To inspect the accounts please read the information below including contact details.

You can download the 2019-2020 accounts documents from this link;

Financial Information

Local authority accounts – residents’ rights

Please note that this summary applies to all relevant smaller authorities, including local councils, internal drainage boards and ‘other’ smaller authorities.

The basic position

The Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 (the Act) governs the work of auditors appointed to smaller authorities. This summary explains the provisions contained in Sections 26 and 27 of the Act. The Act, the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 and the Accounts and Audit (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 also cover the duties, responsibilities and rights of smaller authorities, other organisations and the public concerning the accounts being audited. 

As a local elector, or an interested person, you have certain legal rights in respect of the accounting records of smaller authorities. As an interested person you can inspect accounting records and related documents. If you are a local government elector for the area to which the accounts relate you can also ask questions about the accounts and object to them. You do not have to pay directly for exercising your rights. However, any resulting costs incurred by the smaller authority form part of its running costs. Therefore, indirectly, local residents pay for the cost of you exercising your rights through their council tax.

The right to inspect the accounting records

Any interested person can inspect the accounting records, which includes but is not limited to local electors. You can inspect the accounting records for the financial year to which the audit relates and all books, deeds, contracts, bills, vouchers, receipts and other documents relating to those records. You can copy all, or part, of these records or documents. Your inspection must be about the accounts, or relate to an item in the accounts. You cannot, for example, inspect or copy documents unrelated to the accounts, or that include personal information (Section 26 (6) – (10) of the Act explains what is meant by personal information). You cannot inspect information which is protected by commercial confidentiality. This is information which would prejudice commercial confidentiality if it was released to the public and there is not, set against this, a very strong reason in the public interest why it should nevertheless be disclosed. 

When smaller authorities have finished preparing accounts for the financial year and approved them, they must publish them (including on a website). There must be a 30 working day period, called the ‘period for the exercise of public rights’, during which you can exercise your statutory right to inspect the accounting records. Smaller authorities must tell the public, including advertising this on their website, that the accounting records and related documents are available to inspect. By arrangement you will then have 30 working days to inspect and make copies of the accounting records. You may have to pay a copying charge. Legislative changes have been made as a result of the restrictions imposed by the Coronavirus for the 2019/20 reporting year which mean that there is no requirement for a common period for public rights.  The period for the exercise of public rights must however commence on or before 1 September 2020. The advertisement must set out the dates of the period for the exercise of public rights, how you can communicate to the smaller authority that you wish to inspect the accounting records and related documents, the name and address of the auditor, and the relevant legislation that governs the inspection of accounts and objections. 

The right to ask the auditor questions about the accounting records

You should first ask your smaller authority about the accounting records, since they hold all the details. If you are a local elector, your right to ask questions of the external auditor is enshrined in law. However, while the auditor will answer your questions where possible, they are not always obliged to do so. For example, the question might be better answered by another organisation, require investigation beyond the auditor’s remit, or involve disproportionate cost (which is borne by the local taxpayer). Give your smaller authority the opportunity first to explain anything in the accounting records that you are unsure about. If you are not satisfied with their explanation, you can question the external auditor about the accounting records. 

The law limits the time available for you formally to ask questions. This must be done in the period for the exercise of public rights, so let the external auditor know your concern as soon as possible. The advertisement or notice that tells you the accounting records are available to inspect will also give the period for the exercise of public rights during which you may ask the auditor questions, which here means formally asking questions under the Act. You can ask someone to represent you when asking the external auditor questions. 

Before you ask the external auditor any questions, inspect the accounting records fully, so you know what they contain. Please remember that you cannot formally ask questions, under the Act, after the end of the period for the exercise of public rights. You may ask your smaller authority other questions about their accounts for any year, at any time. But these are not questions under the Act. 

You can ask the external auditor questions about an item in the accounting records for the financial year being audited. However, your right to ask the external auditor questions is limited. The external auditor can only answer ‘what’ questions, not ‘why’ questions. The external auditor cannot answer questions about policies, finances, procedures or anything else unless it is directly relevant to an item in the accounting records. Remember that your questions must always be about facts, not opinions. To avoid misunderstanding, we recommend that you always put your questions in writing. 

The right to make objections at audit

You have inspected the accounting records and asked your questions of the smaller authority. Now you may wish to object to the accounts on the basis that an item in them is in your view unlawful or there are matters of wider concern arising from the smaller authority’s finances. A local government elector can ask the external auditor to apply to the High Court for a declaration that an item of account is unlawful, or to issue a report on matters which are in the public interest. You must tell the external auditor which specific item in the accounts you object to and why you think the item is unlawful, or why you think that a public interest report should be made about it. You must provide the external auditor with the evidence you have to support your objection. Disagreeing with income or spending does not make it unlawful. To object to the accounts you must write to the external auditor stating you want to make an objection, including the information and evidence below and you must send a copy to the smaller authority. The notice must include:

• confirmation that you are an elector in the smaller authority’s area;
• why you are objecting to the accounts and the facts on which you rely;
• details of any item in the accounts that you think is unlawful; and
• details of any matter about which you think the external auditor should make a public interest report.

Other than it must be in writing, there is no set format for objecting. You can only ask the external auditor to act within the powers available under the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014. 

A final word

You may not use this ‘right to object’ to make a personal complaint or claim against your smaller authority.  You should take such complaints to your local Citizens’ Advice Bureau, local Law Centre or to your solicitor. Smaller authorities, and so local taxpayers, meet the costs of dealing with questions and objections.  In deciding whether to take your objection forward, one of a series of factors the auditor must take into account is the cost that will be involved, they will only continue with the objection if it is in the public interest to do so. They may also decide not to consider an objection if they think that it is frivolous or vexatious, or if it repeats an objection already considered. If you appeal to the courts against an auditor’s decision not to apply to the courts for a declaration that an item of account is unlawful, you will have to pay for the action yourself.

For more detailed guidance on public rights and the special powers of auditors, copies of the publication Local authority accounts: A guide to your rights are available from the NAO website.

If you wish to contact your authority’s appointed external auditor please write to the address in paragraph 4 of the Notice of Public Rights and Publication of Unaudited Annual Governance & Accountability Return.

The latest Government proposals would impose over 1,600 new homes a year on Wokingham Borough. That’s more than double the current number that 47,000 Wokingham Borough residents objected to last year.

Wokingham Borough Council is outraged by the proposed increase and, as well as objecting to the Government’s plans itself, is asking residents to make their feelings known as well. Wokingham Borough Council is asking borough residents to speak up now, as if the proposed new formula is adopted it would have a dramatic impact on the special character of Wokingham Borough. The government consultation is open to all and runs until 1 October.

Leader of the council John Halsall said: “This has come completely out of the blue and is horribly unfair to Wokingham Borough.

“We have put up with Government imposed housing targets for too long. I have gone to Westminster, as have previous council leaders, to ask for a fairer allocation on housing and got nothing back. Last year we asked our residents if they thought the then Government imposed housing target of 800 new homes per year was too many and had an overwhelming response – 47,000 residents told us 800 was too many. We thought that would strengthen our hand, but now the Government is proposing to more than double that!”

John Halsall continued: “We need our residents to step up and tell the Government that they need to rethink this. Adding a new town the size of Woodley and Earley combined into the borough every 15 years is just incomprehensible. We have created a petition to sign and are asking everyone to write to their MPs and to the Secretary of State. We all need to speak up to make our voices heard.”

In 2017, the Government committed itself to ensuring a housing market that would build 300,000 new homes per year across England. After falling short of this last year, the Government is now proposing a new formula to calculate housing need that will pick up the shortfall.

When the Government proposed this new formula, it knew there would be some outliers. The council believes Wokingham Borough to be an outlier and will be formally objecting to the proposed formula in the consultation, which runs until 1 October. 

Since 2006, nearly 10,000 new homes have been built in Wokingham Borough, an average of 700 new homes each year. The council believes it is building the homes and infrastructure local people need, by building the right homes in the right places. 

“I am outraged at how the Government are trying to pull the wool over our eyes,” added Cllr Wayne Smith, executive member for planning. “They are launching two consultations at the same time, but giving much greater coverage to the consultation that doesn’t include housing numbers. Under the umbrella of a major reform to an out of date planning system, they have slipped an attempt at some short term ‘wins’ under the radar – which will have a massive, detrimental impact on Wokingham Borough, as well as many other areas around the country.” 

The petition on change.org, created by leader of the council John Halsall but with cross party support, had over 1400 signatures as of 1 September. The council is also hoping to get 100,000 signatures on a parliamentary petition, which would trigger a debate in parliament on the proposed changes to the housing numbers formula.

For more information and to learn more about how to respond, visitwww.wokingham.gov.uk/fairplayinhousing.

What can you do?

1.      Contact your MP:

·         Theresa May MP   theresa.may.mp@parliament.uk

·         John Redwood MP   john.redwood.mp@parliament.uk

·         Matt Rodda MP   matt.rodda.mp@parliament.uk

·         James Sunderland MP   james.sunderland.mp@parliament.uk

2.      Contact the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Robert Jenrick using the online form at https://forms.communities.gov.uk/

3.      Visit the council’s website at http://www.wokingham.gov.uk/fairplayinhousing for more information and a copy of the Council’s draft response (when available). More information and an online petition is available at www.enough-is-enough.org.uk

4.      Take part in the Government consultation at:https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/changes-to-the-current-planning-system

Proposals to replace black boxes with waterproof bags for recycling in Wokingham Borough have taken the next step. The council’s overview and scrutiny committee upheld the decision of the executive made on 30 July to set aside funding for the proposed sealable, weighted bags last night (26 August) – which if implemented will help the council to achieve its 70 per cent recycling target by 2030.

The council’s executive committee will meet next month to consider the next steps for the proposed option in more detail to keep residents paper and card dry. The executive will be presented with how these could create a £400,000 cost saving in a full year, potential timelines for rollout and agree the costs, if the proposals are agreed. The waterproof bags, if implemented, would allow an increased capacity for every household by 20 litres per week and the council anticipates this would lead to an increased in total amount recycled in the borough by more than 1,000 tonnes.

Cllr Parry Batth, executive member for environment, said: “We’re pleased the committee agreed with the executive’s decision to set aside funding for a solution to wet paper and card in Wokingham Borough. We know our residents want us to enable them to recycle as much as possible and we believe this small change will allow this to happen.

“The council’s executive will be presented with more details on the proposals next month, including cost savings and the environmental benefits, before a final agreement on the bags is made. We will continue to inform residents on how these will be introduced going forward if an agreement is reached.”

More information on the outcome of the executive meeting will be announced following the meeting on 24 September.

The Poor Land’s Charity has a vacancy in one of its Almshouses in Woodley on Loddon Bridge Road.

The unit is available for residents of Woodley, Sandford or Charvil aged 55 years or over. The accommodation is a self contained ground floor flat with a double bedroom, lounge, bathroom, kitchen and large communal gardens. The unit would suit anyone in need who is capable of looking after themselves or who has a care package in place as there is no warden on site.

To enquire further please contact the Clerk to the Trustees, Mrs Fidler, on 0118 9690136.

There will be a meeting of Woodley Town Council on Tuesday 25 August 2020 at 20.00.

This will be a virtual meeting, held via Zoom.

Meeting Notice

From 8 August, face coverings must be worn in all public areas of the Oakwood Centre.

Medical exemptions apply.

Construction work on the £4.4million single-storey block at Addington School in Woodley is almost complete. Fit out of the building is now entering the final stages, meaning the Ofsted-rated outstanding school will increase its capacity by about 50 students from September.

More young people will access the best SEND education possible in Wokingham borough at the school in Woodlands Avenue, with the school’s capacity now at around 250 students. The expansion means more young people will be educated closer to home, making families’ lives easier by reducing journey times, as well as reducing the council’s travel costs.

The building includes four classrooms, a café and social/breakout areas, will improve the lives of 50 more young people, due to the increased capacity, by giving them the best SEND education possible in the Wokingham borough. Construction of the new block follows the opening of two new multi-use games areas (MUGAs), a new sensory path and an expanded car park at the end of September 2019.

It follows the announcement of plans to build the new 150-place Oak Tree School. The free school for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Winnersh is a partnership between Wokingham Borough Council, Reading Borough Council and Brighter Future and will be operated by the Maiden Erlegh Trust.

“I’m delighted to see the Addington School expansion nearing completion and us opening its doors over the next few months,” said Cllr UllaKarin Clark, executive member for children’s services. “We’re determined to provide fantastic educational facilities for our SEND young people and with 50 places soon to be opened at the Ofsted-rated outstanding Addington, and more on the way at the new school in Winnersh, we’re providing the space to do this.”

“Everyone at Addington School is excited to see the finishing touches being put to our new building,” said Sara Attra, headteacher at Addington School. “The building will perfectly fit the needs of our sixth form students and staff as well as allowing us to provide an outstanding education to even more young people in Wokingham borough. Our sixth form students can’t wait to use the excellent facilities in their new home and we are all looking forward to the day when we can cut the ribbon and officially open the building in the new school year.”

Claire Wakelin, Studio Director at HLM Architects, added: “This expansion means that more local children are able to take advantage of the great educational offerings at Addington School without having to travel far from their homes. 

“The team worked hard to create a safe and nurturing environment that both inspires and brings a sense of place, helping future pupils achieve their best potential. Working with our partners at Reds10 also meant we were able to optimise sustainability across the construction phase. Our commitment to using the most eco-friendly materials throughout also helps ensure site longevity with minimal environmental impact.”

The construction was completed by modular construction specialists Reds10, alongside our design partners HLM Architects. Sixty to 70 per cent of the building work for the new block will be completed modularly offsite, a decision made to reduce disruption to the school and its students.

This method also reduces the number of vehicle trips required as part of the project compared to traditional construction and will help Wokingham Borough Council towards its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030. 

Michael Ruddick, Commercial Director at Reds10, said: “It has been an absolute pleasure working in collaboration with our partners HLM, Wokingham Council and Addington School to deliver their new sixth form building. The Reds10 team are proud of the building we have delivered. While pushing the boundaries of off-site construction and providing a truly visually amazing educational space, we were able to significantly reduce the overall programme for delivery and achieve sustainable, enhanced carbon reduction features. All without compromising on the comfort of the building.”

An official opening on the new building and other facilities will take place in due course during the autumn.

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Wokingham Borough Council has today announced the launch of ‘Kooth’, a free online counselling and emotional well-being support service for its younger residents aged 11 to 18 years. 

Working in partnership with Berkshire West CCG, West Berkshire Council and Brighter Futures for Children service, the council are reaching out to young people across the borough to offer them emotional support through digital counselling. Kooth, a service delivered by XenZone, provides young people a safe and secure means of accessing support from a professional team of qualified counsellors, therapists and support workers who provide guided, outcome-focused help for each individual. It also provides moderated, scheduled forums and self-help articles, many written by service users, to provide peer led and self-help support.  

“It is important for us to offer our young people emotional support through this valuable online project, especially during these unprecedented times,” said UllaKarin Clark, executive member for children’s services. “There are no referrals, thresholds or waiting lists and young people can access this service anonymously by signing onto the Kooth website. This service will to reduce waiting times for young people seeking help while helping to remove the stigma around mental health and accessing services”.  

Award winning online counselling service Kooth has been accredited by The British Association of Psychotherapy and Counselling (BACP).  Founded in 2001, they are leading pioneers of online counselling in the UK, having won a number of prestigious awards. The website provides a unique out of office hours’ provision and is open 7 days per week, 365 days a year from noon until 10pm weekdays and from 6pm until 10pm on Saturday and Sundays.  For further details please visit Kooth.com

The Woodley Town Centre Management Initiative has taken the very difficult decision to cancel the 2020 Christmas events due to the COvid 19 restrictions and guidelines. 

For further information or to discuss with the town centre manager, Brian Fennelly, please email: towncentremanager@woodley.gov.uk.

Wokingham Borough Council is considering bringing in weighted, water-proof sacks for its kerbside recycling collection to help keep paper and card dry.

Changes in the world market for recycled material have meant that wet paper and card is no longer being accepted by recycling plants – which is hitting the borough’s recycling rates and causing significant environmental and financial cost.

With the council committed to increasing its already good recycling rate, its decision making executive will this Thursday (July 30) consider approving the upfront funding necessary for a potential solution – the replacement of the current black boxes used for kerbside recycling, with waterproof and weighted hessian sacks. There would be no other change to the recycling service.

Executive member for environment Cllr Parry Batth said: “Wet paper and card is currently reducing our overall recycling rate by about 6%, which has an environmental and financial impact. We have looked at all the options available and found these sacks are the best option. They are water-proof, robust and are weighted down so they will not blow away. The sacks have a slightly larger capacity than the black bins and residents would not be limited in how many of them they have – so there will be no need to overfill them or for them to get too heavy.”

The council has considered other options such as lidded bins or ‘shower caps’ that could be fitted over bins but following a study commissioned from independent experts, these were found to be less effective overall in terms of factors such as impact on recycling rates and carbon emissions and cost.

In the longer term the council will consider other options to increase recycling such as wheelie bins but these could not be introduced with the current fleet of vehicles available and so are not a viable option in the short / medium term.

Cllr Batth added: “We have to work with what is possible. Some residents like the idea of wheelie bins and others don’t – but that is an issue for the future because they could not be practically introduced in the borough with our current contract and fleet of vehicles. We believe the weighted, waterproof sacks are the best way to go to solve the immediate problem we face.”

Free community navigation scheme from Involve Community Services which aims to support individuals in the Wokingham Borough area to find social and/or physical activities to improve their wellbeing. The service is free for Wokingham Borough residents and/or people registered with a Wokingham Borough GP surgery.

Please see the posters for more information.