It is with great sadness that we announce that Councillor John MacNaught passed away last week.
John was first elected to Woodley Town Council in 2015, when he first stood for election in South Lake South Ward. He followed this up in 2019, when he was elected to the Town Council in his home area of Coronation East Ward.
John was on several committees, including the Town Council’s Planning & Community Committee. He also was an active member of Readibus and the Woodley Volunteer Centre on behalf of the Town Council.
Town Council leader Cllr Keith Baker said: “Woodley residents have lost a very special person in John. Someone who was passionate in everything he did but always shaped by the compassionate and caring attitude that was deeply embedded in his character. Speaking personally, I have lost a very special friend who was always there when you needed help. A perfect gentleman in every way. May he rest in peace and our thoughts are with his family, especially his son and daughter.”
The £4.4million new Addington School building has been officially opened.
Wokingham Borough Mayor Cllr Malcolm Richards and executive member for children’s services Cllr UllaKarin Clark cut the ribbon with headteacher Sara Attra at the school to declare the building officially open, with the expansion allowing 50 more pupils to attend the Ofsted-rated outstanding school in Woodley.
Cllr Richards gave a short speech to declare the building open and the guests were given a COVID-19 safe tour of the building by two students and the Headteacher. The opening was recorded on video to be shown to the rest of the school community.
“I was delighted to be able to visit the fantastic new building and receive the tour where students and Mrs Attra explained the real-world benefits of this project and how it’s helping young people in our borough,” he said.
Boosted capacity
More young people will access the best SEND education possible in Wokingham borough at the school in Woodlands Avenue, with the school’s capacity now at around 250 students. It means more young people will be educated closer to home, making families’ lives easier by reducing journey times, as well as reducing the council’s travel costs.
Construction of the new block follows the opening of two new multi-use games areas (MUGAs), a new sensory path and an expanded car park at the end of September 2019.
Thirty-five of the 50 new places have already been filled from September 2020, with the rest of the additional places due to be taken from next September. The new places have helped accommodate a new year seven class and an Early Years class, with two additional classes when the new school year starts in autumn 2021.
‘An excellent addition’
“The new sixth form building at Addington school is an excellent addition to the school’s provision,” Mrs Attra said. “Its use is twofold, firstly to provide a new excellent teaching and learning environment for our 16-19 year olds and secondly to provide space in our old building for an extra 50 special school places.
“These additional places will enable more children and young people with learning difficulties living in Wokingham to attend a local special school. Our sixth formers and staff have settled extremely well in to the new building and are enjoying using the additional facilities such as the teaching cafe, teaching kitchen and business enterprise room which have greatly enhanced our vocational curriculum.
“Our students have told us how happy they are with their new facilities and in particular the more age appropriate environment and are looking forward to developing the cafe as an enterprise project in the future.”
“This fantastic building has allowed us to increase places at Addington and it means we can help make the lives of an additional 50 young people and their families easier by offering them a place in an outstanding local school,” said Cllr Clark. “The range of facilities on offer will allow students to learn life skills, as well as providing a social space and standard classrooms.”
Green construction methods
The construction was completed by modular construction specialists Reds10, alongside our design partners HLM Architects. Seventy per cent of the building work for the new block was completed modularly offsite, a decision made to reduce disruption to the school and its students, and for its environmental benefits.
This method reduces the number of vehicle trips required and cuts down on the amount of waste produced as part of the project compared to traditional construction, which helps Wokingham Borough Council towards its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030.
Claire Wakelin, Studio Director at HLM Architects, added: “We couldn’t be more pleased to have played our part in the successful delivery of the Addington SEN School expansion. Through our growing experience in offsite construction, and working closely with Reds10, we have been able to push the boundaries of design often associated with modern methods of construction.
“Pupils will now be able to learn, develop and thrive in a safe and nurturing educational environment that has been designed to help them reach their true potential. This school not only benefits its users, but also the wider community, strengthening the spectrum of opportunity by providing enhanced access to high quality learning.”
Michael Ruddick, Director at Reds10, summed up: “Constructing the School’s extension offsite meant that we were able to deliver the project more quickly, under safer, more controlled conditions and with less disruption to the local community.
“However, what we are really proud of was producing a building that contributes to the Council’s commitment to be carbon neutral by 2030, while also providing a modular space, which is stunning to look at, fits with its surroundings and fit for purpose. Our entire team is pleased to have been part of the project alongside our partners HLM Architects and Wokingham Council and we look forward to future projects together.”
The number of Covid-19 cases in our borough is increasing, as it is just about everywhere in the country.
In response to this increase, Wokingham Borough Council is launching our ‘In It Together’ campaign to help everybody keep to the Covid-19 rules and slow the spread of infection. The campaign will focus on how the borough council and its partners are working together to reduce the impact of Covid-19 and how everybody can play a part in this.
Leader of Wokingham Borough Council John Halsall said: “Wokingham Borough Council has been proactive to protect its residents throughout the crisis and our communities and schools have responded magnificently to the challenge Covid-19 has brought. However, we face a threat that is not going away, in fact, it is increasing in our borough as it is elsewhere and so we will re-double our efforts and are calling on all residents to do the same: we are all in this together.”
Since the pandemic began, Wokingham Borough Council has:
Sourced its own PPE supplies when the national supply was failing
Published the most accurate and comprehensive data on outbreaks available every week
Bought an emergency supply of testing kits for use in emergency circumstances if necessary
Launched a self-isolation payment scheme to help those eligible people who cannot earn money when told to isolate
Worked closely with schools to help them re-open and remain open as safely as possible
Stepped up to deliver local contact tracing to support the NHS Test and Trace service (the first authority in Berkshire to volunteer to do so)
Worked with businesses to help them operate safely (and acted when they did not follow rules)
As the number of cases rises again, the borough council is working with partners in the voluntary sector to keep the Wokingham Borough Community Response up and running to help those most vulnerable. The council is also writing to those people who were shielded in the spring in order to make sure they have the latest guidance.
The borough council has worked hard with local partners to ensure there are testing sites locally available whenever possible, with units coming to at Cantley Park in Wokingham and Prospect Park in Reading. Tests can be booked via the national website https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test.
A mobile testing unit will be located at Cantley Park on October 22 and November 13, 21 and 27. Attendance at the site will be via appointment/booking only and tests can be booked via the national website https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test.
Testing site availability/booking slots are allocated the day before for morning appointments or in the morning for same day afternoon appointments. If appointments are available at local testing sites they will show up when booking a Covid test via the .gov.uk website. If no local appointments are available you may be able to book a home testing kit, or find a booking at a nearby regional testing unit (Newbury and Slough).
Cllr Halsall added: “If we all can change our behaviour and observe the rules as a matter of course we may avoid the worst. I am asking everyone to be an evangelist for these rules. In essence the virus is spread through social contact, the more you minimise social contact the less the virus will spread.
“The effort to control Covid-19 and support the vulnerable in the borough has been phenomenal. But the numbers are going up and there are still some people who are not following the rules – and I have to say that they are putting others at greater risk. We must all stick together in this – keep to the social distancing rules and, if you have to isolate, please do so.”
The Council and the Public Protection Partnership (PPP) would like to ask residents if they are holding their own bonfire night celebrations during the period around bonfire night to please:
Be observant of Covid restrictions – remember the ‘Rule of 6’, social distancing and ‘Hands – Face – Space’
Remember that bonfires and fireworks may cause a nuisance to your neighbours and we encourage you, out of courtesy, to discuss your plans
Bonfires burning damp materials will cause excess smoke
Make sure you are not burning pollutants such as plastics
There is a risk that bonfires may get out of control and put excess pressure on emergency services – follow guidance from Royal Berkshire Fire & Rescue service regarding taking precautions
Multiple fireworks, going off over a longer period of time, may frighten and stress local pets and animals. Look out for fireworks labelled ‘low noise/silent’. Please talk to neighbours with pets to let them know your plans
If you’ve a pet who gets distressed during the firework ‘season’ see link here from PPP Animal Warden team
Fireworks should not be let off in public places such as a park or your street
If you are setting off fireworks in your garden make sure your garden is big enough for the type of firework and that you follow the safety instructions and the firework code.
If you are unsure what it legally allowed, in general terms, on Bonfire Night, see link here from Thames Valley Police.
Current guidelines on gatherings under COVID restrictions see link here.
The Public Protection Partnership (PPP) is a shared service delivering Environmental Health, Licensing and Trading Standards to over 450,000 people and 10,000 businesses on behalf of three authorities (Partners), Bracknell Forest Council, West Berkshire Council and Wokingham Borough Council.
These services encompass a wide range of areas of responsibility from environmental protection to fair trading, food safety to animal health, housing standards to taxi licensing, and more.
Works will be carried out to the poplar trees along the boundary between Woodford Park and St Dominics School during the half term week (26-30 October).
This will involve the felling of some of these trees that have become rotten and present a danger to the public. Works will be carried out by qualified tree surgeon. The footpath will be temporarily re-routed while the works are carried out and we apologise for any inconvenience caused.
The Town Council will be replacing trees and hedge plants in this and other areas of the park with 165 saplings arriving in November through the Woodland Trust.
Cedar Place Almshouses, Loddon Bridge Road, Woodley
The Poor’s Land Charity has a vacancy in one of its Almshouses in Woodley on Loddon Bridge Road.
The unit is available for residents of Woodley, Sandford or Charvil aged 55 years or over. The accommodation is a self contained flat with a double bedroom, lounge, bathroom and kitchen. Large communal gardens, in addition to a laundry room, day room and guest room.
To enquire further please contact the Clerk to the Trustees, Mrs Fidler, on 0118 9690136.
Closing date for receipt of completed application: Monday 9th November 2020.
According to Keep Britain Tidy, it has been a record-breaking year as more than 2,000 green spaces across the country got the international quality mark, including Woodford Park for the third year running.
Grounds Maintenance team member Aaron Rogers and Grounds Maintenance Manager Terry Gough
Woodley Town Council is delighted that Woodford Park will be raising a Green Flag Award for the third year running. This is particularly poignant in the current Covid 19 pandemic, when millions of people across the country have seen the value of having great quality green spaces on their doorstep.
The Green Flag Award scheme, managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy under licence from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for their management across the United Kingdom and around the world.
Woodford Park is one of more than 2,000 sites across the country to collect the award for 2020.
Town Council Leader Cllr Keith Baker is proud that Woodford Park has retained the award for the third year running, providing local residents and visitors with a spectacular green space to enjoy.
“Winning the Green Flag award for the third-year running is a great testament to the hard work of the Town Council staff and the volunteers from the Friends of Woodford Park who help maintain such a beautiful facility. This has been all the more important during the lockdown period of Covid 19, where accessing green spaces was vital for mental and physical health.
The Council is particularly proud that this is the only park in the Wokingham Borough area to have received and retained Green Flag status.”
Commenting on Woodford Park’s success, Keep Britain Tidy Chief Executive Allison Ogden-Newton OBE said: “This year, more than ever, our parks and green spaces have been a lifeline and we know that millions of people have used them to relax, meet friends, exercise or simply escape for a short time.
“It is testament to the incredible dedication and hard work of parks staff and volunteers that, despite the challenges that went along with record numbers of visitors, Woodley Town Council has achieved the highest international standards for Woodford park, demanded by the Green Flag Award.”
Headley Road and Crockhamwell Road scheduled for resurfacing
Twelve key travel routes across Wokingham Borough will see major investment this autumn as we begin our second phase of resurfacing schemes.
Thousands of residents will see the benefits of improved road surfaces on main travel routes throughout the borough thanks to a £800,000 programme, starting on 19 October.
This is part of the council’s £8million investment in road improvements during 2020-21 and follows an extensive programme earlier this year.
Almost 100 roads across the area were resurfaced earlier this year, with many of the most disruptive locations being completed during the lockdown months when roads were quieter.
Dates and locations
This round of resurfacing works will take place between October and December and will all be full resurfacing works.
This is an extensive treatment which involves removing the top layers of a worn out road surface and replacing this with new material. More information on the different types of road treatments can be found on the council’s website.
The works this autumn will focus on some of the most used roads across the borough and include Rushey Way in Earley, Headley Road and Crockhamwell Road in Woodley, Nine Mile Ride in Finchampstead and Baskingstoke Road in Spencers Wood/Swallowfield.
Roads have been selected by the council’s highways team by identifying the roads most in need of attention thanks to continual surveying and inspection producing a condition scoring system.
Investing in the right locations
“Improving road surfaces is something we know is a top priority for our residents and our extensive programme for this year continues through the autumn,” said Cllr Pauline Jorgensen, executive member for highways and transport.
“Ensuring residents can have smooth journeys on safe roads, whether in their vehicles, on public transport or by cycling, means keeping surfaces in a good condition.
“Officers continue to inspect and monitor all roads across Wokingham Borough and this shapes where the work is taking place. Roads such as Nine, Mile Ride, Rushey Way and Crockhamwell Road are vital for being able to get around the borough easily, but also reflect where work is most needed based on our information.”
Reducing disruption
To reduce disruption at key strategic locations we will work overnight from 8pm to 6am. Where necessary daytime works at important locations will be off-peak, between 9.30am and 4pm.
Residents who live on streets where works are taking place will receive letters notifying them in advance and signs will be placed on streets where work is happening.
The work is part of a series of highway investments in Wokingham Borough including the council’s £124million major highways programme, new or improved park and ride car parks, and other services across the area.
The council is also beginning its work to invest £20million in tackling congestion over the next five years.
Full list of places where works are taking place:
HARTSBOURNE ROAD – Earley
HEADLEY ROAD (approach to mini roundabout at rear of Lidl) – Woodley – 21-23 October
BETCHWORTH AVENUE – Earley
RUSHEY WAY – Earley
GREAT LEA – Three Mile Cross
CHURCH ROAD – Swallowfield
NINE MILE RIDE – Finchampstead
DAVIS STREET – Hurst
CROCKHAMWELL ROAD (Drovers Way to Loddon Bridge Road) – Woodley – November/December
Please note the upcoming safety barrier replacement work at various locations between Woodley and Charvil. The majority of the work will be undertaken under partial lane closures or 2-way traffic signals.
Wokingham Borough Council aims to undertake the works as quickly as possible to minimise disruption. The team will take all possible measures to minimise any noise from the site and react immediately to try and resolve any concerns or complaints received during the works.
Why are we doing the work?
These safety barriers have been identified to require replacement following assessment.
When and where?
Works will commence from 7 October for eleven weeks. During this time, various sections along London Road, Bath Road and New Bath Road will have traffic management in the form of either lane closures or 2-way traffic light.
How?
The safety barriers will be replaced.
Why a road closure?
A road closure is required for the date mentioned above to ensure the safety of the workforce and also to protect the drivers as there will be periods where the safety barriers will be removed completely for foundation construction.
Where can I find out more information?
Visit: one.network
On social media www.facebook.com/wokinghamroadworks andtwitter.com/WBCTrafficAlert
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