Wokingham Food & Drink Festival 2012 is on now through 26 August, 2012. Now in it’s 6th year the Festival showcases a fabulous selection of fine food & drink exhibitors, tasty hot/cold food stallholders, a superb range of local handcrafted beers, brilliant bands and musicians plus entertainment to keep the kids happy.
Venue: Elms Field, Wokingham, RG40 2LD
More information
+44 (0)118 978 880
[email protected]
www.wokinghamfestival.co.uk
Wokingham Borough Council has announced a consultation seeking information about young people housing issues.
he questionnaire asks about current accommodation, housing aspirations for the next five years and concerns about future living arrangements. The survey, available until Wednesday September 19, is for 16 to 25-year-olds who are currently living in the Wokingham Borough.
Three lucky participants will also be chosen at random to win £25 high street vouchers for taking part.
Cllr Charlotte Haitham Taylor, executive member for children’s services, said: “Average house prices in Wokingham are around £270,000 and housing in the privately rented sector can be expensive and difficult to access. With this in mind, we need to ensure that we shape our services so that, as closely as we can, we meet emerging needs amongst young people who may find difficulties in getting on to the first steps of the housing ladder.”
The questionnaire can be accessed on the borough council’s website at: http://bit.ly/O6qFVz
Cllr Dianne King, Wokingham Borough Mayor from May 2010 until May this year, raised over £20,000 for the charity specifically for children within the Wokingham Borough. Rachel Hughes, grants manager from the BCF was pleased to receive a cheque for over £11,000, raised during Cllr King’s second term of office.
Amongst the groups that have been helped by the fund so far is the Twyford-based charity, Peapods, who support Wokingham families and carers of children who have a physical disability by providing a safe environment for the whole family. Siblings and disabled children can socialise and take part in inclusive activities and parents can access advice and support.
If you are or know a group or individual who would benefit from a grant from the Berkshire Give a Child a Chance, Wokingham Borough Mayor’s fund, can find out more at: www.berkshirecommunityfoundation.org.uk/give-a-child-a-chance
Wokingham Borough leisure centres are now being managed by C-SALT. C-SALT is a new community sports and leisure trust linked to Leisure Connection, the borough council’s leisure contractor since 1999. The three borough council owned leisure centres: Loddon Valley, Carnival Pool and St Crispins will continue to operate the same wide range of facilities and courses, so customers should not see any changes apart from the new brand name. Within the centres, the Harpers brand will continue to be used.
C-SALT is a charitable body so any profits generated from the leisure centre operations will be reinvested into improvements in facilities and the range of leisure opportunities available. This will help to bring new visitors into the centres and deliver benefits to residents across the borough.
The three leisure centres located in Lower Earley (Loddon Valley) and Wokingham (St Crispin’s and Carnival Pool) attract over 300,000 visits each year and offer customers a range of activities including; swimming, squash, indoor court sports and crèches.
The Wokingham town centre regeneration scheme has moved forward after Wokingham Borough Council and Wilson Bowden submitted the planning application to refurbish Peach Place.
The borough council and Wilson Bowden Developments have submitted plans torefurbish Peach Place – from Peach Place corner, including the main building that’s home to Clarks shoe shop and vacant offices, down to Bush Walk. Plans will be considered by the planning committee later this year and can be viewed online at: www.wokingham.gov.uk/planning (planning application number F/2012/1678).
A public exhibition on the plans was held in July 2011, and local people gave their views with many saying the buildings included too much glass and the style of architecture did not look like Wokingham. In response, the design team carried out detailed analysis of Wokingham’s historic streetscape and buildings.
Studies have looked at building widths, window patterns, building materials and roofs and as a result the design team amended plans accordingly to fit with the character of the town.
Interested parties have until Friday September 7, 2012 to submit their comments on the proposals before they are considered by the planning committee.
Wokingham Borough Council executive meeting in July reported that recycling in the Wokingham Borough has increased and household waste decreased in the first three months of the new household waste scheme.
From the start of April until the end of June this year, the amount of household waste sent for disposal had reduced by 21 per cent compared (equivalent to nearly 100 double-decker buses) with the same period last year and recycling had increased by 32 per cent over the same period (equivalent to almost 40 double-decker buses).
The chargeable green waste service also continues to grow with over 7,000 households opting for the brown wheeled-bins and almost 4,000 properties purchasing compostable sacks. It’s still not too late for residents to join the scheme, and pro-rata reductions are being made for those who join now. Residents should call (0118) 909 9360 to place their order.
Recyclebank has also proved very popular with over 30 per cent of households in the borough signing up for the scheme. Over the first year it is possible to collect in the region of 1300 points, with 75 points getting £5 off at Marks and Spencer when customers spend £25, or even two nights for the price of one at Classic British Hotels for 300 points. Reporting recycling is simple and residents can even set up a reminder on Recyclebank’s website, or on the two free smartphone apps.
Wokingham Borough Council’s cycling instructors are running free family rides every Saturday morning until September 8 between 10am to 12noon. The rides will start and finish at the Dragonfly Café at Dinton Pastures Country Park, Davis Street, Hurst.
The rides are aimed at the inexperienced cyclist and will be led by the borough council’s trained ride leaders, at a gentle pace, so that no one gets left behind. There will be a choice of routes, starting with short easy rides but with the chance to progress to longer routes, including cycling on local quiet roads.
Children should be aged eight years or over, must be accompanied by an adult and must wear a cycle helmet. The rides are free but the council asks that customers book a place so that it has an idea of numbers. To book a place, contact Jill Bissell, cycle training coordinator on (0118) 908 8208 or email: [email protected]
Shinfield Parish Council has submitted a Neighbourhood Area application to Wokingham Borough Council, which shows that they intend to prepare a neighbourhood development plan for the parish. As part of its application, the parish council has submitted a proposed boundary for the neighbourhood development plan and a supporting statement.
If you want to make a comment on the proposed Neighbourhood Area please email your comments to [email protected] or post them to Proposed Shinfield Neighbourhood Area, Land Use and Transport Team, PO Box 157, Wokingham Borough Council, Shute End, Wokingham, RG40 1WR.
The consultation runs from 2 August to 13 September 2012.
A Meet the Contractor Day will be held to give local specialist contractors the chance to be part of significant changes to this essential transport hub in the town. Held on August 16 at Wokingham Town Hall (time to be confirmed), it will give you chance to find out more about the plans, and see how you might be able to benefit from this project.
Works will involve the creation of a new building for Wokingham Station, a new access roadway, and improved car park facilities – as well the demolition of the old station building.
If you would like to register your interest, please contact: [email protected]
A gardening scheme run by Wokingham Volunteer Centre provides basic gardening for elderly and disabled residents no longer able to maintain their own properties, and lack local family support and financial resources to employ commercial companies.
It doesn’t compete with established gardening businesses and currently offers lawn mowing, hedge trimming and weeding to 30 council and private householders across the borough.
People can be referred to the help scheme through Wokingham Borough Council’s tenant services, social services, community safety wardens, friends and relatives or can simply put themselves forward for it.
During the past three months – April to June – the nine volunteers in the scheme have devoted more than 150 hours working on gardens despite the unseasonable wet weather.
If you can help please call (0118) 977 0749 or email:
[email protected]
