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Wokingham Berkshire

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Wokingham is a market town and civil parish in Berkshire in South East England about 33 miles (53 km) west of central London. It is about 7 miles (11 km) east-southeast of Reading and 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Bracknell. It spans an area of 557 acres (0.9 sq mi) and, according to the 2001 census, has a population of 30,403. It is the seat of the Borough of Wokingham.

Before 1844, the north of the parish of Wokingham was part of a detached portion, or exclave, of the county of Wiltshire, the border of which is some 30 miles (48 km) to the west. The Counties (Detached Parts) Act of that year resulted in its transfer to the county of Berkshire.

Wokingham was a borough before the 1974 reorganisation of local government, when it merged with Wokingham Rural District to form the new Wokingham District. What had been Wokingham Borough became Wokingham Town, but retained its Mayor. The District Council applied for borough status, which was granted and came into force on 9 March 2007. As of this date, the District (which stretches from the Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire borders in the north to the Hampshire border in the southwest) has also been able to elect a Mayor. Image Wokingham Town Hall – from wikipedia.org.

The formerly important industry of brick-making has given way to software development, light engineering and service industries.

In 2007 Halifax Estate Agents ranked the Borough of Wokingham as the number one place to live in the United Kingdom. Image Wokingham Town Hall from Wikipedia.org

August 11, 2011 |

Ministry of Defence to Close Arborfield Garrison

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The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that Arborfield Garrison, near Wokingham in Berkshire will close. Plans for 3,500 houses on the site and areas to the south and west have been in place for 18 months.
The site will be for sale by 2015 as part of a government defence review on troop redeployment and disbandment.

Campaigner Martin Rutter said it was an “unwanted development” that could bring around 7,000 cars to the area.

Wokingham councillor Angus Ross said he was “delighted to have some certainty” that the garrison will close.

The housing development is part of a masterplan to build 10,000 homes over the next 20 years at four main sites in Wokingham borough.

August 10, 2011 |

Men Deny Plot to Murder Wokingham Taxi Driver

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Three men have denied conspiring to carry out a contract killing following the shooting of a taxi driver in Wokingham, Berkshire. Kadir Hussein, 40, was shot three times as he returned  home last year.

Imran Khan, 34, from Reading, is charged with conspiracy to murder, along with Jaspal Kajla, 35, and Amjed Mahmood, 31, both from Coventry. All three defendants are on trial at Reading Crown Court.

 

August 10, 2011 |

Asda Fire in Lower Earley

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Customers were evacuated from the Asda supermarket in Lower Earley after a halogen lamp in the changing rooms of the George fashion area began to spark. Berkshire Fire and Rescue were called to the supermarket and made safe the faulty equipment. The superstore re-opened 30 minutes later.

August 10, 2011 |