News

Wokingham Borough Council has announced it will robustly defend its position after Hampshire County Council served notice of its intention to seek a judicial review of the borough council’s decision to adopt supplementary planning documents relating to the development of Arborfield Garrison.

Wokingham Borough Council considers its core strategy, adopted after a public inquiry held before a government inspector, to safeguard and protect the interests not only of its own residents but also of those in North Hampshire and other surrounding areas. The core strategy outlines that 3,500 new homes will be built at Arborfield and it was agreed after an examination in public by a government inspector in 2010. The current legal action will not change this.

The core strategy recognises that improvements may be required on the A327 including potentially the part of the road that runs through North Hampshire. Specific details of any improvements will be resolved through planning application submissions, on which Hampshire County Council will be fully consulted. It is only at this stage that the traffic implications will be sufficiently understood and refined to assess the specific road works likely to be required. Any necessary works will be secured through a legally binding agreement with the developers. The recently adopted supplementary planning documents do not remove the need for this to happen.

The A321 Station Road in Wokingham was closed after masonry fell from the town’s council offices at Shute End. Residents and business users still had access to the road, the council said.

Traffic was diverted via the B3349 Barkham Road, Bearwood Road, B3030 King Street Lane and the A329 Reading Road.

A council spokesman said: “We apologise for any inconvenience that this closure caused.”

The road is now reopened.

Under the Primary Capital Programme, work has been taking place over the past year at three primary schools – Hillside in Lower Earley, The Coombes in Arborfield and St Nicholas in Hurst – and all are nearing completion.

Hillside Primary School opened its new £2million buildings in September. This saw the extension of existing classrooms and hall, a new foundation stage unit, and extensive internal remodelling to bring up to the best current standards. Last month (December) a new multi-use games area was completed ready for the start of the spring term, with an investment of £180,000.

Work continues at The Coombes CE Primary School for a new classroom for reception pupils as well as a new teaching block with classrooms, facilities for disabled children and a new library. There will also be a new multi-use area, administration and staffroom facilities, as well as classroom refurbishment taking place. Pupils and staff will be moving into their new £2million facilities in February 2012.

St Nicholas CE Primary School is being rebuilt around the historic village school buildings thanks to an injection of £2million. Pupils and teaching staff will benefit from new classrooms and a new hall and they are set to move in today (January 6).

The Hawthorns Primary School has benefited from work resulting in the construction of a new classroom and refurbishment of an existing classroom, with adjacent toilet and cloakroom facilities, with a total investment of £252,000.

The Holt School in Wokingham will benefit from an investment of £300,000 to provide a new multi-use games area and construction will start early in the New Year.

Last month, approval was given to St Crispin’s School in Wokingham for a new science block, including nine science laboratories, and a multi-use games area. The £5.5million project will see construction start in February 2012 and the works are programmed to be completed by January 2013.

All buildings projects are managed by the council’s property services team.

Berkshire Search and Rescue dogs a charity based near Wokingham is in need of storage for it’s show and display equipment.

Berkshire Search & Rescue Dogs, formed in November of 2002, is a non-profit making organisation. The team was awarded charity status in March 2004.

Berkshire SAR Dogs is a volunteer search dog group on call 24 hours a day, 365 Days a Year, to assist Lowland Search & Rescue Teams, the Police and other emergency services in locating lost or missing persons.

Berkshire Search and Rescue Dogs can be contacted via their website www.k9-sar.com or via email to [email protected]

Family support charity Home-Start Wokingham has been awarded a £300,000 lottery grant.

ngie Mycock, co-manager of Home-Start Wokingham, said: “We are all absolutely over the moon. I cannot put it into words, it’s been a really tough couple of years.

“It’s our third attempt to get it and we have been having to manage with fundraising anywhere and everywhere we can get money from in order to deliver our services.

“Our trustees have done a brilliant job and we have got some support from Wokingham Borough Council, but we were hoping for the grant to take the pressure off.”

Home-Start provides support for families who are struggling to cope or who are at crisis point.

Wokingham Borough Council will be seeking views on a new Borough Design Guide Supplementary Planning Document from Wednesday December 21. The guide will provide developers and applicants with advice and guidance on the design process the council expects when preparing schemes for all scales of development.

The document will bring the borough’s design guidance right up to date. It will replace a range of older documents, including those which relate to new residential development, house extensions and countryside dwellings, and has a wider scope, encompassing guidance for all types of development.

In the design guide, the council expects developers of any type or scale of building to achieve a high quality design and to fully justify their approach when requesting planning permission. All schemes will be judged against the Design Guide when the council makes planning decisions.

The consultation will run until February 15, 2012 with all the details online at www.wokingham.gov.uk

Comments about the guide can be made via email to: [email protected] or in writing to Clare Lawrence at PO Box 157 Shute End Wokingham Berkshire RG40 1WR.

Wokingham Borough Council and developer Wilson Bowden’s proposals include new modern retail units, an anchor foodstore, a new park and town centre homes which will create a vibrant and attractive mixed-use development, which fits with the special status of Wokingham as a unique market town. The regeneration will focus on refurbishing and redeveloping Peach Place as a fashion retail destination and transforming Denmark Street, Wellington Road and Elms Field into a destination for alternative food retail, leisure and relaxation.

During the summer, over 1,750 people attended a public exhibition, held in an empty shop, to view proposed layouts, along with an artist impression of how the town could benefit from regeneration.

Over 500 comments were received on the proposals. Overall, over 70per cent of people who responded supported the concept of the town centre regeneration with others expressing support subject to reassurance on some issues of concern.

Overall the main comments focussed on: market town feel, traffic and parking, open space / Elms Field, shops and pedestrian access. An executive summary of the findings will be available at: www.wokinghamregeneration.co.uk in January 2012

Students at St Crispin’s School in Wokingham will be benefitting from excellent new facilities including a new science block, a multi-use games area (MUGA) and a range of refurbished spaces after plans were agreed by the planning committee.

he science block will provide a significantly improved environment for learning, with nine new laboratories designed for 21st Century teaching approaches. It also includes an associated lecture theatre and multi-use teaching space. The block will also be fully accessible and meet disability standards.

In addition to the science block, the plans also include a multi use games area (MUGA) that will replace the existing tennis courts with four tennis / netball courts. The MUGA will be the first phase of the development; this will ensure that the current sports facility will be retained whilst the new science block is erected on the existing tennis courts.

Wokingham Borough Council and St Crispin’s School held an exhibition in October for local residents to find out more about proposals. Members of the design team were on hand to answer any questions people may have in relation to the proposed new science laboratory and teaching facility.

The plans, approved by the planning committee, can be viewed online at: www.wokingham.gov.uk/planning. The application number is F/2011/1920.

Wokingham Borough Council is reminding everyone that pets have needs too! Pets are not asking for five gold rings but the basic requirements for life otherwise known as the Five Freedoms:

Freedom from hunger and thirst

Freedom from discomfort

Freedom from pain, injury and disease

Freedom to express normal behaviour

Freedom from fear and distress.

Mandy Dorman, animal warden, said: “Unfortunately an increasing number of pets are being abandoned; some in a poor state of health. In the last few weeks alone I have dealt with two dogs, both were very sick when they were dumped. Princess, a Patterdale Terrier Cross, needed an emergency operation to save her life after she was thrown over a high fence into Binfield Dog Rescue in the middle of the night. Luckily we worked with Binfield Dog Rescue and St. Vincent’s Vets to come to her rescue and following a successful operation Princess has now been re-homed.

“Kimmy, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier Cross, was found tied up in a park having recently given birth to puppies. Kimmy was very thin and in distress. We are now looking after her but hope her owner will come forward very soon. However if Kimmy is not claimed we will try and re- home her in due course.”

Another Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Diesel, was found roaming the streets with a note around his neck stating his owner could no longer afford to keep him. Diesel is now looking for a new home.

If you can no longer afford medical treatment for your pet (be it a dog, a cat or even a mouse) please contact the Peoples Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) for assistance. If you can no longer provide a home for your pet or are looking for a pet this Christmas, why not contact an Animal Rescue Centre; you may well be giving the likes of Princess, Kimmy or Diesal the chance of a loving home. As a last resort, residents can contact the borough council’s animal Warden on (0118) 974 6000 for offer further advice.

As of January 1, 2011 the Government will be introducing changes to the blue badge scheme.

The blue badge scheme enables people with severe mobility problems to park close to where they need to go. The parking scheme is being reformed to reduce fraud and make it easier for blue badge holders to park in designated areas.

A more secure blue badge will be issued to new applicants and those who renew their parking badges. New security features such as holograms, barcode and a digital photograph will be introduced and the badges will be printed in a secure environment using special inks and processes. As the new badge will be harder to forge, less people will be misusing the parking scheme making it easier for genuine blue badge holders to park.

A central database of all blue badges on issue will be created to enable verification checks to be made quickly and easily and local authorities will have more powers to tackle fraudulent use of blue badges including the power to cancel badges and to confiscate them on the spot.

The new badge will be more expensive to produce due to its enhanced security features. Moreover, the cost of administration of the new badge will also increase. Therefore, from January 2012, Wokingham Borough Council will charge £10 for a new or renewed blue badge. This is the first increase since 1983. The increased fee will cover only some of the costs associated with the management and distribution of blue badges and Wokingham Borough Council will continue to cover all other costs.

This one-off fee of £10 will cover the three year period for which the blue badge is valid. The fee will cover costs for the badge itself, the parking clock, the information leaflet, postage and contribute to administration costs. It will also help with improvements to the service, such as mobility assessments and reducing fraudulent use of badges.

Stuart Rowbotham, strategic director for commissioning, said: “The new blue badge scheme will be accessible, secure, fair and affordable and residents with mobility difficulties will be able to move around the borough more easily and therefore sustain their independence.”

Residents will also be able to check eligibility and apply for new blue badges online. An application form and online payment system will be available at: www.direct.gov.uk although people will still have the opportunity to apply directly to the borough council for a blue badge.