‘What’s on?’ at Woodley’s Centre Stage in October

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Do you have any ideas to help Wokingham Borough Council save the world?

Wokingham Borough Council is asking residents for their ideas on reducing the council’s carbon footprint in a survey that launched on 26 September.

The survey, which will run to 31 December, asks residents if they have any eco-friendly tips from their personal lives that they are willing to share with other residents, as well as any ideas they have that would help the council on its way to being carbon neutral.

Wokingham Borough Council declared a climate emergency in July and pledged to make the council carbon neutral by 2030. The council is writing an action plan to achieve carbon neutrality and is asking residents for their help.

“We’ve committed as a council to become carbon neutral by 2030, but we can’t do it alone. We need our residents, businesses, charities and schools to work with us to help emissions, address climate change and secure the future of our planet,” said Cllr Gregor Murray, executive member for climate emergency.

“We have a lot of very smart residents in the borough who are already trying to reduce their carbon footprint and we want to tap into their knowledge and expertise. Even if you think someone else might have already submitted an idea, don’t let that stop you. If we get lots of people submitting the same idea, that tells us how important it is.”

To participate in the survey and submit ideas, visit the council website and search consultations.

The best ideas will be shared in a future edition of the Borough News.

Grand opening of new facilities at Addington School

PIC BY STEWART TURKINGTON
www.stphotos.co.uk

A host of new facilities have been officially opened as part of the £4.4million expansion of Addington School. Two new multi-use games areas, a new sensory path and expanded car park were all unveiled at the Ofsted-rated outstanding school in Wokingham borough.

Wokingham Borough Mayor Cllr Bill Soane and executive member for children’s services Cllr UllaKarin Clark cut the ribbon on the new facilities on Monday [30 September]. They were joined by the Woodley school’s headteacher Sara Attra, as well as representatives from contractors Reds10 and HLM Architects.

Brooke Chaplen and Grace Moloney from top-tier women’s football club Reading FC also assisted with the opening and stayed to enjoy the facilities with the students. Pupils have been enjoying the new facilities since the start of term after works were completed during the summer holidays.

PIC BY STEWART TURKINGTON
www.stphotos.co.uk

“It was a pleasure to be on site at Addington to cut the ribbon for the school’s new facilities,” said Borough Mayor Cllr Bill Soane. “I thoroughly enjoyed meeting the pupils and seeing them make the most of the new sports areas. I can’t wait to come back and see the school once this exciting expansion project has been completed.”

Further expansion

The expansion, which will enable more children with special educational needs to attend the school in Woodlands Avenue, will now move onto the main construction phase.

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. The new single-storey block will include four classrooms, a café and social/breakout areas.

The expansion will boost the school’s capacity to more than 250 students due to the extra space, allowing more local children with special educational needs and disabilities to be educated closer to home. All work is being done within the current site boundary.

It will make more children and their families’ lives easier thanks to shorter journeys to school, as well as reducing travel costs for Wokingham Borough Council.

“This is just the first stage in this important project which will allow us to increase the number of young people accessing the excellent specialist education offered at Addington School,” Cllr UllaKarin Clark, executive member for children’s services.

“These changes will make real difference to the lives of these young people and their families, who will be able to go to school near where they live and receive a fantastic education. I am excited to see the progress on the construction of the new building in the coming months.”

Works on the single-storey block will begin this Autumn, with it opening for the start of the new school year in September 2020.

PIC BY STEWART TURKINGTON
www.stphotos.co.uk

PIC BY STEWART TURKINGTON
www.stphotos.co.uk

PIC BY STEWART TURKINGTON
www.stphotos.co.uk