Colemans Moor Road, Woodley, Wokingham

13 February — 13 February

Delays likely – Road closure

Works location: 72

Works description: Replace Sewer Cover–WORKS INTENDED TO INCLUDE FIRST TIME PERMANENT REINSTATEMENT WITHIN SAME PHASE

Responsibility for works: THAMES WATER

 

Headley Road East, Woodley, Wokingham

12 February — 18 February

Delays likely – Traffic control (two-way signals)

Works location: On Headley Road East outside Hawkehurst House.

Works description: Excavation in path, required to lay and connect the new site main to the parent main. in Carriageway.

Responsibility for works: THAMES WATER

 

Kingfisher Drive, Woodley, Wokingham

17 February — 18 February

Delays likely – Road closure

Works location: SPINE ROAD

Works description: iRON WORKS

Responsibility for works: Wokingham

 

Woodlands Avenue, Woodley, Wokingham

15 February — 17 February

Delays likely – Traffic control (two-way signals)

Works location: 1

Works description: Reinstate carriageway in Carriageway. Our intention is to complete thePermanent Reinstatement in the same phase

Responsibility for works: THAMES WATER

 

Ravensbourne Drive, Woodley, Wokingham

12 February — 14 February

Delays unlikely – Some carriageway incursion

Works location: 54

Works description: CUSTOMER SIDE LEAKAGE SUPPLY PIPE REPLACEMEN–WORKS INTENDED TO INCLUDE FIRST TIME PERMANENT REINSTATEMENT WITHIN SAME PHASE

Responsibility for works: THAMES WATER

 

Beggars Hill, Woodley, Wokingham

07 February – 13 February

Location: 29, New Site

Description: Boundary box exchange

Responsibility for works: Thames Water

 

A4 London Road, Woodley, Wokingham

31 January – 13 February

Location: Junction of Shepherds Hill

Description: excavation in the carriageway to locate and repair gas escape

Responsibility for works: SGN

 

Chequers Way, Woodley, Wokingham

07 February – 27 February

Location: 29

Description: To place a skip on highways verge

Responsibility for works: Wokingham Borough Council

 

Pound Lane, Sonning, Wokingham

11 February – 13 February

Location: Pound Lane roundabout

Description: Lane closure for coring works

Responsibility for works: Wokingham Borough Council

Vacancies for lay members of the Joint Independent Audit Committee

Do you want to help scrutinise the way your policing finances operate? Could you offer a strong and independent voice on corporate governance affairs?

The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Thames Valley and the Chief Constable are looking for citizens with a good understanding and experience of public sector legislation and guidance, who are politically neutral, to sit as independent members of the Joint Independent Audit Committee.

The Committee will review and scrutinise the affairs of both organisations, looking at issues such as risk management, internal control, change programmes and corporate governance as well as overseeing audit arrangements and reviewing financial statements.

Two members have already been appointed and we are now looking to appoint a further three. The appointments will be for a four-year period to July 2024.

Candidates are required to be over the age of 18, live or work in the Thames Valley area and be able to attend meetings at Police Headquarters, Kidlington during the working day. The volunteers will be subject to a police vetting check. Serving police officers or police staff are not eligible for this role.

The successful applicants will receive training and a daily allowance including expenses for travelling to Police Headquarters. The current schedule is based on five meetings each year.

The closing date for applications is 9am on Monday 2^nd March 2020.

Interviews will be held on Tuesday 24^th March.

To find out more about the role of committee members, including the Committee’s operating principles, role description, and individual member competencies, personal skills and qualities please see the candidate pack, application form and diversity monitoring form.

For more information, please contact Ian Thompson (CFO) on 01865 541959 or Paul Hammond (Chief Executive) on 01865 541960

 

Ministry for Housing, Communities & Local Government has awarded Wokingham Borough Council £91,000 to help tackle rough sleeping in the borough

 

The funds, which follow on the back of the council’s new strategy to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping, will allow the council to set up a street outreach programme to provide support for rough sleepers in the borough.

 

The new programme will provide a holistic first line of support to rough sleepers, with outreach workers on the streets to identify rough sleepers and provide them with accommodation where appropriate, signposting access to health professionals, benefits advisors and any necessary drug/alcohol dependency support. The outreach workers will provide links to the next level of support.

 

The council will commission a voluntary sector partner with expertise in tackling rough sleeping to partner on this project. The new service will build on the excellent work already being carried out by voluntary sector partners and other organisations in the borough.

 

Current situation

The council identified ten rough sleepers in the borough in November 2019 as part of an annual estimate and understands there may be more.

 

Further support for rough sleepers in the borough is the pilot of a night shelter, running in January and February 2020. The shelter, being run by Pilgrim Hearts, is accessed through the council’s housing team and other organisations (contact information below) and is located at a number of churches across Wokingham town.

 

“Having a home should be a basic human right. That’s why we at the council prioritise so highly tackling homelessness and ending rough sleeping.” said John Kaiser, executive member for finance and housing. “Homelessness can have long term consequences for those affected. As a result, reducing homelessness and rough sleeping is a key priority for the council.

“Receiving this award is excellent news! It will help fund our new rough sleeping initiative for a full year and we will have the opportunity to apply again for next year.

 

“The impacts of homelessness can be devastating for individuals and families. Homelessness can affect everything — health, education and employment. This programme is another step towards ending rough sleeping and homelessness in Wokingham borough.”

 

Contacts

For information on how to get advice if you or someone you know is or may become homeless, visit our website at www.wokingham.gov.uk and search ‘homelessness’.

 

To contact the council for help on homelessness, phone 0118 974 6000 during office hours or 01344 786 543 after hours, via email at housing.needs@wokingham.gov.uk or by visiting the council offices at Shute End, Wokingham.

 

If you are aware of someone sleeping rough in the borough, let the council know by sending an alert to StreetLink. The details you provide will be sent to the council, who will use the information to find the individual, offer them support, and explore ways to find them accommodation.

 

 

www.wokingham.gov.uk/localplanupdate

LPU@wokingham.gov.uk

More than five million blue waste bags will be out for delivery from Wokingham Borough Council from 3rd February

 

They will be distributed to all houses in the borough over the next five weeks, with each household receiving 80 bags in two rolls of 40.

This will cover the period between April 2020 and March 2021. Blue bags were first introduced back in 2012 to restrict the volume of waste per household to approximately 120 litres per week.

The size and quality of the bags remains the same. The Council can only collect waste in these council branded bags.

Waste collections will continue to be on a weekly basis and the number of bags each household receives will not reduce.

There have been slight changes to the blue bag scheme this year, as larger families who used to automatically receive extra bags will no longer do so.

Since the scheme was launched in 2012 we have increased our recycling options to include additional plastic containers, tetrapak and food waste so many residents may no longer require the additional supply.

If you are a larger family, with five or more living permanently in your household, then you can visit our website from June (search blue bags) to apply for additional blue bags.

You will then receive a voucher and be able to collect these from the council’s offices or your local library, when the stocks are in.

“Our residents are finding they need fewer and fewer blue bags by making the most of our extensive recycling services at the kerbside – helping us achieve our aim to recycle more than 50 per cent of our waste in borough,” said Cllr Parry Batth, executive member for environment and leisure.

Anyone wishing to know when their allocation will be delivered can do so by visiting the council’s website (search ‘annual blue bag delivery’).

If residents are unsure of their collection day this can also be checked on the council’s website (search ‘collection days’).

Residents should be aware our garden waste renewal service is changing, with those who are currently signed up being sent letters telling the how to opt into the service online for 2020-21. These will be sent out in early March, slightly later than usual.

The council’s food waste service continues to run successfully after launching in April last year.

Since it started 3,783 tonnes of food waste have been turned into energy – boosting recycling rates to more than 55 per cent.

It has also boosted recycling habits across the borough with 859 additional tonnes of plastic, paper and metal materials collected kerbside compared to the previous year.

“Our food waste scheme has been a runaway success and we can only thank our residents for taking to it so readily,” Cllr Batth added.

“It’s really heartening to see how it has also boosted recycling habits for our kerbside collections, with our residents making sure Wokingham borough continues to increase its recycling percentages annually.”

Residents are able to collect more food waste bags, free of charge, from the main council offices at Shute End or from libraries across the borough.

 

 

Wokingham Borough Council announces its commitment to supporting those at risk of homelessness and people who sleep rough.

 

The council adopted a new strategy to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping in the borough at its full council meeting on 23 January 2020. The strategy has four key priorities: early intervention and prevention; working towards ending rough sleeping and tackling hidden homelessness (people who become homeless but are staying with friends or family); building more affordable homes; and supporting our vulnerable residents.

 

To address these priorities, the council is proposing to work with long-term rough sleepers, look closely at the hidden homeless in the borough and reduce its use of emergency and temporary accommodation for the homeless.

 

The strategy focuses on early intervention and prevention, working with partner organisations in the borough, exploring options for the development of a pilot Housing First (or similar) scheme, assessing hidden homelessness and addressing rough sleeping, refreshing the policy that sets out how the council allocates its social housing, building new affordable homes and supporting vulnerable residents.

 

The council held a public consultation on the strategy in September 2019 and then the council’s executive recommended approval to its full council.

 

“The impacts of homelessness can be devastating for individuals and families. Homelessness can affect everything — health, education and employment,” said John Kaiser, executive member for finance and housing. “Homelessness can have long term consequences for those affected. As a result, reducing homelessness and rough sleeping is a key priority for the council.

 

“Having a home should be a basic human right. That’s why we at the council prioritise so highly tackling homelessness and ending rough sleeping.”

 

For information on how to get advice if you or someone you know is or may become homeless, visit our website at www.wokingham.gov.uk and search ‘homelessness’.

 

To contact the council for help on homelessness, phone 0118 974 6000 during office hours or 01344 786 543 after hours, via email at housing.needs@wokingham.gov.uk or by visiting the council offices at Shute End, Wokingham.

 

If you are aware of someone sleeping rough in the borough, let the council know by sending an alert to StreetLink. The details you provide will be sent to the council, who will use the information to find the individual, offer them support, and explore ways to find them accommodation.

 

For more information, please click the link in the road name or contact Customer Services at Wokingham Borough Council (0118 974 6000) who can also provide individual contractor details.

Culver Lane, Earley, Wokingham

02 February – 02 February

Delays likely – Road closure

Name: Culver Lane

Location: Culver Lane

Description: Streetworks / License – Streetworks

Responsibility for event: Wokingham Borough Council

Park Lane, Charvil, Wokingham

28 January – 28 January

Delays likely – Diversion route

Name: Diversion

Location: Park Lane

Description: Streetworks / License – Streetworks

Responsibility for event: Wokingham Borough Council

 

A4 London Road, Earley, Wokingham

29 January — 31 January 

Delays likely – Lane closure

Works location: OUTSIDE LANE ON ROUNDABOUT

Works description: REPLACEMENT OF GUARD RAIL 

Responsibility for works: Wokingham Borough Council

 

B3270,A329 Loddon Bridge and The Bader Way Interchange, Winnersh, Wokingham

28 January — 30 January

Delays likely – Lane closure 

Works location: lane 2 North and southbound

Works description: bridge inspections

Responsibility for works: Wokingham Borough Council

 

B3270,A329 Loddon Bridge and The Bader Way Interchange, Winnersh, Wokingham

04 February — 06 February

Delays likely – Lane closure 

Works location: Lane 1 North and southbound 

Works description: Bridge inspections 

Responsibility for works: Wokingham Borough Council

 

Butts Hill Road, Woodley, Wokingham

28 January — 28 January

Delays likely – Traffic control (two-way signals)

Works location: just before the bridge

Works description: carriageway patching

Responsibility for works: Wokingham Borough Council

 

Butts Hill Road, Woodley, Wokingham

03 February — 10 April

Delays likely – Road closure

Works location: RAVENSBOURNE DR TO JUST AFTER SONNIG BRDGE 

Works description: PRE WORKS FOR SURFACE DRESSING

Responsibility for works: Wokingham Borough Council

 

Colemans Moor Road, Woodley, Wokingham

03 February — 07 February

Delays likely – Traffic control (two-way signals)

Works location: On Colemans Wood Road opposite to No. 130. 

Works description: Excavation in road and path to lay and connect new site main to existingparent main in Carriageway.

Responsibility for works: THAMES WATER

 

Colemans Moor Road, Woodley, Wokingham

03 February — 10 April

Delays likely – Road closure

Works location: STONEHAVEN DRIVETO LODDON BRIDGE ROAD 

Works description: PRE WORKS FOR SURFACE DRESSING

Responsibility for works: Wokingham Borough Council

 

Kingfisher Drive, Woodley, Wokingham

03 February — 03 February

Delays likely – Road closure

Works location: entire length of kingfisher drive including spine roads

Works description: Iron works

Responsibility for works: Wokingham Borough Council

 

Rickman Close, Woodley, Wokingham

04 February — 04 February

Delays likely – Road closure 

Works location: entire length of Rickman close 

Works description: Iron work

Responsibility for works: Wokingham Borough Council

 

Tippings Lane, Woodley, Wokingham

03 February — 10 April 

Delays likely – Road closure 

Works location: DUFFIELD ROAD TO HEADLEY ROAD EAST

Works description: PRE WORKS FOR SURFACE DRESSING 

Responsibility for works: Wokingham Borough Council

 

Woodlands Avenue, Woodley, Wokingham

01 February — 02 February

Delays likely – Traffic control (two-way signals)

Works location: From near SSE pole 149 to approximately 185m towards Highwood Primary School

Works description: TO PUT UP 2 WAY LIGHTS AND PUT ON ALL RED FOR 10 MINS MAX TO ALLOW DROPPING OF OVER HEAD LINES THIS WILL BE DONE BETWEEN 7AM AND 10AM

Responsibility for works: Scottish and Southern Power Distribution

 

Colemans Moor Lane, Woodley, Wokingham

03 February — 07 February 

Delays possible – Some carriageway incursion 

Works location: Signage only on Colemansmoor Lane at junction of Colemansmoor Road 

Works description: Signage only on Colemansmoor Lane due to excavation in road and path onColemansmoor Road to lay and connect new site main to existing parentmain. in Carriageway. 

Responsibility for works: THAMES WATE

 

Reading Road, Woodley, Wokingham

29 January — 31 January

Delays possible – Some carriageway incursion

Works location: 112

Works description: CUSTOMER SIDE LEAKAGE SUPPLY PIPE REPLACEMEN–WORKS INTENDED TO INCLUDE FIRST TIME PERMANENT REINSTATEMENT WITHIN SAME PHASE

Responsibility for works: THAMES WATER

 

Addington Gardens, Woodley, Wokingham

31 January — 04 February

Delays unlikely – Some carriageway incursion

Works location: 47

Works description: Boundary Box Exchange Fway in Footway. 

Responsibility for works: THAMES WATER

 

South Drive, Sonning, Wokingham

01 February — 05 February

Delays unlikely – Some carriageway incursion

Works location: 8 SOUTH DRIVE

Works description: B Box Exchange <33mm Cway in Carriageway.

Responsibility for works: THAMES WATER

 

Park Lane, Charvil, Wokingham

28 January – 28 January

Delays likely – Diversion route

Name: Diversion

Location: Park Lane

Description: Streetworks / License – Streetworks 

Responsibility for event: Wokingham Borough Council

 

Woodlands Avenue, Woodley, Wokingham

24 January — 28 January

Delays likely – Traffic control (two-way signals)

Works location: APPROX 47M WEST OF JCN WITH ACCESS ROAD FROM WOODLANDS AVENUE TO THE BULMERSHE CENTRE, WOODLANDS AVENUE 

Works description: Locate and excavate 1 blockage in existing duct

Responsibility for works: Openreach

 

Wokingham Road, Earley, Wokingham

31 January

Delays likely – multiway traffic control signals

Location: Junction with Mill Lane

Works description: Safe access to Underground structures – fibre cabling for new customer connections in existing underground duct network.

Responsibility for works: BT

 

 

Barnes Fitness has decided to host its annual Woodley 10km and 2.5km run in dear memory of David Stares, former Woodley Town Council councillor, honorary Reading Roadrunner and huge supporter of this event.

The event will also be supporting the fabulous work of the Mayor of Woodley Town Council’s Charity, Prostate Cancer UK.

Course details

• The course is measured and certified by RunBritain.The event will be run under UK Athletics Rules.

  *Chip timed with your result available instantly as you cross the finish line
  *Free event photos
  *Commemorative medal and banana for all finishers in the 10km & 2.5km
  *Clearly-marked route with plenty of friendly marshals, 2 water stations on 10km course, lead car and tail marker
  *Pace-makers every 5 minutes from 40 minutes to 90 minute completion time with thanks to Elite Conditioning
  *Podium prizes dontated by Mizuno, Castle Royle, Brown Bag, Berkshire Physio & Woodford Park Leisure Centre
  *Minimum competitor ages as of race day: 10km – 15+, 2.5km – 5yrs – 14yrs
  *Ample free parking available within 5/10 minute walk of start/finish.

 

For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit: www.barnesfitness.onerace.co.uk

 

 

Wokingham Borough Council commits £50million over three years to jumpstart the borough on its journey to be carbon neutral by 2030

The council has outlined eight key action areas as it looks to reduce its carbon footprint following its climate emergency declaration last summer.

Plans, backed at a full council meeting last night (24 January) include planting 250,000 trees over the next five years (that’s equivalent to 1.5 trees for every resident in the borough), developing five solar farms, more electric car charging points, a sustainable schools programme and making the council’s property estate carbon neutral.

Data shows the borough’s carbon footprint is 580.9 ktCO2e (kilotons of carbon dioxide).

The total carbon dioxide emissions for the borough are made of three sectors: domestic (43%), transport (31.4%) and industrial and commercial (26.6%).

It also shows the borough’s carbon footprint has been dropping since 2012, due to behaviour change, increased proportion of renewable energy in electricity supplies and more efficient technologies.

The amount of carbon dioxide being removed from the air through trees and plants in Wokingham has been steadily increasing in recent years.

Despite this positive trend in decreasing emissions, the projected trajectory still leaves a carbon footprint of 274.6 ktCO2 in 2030.

So the council has identified key areas where it can have the most impact in reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

Feedback on the council’s plan has been positive and supportive from expert energy consultants and local businesses, who were consulted during its development.

Goals

The goals, informed following a wide-ranging public consultation, including residents, businesses and other partners, are created in line with the 2030 United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development.

In doing so, the council hopes to ensure that its actions lead to a socially just response to climate change.

There are eight key areas for the council to work on to reduce carbon emissions. A full outline of each of these areas can be found by going to www.wokingham.gov.uk. These are set out below as focus areas:

• Reduce carbon dioxide emissions from transport
• Reduce carbon dioxide emissions from domestic and business property – Green Bank Project
• Generate more renewable energy in the borough
• Create a Local Plan that specifies net zero carbon construction and infrastructure
• Increase the levels of carbon sequestration in the borough through greening the environment
• Engage with young people and support sustainable schools
• Reduce waste sent to landfill
• Encourage behaviour change

 

“It’s exciting and incredibly important to show our ambitious and wide-ranging plans to our residents and businesses,” said Cllr Gregor Murray, executive member for Climate Emergency.

“After their feedback and ideas we have created a plan which we think will lead us to our goal by 2030.

“This is just the start of a long process where we will look to take the lead in making Wokingham borough carbon neutral.

“While we are implementing projects of our own, which will make a dent in our carbon footprint, a key part of this will be changing behaviours – so we are asking our residents to come on this journey with us to help us reach this important goal.”

A progress report will be developed and brought to the council for approval in July. It will then be assessed annually and carbon-saving quotas will be set up against individual projects over time.

Each time it is published the report will summarise achievements and outline benefits of the work carried out over the previous twelve months.

To monitor the action plan and steer policy, the council has set a climate emergency working group made up of a cross party group of members and representatives from town and parish councils.

It will review the delivery and performance of key carbon reduction projects and the council’s ambition to achieve net zero carbon for Wokingham borough by 2030.

A climate emergency advisory group, made up of representatives from industry, academia and charities, will meet quarterly to give expert advice.

A climate emergency officers’ group, responsible for delivering the action plan, has also been established and has been meeting monthly since the council declared a climate emergency last summer.

Woodley

Woodley Town Council will continue its commitment to climate change, fully supporting Wokingham Borough Council and continuing to work on our own projects and initiatives.