News

Wokingham Carnival Pool Redevelopment

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Plans for the Carnival Pool redevelopment have been submitted by Wokingham Borough Council following consultation earlier this year.

This is another major step in the town’s regeneration and the ambitious leisure and parking scheme includes:

A large extension to the existing leisure centre and refurbishment of existing swimming pool
Space for other leisure, entertainment and commercial uses
New building for the existing bowling alley provider
New pedestrianised public area
529 space multi-storey car park
Up to 49 residential apartments with dedicated car parking

Planning application documents are available to view on the council’s planning application webpages by searching for planning application: O/2015/1056. It is also available in hard copy at the planning desk, at the Civic Offices, Shute End, Wokingham. Copies of key plans and documents will be available to view in the Mall Gallery at the Civic Offices, Town Hall Information Centre and Wokingham Library. People will be able to submit their comments as part of the statutory planning consultation process which runs until Friday June 19.

Subject to planning consent it is expected work on the new car park would start in spring 2016 with completion by the end of the year.

May 29, 2015 |

Wokingham National Bookstart Week

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Wokingham Borough libraries are celebrating National Bookstart Week with a Rhymetime at the brand new play area in Dinton Pastures Country Park on Monday June 9 from 11am to 1pm. Everyone who attends will receive a Super Duck booklet by author and illustrator Jez Alborough.

The library service will be joined by staff from the borough’s children’s centres, health visitors and other local heroes such as Thames Valley Police and the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Children can come dressed as their favourite hero and families can bring their own picnic to enjoy at the country park. There will be nursery rhymes, songs at 11.15am and 12.15pm. Plus there will be some local heroes for families to meet.

May 23, 2014 |

Cycling roadshow coming to Wokingham

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On Wednesday May 28 residents are invited to bring the family down to Wokingham Market Place, between 10am and 4pm, for the ‘Try-out Cycling’ roadshow.

Organised by Wokingham Borough Council, in conjunction with Cycle Experience and AW Cycles, visitors will be able to have some fun on a range of different bikes for adults and children, including commuter, hybrid, mountain and road, folding, recumbent, tandems and electric bikes, as well as a range of quality children’s bikes, child seats and trailers.

Experienced staff will be on hand to give advice on choosing a bike, cycle training (for adults or children), route planning and guided bike rides for families and ladies.

There will also be a free bike surgery offering anyone the chance to have their own bike checked for safety, free bike security marking and cycle helmets for sale at discounted prices. Cyclists can also try their luck at the ‘golden minute challenge’ on a static bike to try to win prizes.

May 16, 2014 |

Wokingham businesses urged to support people with dementia

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Businesses and organisations in the Wokingham Borough are being called on to join bus drivers, librarians, shops, gardeners and the borough council in supporting local people with dementia.

Wokingham Borough libraries, Readibus, Green n’ Tidy, Tesco and Wokingham Borough Council are among those who have signed up to join the Wokingham Dementia Action Alliance (DAA) already. It is hoped that more local organisations will sign up before the official launch of the alliance on Tuesday May 20.

The launch event, at the Bradbury Centre, Rose Street, Wokingham from 11am, will feature a number of speakers from DAA members as well as Wokingham Town Mayor Cllr Martin Bishop. Harmony Choir, a singing group of young people with dementia, will also provide some rousing song.

The DAA is set to be the backbone of the wide-ranging work that is going on across Wokingham to make the town more dementia friendly. Last month, the town successfully gained ‘Working towards becoming dementia friendly’ status from Alzheimer’s Society. The recognition publicly shows that communities are following common criteria that are based on what research shows is important to people affected by dementia and will truly change their experience.

The aim of the DAA is to help create a community where people with dementia feel confident, understood and supported to live well.

May 12, 2014 |

Wokingham Britain in Bloom competition

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Wokingham Library will be hosting a series of events and workshops suitable for all ages during the months of May and June.

The programme kicks off with a Gardeners Question Time with the Wokingham Horticultural Society on Saturday May 3 from 10.30 to 11.30am. This is a free, bookable event.

John Fennell of The Binfield Badger group will be giving a talk for all ages on Saturday May 10 from 10.30am to 11.30am. This is also a free, bookable event.

Rhymetime for toddlers aged 18 months to three years old, with bugs and flowers, takes place on Wednesday May 21 from 11am to 11.30am and also on Tuesday June 3 from 11.30am to 12noon.

There will be a special Bear and Bug Storytime with a craft for families with children aged eight and under on Saturday May 24 from 10.30am to 11.30am. This is a drop-in event with a £1.50 charge.

A Wildlife Adventures session takes place on Thursday May 29 from 10.30am to 11.30am. Come and hear tales of bats, bugs, butterflies and barn owls and then make your own creature to take home. This drop-in event is for children aged 10 and under has a £1.50 charge.

The Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust will be giving a talk on local wildlife and conservation projects and what you can do to help at home in your gardens. This free bookable event takes place on Saturday May 31 from 10.30am to 11.30am.

A Flowers and Bugs Storytime for families with children under five takes place on Tuesday June 3 between 2pm and 2.30pm, just drop-in for this free event.

All events take place at Wokingham Library, Denmark Street, Wokingham RG40 2BB and places can be booked by calling (0118) 978 1368.

April 30, 2014 |

Wokingham Dementia Action Alliance launch event

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On Tuesday May 20, from 11am to 1pm, the Wokingham Dementia Action Alliance launch event will take place at Wokingham Methodist Church, Rose Street, Wokingham.

This event celebrates the launch of the recently formed action alliance, which brings together representatives of local business, shops, community groups, charities, care homes, people with dementia and their carers. Their common aim is to make local changes to help improve the lives of those living with dementia and their carers by helping them to live independently in their local community for as long as possible.

Guest speakers include Wokingham Town Mayor Martin Bishop, executive lead at the Dementia Action Alliance Simon Kitchen, Dr Jane Hussey from the Younger People with Dementia charity (Berkshire West) and Wokingham Borough Council Cllr Bob Wyatt. There will also be a performance by the Harmony Choir formed locally by young people with dementia.

For further information visit: www.dementiafriends.org.uk.

To book a place please call Caroline on 07518 685904 or visit: http://bit.ly/1rBjgPm.

April 30, 2014 |

Wokingham station taxi and bus works start

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The next phase of work in Wokingham’s new station link road project is due to start on May 6, to create a permanent new taxi rank and bus and travel interchange serving the newly-refurbished train station.

Wokingham Borough Council’s multi-million pound station link road scheme, and the new station now officially open, aim to create a 21st century travel centre, ease local traffic congestion and make the route safer for pedestrians and cyclists.

This third phase of the works, which is due to last six weeks, will focus on kerbing, additional footpaths and final surfacing for the new taxi rank and bus interchange, which are both being given new positions in Station Approach.

Wokingham Station was officially opened in March by Transport Minister Baroness Kramer following extensive refurbishment, and now has a bigger waiting area with more seating, larger booking hall and improved ticket facilities, state-of-the-art passenger information screens, new toilets including wheelchair accessible facilities, and a new café.

Funding for the refurbishment came from South West Trains, Network Rail, and Wokingham Borough Council.

April 28, 2014 |

Wokingham’s remodelled Hurst Golf Course to be ready for summer

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Hurst Golf Course has been remodelled to offer a challenging nine holes for golfers without endangering other country park visitors or neighbouring homes and gardens.

Since the course was opened in 1978, golf ball and club technology has improved to such an extent that balls are now travelling far farther and this, coupled with the increased number of visitors to Dinton Pastures Country Park, meant the course had become potentially unsafe in its previous set up.

A golf course design expert commissioned by the borough council last year recommended some remodelling and temporary changes were immediately put in place. A longer-term solution has now been found and the necessary remodelling work is being carried out in time for the course to be fully open ahead of the summer.

April 20, 2014 |

Wokingham planners shortlisted as team of the year

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Wokingham Borough Council’s drive for high-quality development, backed by the right infrastructure, has been recognised in the Royal Town Planning institute’s (RTPI) Planning Excellence Awards.

The borough council has been shortlisted in the Local Authority Planning Team of the Year category for the way it is delivering major growth in the borough in a controlled, collaborative way through the four Strategic Development Locations (SDLs)*.

The RTPI’s criteria for the award include the use of imaginative approaches to achieve high quality planning, customer satisfaction and ability of planners to manage multi-disciplinary projects.

The borough council sets out how it has moved to working in partnership with landowners, developers and community representatives to plan development properly. Among the benefits of this new approach, are:

Greatly increased financial contributions from developers for infrastructure – averaging £28,000 per home compared to £8,000 in the past, and totalling around £350million across the four SDLs
Increased public engagement, with community forums set up in each of the SDLs and major consultations to set the route of the Arborfield Relief Road and North Wokingham Distributor Road
Better quality planning applications produced by closer collaboration with partners
More funding from central Government and other bodies – about £20million in grants and loans to support the developments to date

The winners in the Planning Excellence awards will be announced on Monday June 23.

April 17, 2014 |

Wokingham residents need to register to vote by 6 May

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Ahead of residents being able to place their votes on May 22, Wokingham Borough Council is urging people to take five minutes to make sure they have secured their vote.

Residents can find out if they are on the register and get the relevant form by calling (0118) 974 6522 / 6523.

April 14, 2014 |