Wokingham Borough Council (WBC) is facing an extremely challenging financial position, caused by high inflation, increasing resident needs and years of low funding from Government.

The number of councils that have effectively gone bankrupt, or are close to that state, is increasing and, although Wokingham Borough is not facing this at this stage, it is important that residents understand the true picture.

In order to set a balanced budget next year, WBC must find savings or generate extra income of more than £15million.

These savings need to be made from its regular running costs and will be ongoing; they cannot be made just by cancelling or postponing one-off projects.

The causes – Inflation

Although the rate of inflation has reduced in recent months, prices are still rising and have been doing so at rates not seen for 30 years.

This high inflation has caused real cost increases of about £10.8million this year. The inflation rate is expected to come down, but costs will not reduce and so this is an ongoing impact to the borough.

The causes – Increasing needs

An increasing number of people in the borough have care needs that the council must meet.

These include children with Special Educational Needs, children in care, adults with learning difficulties or physical disabilities.

The needs residents have are also becoming more complex. The additional cost of providing these services this year is about £9.7million.

The causes – Continuous low Government funding

WBC receives approximately £30million a year less from the Government than the average council – that works out at about £400 less per household each year.

This is due to the formula the Government uses to slice up the overall funding pie it allocates to councils.

These formulas do not factor in vital issues such as the number and complexity of children with Special Educational Needs; they are about ten years out of date and bear no resemblance to reality of local needs or costs.

Find out more

The Council has issued statements setting out its financial position:

https://wokingham.gov.uk/news/2023/borough-councils-financial-position-explained…

New hub

WBC has also launched a new online hub to explain its finances, how your Council Tax is used and what the council is doing to improve the situation.

Access it here:

https://wokingham.gov.uk/our-financial-situation

Woodley Town Council approves new capital projects to improve its services and facilities in Woodley 

Eleven new projects were approved at the recent Strategy & Resources Committee meeting, to replace or improve certain services and facilities maintained or owned by Woodley Town Council. 

The projects will be funded from earmarked reserves, which the Council has set aside for capital investment projects.

Christmas Lighting

This project will upgrade and improve Christmas lighting in the town centre, enhancing the always-popular Christmas events and encouraging visitors to the town centre to see the lights and Christmas tree, improving footfall. The new lighting will also be energy efficient, reducing carbon impact. 

Replacement kitchens at Coronation and Chapel Halls

Coronation and Chapel Halls are popular community amenities and the installation of new kitchen units, cupboards, worktops and flooring will provide enhanced facilities for hirers, increasing income, attracting new hirers. 

Line marking in our car parks

To improve safety and reduce any potential hazards by marking out all car park spaces, pedestrian walkway markings, traffic flow markings, pedestrian crossing markings with durable markings, which will last longer, at the following locations: 

• Woodford Park main car park 
• Woodford Park overflow car park 
• Driveway to WPC from Haddon Drive 
• Coronation Hall car park 
• Chapel Hall car park 
• Oakwood Centre car park. 

Grass reinforcement on the Memorial Ground path

The desire line path across the Memorial Ground has, over many years, created a shallow trench, which becomes muddy in wet weather and creates uneven ground. This is a very busy pedestrian route and the Council will reinforce it with an appropriate matting tile. The tiles will allow grass to grow through, maintaining the grass finish, while eliminating the wear and tear on the ground and providing a safer pathway for the public. 

Replacement of public noticeboards

Our noticeboards are an excellent way to share local, community and Council news and the replacement of our existing noticeboards for more durable ones with increased accessibility will help to continue to provide this service.

We have noticeboards at the following locations:

• Brecon Road
• Butts Hill Road
• Headley Road
• Woodlands Avenue
• Colemansmoor Road
• Hurricane Way
• Woodley Town Centre
• Reading Road / Howth Drive
• Woodford Park (3)
• Kingfisher Drive.

Boiler replacement at the Oakwood Centre

The existing boilers have been in situ since the building opened in 2004 and have exceeded their expected lifespan. The Council is investing in energy efficient gas boilers that will improve the energy efficiency of the building and provide more effective space heating, providing more comfort for users of the Centre. 

Refurbishment of toilets at the Oakwood Centre

This project will completely refurbish the public toilets in the Oakwood Centre to a high standard in order to continue to drive business, attract more customers and provide better and more accessible facilities for the public and hirers, while also adhering to new Building Regulations and our commitment to climate change.  

Replacement of flatbed pickup

To purchase a used flatbed pickup to replace the current vehicle which, at 22 years old, now requires significant repair and will likely continue to need further repairs. A large flatbed vehicle is essential for moving large items around the Council’s facilities and parks. 

Replacement of safety surfacing at Malone Park

Some of the existing surface around the play equipment at Malone Park has deteriorated and can no longer be effectively repaired. The new surfacing will be fully compliant with ROSPA requirements and will provide a safer surface for children to use.

An external water refill station at Woodford Park Leisure Centre

The Council will install a mains fed water bottle refill station on an exterior wall of Woodford Park Leisure Centre for use by the public. This is to encourage increased water consumption and the use of refillable water bottles, reducing the use of single use plastic bottles. 

Replacement of the heating system at Woodford Park Leisure Centre

To replace the 30-year-old heating system at the Leisure Centre with a new, more energy efficient radiant heating system, as recommended by Sports England as the most cost-effective option and most suitable for the building and its purpose.

Full details of all of these projects can be found in the Strategy & Resources Agenda Pack, dated 12^th September 2023, which is available on our website: www.woodley.gov.uk. 

Notice of the Conclusion of Audit for the financial year 2022/23 is now available on our website HERE. 

In order to improve cycling, walking and wheeling provision, as part of Wokingham Borough Council’s efforts to tackle climate emergency, reduce air pollution and congestion and improve residents’ health, the Council is planning to improve part of the A329 Reading Road between Wokingham town centre and neighbourhoods to the west near Winnersh.

The scheme has been designed to help people who don’t usually cycle and will help everyone feel safer by keeping pedestrians, cyclists and motor traffic separate from each other.

This is one of the key routes that were identified in the Council’s borough-wide Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP), which it consulted on before adopting, and the proposal reflects concerns highlighted by residents who commented on the Plan.

Resident feedback

You can view the plans for the proposed changes to the A329 Reading Road on the Council’s Engage Platform HERE.

There is also the opportunity to complete a short survey. The deadline to do this and have your say is Sunday 22nd October.

Woodley Town Council approves new grants available to groups and organisations supporting young people in Woodley

Youth Grants are now available to assist and facilitate projects that reach, engage and support young people (those aged 21 and under) in Woodley and provide them with better life chances. 

Organisations are welcome to apply for an amount which will normally be capped at £3,000. However, all applications, including those for amounts in excess of this, will be considered on their own merits. 

Youth grants will be considered by the Leisure Services Committee at its scheduled meetings throughout the year, with a recommendation made to the Strategy & Resources Committee for final approval of all grant awards. Successful recipients will be expected to attend a meeting of the Leisure Services Committee to provide feedback on how the grant funds have achieved the project aims. 

Cllr Darren Smith, Chairman of the Leisure Services Committee is pleased to be part of this scheme to help the young people of Woodley. 

“Woodley Town Council is keen to support youth initiatives with this new grant scheme, especially where help is needed to support vulnerable young people in the area. I very much look forward to considering grant requests, which will make a real difference to those younger members of our community,” he said. 

Cllr Keith Baker, Leader of Woodley Town Council, agrees.

“For many years Woodley Town Council have provided grants to Charities and individuals every year. This has provided financial support to many Woodley residents over the years, which is great. However, the Town Council, through sound financial management, finds itself in a solid financial position, so the timing is good to extend this concept to an area which we know is close to many residents’ hearts. The new grants will be available to support the youth of Woodley, especially those who are hard to reach and those who are disadvantaged. By making it a total separate grant with its own budget means the money will be totally ringfenced for the youths of Woodley.  As Leader of the Council, I am incredibly proud of this development and once again Woodley Town Council is at the forefront of supporting our youths,” he said.

Guidelines

The youth support service grant award guidelines and criteria, which were approved at the recent Strategy & Resources Committee meeting in September, outline which groups and organisations can apply for the grants and the process involved. 

The Council will prioritise the following areas: 

• Financially assist services that meet the needs of our vulnerable young people 
• Funding initiatives that tackle crime and anti-social behaviour through supporting young people 
• Funding initiatives that assist young people in gaining employment, education and training. 

In considering the applications preference will be given to: 

• Locally organised organisations/groups, rather than national groups (local branches of national bodies will be counted as locally organised)
• Groups/organisations where Woodley residents are the primary beneficiaries of the group/organisation’s activities
• Requests for grant funding that identify specific items or projects, rather than request for a contribution to running costs
• Requests where the Council’s contribution would make a significant impact on the gross income of the organisation/group. 

The Council will not normally award grants for costs that: 

• could reasonably be expected to be funded from other sources 
• could reasonably be expected to be funded from members’ subscriptions 
• seek to promote or oppose a party-political viewpoint.

Applications can be made by filling in a Youth Grants form which can be found HERE.  

Woodley Town Council has written to local schools following an increase in anti-social behaviour from young people during the summer holidays

During the recent summer holidays, the Council experienced an increased number of incidents of anti-social behaviour from groups of children and young people on our grounds and at our facilities.

Graffiti has particularly been a problem throughout Woodford Park, while the walls, windows and toilets of the Oakwood Centre were also graffitied.

The Council also had to temporarily close the Garden of Remembrance in the evenings during August following a number of incidents of groups of young people damaging planting and obstructing access.

We also had a group of young people break into Coronation Hall overnight, causing damage to the doorframe and a boiler pressure gauge.

Letter to local schools

In order to engage the local community, the Council’s Planning & Community Committee has written to all local schools to make them aware of the anti-social behaviour and ask schools and parents to discuss with their young people the importance of respecting our parks and facilities and the community of Woodley.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras are to be switched on by Wokingham Borough Council this week to improve road safety and reduce congestion

ANPR cameras are being installed in 11 locations in the borough and will enable the council to issue penalty charge notices (PCNs) to drivers that commit moving traffic offences such as making banned right turns, driving the wrong way on a one way street and ignoring weight restrictions.

The council was awarded the powers to enforce moving traffic offences, previously only enforceable by police, in July 2023 following on from its application to the Department for Transport at the beginning of the year.

Locations

Locations for enforcement have been prioritised based on those with the highest number of driver non-compliance. The 11 initial locations that have been identified and approved are:

• Broad Street, Wokingham at the junction with Rose Street: Banned right turn
• Barkham Road rail crossing Wokingham, at the junction with Oxford Road: Banned right turn
• Station Road, Wokingham at the junction with Station Approach: Banned right turn
• Wellington Road Wokingham, at the junction with Station Road: Ahead only
• Gipsy Lane, Wokingham: Weight restriction
• Murdoch Road, Wokingham, Width restriction Keep left
• Goatley Way, Wokingham: One-way street
• Milton Road, Wokingham: No Entry except buses
• Easthampstead Road, Wokingham: Yellow box junction
• Hyde End Lane, Spencers Wood at the junction with Fullbrook Avenue and Bolton Drive: Buses only
• Whitlock Avenue, Wokingham: Banned right turn

Find out more about the scheme on the Council’s website.

Woodley roadworks from 18th September

Multi-way lights – Mohawk Way Woodley

These lights will be in place between the Bader Way and Hurricane Way on 18 September to 7 November, 8am to 6pm, to allow CityFibre to carry out fibre optic cable installation . 

https://one.network/?GB134948034

Multi-way lights – Lytham Road Woodley   

These lights will be in place between Beechwood Avenue and Woodlands Road on 22 September to 5 October, 9.30am to 3pm to allow CityFibre to carry out excavations for fibre optic cable installation.  

https://one.network/?GB134997632

Road Closure – Warren Road Woodley   

This closure will be in place between Old Bath Road and Western Avenue  on 23 and 30 September, 7 and 14 October, 10pm to 6am to allow Network Rail to carry out de-vegetation works on the bridge.  

https://one.network/?GB135114152

Multi-way lights – Loddon Bridge Road Woodley  

These lights will be in place at the junction of Colemansmoor Lane on 20 to 26 September, 7am to 5pm to allow Scottish and Southern Power Distribution to carry out excavation in the footway and disconnect a temporary building supply. 

https://one.network/?GB135296235

Please contact Wokingham Borough Council for updates and visit the One Network website for all listed roadworks.

Wokingham Borough Council is undertaking a review of its constitution, which sets out how the council operates, how decisions are made and the procedures which are followed to ensure that these are efficient, transparent and accountable.

It also sets out how residents, as well as the council’s partners and stakeholders, can influence decisions. Some of these processes are required by law, while others are discretionary and for the council to decide on.

The Constitution

The constitution is divided into 13 sections that set out the basic rules concerning our business, as well as more detailed procedures and codes of practice. It explains the rights of citizens and how the key parts of the council operate.

You can view the existing constitution on the Council’s website.

Wokingham Borough Council is using the following principles to conduct the review:

• The council is accountable to the public. It is essential that the public can understand the council’s constitution. The provisions of the constitution will be as simple as possible and written in plain English
• The council is a complex organisation. The constitution cannot set out every possible scenario. The provisions of the constitution will be as clear as possible but will need to be concise
• The council operates in challenging financial conditions and needs to ensure that it provides best value for taxpayers. It is important that processes are as efficient as possible. The provisions of the constitution will support processes that are efficient
• The council is a democratic institution. Accountability is essential. The provisions of the constitution will support openness, engagement, democratic control and accountability

The Survey

Access the survey HERE.

Deadline: 12th October.

If you need to request a paper copy of this survey, please contact CEM@wokingham.gov.uk or call (0118) 974 6000.

Wokingham Borough Council’s Adult & Community Learning is running several adult education courses in Woodley over the coming months.

Learn with Lego

21 September, Thursday 12.30-2.30pm, Emmanuel Church Centre, RG5 3QW (Free course)

Learn how to use Lego with your children for more than building! Explore basic maths and gain confidence in using bricks to help your child count and measure and explore mathematical problems of symmetry and patterns. This course is aimed at parents / carers of pre-schoolers and infant school aged children.

Love Food, Hate Waste

27 September to 18 October, Wednesdays 10am to 12pm, Woodley Baptist Church, RG5 4UX (Free course)

Do you want to learn how to make the most out of the food you buy and cook? This course will explore practical tips to get more from your food. It will cover ways to reduce waste and save money, healthy eating, and meal preparation. This course is run as part of the Multiply scheme therefore, basic maths and numeracy skills will be applied throughout the course.

Understanding Teenagers

28 September to 5 October, Thursdays, 12:45 – 2:45, Emmanuel Church Centre, RG5 3QW (Course fee £15)

A course for parents and carers to look at the changes and developments that happen in adolescence. The course will look at the teenage brain and how it reacts differently to an adults including in areas around risk.

Sleep Matters

19 September, Tuesday 9.45am to 2.15pm, Addington School, Woodley or 5 to 12 October, Thursdays 5.30pm to 7.30pm, FBC Centre, Finchampstead

This workshop is for parents, carers and practitioners with an interest in sleep difficulties in children and young people with SEND. The session will cover sleep issues, triggers and sleep associations as well as sleep strategies, tips and ideas. Free course.

Eligibility & Cost

Learners need to:

Live or work within the Wokingham Borough, or have a child attending a Wokingham school,

• AND be over 19 years old (as of 31st August 2023)
• AND be a UK or Irish citizen or a non-UK national with permission to live in the UK and have ordinarily been resident in the UK for at least 3 years.

All Ukrainian adults and their family members supported through the Ukraine Family Scheme and Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme are immediately eligible for courses and are exempt from the 3-year residency requirement.

Learners with a BN(O) visa are eligible to apply for Community Learning courses until 31 December 2023.

There are a number of other exemptions including those for some asylum seekers or refugees. Please email: adulteducation@wokingham.gov.uk or call 0118 974 3797 if you wish to discuss any exemptions further.

How to enrol

If anybody would like to enrol, they can do so online via www.webenrol.com/wokingham or they can contact the team at adulteducation@wokingham.gov.uk or 0118 974 3797.