It is with great sadness that we announce that Councillor Dave Mills passed away this week. 

Dave was first elected to Woodley Town Council in 2007, when he stood for election in Warren Ward and where he remained for the duration of his time as a Town Councillor.

Cllr Mills was on several committees, including the Town Council’s Planning & Community Committee, Strategy & Resources Committee, Risk Management Working Party, Standing Orders & Financial Regulations Working Party and its Urgency Committee. 

He also served as Town Mayor on two separate occasions during 2015-16 and 2020-21.

Cllr Jenny Cheng said: “Serving the residents of Woodley was very important to Dave. His pride of joy, however, was while in the position of Town Mayor of Woodley, which he held to be an honour. I worked with him for many years and I know he was always willing to help anyone. We shall all miss him.”

Our thoughts are with his family and friends. He will be greatly missed.

Woodley Town Council Members support local residents in the objection of a planning application for the installation of a 20m high telecommunications mast and ancillary equipment on land to the North East of Vauxhall Drive, namely Vauxhall Park. 

At the Town Council’s Planning & Community Meeting on 23^rd March, Members noted there had been in excess of 200 responses to this planning application, the vast majority of which objected to the proposals. Three members of the public attended the virtual meeting to voice their objections. 

Council Members noted these objections related to the siting of the mast in Vauxhall Park, and not the general need to erect a telecommunications mast in the area, which they acknowledged to be a necessity to allow 5G rollout. 

Members also noted the Town Council had previously responded to Wokingham Borough Council’s draft Local Plan consultation recommending Vauxhall Park, amongst other green spaces, be designated as a Local Green Space in the Local Plan update. 

Council Members agreed with the objections cited by residents, both at the meeting and in comments submitted to the planning authority, and fully supported the view locating the mast in Vauxhall Park was not appropriate. 

Woodley Town Council has consequently written to Wokingham Borough Council’s planning authority to recommend refusal of this planning application on the grounds that the proposal will: 

• Lead to the reduction of available green space for recreation and enjoyment
• Impact on local biodiversity and wildlife 
• Compromise the safety of park users during construction 
• Dominate the local skyline and nearby dwarf trees and houses
• Have a negative impact on a vital local amenity for residents
• Be contrary to the Town Council’s recommendation to designate Vauxhall Park as a Local Green Space as part of Wokingham Borough Council’s Local Plan Update. 

The application is 210668, and can be viewed at https://www.wokingham.gov.uk/planning/. The consultation ends on March 26^th.