhile, Wokingham Housing has been nominated for outstanding development programme of the year, which looks to recognise landlords who’ve shown ambition, determination and innovation to deliver new homes. As a council, we’ve cemented ourselves as an innovator and market leader with a strategic approach to housing growth. We’ve been recognised for our collaborative working with housing associations and developers to secure the delivery of much needed private and affordable housing.
Wokingham Housing was founded in 2011 as a subsidiary of ours. One of the first organisations of its kind in the UK, it is a unique way to bridge the gap between housing demand and supply, as well as help generate a financial return for us to support our statutory services. Every year WHL aims to deliver at least 50 to 70 homes, and generate £1million for vital council services. It has already overseen a number of developments supporting the most vulnerable in our community. Last year, the Phoenix Avenue development opened providing 68 new social and affordable rent homes. Older residents can now benefit from the Fosters Independent Living Scheme, which provides 34 one-bedroom self-contained, extra-care apartments. The awards will be presented at a ceremony in London on 2 May.
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New primary school opening in Shinfield this autumn Silver Meadow Primary School is being built as part of the Shinfield West housing development, and is on track to be ready for its first pupils this September. It will be run by education provider Floreat Academy Trust, which already runs Montague Park Primary School in Wokingham.
Wokingham Borough Mayor, Cllr Rob Stanton, visited the site to see the school’s progress. Also present were directors and representatives from F3G, the housing companies, and Beard Construction which is building it.
The Shinfield West development, known as Shinfield Meadows, is a new community for the Wokingham Borough being created by Linden Homes, Bloor Homes Ltd and Bovis Homes Ltd to provide 1,200 new homes, a food store, commercial and communal space, and recreation grounds.
Shinfield Meadows is part of our long-term plan to accommodate housing needed locally in major developments that also include the necessary schools, roads and other facilities that make vibrant communities. Across the Borough this will bring seven new primary schools (Montague Park is already open) as well as the Bohunt Wokingham School at Arborfield Green (also open). More information: office@montaguepark.floreat.org.uk
Ofsted school reports… Do you look after someone with care needs? Do you need help to live the life you want? Crossroads Care Wokingham, a local charity with 24 years’experience in care, is here for you. For carers: our bespoke respite breaks at home service will take over your caring role and give you peace of mind while enjoying your break. For people with care needs: our new Call & Care service is tailored to support you. We provide domiciliary care and companionship, to help you live the life that you want. Our rates are highly competitive. Personal Budget, Individual Service Fund holders and self-funders welcome.
For more information call: 0118 979 5324 email: contact@wokinghamcrossroads.org or visit www.wokinghamcrossroads.org
A round-up of some of the government inspections of our Borough-run schools and education units carried out last year: Lambs Lane Primary School, Spencers Wood – Good (January 2017)
Willow Bank Infant School, Woodley – Good (January 2017) The Emmbrook School, Wokingham – Good (March 2017) The Hawthorns Primary School, Wokingham – Good (May 2017) Willow Bank Junior School, Woodley – Good (July 2017) The Colleton Primary School, Twyford – Good (July 2017) Addington School, Woodley – Outstanding (July 2017) Berkshire Adolescent Unit, Wokingham – Outstanding (July 2017) The Bulmershe School, Woodley – Good (Nov 2017) More information: https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/ (search the school’s name)
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It all adds up We’ve just finished a £3million maths facility at The Emmbrook School in Wokingham, called The Matthias block. The bespoke two-storey building contains ten classrooms and special educational need teaching facilities, as well as wi-fi, and can house up to 300 pupils at any one time plus staff and teaching assistants. Project funding will also help the school upgrade its ICT network. The new block replaces tired and ageing temporary maths classrooms on the secondary school’s site, which is also a specialist maths and computing college. This is our second recent major project there, following the new £2million English and drama block.
New Allotments at Mulberry grove
Executive View Cllr Mark Ashwell, Executive Member for Children’s Services “The students, pupils and staff in our Borough schools work hard to continually reach the high educational standards they achieve. This is why our investment in their learning environments is pivotal – giving them the tools to excel.”
superfast broadband comes to Wargrave
Residents on the Mulberry Grove development, north Wokingham, can look forward to new allotments opening in late spring. The 25 or so plots are being snapped up quickly. More information: Contact Paul Smith at Wokingham Town Council at: amenities@wokingham-tc.gov.uk
British Museum finds a home in Wokingham Borough
Work has started to bring superfast broadband to Wargrave sooner than originally planned thanks to pressure from the Borough Council, Wargrave Parish Council and local residents.
A planning application is expected this spring.
Virgin Media, as part of its Cable My Street initiative, agreed to include the village in its plans. Residents in High Street, Ferry Lane and Church Street are now set to benefit from speeds of up to 200 megabytes per second.
The British Museum has announced it plans to develop a new Archaeological Research Collection next to the Thames Valley Science Park in Shinfield. Working in partnership with the University of Reading, ancient objects would be available for researchers, students and the public to study.
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Vibrant new communities We’re creating the infrastructure and facilities needed for the new homes in our Borough. This includes new roads, schools, sports and community centres. Major new roads
Arborfield Relief Road
We’ve agreed with Balfour Beatty to plan and construct Arborfield Cross Relief Road, South Wokingham Distributor Road, North Wokingham Distributor Road and Winnersh Relief Road phase 2, Barkham Bridge, and Lower Earley Way improvements.
This is a vital part of the new community. Detailed design work has now started on this road, after it received planning consent in January. Construction is expected to start in spring 2019.
These roads are a vital part of the infrastructure we’re putting in place alongside the new homes across the Borough.
The route being built is the one favoured in the 2013 public consultation. This road will help manage the impact of increasing traffic on the villages of Arborfield and Arborfield Cross and the surrounding rural lanes from the new housing being built.
The new roads and other highways improvements will help manage congestion, as well as provide access to the major developments coming to Arborfield Green and to the north and south of Wokingham. All these projects are due to be finished by the end of 2021. We understand people have been concerned this housing would come without the necessary infrastructure but the new roads, schools, nature parks, sports facilities and other infrastructure have always been planned.
The road will connect with the A327 in the north at a roundabout west of Bridge Farm and then run parallel to Greensward Lane to a new junction with Swallowfield Road. It will then continue to the south of Arborfield Cross and connect to the A327 Eversley Road.
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north wokingham Distributor Road
Barkham Bridge
A section of this opened earlier this year at the Matthewsgreen development in Toutley Road. Construction has begun on sections at Keephatch Beech, and Kentwood Farm West, while design work has started on the remaining sections, including east of Old Forest Road.
Plans are underway to construct a new bridge next to the existing Barkham Bridge for two-way traffic through this bottleneck. Preliminary designs of the preferred option are being finalised and will form the basis of Balfour Beatty’s detailed design work before construction is due to begin in spring 2019.
south wokingham Distributor Road The Montague Park section of this, called William Heelas Way, is under construction as part of the Montague Park housing development. Last autumn, a planning application was submitted for The Eastern Gateway, the second phase of this road, which was agreed by the planning committee last month (February).
Winnersh relief road Phase one is nearly complete and this will connect the B3270 Lower Earley Way to B3030 King Street Lane. The second phase will connect the B3030 King Street Lane with the A329 Reading Road, and will include an extension to the existing Longdon Road as well as a new roundabout junction on the A329 Reading Road north of the M4 overbridge. The planning application for the second phase has now been submitted.
Nine Mile ride Extension This connects with the existing A327 Eversley Road in the north and Nine Mile Ride / Park Lane Junction in the south. It’s in two sections: the northern between A327 Eversley Road and byway 18 has been constructed by Crest Nicholson, the developer for Arborfield Green Village, and is open. Work started at the end of last year on the reserve matters planning application for the southern section, and the developer hopes to submit an application this summer. A lot of survey work has been carried out looking at ecology, groundwater, archaeology, geotechnical and trees. The developer says it will update the public on the scheme nearer the date of the reserved matters application. More information: www.wokingham.gov.uk (search ‘major new roads’)
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California Crossroads
Community centres
Design work for this project has just started. At this stage the basic concept is being developed, which will be followed by preliminary designs which will be put out to public consultation. We hope to have this completed by this autumn. Depending on the outcome of this consultation, more detailed designs would be drawn up.
A new one for Shinfield Village is being designed, as well as for Montague Park and North Wokingham. Another three in Arborfield Green and another in South Wokingham are also planned.
sports and leisure facilities New schools The first new secondary in the Borough in more than 50 years, Bohunt Wokingham Secondary School, in the Arborfield Green major development opened in September 2016 before any of the new houses in Arborfield were occupied. Floreat Montague Park Primary also opened at the same time, when only a couple of hundred of the new homes in the South Wokingham major development were inhabited. There are six more primary schools coming to the Borough for the children living in the major development locations. Floreat Silver Meadow Primary in Shinfield West is under construction to open this September, and one in North Wokingham at the Matthewsgreen development was agreed by the planning committee last month (February).
Parks and other public open space Some 90 hectares have already been opened – that’s equivalent to about 120 football pitches – with another 200 hectares (270 football pitches) still to come.
Affordable homes Some 220 have already been built, with another 2,300 planned.
There’ll be a new sports hub at Ryeish Green, complete with a health and fitness gym, changing facilities, a club room and car park, as well as a refurbished sports hall. There’ll also be new and improved sports facilities at Cantley Park in the next few years, and a new sports hub at Gray’s Farm just south of Wokingham town. The new village at the former Arborfield Garrison will also have a new sports hub with a fitness gym, indoor sports halls, changing facilities and outdoor pitches. All these new sporting facilities will be available to all Wokingham Borough residents.
Executive View Cllr David Lee, Deputy Leader and Executive Member for strategic Planning and highways “The major new roads that will help keep the Borough moving as we accommodate the new homes are on their way, and people will see more and more progress on them. We’ve always promised that roads, schools and other facilities would come with the housing and that is exactly what is being built now.”
2018/19 Council Tax information
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Message from the Council Leader It’s no secret that we face huge financial challenges. Since 2011, we’ve managed severe reductions in central government grants against a backdrop of rising demand for services - especially in children’s social care and adult social care - as well as escalating waste disposal costs and inflation. By 2020 we’ll see the complete withdrawal of the main government grant, which will have a massive impact on the support for our Borough. There’s an expectation from government that local residents and businesses will bridge this shortfall through increased council tax and business rates. As the lowest funded unitary authority in the country, by 2019/20 we’ll receive just £40 per person compared to other councils (average grant of £250). In 2018/19, 84% of service costs will be met through council tax revenue, not government funding (this rises to 90% in 2019/20). A number of authorities around the country receive 50% including Leicester, Stoke-on-Trent, Nottingham and Telford and the Wrekin. This is profoundly unfair, as we provide, on a lot less funding, the very same statutory services as councils across the country. Because of this, we continue to make representation at the highest level asking for fairer funding for our Borough. Thanks to all of you who took part in our budget consultation last autumn. Your feedback helped us paint a better picture of your priorities. We’ve listened to what you’ve said. We know affordable housing, weekly waste collections, maintaining roads, having a thriving economy
and good educational attainment are very important to you. And thanks to our carefully planned developments, which are bringing significant contributions from housing developers, attracting central government capital grants and through prudent borrowing, we’re able to translate people’s priorities into day-to-day reality. This means we’re able to invest an unprecedented half a billion pounds during the next three years in areas that matter most to you. Visit our YouTube channel to find out more: www.youtube. com/WokinghamBC Fifty-six per cent of you said you’d be willing to support an increase in council tax to protect the services we provide. Wokingham Borough is a great place to live and we want to ensure it stays that way. This year’s general council tax increase has been set at 2.99%, a weekly increase of 78p a week for a Band D property, and a social care precept levy of 2.5% (65p per week). The social care precept levy will generate an additional £2.4million this year to make sure vulnerable adults get the vital support they need. I hope this four-page pull-out helps to explain more about our budget for the coming year. Cllr Charlotte haitham Taylor Leader of Wokingham Borough Council
whAT Do wE sPEnD ouR MonEy on? Did you know the majority of our money is spent on statutory services? We have growing costs year-on-year because of more residents and increased demand on services.
BuDgET 2018/19 - £117 MILLIon Non-statutory services e.g. leisure, parks and open spaces, and bus subsidies
DIVIsIon oF sERVICEs PER £100 sPEnT Children’s social care
15%
Statutory services e.g. adult social care, children’s services, waste collection and disposal, and highways
Adult social services (health & wellbeing) housing Cleaner & greener services (inc waste)
£1 £7
£11
£3 £0
£22
highways & transport Libraries & community development Other front line services
85%
Corporate & democratic core
£14 £0
Debt charges & investment income
www.wokingham.gov.uk
2018/19 Council Tax information
£42
16where Winteryour 2017 money goes
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Elements of a Band D Council Tax: 2017/18 2018/19 Percentage Change Wokingham Borough Council (excluding social care precept) £1,295.49 £1,336.13 2.99%* Wokingham Borough Council Social Care Precept £63.78 £97.76 2.5%* Parish Precept (average) £58.31 £60.50 3.76% Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley £170.28 £182.28 7.05% Royal Berkshire Fire Authority £62.49 £64.36 2.99% *Percentage increases based on total Wokingham Borough Council 2017/18 council tax level (including social care precept), as per legislation The average total Council Tax bill for a Band D property (which includes the charges made by Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley, Royal Berkshire Fire Authority and your town or parish council). £1,650.35 £1,741.03 5.49%
where your money goes 2017/18
2018/19
Staffing Other Service Net Staffing Other Service Net Costs Costs Income Expenditure Costs Costs Income Expenditure £000 £000 (e.g. fees £000 £000 £000 (e.g. fees £000 & charges, & charges, grants) grants) £000 £000
Schools and education
84,792
15,017
(99,809)
0
76,010
13,414
(89,424)
0
Children’s social care
12,158
15,536
(2,639)
25,055
11,516
16,157
(2,517)
25,156
Adult social services (health & wellbeing)
4,249
59,006
(18,585)
44,670
5,093
58,497
(16,640)
46,950
274
24,092
(23,878)
488
332
23,856
(23,909)
279
Cleaner & greener 1,368 services (inc waste)
16,999
(2,922)
15,445
1,724
17,599
(2,960)
16,363
Housing
Highways & transport
1,730
8,961
(3,463)
7,228
1,935
9,330
(3,772)
7,493
Libraries & community development
1,391
892
(240)
2,043
1,319
543
(245)
1,617
Other front line services
8,237
9,373
(4,674)
12,936
8,620
5,387
(6,028)
11,856
504
0
0
504
337
0
0
337
Corporate and democratic core (corporate management & democratic representation)
Debt charges & 0 4,517 (851) 3,666 0 3,848 (459) 3,389 investment income Total expenditure on services Transfer to/(from) balances Total budget
112,035 113,440 1,254 3,688 113,289 117,128
How these services are funded: Government Support 14,099 13,763 Transitional Grant 2,104 0 New Homes Bonus 4,726 4,201 Collection Fund Surplus 700 700 Council tax for Borough Council 91,660 98,464 113,289 117,128
COUNCIL TAX LEVELS AND PARISH PRECEPTS Parishes Each town and parish council decides what it is going to spend. This is charged to the Borough Council and added to your council tax bill. Your final bill varies depending on how much your parish council charges (or precepts).
www.wokingham.gov.uk
Council Tax Levels The full council tax that you are required to pay covers the precepts for Wokingham Borough Council, Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley, Royal Berkshire Fire Authority and your parish council. The charge per band in each parish is listed over the page.
2018/19 Council Tax information
www.twitter.com/WokinghamBC council tax levels and parish precepts continued
Winter 2017 17
Town/Parish Precepts 2017/18 2018/19 £ £ Band A Band B Band C Band D Band E Band F Band G Arborfield & Newland 95,150 100,231 1,172.86 1,368.34 1,563.83 1,759.30 2,150.25 2,541.20 2,932.16 Barkham 46,342 50,318 1,141.39 1,331.62 1,521.86 1,712.09 2,092.55 2,473.01 2,853.48 Charvil 40,715 47,070 1,142.61 1,333.04 1,523.49 1,713.92 2,094.79 2,475.65 2,856.53 Earley 812,780 859,700 1,168.74 1,363.53 1,558.33 1,753.12 2,142.70 2,532.27 2,921.86 Finchampstead 126,944 139,638 1,136.48 1,325.89 1,515.32 1,704.73 2,083.56 2,462.38 2,841.21 Remenham 23,150 24,076 1,170.51 1,365.59 1,560.69 1,755.77 2,145.94 2,536.10 2,926.28 Ruscombe 10,266 35,500 1,167.99 1,362.65 1,557.33 1,751.99 2,141.32 2,530.64 2,919.98 St Nicholas Hurst 30,000 40,000 1,145.55 1,336.47 1,527.41 1,718.33 2,100.18 2,482.02 2,863.88 Shinfield 341,047 356,144 1,164.55 1,358.64 1,552.74 1,746.83 2,135.01 2,523.19 2,911.38 Sonning 35,568 36,280 1,150.02 1,341.68 1,533.37 1,725.03 2,108.37 2,491.70 2,875.05 Swallowfield 19,308 19,984 1,133.14 1,322.00 1,510.87 1,699.72 2,077.43 2,455.14 2,832.86 Twyford 77,921 81,645 1,138.46 1,328.20 1,517.96 1,707.70 2,087.19 2,466.67 2,846.16 Wargrave 168,345 175,660 1,175.84 1,371.81 1,567.80 1,763.77 2,155.72 2,547.66 2,939.61 Winnersh 110,521 113,760 1,139.26 1,329.13 1,519.02 1,708.89 2,088.64 2,468.38 2,848.15 Wokingham Town 766,961 809,335 1,156.20 1,348.89 1,541.61 1,734.30 2,119.70 2,505.09 2,890.50 Wokingham Without 145,543 163,673 1,154.67 1,347.11 1,539.57 1,732.01 2,116.90 2,501.78 2,886.68 Woodley 1,081,303 1,101,119 1,191.49 1,390.07 1,588.66 1,787.24 2,184.40 2,581.56 2,978.73 3,931,863 4,154,134 For details of the respective charges made by Wokingham Borough Council, Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley, Royal Berkshire Fire Authority and your Parish Council for your property, please refer to your Council Tax Demand Notice.
Band H 3,518.60 3,424.18 3,427.84 3,506.24 3,409.46 3,511.54 3,503.98 3,436.66 3,493.66 3,450.06 3,399.44 3,415.40 3,527.54 3,417.78 3,468.60 3,464.02 3,574.48
Discounts and Exemptions
Appeals about the Council Tax you paY
For details of all council tax discounts, exemptions and reductions for disabled residents visit: www.wokingham.gov.uk (search for ‘council tax’)
If you feel that your council tax bill is wrong, or you have not received the discount or exemption you are entitled to, please contact us online at www.wokingham.gov.uk/contact-us or email Ctax@wokingham.gov.uk. Do not stop paying your council tax while you are making an appeal. If your appeal is successful, you will be entitled to a refund of any overpaid council tax.
recovery For any unpaid council tax, once we have exhausted all avenues of debt recovery, (including an attachment to your earnings or an attachment to benefit), we are able to pass the debt to enforcement agents for collection. This incurs additional costs which are payable by the debtor. If the enforcement agents are unsuccessful in collecting the debt, we then have the option of further recovery, including petitioning for bankruptcy, where all the associated costs are payable by the debtor. If you are having difficulty in paying your council tax it is important that you contact the council before this stage is reached. We may be able to offer help through discounts, exemptions or reductions. Full details are available at: www.wokingham.gov.uk (search for ‘non payment’).
adult social care The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has made an offer to adult social care authorities. (‘Adult social care authorities’ are local authorities which have functions under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014, namely county councils in England, district councils for an area in England for which there is no county council, London borough councils, the Common Council of the City of London and the Council of the Isles of Scilly.) The offer is the option of an adult social care authority being able to charge an additional ‘precept’ on its council tax for financial years from the financial year beginning in 2016 without holding a referendum, to assist the authority in meeting expenditure on adult social care. Subject to the annual approval of the House of Commons, the Secretary of State intends to offer the option of charging this ‘precept’ at an appropriate level in each financial year up to and including the financial year 2019/20.
COUNCIL TAX REDUCTION Information is available at: www.wokingham.gov.uk (search for ‘council tax reduction’) on our Council Tax Reduction Scheme, which is to help those on a low income to pay their council tax.
www.wokingham.gov.uk
2018/19 Council Tax information
APPEALs on PRoPERTy BAnDIng All property bandings are dealt with by the Valuation Office Agency, which is part of Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs. Details on appeals and queries are available at: www.gov.uk/council-tax-appeals Making an appeal against your valuation does not allow you to withhold payment of any tax owing. If your appeal is successful you will be entitled to a refund of any overpaid tax.
PEnALTIEs
CounCIL TAX AnD BEnEFITs EnQuIRIEs
You are responsible for advising us, within 21 days, of any change in circumstances, which may affect your entitlement to a discount, exemption or a council tax reduction. Any person who has been requested by Wokingham Borough Council to supply information to identify the liable person, and that information is in their possession or control, is required to supply that information within 21 days. Any person who receives a request for information following the issue of a Liability Order, and that information is in their possession, is required to supply that information within 14 days of the request being made. Failure to notify or supply the information may incur an initial penalty of £70.
If you have access to the internet why not visit us at: www. wokingham.gov.uk? If you do not have access to the internet you can contact us by: • Emailing us at: ctax@wokingham.gov.uk or benefits@ wokingham.gov.uk • Telephone: (0118) 974 6000 • Writing to us at: Wokingham Borough Council, PO Box 152, Shute End, Wokingham, rG40 1WJ • Visiting our Reception Desk at our Shute End office. Office hours are 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
suPPLEMEnTARy InFoRMATIon All major preceptors, as well as town or parish councils with budgets exceeding £140,000, who raise money through council tax have a statutory obligation to supply certain financial information with your council tax bill. Since April 2013, this information can now be provided electronically rather than in a paper leaflet. Simply follow the website link for each authority, listed below, if you would like to view their financial information.
RoyAL BERKshIRE FIRE AuThoRITy
ThAMEs VALLEy PoLICE
(0118) 945 2888 www.rbfrs.co.uk
EARLy Town CounCIL
(01865) 541 957 www.thamesvalley-pcc.gov.uk
shInFIELD PARIsh CounCIL
(0118) 986 8995 www.earley-tc.gov.uk
wARgRAVE PARIsh CounCIL
(0118) 988 8220 www.shinfieldparish.gov.uk
woKInghAM Town CounCIL
(0118) 940 6084 www.wargrave.org.uk
woKInghAM wIThouT PARIsh CounCIL
(0118) 978 3185 www.wokingham-tc.gov.uk
wooDLEy Town CounCIL
(01344) 771 425 www.wokinghamwithout-pc.gov.uk
(0118) 969 0356 www.woodley.gov.uk
nATIonAL BEnEFIT FRAuD hoTLInE 0800 854 440 www.wokingham.gov.uk
2018/19 Council Tax information
Spring 2018 19
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UPGRADES TO YOUR FRONT FACING SERVICES New technology to help us help you in a 21st Century Council world We’re modernising our services and whether you’re paying your council tax, finding out about bin collections, or accessing planning applications in your area, you’ll be able to do all these things in a way that suits you. We’re creating new ways to help you, and during 2018 we’re making some major improvements to the software used here at the Council. In January, we replaced our old payments system to make it easier for you. New chip and PIN machines have been rolled out across the Borough to libraries, children’s centres, registrars, planning and the Dinton Activity Centre creating contactless payment as well as helping us modernise services. Another development is a new service, due to go live in April, which is designed to help you transact with us more easily with online Council Tax enquiries, and to do things like set up direct debits, apply for Council Tax discounts, and tell us about changes of address. Another improvement we’re excited about is the new mapping technology we’re launching. This will link to our planning software, and allow you to search for planning applications via postcodes and link seamlessly to the relevant planning documents. We’ve had excellent focus group feedback on the public maps so far; that they’re simple and intuitive to use. Our main website has also been changing. We want to make it more intuitive for you, and easier to find the information you want. Like us, many councils across the country are shifting the way they operate services, partly to save money, but mainly to recognise the needs of their residents and businesses. More information: To set up a customer account visit: https://selfservice.wokingham. gov.uk/register or download the app to your mobile device from the iTunes and Play stores.
Executive View Cllr Julian McGhee-Sumner, Executive Member for Finance, 21st Century Council, Internal Services and human Resources “What we’re proposing is designed to help you interact with us and complete everyday tasks and queries with ease. “We want to reassure you that no matter what the changes are, there will still be help and support available, and guidance if needed, to help you complete any tasks. “Libraries will still have staff to assist you, and there is still one-toone support at our offices in Shute End.”
20 Winter 2017
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Spring 2018 21
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Shining the spotlight on mental health One in four people experiences a mental health problem every year, so if you’re not a victim yourself there’s a good chance you’ll know someone who is – in your family, a friend or a work colleague. We’re developing the work we started last year as part of Brighter Berkshire’s 2017 mental health campaign. Our public health team collaborated with Brighter Berkshire in a public event highlighting the local support available from the voluntary and statutory sectors for stress, anxiety and depression. Our sports and leisure team also advocates exercise and wellbeing to improve people’s health. We ran anxiety workshops for parents, in partnership with ARC Counselling, to help them identify anxiety in their children and how to help them. We hope to develop the Recovery College with partners to help people, using education and training.
Executive View Cllr Richard Dolinski, Executive Member for Adults’ services, health, wellbeing and housing “The Berkshire Suicide Prevention Strategy was also launched last October. We can all play a part to help prevent and reduce suicides, and support families bereaved in this way.”
Can you vote on 3 May? Remember if you want to vote in the local elections on 3 May, you must be on the electoral register. You can add yourself to it via the national website at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. The deadline to register is Tuesday 17 April. You can also apply for a postal or proxy vote if you’re on holiday this spring and away for the elections. Contact us and we can make sure you’re taking the correct option to safeguard your vote. You might, for example, find some campaigners offering postal vote application forms. But these may only cover the elections on 3 May and not long term. They may also be offering them where electors already have a postal vote. So the best way to make sure is to contact us. Postal vote and proxy application forms are on our website (see details below). The deadline for us to receive your completed postal vote application is 5pm, on Wednesday 18 April. The deadline for us to receive your completed proxy vote application is 5pm, on Wednesday 25 April. More information: www.wokingham.gov.uk (search ‘elections and voting’) www.aboutmyvote.co.uk electoralservices@wokingham.gov.uk (0118) 974 6000
22 Spring 2018
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On the road to better communications We’re continually looking at ways to reduce disruption on our roads through better planning, management and communications. Late last year we held a consultation on transport and highways, and one of the things we found out is that many of the respondents hadn’t heard about the useful tools available to help them plan journeys around the Borough. Available on the council website and as a standalone site, www. roadworks.org gives you a real time view of all current and planned roadworks throughout Wokingham Borough. However, our consultation showed that nearly half hadn’t used it. There’re a number of ways that you can get traffic information on www.roadworks.org. Because it’s map-based, you can search the area you’re interested in by entering a street, postcode or town. It also allows you to see exactly where work is being done, by whom, for how long, and diversion routes if a road is closed.
www.roadworks.org can also send updates direct to your phone, PC or tablet. This is particularly helpful for unplanned and emergency works. People also told us that they would like more regular updates on upcoming roadworks and traffic restrictions. www.roadworks. org can also give you details about future works – up to 12 months in advance and offers free daily, weekly or monthly email updates for any area on the map you’ve defined. It’s very easy to set up a regular email alert to notify you of all roadworks taking place in locations that may affect your journeys. Just click on the email alert button on the top left of the map. After selecting a location on the map, and filling in a few details, you can then personalise your alert by selecting the following:
Spring 2018 23
www.twitter.com/WokinghamBC • The email address you’d like the alert to be sent • The location or area you’d like to receive alerts about. This can be the map view, the location set or you can draw your own area • If you’d like to see roadworks and/or public event works • What level of traffic impact works would you like to see, from all works to only those that have a high impact • What frequency you would like to receive the emails. Daily, weekly or monthly • Please see the photo of the Roadworks.org web page below
We’re working on a number of major roads projects to help ease congestion, and as you’ve requested we’ll continue to update you via our websites and social media. These projects are funded by developers as part of our agreement with them, to minimise the impact of more traffic on our roads. Due to the way these roads are funded, it’s not possible to complete these major roads before the housing projects start.
More information: www.wokingham.gov.uk (search ‘roadworks and road closures’) www.elgin.org.uk/video-tutorial-how-set-email-alerts Once you’ve set this up, you’ll receive email alerts on a regular basis (either daily, weekly or monthly depending on your selection) with your personalised roadwork update. This is free to do and receive, and will help you plan your journeys and reduce their times. In addition to www.roadworks.org, you can find useful travel information on our My Journey webpages. These offer a wealth of information about bus, train, cycle and walking options around the Borough, including how you can best plan your journeys. The My Journey webpages also have real time bus information and a live bus route map. More information: www.myjourneywokingham.com We do understand roadworks are a major frustration, and the impact they have on people’s daily lives. But, like many local authorities, we’re required by central government to accommodate a significant amount of new houses. Naturally, this leads to new infrastructure – not only schools, parks, shops and community centres – but other essentials including new gas and water mains to be installed. We also have to accommodate on our network the replacement of ageing utility apparatus, as well as maintain and repair the roads. All of these different demands have to be coordinated.
Executive View Cllr Keith Baker, Executive Member for highways and Transport “There are lots of useful free tools to help you plan ahead when you’re out and about, and give you the intel you need to make informed decisions about your journeys whether by car, on foot, on a bike or public transport.”
24 Winter 2017
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52 READING ROAD – A stepping stone to independence
Spring 2018 25
Mayor’s Column
As we progress through the year, my work supporting charities and the excellent work they do, continues to win my admiration for them. I described them as the hidden army and they truly are.
This March sees the completion of a new, purpose built, young care leavers scheme at 52 Reading Road, Wokingham. The house will comprise two bedsit apartments, and seven single bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, and on-site support for 16 to 25-year-olds. This scheme is a great example of collaborative working between us and Wokingham Housing (WHL). The scheme was commissioned by us and is part funded through a £304,000 grant from Homes England. Schemes like this are essential for young people to help them make a positive transition into adulthood, including better understanding of the financial pressures and realities of living independently. Projects like this can often be difficult for other Council partners to provide, whereas the relationship between WHL, as a wholly owned Council company, and us means we can agree and do things that others may be more reticent to sign up to. The completed scheme will transfer to Loddon Homes, a housing association also owned by us. Through our innovative approach to using our housing companies together, we will deliver a much needed new scheme for young people that otherwise would never see the light of day.
Some special moments for me during the past year include the opening of the annual Wokingham firework display, the Remembrance Sunday parade, the collation and induction of the Revd Anna Harwood as Vicar of Benefice of Ruscombe and Twyford as well as the Dedication of the Organ at St Eligius Church, Arborfield and the Black History Month event celebrating community relations. To mark the tenth anniversary of the death of Captain David Hicks MC, I asked local school children to help me design the annual charity Christmas card. The winning design was also used by Captain Hicks’ parents, Alun and Lesley Hicks, who helped judge the entries and donated the prizes. Captain David Hicks MC, who was from the Wokingham Borough, lost his life while serving in Afghanistan in 2007. He was posthumously awarded the Military Cross – one of the highest military honours – for his courage and heroism in the line of duty. Zelia Fernandes (pictured), from Winnersh Primary School, was the successful winner in the competition with two excellent runners up from Robert Piggott Primary School, and St Nicholas Hurst Primary School. Cllr Rob stanton Wokingham Borough Mayor
READING BLUE COAT SCHOOL An Independent Day School for Boys, with a Co-Educational Sixth Form
26 Winter 2017
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Come along and take a closer look
Call us for an informal chat with our Admissions team www.rbcs.org.uk •0118 944 1005 •Sonning Lane, Sonning, Berks RG4 6SU
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES
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Spring 2018 27
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shInFIELD sT MARy’s gETs ACTIVE At the time of going to press, we were eagerly waiting to find out if Shinfield St Mary’s CE Junior School had won the prestigious Get Berkshire Active Awards 2017: Active Primary School award. The Wokingham Borough primary school, which has recently been awarded the School Games Gold Mark for the third consecutive year, has quality extracurricular P.E. and high participation numbers across the school, plus innovative ways to get pupils involved – irrespective of their abilities. Well done to everyone involved!
wokingham in Bloom – get involved! Wokingham town will once again take part in Thames and Chilterns in Bloom (large town category) in 2018, following a break last year. If you want to be involved there are many ways you can. Contact Bob Sherrard, Wokingham Town Council, by email at: marketandbloom@wokingham-tc.gov.uk
ThuMBs uP!
Change4Life – New Healthier Snacking Campaign We’re supporting the Change4Life healthier snacking campaign. Children in England are eating nearly three times the recommended amount of sugar. Half the sugar consumed comes from snacks and sugary drinks. Obesity levels in the Wokingham Borough are lower than in the South East, with 18% of fourto-five year-olds and 27.1% of 10 to 11-year-olds overweight or obese. However, obese children are more likely to have long-term health and other issues, such as being absent from school due to illness, have health-related limitations, and require more medical care than children of a normal weight.
A number of recent surveys have given our local towns and villages a big thumbs up. Lower Earley topped the charts in the top 20 places in England and Wales for families. Twyford, Woodley and Wokingham all featured in the same survey, which looked at education, childcare, safety, property, amenities and population. We’re also really proud that Earley featured in a survey by the Centre for Economics and Business Research, for Royal Mail. It was one of four South East locations in the top ten, highlighting it as one of the most desirable addresses in the UK. The survey looked at two years’ worth of data on employment prospects, working hours, affordable housing, average community waiting times and access to green space. Wokingham once again featured in the top ten places to live in the UK. The annual Halifax quality of life survey looked at a range of factors including health, earnings, crime rates and life expectancy. Employment, wellbeing and the weather are also taken into account.
We know parents are concerned about their children’s snacking habits and Change4Life offers practical advice to help make healthier choices. More information: www.nhs.uk/change4life
28 Winter 2017
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- 24 hour service - Free bereavement advice - Pre-paid funeral plans
WOKINGHAM
142 Finchampstead Road RG41 2NU
01189 793623 www.jbhallfuneraldirectors.co.uk
Spring 2018 29
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AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR SALE IN WOKINGHAM BOROUGH As the cost of purchasing a new home in the Borough continues to rise, shared ownership is a more financially accessible option for people looking to take their first step from renting to owning. Our company Wokingham Housing (WHL) is building and delivering the first dozen Council produced shared ownership homes for its sister company Loddon Homes. This spring, the first two homes at Barrett Crescent and two additional houses at Elizabeth Road in central Wokingham will become available. These homes will be available on a part-buy/ part-rent basis to those who meet the criteria for shared ownership. It means people can buy their own home by purchasing a share (between 35% and 75% of the property value) of the property and paying rent on the remaining share. Rent is charged at 1.5% of the unsold equity. People can buy more of their home when they can afford it, so that one day they own 100%. Loddon Homes has secured £1.5million of grant funding from Homes England to help deliver 78 new shared ownership properties during the next five years. More information: www.helptobuy.gov.uk/shared-ownership
help us lobby government In our recent budget survey nearly 40% of you said your top priority is new housing built, where it’s appropriate, with good infrastructure. We don’t have much control over the number of houses that need to be built (although we’re trying to change that – see below), but we can control where homes are built and the infrastructure that comes with them. We’re currently updating our local development plan to manage growth in the Borough. We have 260 sites promoted for development, and are assessing these. We also have a few larger sites where we’ve commissioned masterplanning to see if they’re suitable. Once all this site assessment work is done, we’ll consult with you.
Executive View Cllr simon weeks, Executive Member for Planning and Enforcement “We understand why people feel the housing coming here is excessive – and we’re lobbying government on this – but we still need to plan in case we do have to take high numbers, so that there’s the right infrastructure and facilities.”
Help us lobby central government against speculative developers who submit inappropriate planning applications in unsustainable locations without the right infrastructure. Contact your local MP to lend your voice to this fight, or email: communityengagement@wokingham.gov.uk
30 Spring 2018
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What’s On this spring… 16 March
13 April
3 - 12 May
Performing many of his incredible songs in what promises to be an electrifying solo acoustic show at Emmbrook Sports and Social Club. 7:45pm, tickets £16
Create your own robot using materials that can be recycled. For children aged 7 to 12. Places must be booked. Wokingham Library, 10.30am to 11.30am, £2
A moving story of a failed suicide attempt, a tempestuous affair, and a breakdown of a marriage comes to Wokingham Theatre. 7:45pm, tickets £12
Gordon Giltrap in Concert
25 March
Wokingham 5km/10km
Barnes Fitness’ first event of the season and open to all abilities. Dinton Pastures, 5km from £12, 10km from £16 31 March
Easter Full Moon Canoe Tour
Take to the lake at Dinton Pastures on a guided tour under the full moon, lit only with glow sticks, to enjoy the night skies. 7pm to 9pm, Adults £15, Children £10 Booking essential 1 April, 13 May
springwatch Canoe Tour
See the lake come to life this spring on our guided morning paddle at Dinton Pastures. Join us afterwards for coffee and cake in the activity centre. 10:30am to 12:30pm, Adults £15, Children £10 – Booking essential 3 April
Children’s origami Club
For children aged 7 and over, at Wokingham Library. 10:30am to 11:30am, 50p 5 April
Children’s Chess Club
Learn to play chess at Woodley Library. For children aged 8 and over. 3:30pm to 5pm 6 April
Outdoor Let’s Explore
A fun and creative session exploring the outdoors and nature, with the rangers from Dinton Pastures. For children aged 3 to 8. Places must be booked. Lower Earley Library 9.15am to 10.30am Wokingham Library, 11.15am to noon, FREE 12 April
Art Club
Learn about different artists through creative activity, at Woodley Library. For children aged 7 to 11. Places must be booked. 3:45pm to 4:45pm, £2
Recycle-bot
The Deep Blue sea
19 April
6 and 26 May
Enjoy the fresh air, as we chat about books, and take a walk in Dinton Pastures. To find out what book we’re discussing and to book a place please call Wokingham Library on (0118) 978 1368. 10:30am to 12:00, FREE
Join the rangers to find out about the creatures living in, and around, Dinton Pastures’ ponds. 10am to noon, Adults FREE, Children £10 – Booking essential
Walking Book Group
20 April
Town Mayor’s Charity golf Day at East Berkshire Golf Course Wokingham Town Mayor, Cllr Peter Lucey, is organising a golf day in aid of WADE and Keep Mobile at East Berkshire Golf Course. A full 18 holes of golf followed by a two course carvery lunch, raffle and prize giving. Email: mayor@ wokinghamtc.gov.uk for more information. 8am start, £240 for a team of 4 28 April
Dawn Chorus
Join Friends of Lavell’s Lake on a gentle dawn stroll, and immerse yourself in the uninterrupted glory of birdsong, starting from Lavell’s Lake Car Park. 4:45am to 8:30am, Adults £2, Children FREE 28 April
Printmaking Workshops
Have fun at Wokingham Library learning a variety of printmaking techniques, from artist Karen Greville-Smith, using springtime as inspiration in a relaxed atmosphere of creative fun. To book a place call (0118) 978 1368. 10am to noon for children aged 7 and over, £3 1pm to 3:30pm for adults, £5 28 April
Kids Dinton Duathlon
Running and cycling multi-sport race event for children aged 8 to 14. More information at www.barnesfitness.co.uk. Dinton Pastures, from £17 4 to 7 April
Bette and Joan
Play depicting arch-rivals Bette Davis and Joan Crawford as they appear together in the movie ‘Whatever Happened to Baby Jane’; a delicate game of one-upwomanship, in which bared teeth are hidden behind dissembling smiles and barbed insults fly in both directions. Wokingham Theatre, 7:45pm, tickets £12
Pond Dipping Discovery
6 and 26 May
Mini-Beast Safari
Search our meadows and woodlands at Dinton Pastures, with the environment rangers, to discover the park’s smallest inhabitants. 2pm to 4pm, adults FREE, Children £10 – Booking essential 10 May
Surviving Wedding Photography
A talk about the planning and preparations that go into a professional photographer’s most stressful job- and what can go wrong. To book, call Wokingham Library on (0118) 978 1368. Wokingham Library, 2pm to 3:30pm, £5 29 May
Fun with Finger Spelling
Learn British Sign Language with fun games and activities for children aged 7 to 12. Places must be booked. Wokingham Library, 2pm to 3pm, £2 29 to 31 May
star wars Reads Activity session
Star Wars activity sheets and, origami craft activities, for children aged 4 to 10. Twyford Library, 29 May, 10:45am to 11:45am Woodley Library, 29 May, 1pm to 2pm Spencers Wood Library, 29 May, 2:45pm to 3:45pm Finchampstead Library, 30 May, 10am to 11am Winnersh Library Wednesday 30 May, 11:30am to 12:30pm Wargrave Library Wednesday 30 May, 2pm to 3pm Wokingham Library Thursday 31 May, 11:30am to 12:30pm £2 – Booking essential More information: www.wokingham.gov.uk (search ‘what’s on’) www.dinton-pastures.co.uk
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Spring 2018 31
NEARLY EVERYTHING BUT THE KITCHEN SINK You can now recycle more than ever from home, and more is planned! Most residents in the Borough should have now received their annual supply of 80 blue bags, in two rolls of 40, for their household waste. The accompanying leaflet explains, that since 1 February, we now accept plastic pots, tubs, clear trays, foil trays, and food or drink cartons in black box collections. This is in addition to the materials we already accept, which includes paper, cardboard, tins, cans, plastic bottles and aerosols. As we continue to look to reduce the amount that we send as a Borough to landfill, we won’t be stopping there. From April 2019, we’re introducing food waste collections as well. Not only is this good for the environment, but it will also give council tax payers better value for money – it’s estimated that sending residual waste to landfill is as much as two and half times more expensive than recycling the same amount. Residents who need a new, additional, or replacement black box can request one online (see our website address below and search for ‘recycling’). Please continue to take any glass bottles and jars to your nearest Bring Bank for recycling. Residents who are part of the garden waste collection service (brown wheeled bin) should have also now received a letter and invoice to renew the service for 2018/19. You can renew, or sign up for the service, by calling 0300 456 0505, online at our website address below (search for ‘garden waste renewal’), by post, or in person at our Shute End offices. If you no longer want the service, please disregard the invoice and letter. Those who’ve signed up for the service in 2018/19 should expect to receive their new coloured sticker ten working days after payment is made. The sticker should be displayed over their current sticker on the brown wheeled bin. More information: www.wokingham.gov.uk (and search ‘recycling’)
This is almost 110g of bread.
If every household in the re3 area reduced their daily food waste by only 110g a day for a year, we would save £1m in waste management costs.
Bread is the UK’s most wasted food. Make it last longer by freezing it for toast, or as breadcrumbs for toppings and puddings. By binning food, we pay for it twice – from our grocery bills and from the Council Tax we pay for waste disposal.
For food and money saving tips, visit www.re3.org.uk re3 is a waste management partnership between Bracknell Forest, Reading and Wokingham Borough Councils and FCC Environment. www.re3.org.uk