Wokingham Borough Council is updating its Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) strategy, which is aimed at helping create communities where everyone feels welcome and belongs.
In order to make sure the strategy represents the borough’s diverse local communities, the Council is asking residents and organisations to share their feedback about their experiences of living and working in the borough.
Please complete the short survey by Sunday 19 January 2025.
Wokingham Borough Council recently shared some information regarding the law around electric scooters, following an increase in complaints around the misuse of these vehicles across the borough.
Legislation
It is illegal to ride a privately owned electric scooter in public spaces, including on the road. Those who are found to be riding privately owned e-scooters in public risk receiving a large fine, points on their driving licence and seizure of their e-scooter.
Parents who are thinking of buying their child an e-scooter for Christmas need to be aware of the legislation around them as it may be seized if your child is riding it on the pavement or road.
Officers regularly receive complaints from members of the public around the misuse of these vehicles, due to riders driving carelessly and at excessive speeds. This causes significant risks to both the rider and pedestrians, as well as others using roads or footpaths.
Fire risks
There are also issues surrounding the fire risk from the lithium batteries used to power e-bikes and e-scooters that owners need to be aware of – 199 fires resulting in 10 fatalities were reported in 2023.
As part of our commitment to Climate Action, we are pleased to announce that the bins in Woodford Park and Malone Park are being replaced with new bins with a recycling section.
Please help us to keep our parks and green spaces litter free by using the bins.
What you can recycle
You can put the same items into the recycled section as you would in your green bags. These include:
cartons
plastic bottles
plastic trays (not black)
paper & card
empty aerosols
foil
cans & tins.
Glass
Please take your glass items with you and recycle them at your local bottle bank.
Soft plastics
Soft plastics can also be recycled at most supermarkets.
Wokingham Borough’s first Climate Action Week, held in Woodley, was a resounding success with over 200 people participating in free events
We are delighted with the success of Woodley’s first Climate Action Week, which was held in partnership with Wokingham Borough Council.
Both councils declared climate emergencies in 2019, making a commitment to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. The series of free events held during Climate Action Week were created to raise awareness of how residents can contribute positively towards these shared goals.
There were a variety of free events across the week, including a recycling art class for the under 5s, a Walk & Tour of Woodford Park, an entertaining charity fashion show at centre stage, Woodley Repair Café, an EV webinar, a chat about climate change in the borough, a lively Fresk climate card game and a community litter pick, amongst other events.
We were also delighted to host the local primary school’s climate event at the Oakwood Centre at which Year 3 children from Highwood Primary, Rivermead Primary, and Woodley C of E Primary were tasked with creating posters about the impact of climate change on coral reefs.
Highlights
We would like to thank everyone involved in helping to create, manage and run a successful week of events; as well as everyone who came along to participate.
“It was a pleasure to attend many of the free events during Climate Action Week. The highlights of the week, for me, were the charity fashion show and the school’s climate workshop. The charity fashion show was very entertaining and inspiring to buy pre-loved items. It was an honour to judge the school’s climate workshop. The children knew a lot about climate change and were very thoughtful when creating their interpretations of the effect of climate change on coral reefs.
“I’d like to thank everyone involved in putting the week together and hosting all the events. It has certainly highlighted the need for us all to play our part in tackling climate change,” said Cllr David Bragg, Woodley Town Council Deputy Mayor.
While Cllr Juliet Anderson, Woodley Town Council Town Mayor, who braved the weather to help at the communal litter pick said: “It is important that we all play our part in addressing the climate emergency and take accountability for our individual carbon footprints, and Climate Action Week has been an important week to raise awareness. We had an interesting debate about changes we can all make and the bigger responsibilities the government must address, during the Climate, Coffee and Cake talk. Despite Storm Bert, we collected an alarming amount of rubbish during the community litter pick. Not littering is just one small thing we can all do to play our part. Thank you to everyone involved and I hope those who attended found the events informative and food for thought.”
Find out more
More information about the week, including photos and information about both council’s Climate Emergency Hubs, can be found on our Climate Action Week page.
Yuan Yang, MP for Earley & Woodley, is hosting a Community Coffee Morning with Citizens Advice Wokingham and Age UK at the Oakwood Centre on Saturday 30th November, 10.00am – 12.00pm.
Christmas Lights Switch On – Saturday 23rd November
Please come along to the annual Lights Switch On and Carol Concert in Woodley Town Centre. It’s the beginning of Christmas in Woodley!
Free bus travel on the six Saturdays leading up to Christmas
Wokingham Borough Council will offer free bus travel on the six Saturdays leading up to Christmas and for two festive events, with costs to be covered using funding from the Department for Transport.
This means that all those boarding local bus services from bus stops in the borough on the six Saturdays leading up to Christmas, as well as for Wokingham Winter Carnival and Woodley Christmas Extravaganza, will travel for free.
Thank you to everyone who attended our annual Armistice Day and those who laid a wreath
Our thanks go to Rosemary Edgington, Chairman of the Winnersh and District Royal British Legion, who read the Exhortation to the Fallen and recited the Kohima Epitaph. We also thank her for her help to organise the event.
Thank you also to Woodley Town Deputy Mayor, Cllr David Bragg, for his moving words, summarising the importance of Armistice Day.
“At the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month – we will remember them. The Armistice, an agreement to end the fighting of the First World War as a prelude to peace negotiations, began at 11am on 11 November 1918. To this day, we mark Armistice Day around the United Kingdom with a Two Minute Silence at 11am on the 11th day of the 11th month.
“Woodley Town Council is proud to provide this Service each year and I would like to thank the Winnersh and District Royal British Legion for their help and support. As we stand here in peace and safety, I would like to thank you all for coming to pay your respects and remember all of those who have fallen; all the wounded; all who have served and all who continue to serve our country during times of war, conflict and peace.
“We remember those who volunteered, sacrificed, served, fought and died for our freedom. As Woodley Town Deputy Mayor, I am honoured to represent the residents of Woodley today and I wear my poppy with pride as a symbol of remembrance and hope for a positive future and peaceful world. Thank you.”
Wokingham Borough Deputy Mayor, Cllr Carol Jewell
Woodley Town Deputy Mayor, Cllr David Bragg
MP for Earley and Woodley, MP Yuan Yang
Rosemary Edgington, Chairman of the Winnersh and District Royal British Legion
Hundreds of little witches, wizards and superheroes joined in the Halloween fun at Woodley town centre’s spooktacular event
Thank you to everyone who attended the town centre’s Halloween event on 31 October, here is a selection of the spooky fun…
Thanks also to the fantastic amenities team for creating the haunted graveyard, and our town centre manager, who is now thoroughly worn out from all the hard work…
The UK Government has issued a short consultation seeking views on the detail and practical implications of allowing remote and hybrid attendance and proxy voting at local authority meetings in England
The open consultation, running to 19 December, is particularly seeking the views of individual members of the public; prospective and current local authority members/representatives; all relevant local authorities defined above; and those bodies that represent the interests of local members/representatives at all levels.
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