Celebrate age

To celebrate the International Day of Older Persons on 1 October, Wokingham Borough Council along with partners is hosting a Celebrate Age event at the newly refurbished Loddon Valley Leisure Centre, from 10.00-15.00. If you are feeling lonely or isolated, this is the ideal opportunity to get out there and see what the borough has to offer.

Taster sessions

The day will be packed with taster sessions, activities and arts and crafts, all free of charge.

The council’s sport and leisure team will be doing blood pressure checks and advising on the latest sporting developments, while activities such as Tai Chi, Zumba Gold, cycling and ballroom dancing are also due to be on offer. Local clubs and societies will be on hand to speak to with Sporting Memories, Aging Actively or Talking Therapies to name a few. Officers from the Thames Valley Police and Berkshire Fire Service are also due be available sharing their tips on staying safe and risk free.

In addition to the array of informative and advisory stalls such as assistive technology, housing needs, benefits and social care, local businesses will be present – beauticians, dietary experts and massage specialists giving demos and presentations, brightening the day up.

Refreshments

Light lunch will be provided for a small cost of £1 and those with a sweet tooth will be able to purchase and enjoy hand-crafted cakes and treats made by students from Addington School.

“I’d like to personally invite all of our senior residents to this wonderful celebration. The day looks incredibly promising with many fantastic stalls, activities and information stands. It’s all about coming together as a community and having a great time. We’ve got lots to celebrate after all! I look forward to welcoming everybody on the day,” said Wokingham Borough Mayor, Cllr Bill Soane.

For more information about the event, please contact the sport and leisure team via email at: sport@wokingham.gov.uk

FIRST PHASE OF ADDINGTON EXPANSION PROJECT COMPLETED

The first phase of the £4.4million expansion of Addington School has been completed with two new multi-use games areas (MUGAs), a new sensory path and an expanded car park now in use. The work was carried out during the school summer holidays and means students will have use of all the facilities they are used to while a new block is built where the facilities used to be sited.

Fifty more children with special educational needs will be able to attend the Ofsted outstanding rated school, in Woodley, from next September following completion of the project. The first phase of the work are part of the preparations to increase its capacity from the start of the next school year.

The next phase of the project at the school, in Woodlands Avenue, will see work on the new single-storey block begin. It will include four classrooms, a café and social/breakout areas. Modular construction specialists Reds10 will complete the project, with 60 to 70 per cent of the work being completed offsite to reduce disruption to the school and its students.

As part of the project the boundary of the car park, which now has 30 more spaces to accommodate additional staff, will see additional planting around its border, including evergreen plants to provide screening all-year round.

Extra pupils

The expansion, which all takes place within the school’s boundary, will allow more local children with special educational needs and disabilities to be educated closer to home and boost the school’s capacity to more than 250 students due to the extra space.

“It’s fantastic to see the first stage of this work completed and to know that students at Addington School will have all the facilities they are used to for the new term ,” said Cllr UllaKarin Clark, executive member for children’s services.

“The project will mean we can increase the number of young people who will be able to access the outstanding education for SEND children on offer at Addington. The expansion will help to make children and their families’ lives easier as they will be able to go to school closer to home, meaning shorter journeys and reduced travel costs for Wokingham Borough Council.”

“It’s absolutely crucial Addington’s students have access to the facilities they are used to while we work to expand the school,” said Sara Attra, headteacher at Addington School.

“Completion of this first stage of the work marks a successful start as we look to grow our outstanding school, and work to be able to support even more young people with the type of education they need. The students were extremely excited to see the new state of the art Multi Use Games Areas on their return to school and couldn’t wait to test out the new surfaces!”

The facilities will be officially opened by Borough Mayor Cllr Bill Soane and Cllr Clark later this autumn.

Re3 is working in partnership with Wokingham Borough Council, Reading Borough Council, Bracknell Forest Council and FCC Environment to help people in Bracknell Forest, Reading and Wokingham Boroughs waste less and recycle more.

This month, the focus is on reducing the number of clothes that end up in landfill. Every week 11 million items of clothing end up in landfill. Throwaway fashion is putting increasing pressure on our planet and its people – it’s unsustainable.

Re3 is urging residents to help by joining Second Hand September and pledging to say no to new clothes for 30 days. To join in, click HERE and sign up. Furthermore, to receive Re3’s regular newsletter, sign up HERE.

Thames Valley Police are warning of an increase of doorstep rogue traders

TVP has released the following information:

We have received reports of potential Doorstep Rogue Traders and Cold Callers in the Earley and Woodley areas.

You may receive a cold call knock at your door from someone claiming to be a tradesman working in the area. They will call unexpectedly, offering services or goods you had not asked for. Those who accept work often find the price increases or the work is left unfinished.

The usual type of work offered includes pressure washing driveways, garden clearance, chimney repairs, replacing loose tiles, repairing leaking roofs or guttering and driveway work. If you accept work from a doorstep trader you’re very likely to pay much more than the price initially agreed for very poor, unnecessary and sometimes dangerous work and you are likely to be targeted by them again in the future. They often target the older generation, who are often more trusting and vulnerable to falling victim to these types of traders.

Doorstep traders rarely provide paperwork so they can’t be traced once they’ve left your home. Names, addresses and business details are often false and telephone numbers are not answered. They have no interest in doing work properly, their only concern is getting the cash and disappearing before Trading Standards or the Police can catch up with them.

Cold Calling can also be a cover for persons planning more serious offences, such as burglaries, to see if houses are occupied. Cold Callers might also commit Bogus Official offences where they gain entry to the house by deception in order to steal, whilst the occupant is distracted.

Please pass on this advice to friends and neighbours who might not receive Thames Valley Alert emails or texts. Genuine reputable local tradesmen do not need to find work in this way.

You should never feel pressured to accept any work or service you do not want or need. It is your home and your right to say NO. If you suspect a crime is in progress, or about to occur, please note any descriptions and contact police on 999.

Download your FREE Home Security Guide from the Thames Valley Police website: https://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/police-forces/thames-valley-police/areas/advice/home-security-guide/

IF IN DOUBT – KEEP THEM OUT!

ALMOST 47,000 RESIDENTS SAY GOVERNMENT-IMPOSED HOUSING TARGET IS TOO HIGH

Wokingham Borough Council has been overwhelmed by the number of responses to the Housing Target Consultation, with just under 50,000 individual responses received of which 46,807 (94%) said no to the government-imposed target.

“Firstly I want to thank all those thousands of people who took the time to take part in this consultation. I always believed that residents shared our opposition to the government-imposed target but even I was surprised by the response,”  said John Halsall, leader of the council.

“This will strengthen our hand as we argue that the current system for allocating housing is arbitrary and unfair and that our targets are always too high. We will use this overwhelming response in our future lobbying on the subject and, whether we are successful this time or not, this is a line in the sand for the borough.”

Under the government’s methodology, the borough will need to accommodate about 800 to 900 homes a year in the years up to 2036. The homes already planned in the borough will help meet this target over the next few years but, without a major policy change from government, the rest will have to be accommodated through new housing.

HAVE YOUR SAY ON ADOPTION OF NEW INFRASTRUCTURE

The procedure for adopting new roads, open spaces, landscaping and play areas once housing developments have been completed is now the focus of special group set up specifically to examine it.

The aim of the new task and finish group set up by Wokingham Borough Council is to see if the adoption process for new infrastructure can be speeded up to avoid delays and unnecessary angst for residents living in or near these new homes and estates.

Residents, community groups, town and parish councils and stakeholders are invited as part of this investigation to provide written evidence detailing their experiences of being involved in the adoption process. The deadline to submit this evidence is 30 September.

The task and finish group will also look closely at the legal, planning and technical frameworks for infrastructure adoption, as well as examples of best practice. It will examine the ways residents are informed and updated, and how to improve people’s understanding of the council’s, developers’ and individual homeowner’s different roles in the whole process.

“The procedure and timeframe for adopting new estate infrastructure can be confusing and frustrating for residents,” said Andrew Moulton, assistant director for governance at the council. “So we want to see if things can be done differently to help everyone involved.”

Evidence can be emailed to the council’s scrutiny officer, Neil Carr, at: neil.carr@wokingham.gov.uk or by post to: Democratic Services, Wokingham Borough Council, Shute End, Wokingham, RG40 1BN. The deadline is 30 September.

French market in Woodley town centre today!

WOODLEY LIBRARY IMPROVEMENTS AND TEMPORARY CLOSURE

After more than 30 years serving local residents, Wokingham Borough Council’s Woodley Library is getting a face-lift. The library, based in Headley Road, is due to undergo building works this autumn as part of the council’s commitment to providing quality community services for its residents.

The work includes relocating and replacing the entrance doors, replacing the glass frontage of the building, improving the heating system and replacing some of the furniture.  Following the renovations, there will be more flexibility in how the space in the library can be used, allowing a wider range of activities and improved comfort to those using the space.

It will not be possible to keep the library open whilst the works are being carried out.  It is expected that it will be closed from mid-September for approximately six weeks.

During the closure, people will still be able to access online library services such as e-books and e-audios.  For those who would like to visit in person, the council’s other locations are open. Details can be found on the council’s website at: www.wokingham.gov.uk/libraries/.  For customers who wish to use the library on Sunday, Lower Earley site will be open whilst the works are ongoing.

Woodley residents will also be able to return library books to the Oakwood Centre during the refurbishments. A table will be set up in reception from 16 September to 25 October. Monday: 09.00-13.00 Tuesday-Friday: 09.00-16.30. Please note this is a returns only service.

“I’m pleased the Council is able to continue its programme of investment in our libraries as a clear demonstration of the value they provide our residents. We are very lucky to have such great library services across the borough and this is something we will continue to improve.” said Cllr Parry Batth, executive member for environment and leisure.

“The Woodley Library is over 30 years old, so it is expected that from time to time we will need to give it a bit of a facelift and where possible make some improvements. It’s our intention to make this process as painless as possible for users and I would urge anyone who has any questions or concerns about the temporary closure to contact the library staff so they can advise.”

CONVENIENCE FEE TO BE REMOVED FROM CAR PARK MOBILE PAYMENTS

Drivers using Wokingham Borough Council car parks will no longer have to pay the 20p charge when using RingGo to pay for parking.

The council is removing the convenience fee applied to mobile device payments through the system at all of its car parks from 26 August. The change will be rolled out across all borough council car parks, including Dinton Pastures and California Country Park. This will apply to payments using both the phone number and the smartphone app.

The move follows a major upgrade of all council operated car park payment machines this summer, with more than 50 new machines installed, offering more flexible ways to pay. As well as mobile payments, standard coin and card payments are still available, alongside an innovative check in-check out system, which allows drivers to pay for the parking they’ve used instead of paying in advance.

The retention of the RingGo payment option but without the convenience fee means even more choice for drivers at lower cost. Smartphone users can also extend their stay while they are out through the RingGo app, as well as having the chance to set up text reminders when their ticket is due to expire. They are also able to see how busy a car park is when they are planning their journey ahead, by using the app’s features.

“Removing the convenience fee charge for mobile payments gives our residents more flexibility when parking in our car parks,” said Cllr Pauline Jorgensen, executive member for highways and transport.

“Now the charge is the same for everyone using our parking facilities, no matter whether they choose to check in-check out, pay by coin or by mobile using RingGo. Removing this charge means anyone using the car park can quickly pay over the phone or through a few taps on their smartphone, without having to worry about having to pay extra for it.”

“The adoption, and preference, for mobile payments is growing rapidly across the country. Wokingham Borough Council’s decision to remove the convenience fee for RingGo shows an understanding of this trend and a wish to offer those parking in the area their preferred method of payment – without extra cost,” said Peter O’Driscoll, UK Country Manager, RingGo.

“By putting use of RingGo on par with cash and card payments, the Council is providing drivers with the flexibility to locate spaces, pay for parking without visiting machines and extend their stay wherever they are via their phones – a capability that lines up with the fast paced world we live in today.”

RingGo is a separately operated private company. To register for a RingGo account, visitwww.myringgo.co.uk/register

Woodley Town Council would like to thank everyone for attending its Community Fun Day and picnic to celebrate the centenary of Woodley’s Memorial Ground

We have a selection of photos from the day but would love to see yours too to add to our gallery!

Please send them to: admin@woodley.gov.uk