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.

8th September 2023

We have received increasing reports of the use of e-scooters in Woodley town precinct, which is a No Cycle zone. 

We’d like to remind you that these are not permitted to be used in the precinct and that there are several legal requirements and restrictions to do with e-scooters, which limit their use in public places. 

Here is a summary of these from Thames Valley Police. 

Classification of an e-scooter

Electrical scooters (also known as e-scooters) come under the category of ‘powered transporters’; this covers a range of personal transport devices which are powered by a motor.

E-scooters are classed as motor vehicles under the Road Traffic Act 1988. Which means the rules that apply to motor vehicles, also apply to e-scooters including the need to have a licence, insurance and tax.

It’s not currently possible to get insurance for privately owned e-scooters, which means it’s illegal to use them on the road or in public spaces. If you’re using a private e-scooter you risk the vehicle being seized under S.165 Road Traffic Act 1988 for no insurance. 

If you cause serious harm to another person whilst riding an e-scooter the incident will be investigated in the same way it would if you were riding a motorcycle or driving a car. 

Legal use of an e-scooter

It’s legal to use an e-scooter on private land with the permission of the land owner.

Where a trial rental scheme is running, it’s legal to use a rental e-scooter on a public road, cycle lane and for those living in Milton Keynes, redways.

Penalties and offences

If you don’t have a licence, or the correct licence, or are riding without insurance you could face a Fixed Penalty notice:

• with a £300 fine and six penalty points on your licence for having no insurance
• up to £100 fine and three to six penalty points for riding without the correct licence.

You could also be committing an offence if you’re caught: 

• riding on a pavement; Fixed Penalty Notice and possible £50 fine 
• using a mobile phone or other handheld mobile device while riding; £200 and six penalty points
• riding through red lights; Fixed Penalty Notice, £100 fine and possible penalty points
• drink driving: the same as if you were driving a car, you could face court imposed fines, a driving ban and possible imprisonment.

If you’re using an e-scooter in public in an antisocial manner, you can also risk the e-scooter being seized under section 59 of the Police Reform Act. 

When riding an e-scooter, we would always recommend wearing safety protection such as a helmet and to keep to the speed limit.

For more information and guidance please visit the Thames Valley Police website HERE.

5th September 2023

Check first for planning permission

We have received an increase in the number of retrospective planning applications for properties in the area. 

For certain types of developments, particularly outhouses, residents need to seek planning permission. 

If you are thinking of any building work, before you start, please contact Wokingham Borough Council or visit its Planning Portal for further guidance and information, where you will find information about whether you need planning permission or an application. 

4th September 2023

Woodley Town Council’s Planning & Community Committee has written a response to the consultations by South Western Railway and Great Western Railway to make changes to the operation of railway ticket stations. 

You can read the Council’s response HERE.

30 August 2023

All households must ensure their details are correct by the end of November to appear on the published register

Residents of Wokingham Borough are encouraged to check their electoral registration details or risk losing their chance to vote on decisions that affect them.

The annual canvass allows Wokingham Borough Council to keep the electoral register up to date, to identify those at risk of losing their voice at elections and to encourage them to register to vote before it is too late.

It is a legal requirement for the council to carry out the canvass every year and every household must ensure that the information is correct. With elections taking place everywhere in the borough in May next year, this is an opportunity for residents to make sure they can take part.

Correspondence coming soon

This year’s canvass will take place from August to November in readiness for the publication of the revised electoral register on 1 December 2023. The council will contact some residents by post, while others will be contacted by email.

Correspondence will tell you whether you need to respond and not all residents will be contacted when the first letters and emails are sent out at the end of August. The council will be sending out further correspondence, as well as reminders, in September and October.

Andrew Moulton, Returning Officer at Wokingham Borough Council, said: “Keep an eye out for important updates from the council. The annual canvass is our way of making sure that the information on the electoral register for every address is accurate and up to date. To make sure you don’t lose your say at upcoming elections, simply follow the instructions sent to you. If you’re not currently registered, your name will not appear in the messages we send. If you want to register, the easiest way is online.”

How the canvass process will work

The council will begin to send out correspondence via email and in the post to residents at the end of August, with a response from someone in the household required. Reminder emails will then be sent in September to those who have not responded.

At the beginning of October, two types of letters will then be sent out: those who receive a ‘Canvass Communication A’ letter do not need to respond if the details are correct, while those who receive a ‘CF’ form are required to respond.

Forms will be addressed to ‘The Resident’ but anyone in the household can respond. Canvass correspondence sent via email will be sent from Wokingham.borough.counci.electoral.services@notifications.service.gov.uk and will contain the council’s official branding.

It is vital that residents confirm the details by 30 November in order to appear on the published register, while any new electors must register by 22 November.

During the canvass period, you can respond on the Household Response website, but you will need to use the security codes provided on the form to do so.

People who have recently moved home in particular are being encouraged to check their details, as research from the Electoral Commission shows that recent home movers are less likely to be registered than those who live at the same address for a long time. In Great Britain, 92 per cent of those who have lived in their home for 16 years will be registered, compared with 36 per cent of people who have lived at an address for less than a year.

More information on registering to vote is available online from the Electoral Commission. Residents with questions about their registration status can contact the council’s electoral services team at electoralservices@wokingham.gov.uk or call (0118) 974 6000.