Health and care partners want to hear your views on priorities for improving health, care and wellbeing services in the future

The Integrated Care Partnership (ICP) is a group of organisations which plan and provide health and care services for nearly two million people who live and work in the local authority areas of Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire’s three westerly local authority areas of West Berkshire, Reading and Wokingham (known as ‘Berkshire West’).

Members include local NHS organisations and GPs, local authorities, public health, Healthwatch, care providers, voluntary sector, the Oxford Academic Health Science Network and other research partners.

The ICP want to work with local people and partner organisations to shape the future of health and social care in response to local needs and are requesting for people, communities and partner organisations to get involved in the development of its strategy, as it will inform plans and proposals for the future of health and care.

Find out more and take part in the survey HERE. The survey closes on 29 January 2023.

Here is the latest edition of The Friendship Alliance’s newsletter sharing local activities, groups, events, and services, including its Friendship Tables and Warm Spaces across Wokingham Borough.

Please download a copy HERE.

Friendship Tables

For the first time, residents of Wokingham Borough will need to show photographic ID to vote at this year’s local elections. 

Anyone who wishes to vote is therefore being urged to make sure they are ready when May arrives by checking they have an accepted form of ID. There are many forms of ID that are acceptable and anyone who does not have one can apply for free online or complete a paper form and send it to Wokingham Borough Council’s electoral services team. 

Accepted forms of photo ID include:

• Passport
• Driving licence/provisional licence
• Blue badge
• Certain concessionary travel cards, such as an older person’s bus pass or an Oyster 60+ card
• Identity card with Proof of Age Standards Scheme (PASS) mark
• Biometric Immigration document
• Defence identity card
• Certain national identity cards 

It is expected that the website to apply for a free voter ID document, which is known as a Voter Authority Certificate, will be ready for applications from Monday 16 January.

Voter ID

If a voter turns up at a polling station with no accepted photo identification, they will not be issued with a ballot paper. The provision of a polling card alone will not entitle you to vote.

Voter ID is a new requirement introduced by the Government’s Elections Act, which was passed last year and will apply for the first time in England at the local elections on Thursday 4 May. If you already have suitable ID, it is vital that you remember to bring it on the day.

Voters will be able to use expired ID as long as they are still recognisable from the photo. A full list of accepted forms of ID is available on the Electoral Commission’s website, along with more information about the new requirement and how to apply for free ID.

Andrew Moulton, returning officer at Wokingham Borough Council, said: “With elections taking place in Wokingham Borough on 4 May, it is important that those who want to vote make sure they have an accepted form of ID. It may seem early, but checking now means you will be ready to vote in May.

“Residents who do not have one of the accepted forms of ID can apply for free ID either online or by completing a paper application form and sending this to the council’s electoral services team. Contact us if you need any help with applying.”

Register to vote

Anyone who wants to have their say at the local elections must also be registered to vote. It only takes fives minutes to register online and anyone wishing to apply for free voter ID should make sure they are registered to vote.

If a voter would prefer not to show ID at a polling station, they can apply to vote by post or proxy, which removes the need for photo ID. However, their proxy will still need to show their photo ID. The deadline to apply for a postal vote for the May elections is Tuesday 18 April and for a proxy vote is Tuesday 25 April.

Residents with questions can contact the council’s electoral services team at electoralservices@wokingham.gov.uk or call (0118) 974 6000.

Work to add pathways from Jerome Road and Malone Road to Malone Park play area will begin the week commencing 23rd January.

The play area will still be accessible but please bear with us if areas across the grass are restricted.

The new pathways will be suitable for pushchairs, wheelchairs and mobility scooters, enabling people to access the play area more easily, avoiding any muddy areas. We appreciate your patience and understanding while we complete the work.

Wokingham Borough Council has drawn up a draft traffic regulation order to allow an increase to its off-street parking charges across the Borough.

Under the proposal, the daytime charging period for all off-street council owned car parks would increase from the current times of 8am until 6pm, Monday to Saturday, to between 6am and 10pm, Monday to Sunday.

Between 6pm and 10pm, users would pay £1 for an hour’s parking and £2 for more, while parking overnight between 10pm and 6am would be free using a ticket from the pay and display machines.

In Wokingham town car parks, the daytime increase would be from 80p to £1.30 (up to an hour), from £1.20 to £2.50 (up to two hours), from £2 to £4.50 (up to four hours), from £3 to £6.50 (up to six hours), and from £4 to £9 (over six hours).

Increases would also apply to market traders using Cockpit Path car park and there will be a new overnight residents’ permit, available to all residents to park in council car parks overnight. 

Outside of Wokingham Town (including Woodley)

Outside Wokingham town, daytime charges at all other car parks would increase from various rates to 60p (up to 30 minutes, Headley Road in Woodley only), £1 (up to an hour), £2 (up to two hours), £4 (up to four hours), £6 (up to six hours) and £8 (over six hours).

Increases would also apply to market traders using Headley Road car park and there will be a new overnight residents’ permit, available to all residents to park in council car parks overnight. 

The rise would come into effect from spring at the earliest.

Residents have the opportunity to comment on the draft traffic regulation order by 29th January 2023. To comment, please click HERE.  

9th January 2023

The Public Toilet in the Town Centre is currently out of order. We are working to return this to use as quickly as possible and apologise for any inconvenience caused. There are public toilets at the Oakwood Centre, Woodley Library, Woodley Centre Surgery and Crumbs Coffee shop.

Dr Bike will be at Woodford Park Leisure Centre, Woodley between 2.30-3.30pm on Thursdays starting on 19 January carrying out FREE bike checks to make sure your bike is roadworthy.

Book a slot and get our Dr Bike to diagnose any issues and, if he can, he’ll fix them for FREE!! 

If there are any parts needed or it’s beyond the scope of the session he’ll let you know and give you some advice and options to get your bike ready to ride.

You MUST book a slot to drop off your bike with Dr Bike.

You can book your place HERE.

Wokingham Borough Council (WBC) wishes to consult with children and young people living in the Borough, on their relationship with arts and culture, to feed into an action plan around opportunities for the creative arts in Wokingham. 

WBC is working with The Bold and Tender Artist Collective to deliver this consultation. 

The consultation will be co-created with young people aged 16 to 21 based in the Wokingham area who are interested in the arts.

Young Producer team

WBC currently has an open call for young people who would like to be part of this first stage and be part of the Young Producer team.

The Young Producer team will take part in a series of artist led workshops using creative tools to shape and document the consultation, such as printmaking and film making. Together we will develop skills to deliver focus groups with other young people. 

How to get involved

If you or someone you know would like to be involved, sign up HERE.

The project starts on the 16^th of January and applications need to be in by the 9^th of January.

Woodley Town Council has two opportunities for co-opted Councillors to join the Council for the remainder of the municipal year (to May 2023). 

This is because no elections were called in respect of Councillor vacancies in Bulmershe and South Lake North wards. 

If you feel you have something to offer to the community and are interested in taking on the role of a Town Councillor, you can complete and submit an application from the link below.

Applications from eligible candidates will be considered and voted on at the Full Council meeting on 7 February 2023.

For any further information, please email: townclerk@woodley.gov.uk

PDF Application Form

WORD Application Form

Merry Christmas from Woodley Town Council and a message from Woodley Town Mayor, Cllr Janet Sartorel.

Wokingham Borough Council has lots of tips for a sustainable Christmas…

Sustainable present ideas  

• When it comes to presents, think quality not quantity. Purchase gifts that will last a long time and not end up in household waste, which ultimately gets incinerated
• Consider gifting an experience such as an electronic gift voucher, event ticket, overnight stay or a restaurant reservation. The receiver will be able to experience the gift twice, once when they receive the gift and again when they redeem it
• Look at the materials potential gifts are made from and avoid single use plastic items. Keep sustainability in mind by opting for recycled items or organic-certified food and clothing.

Wrapping and packaging

• Reduce waste by buying gifts with little or no packaging
• If you must use packaging, use recycled, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified, recyclable materials, such as brown paper and paper bags, or reusable fabric wrapping paper and bags 
• Avoid plastic wrapping paper and packaging, plastic ribbon, tape and foil-backed wrapping paper. None of these can be recycled and must be placed into the bin for incineration.

Christmas cards

• If you like sending Christmas cards, look for cards made from recycled or FSC-certified paper
• Save paper by sending a Christmas e-card or a festive email instead.

Christmas trees

• Reuse artificial Christmas trees or if you are planning on purchasing a real tree, make sure it’s FSC-certified
• Consider hiring a Christmas tree from a local company which collects the tree after use and replants the tree ready for hiring again next year
• Think about how to use or dispose of your tree once the season is over. If it is potted, consider replanting it outside and reusing it again next year. If you use our garden waste collection service, you can cut up your real tree and place it in your brown bin or sack on your collection day. Alternatively, you can take it to your local Re3 recycling centre.

Christmas decorations

• Light up your Christmas tree with LED lights. Not only do they use less energy and last longer, they are cooler to run and also do not contain harmful gases unlike traditional halogen or filament lighting. For your safety and to save energy, remember to switch your lights off at night or when not in use 
• Make your own Christmas decorations by repurposing items in your home. You can make tree decorations from wood, card and recycled materials. Bunting and paperchains can be made from paper or materials found around your home
• Avoid single-use tablecloths and napkins and use material alternatives. Not only will they last longer, but they can also be used year after year, simply put them in the washing machine and wash on a low temperature 
• Finish your table setting off with FSC-certified Christmas crackers or better yet, make your own reusable crackers and fill them with environmentally friendly alternatives such as chocolates. These options are much better and friendlier for the planet than traditional crackers which can contain plastic items and made from non-recyclable materials.

Food and drink

• Cut down on your meat consumption and opt for vegetarian or vegan free alternatives. There is a great selection of meat-free alternatives for the dinner table including nut roast, mushroom wellington, vegetarian pies and more. There’s a wide range of local shops in the Borough to explore meat-free alternatives 
• If you don’t fancy cooking, why not support a local business instead? We are lucky to have a wide selection of local restaurants, pubs, cafes, pubs and shops in the Borough – there is something for everyone
• Try not to overspend on food and drink to avoid waste. Around the festive break, there’s often a lot of food waste. To avoid this, budget and plan your meals carefully. 

Recycling tips from Re3

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!