News

Bulmershe School’s £6 million transformation is going ahead after planning permission was granted on June 11.

The project is being funded and managed by Wokingham Borough Council, in partnership with the school’s aims to further raise students’ aspirations and achievement.

A tendering process will now start to choose a contractor to carry out the works, which are expected to begin on site on a phased basis later this year.

It includes priority work on some existing buildings, significant refurbishment of existing classrooms, a post-16 learning centre, a remodelled library and information centre, an improved dining facility and an on-site student inclusion centre for the school.

Wokingham Residents and interested groups are invited to a new Wokingham Town Centre Community Forum being launched by Wokingham Borough Council, to find out more about the exciting plans locally and how to get involved.

The first meeting of the Wokingham Town Centre Community Forum is due to take place in the Council Chamber at the Civic Offices, Shute End, Wokingham on Tuesday June 25 between 7pm and 8.45pm.

The forum is open to all and spaces will be allocated on a first come first served basis on the night.

Anyone interested in finding out more about the new forum, including local groups interested in presenting at a future meetings, should contact regeneration data manager Melanie Allen by emailing [email protected] or calling (0118) 974 6735.

Wokingham Borough Council is ranked number one in the 150 local authorities in the country for the lowest rate of overall premature deaths per 100,000 of the population.

It is also ranked in the top five for low premature death rates from heart disease and stroke and liver disease and in the top ten for cancer and lung disease.

Longer Lives, a new Public Health England (PHE) website, allows people to see local information for the Thames Valley on early deaths from major killers like heart disease, stroke and cancer and how it varies across the area, region and the country. http://longerlives.phe.org.uk/

Local magician Leigh Edgecombe will be stunning his audience with some amazing magical moments on Thursday June 13 at Wokingham Library from 8pm. The show will include mind reading, vanishing and reappearing objects and plenty of audience participation! The event is suitable for families; tickets cost £5 (refreshments provided) and can be booked by calling the library on (0118) 978 1368.

Thomas Macey will be telling the story of Reading’s famous department store Jackson’s Corner, and the family who continue to run the shop after 138 years of personal service. The Story of Jackson’s of Readingwill be told at Lower Earley Library on Thursday June 20 at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £3 and can be booked by calling (0118) 931 2150.

Pauline Rowson, author of the DI Andy Horton series, will be revealing how she researches, plots and writes her crime novels in her talk Murder, Mystery and Mayhem at Wokingham Library on Thursday June 27 from 6.30pm. Pauline’s books are set against the atmospheric backdrop of the Solent on the south coast. The novels have an international readership and have been translated into many languages. Tickets cost £3, include refreshments, and can be booked by calling the library on (0118) 978 1368.

As part of the Wargrave Festival, the author Thomas Mogford and poet Ian Pindar will be talking about their work at Crime, Rhyme and Wine at Woodclyffe Hall from 7pm, for 7.30pm, on Tuesday June 18. Tickets cost £8 and can be booked by calling (0118) 940 4656.

Sarah Duncan will be running Maximum Impact for Writers to help writers develop practical techniques to improve their style. Anyone wanting to find out how to bring life and colour back to their prose should sign up for the session taking place on Saturday June 8 from 10am to 1pm at Wokingham Library. Tickets cost £10 and be booked by calling (0118) 978 1368.

The over 50s can sign up for sessions covering basic internet skills and social media on June 21 at Wokingham Library. For more information and/or to book a place please contact SHINE at [email protected] or call (0118) 974 3726.

Stop smoking sessions are now taking place in two libraries in the Wokingham Borough. Residents can drop-in for advice every Saturday at Wokingham Library, between 10am and 4pm, and at Woodley Library, between 11am and 4pm.

Most libraries host a wide range of clubs and activities, including book groups, knitting and craft groups, bridge, cribbage and board game clubs. Find out about activities in Wokingham Borough libraries on the libraries page, on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/wokinghamboroughlibraries or on Twitter @WBC_Libraries.

A new 2.5km stretch of cycleway along Lower Earley Way will be the longest to date built by Wokingham Borough Council, and will enable cyclists to pedal between Shinfield and Winnersh.

The new section, which will be separate from the busy road to make it safer for cyclists, will connect a gap in the existing cycle network creating 4.7km of continuous cycleway along the B3270 from the Black Boy junction, on the Reading boundary, to the A329 Wokingham Road.

£747,825 of the some £1.1million needed to build the new cycleway is coming from central government’s Cycle Safety Fund, under the proviso that the council funds the rest.

Members of the council’s decision-making executive agreed last week (May 30) that the remaining £341,500 needed for the scheme should come from developer’s contributions for Marsh Farm in Lower Earley.

Lower Earley Way has long been recognised as a barrier to cycling as the road was constructed in the 1980s without a footway or cycleway.

Work on the new cycleway is due to start this autumn, and be finished by April next year.

School meals for Wokingham Borough pupils must go up by 5p to cover the rising prices of organic produce, dairy, and wheat, as well increased fuel and distribution costs.

The 2.7 per cent price increase covers meals at infant, junior, primary and secondary schools.

This is the first increase in school meal prices in the Wokingham Borough for four years, and will apply from this September.

The decision for the increases was made by Wokingham Borough Council’s decision-making executive on May 30.

The new prices – £1.95 for infant/junior and primaries, and £2.15 for secondaries – are in line with those charged with neighbouring authorities and in most cases are slightly cheaper.

Currently 54 schools in the Wokingham Borough have school meals supplied by Caterlink on behalf of the council.

The service is now growing and attracting more schools. Menus have greatly improved and there is even more organic, fresh meat and vegetable dishes available.

The current contract with Caterlink is due to end in July 2015.

A new play area for children of all ages and abilities is being created at Dinton Pastures as the final part of Wokingham Borough Council’s enhancement scheme at the country park.

Members of the council’s decision-making executive approved plans for the £500,000 destination play area which in tandem with other Vision for Dinton Pastures improvements will give Wokingham Borough’s residents a quality family attraction.

In addition to the new play area, visitors to the park can now enjoy golf, sailing, boat hire, climbing, walking, and great food; as well as being able to observe wildlife.

The council received expressions of interest from seven specialist providers under the tender process to build a play area that would create a challenging fun environment for visitors.

The brief given to these play experts included valuable feedback from residents and other groups on the type of play features suitable for children with a wide range of abilities.

The winning contractor and its designs will be announced in the next few weeks.

Work on the play area will start this September, with the facility finished and ready for children to enjoy next spring.

Teenagers in the Wokingham Borough will be drive starting their way to becoming a safe new driver at a FREE pre-driver training event on Thursday August 1 and 29, 2013.

Wokingham Borough Council’s pre-driver training sessions have been running for the past seven years in the Wokingham Borough and have given over 700 young people the skills and information necessary for a safe and enjoyable motoring life. Drive Start pre-driver training has interactive sessions for youngsters as well as up-to-date, essential car related information on the Drive Start website, designed for young motorists.

Taking place at Woodley Airfield Youth Centre, Hurricane Way, the course runs between 9.15am and 4pm

Although mainly for 16 and 17-year-olds, anyone aged between 15 and 19 can attend the workshop by booking a free place (refundable £10 deposit will be required).

The road safety team is also providing a free copy of the newly launched The Good Egg Guide for New Drivers to keep as a reference and any new driver unable to attend can still request a copy. An application form can be downloaded from the Drive Start page or by contacting Julie Pillai, road safety officer, on (0118) 974 6387.

Irresponsible dog owners are being reminded to clean up after and keep control of their pets when visiting one of the many country parks and open spaces in the Wokingham Borough.

The minority that fail to clean up after their pets are ruining the beautiful parks enjoyed by everyone, and are also breaking the law and face a fine of £50 if caught.

Countryside rangers will be carrying out spot checks and can take enforcement action against visitors who allow their dogs to foul or behave inappropriately.

Woodley Library presents Discovering Archaeology for families. Find out about Archaeology in Wokingham Borough on Wednesday May 29, 2013 at 10am to 11.30am.

Venue Phone (0118)9690304
Venue Email [email protected]