News

Wokingham Borough Council is running an in-car child safety seat clinic n conjunction with Road Safety GB’s national Good Egg campaign and TRL (Transport Research Laboratory), the event takes place at Tesco Superstore, 78 Finchampstead Road, Wokingham on Thursday October 11 from 10am to 3pm.

The Good Egg campaign is designed to ensure that babies and children are properly restrained whilst travelling in a car, by showing parents and carers the correct way to fit in-car child safety seats.

The classes take place every Monday from 24 September from 10.30am to 11.30am at Loddon Valley Leisure Centre in Lower Earley and are available to anyone aged 50 or over at a cost of £4.20 per class. Participants do not need to book in advance and all equipment is provided. No previous experience is necessary.

The classes are part of Wokingham Borough Council’s highly successful SHINE Physical Activity Programme for over 50s. SHINE is a fun programme of sports and physical activity and members receive a discount on classes (archery costs £3.80 for SHINE members), member newsletters, discounts at local businesses and other benefits. However, participants do not have to be a member of SHINE to join in the fun.

For further information on archery or any other SHINE activities contact the SHINE team on (0118) 9743726 or [email protected]

dmissions guides produced by Wokingham Borough Council are now online at: www.wokingham.gov.uk/admissions and they explain how to apply for places at borough schools for the next academic year (2013/2014).

The different guides available to read and download from the website cover the admissions process and details for places at Wokingham Borough primary, infant or junior, and secondary schools.

Applications for secondary school places are now being accepted and parents/guardians have until October 31 to submit them. Applications for primary school places are invited from November 12 this year to January 15, 2013.

Parents or guardians can either apply online or via the paper application pack. Secondary application packs are sent to Wokingham Borough schools or can be posted to home addresses if parents/guardians register for them online or by telephone. Primary application packs will be posted in November 2012.

You can contact the council’s school admissions team or request a school application pack, on (0118) 974 6245 or (0118) 974 6225 or at www.wokingham.gov.uk/admissions. To book appointments for the admissions drop-in sessions, either email: [email protected] or telephone (0118) 974 6105.

Shinfield parents asked by Wokingham Borough Council to help shape primary and secondary school provision on Thursday September 13 at Shinfield Infant and Nursery School, School Green from 7pm.

A public session for Shinfield parents was held on August 30 at Shinfield Parish Hall. The meeting this week is again a chance for parents to engage with education officers about the unique issues and problems facing South West Wokingham and the various possible solutions to these, taking on board public views and suggestions.

The meetings on August 30 and this week are both part of the first raft of Shinfield consultation. A second raft meeting for South West Wokingham parents is due to be held on September 24 at Lambs Lane Primary School. This meeting will outline the proposals, which have been shaped by public input, to solve the shortfall of places in this part of the borough.

The council plans to adopt a Primary Education Strategy in November, which will set out how it will secure additional primary school places in the borough, to meet rising pupil numbers.

If you would like to attend the meeting, you must pre-book your place. Please contact Christine Leigh, event coordinator, on (0118) 974 6966 or email: [email protected]

Wokingham Borough Council canvassers will call at properties in the Wokingham Borough who have not responded to their Annual Canvass Form which was sent at the end of June, fFrom Wednesday (September 12) until Thursday October 4, 2012.

All canvassers will carry photo ID with them proving they are working for Wokingham Borough Council.

As well as entitling you to vote, it can affect your credit rating; people not on the register may experience difficulty opening a bank or savings account, a mobile phone contract or getting other credit such as a mortgage. If you are having problems understanding the form, our canvassers are trained to help you to complete it.

Anyone requiring further information should contact the borough council’s electoral services on (0118) 974 6522/23.

Wokingham Borough Council with Loddon Valley Residents Association, Thames Water, Environment Agency and The National Flood Forum is hosting a drop in flood surgery at the civic offices in Wokingham on Thursday September 20 from 5.30pm to 8.30pm.

The aim of the surgery is to provide advice and guidance to any resident in Wokingham Borough who has experienced flood related problems in the past. This session will give residents the opportunity to talk to the key players in local flood risk management. Attendance is free.

Wokingham borough councillors are to be paid to run council owned companies, according to a BBC report.

“Members of Conservative-run Wokingham Borough Council will be paid £6,095 each to sit as non-executive directors.

The posts are for council-owned social care provider Optalis, town centre regeneration company Wokingham Enterprises Ltd and affordable housing provider Wokingham Housing Ltd.”

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-19371908

Wokingham Borough Coucil is hosting waste and recycling drop-in sessions in September.

Following the introduction of the new waste and recycling service in April, the sessions are designed so local residents can ask questions about it, find out more about its recent successes as well as top tips on reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill including home composting.

Advice and help will also be available on what can and can’t be recycled on the council’s kerbside recycling scheme. Visitors to the drop-in session will have the chance to complete the council’s survey on the new scheme.

The drop-in sessions take place between September 8 and 15 at:

Woodley Library, Headley Road, Woodley RG5 4JA, on Saturday September 8 between 10am and 2pm

Lower Earley Library, Chalfont Close, Chalfont Way, Lower Earley RG6 5HZ, on Tuesday September 11 between 4pm and 7pm

Charvil Village Hall, Park Lane, Charvil RG10 9TR on Wednesday September 12 between 4pm and 6.45pm

Shinfield Hall, School Green, Shinfield RG2 9EH, on Thursday September 13 between 10am and 2pm

Finchampstead Library, FBCentre, Gorse Ride North, Finchampstead RG40 4ES, on Thursday September 13 between 4pm and 7pm Shute End, Wokingham RG40 1WL, on Friday September 14 between 10am and 2pm

Wokingham Library, Denmark Street, Wokingham RG40 2BB on Saturday September 15 between -10am and 2pm.

Last week (August 21), the council launched a survey to find out what local residents think about the new service. The survey asks about the blue waste sacks including suitability, the kerbside recycling scheme including what can and can’t be recycled, the recycling rewards scheme and the opt-in garden waste scheme.

Members of the public have until Friday September 14 to completethe survey. It can be accessed on the borough council’s website at: www.wokingham.gov.uk/council/consultations/wasteservices

Wokingham Arts Trail is being held on September 15 – 16 from 11am to 6pm.

Covering Woodley, Charvil, Lower Earley, Shinfield, Emmbrook and Wokingham Town, residents are invited to visit each of the locations to discover artists who are living and working in the Wokingham Borough.

By following the trail residents will experience the range of creative activity and enjoy the opportunity to talk with artists about their practice and to buy direct, whether for gifts or to add to their own art collection.

This year there will be 40 artists showing their work in 16 venues across the Wokingham Borough.

For more details please visit: www.wokinghamartstrail.co.uk

From April 2013, all local authorities in England and Wales who bill and collect council tax will have a duty to create and manage their own local council tax support scheme. The government will only offer a fixed annual grant for this new discount and the grant will be at least 10 per cent less than what is paid now.

Wokingham Borough Council is asking for residents’ views on how the most vulnerable people in the borough can continue to be protected after central government cut funding for council tax benefits.

In looking to create a local scheme, Wokingham Borough Council, together with the police, fire service and town and parish councils for whom the borough council collect council tax, face a funding cut of approximately £600,000 per annum from April 2013. This would be equivalent to almost a 0.75 per cent increase in council tax for everyone in the borough if no action was taken.

Further details about the proposals can be found on the council’s website along with an online survey -www.wokingham.gov.uk/council/consultations/counciltaxbenefit/. If residents do not have access to the internet and would still like to take part, they can request a printed copy of the consultation by calling Wokingham Direct on (0118) 974 6000 between 8am and 6pm