Get involved with our Environment Strategy Draft Delivery Plan
You may already have seen from our extra newsletter circulated earlier this month that we have now launched our Environment Strategy draft Delivery Plan. Take a look at our website to read the full report or summary version.
To help you find out more, join Jon Winstanley (Service Director for Environment) and Cllr Steve Ardagh-Walter (Executive Member for Environment) for a Facebook Live session on Tuesday, 30 March 2021 at 5:30pm. Please submit your questions beforehand by emailing us on: PR@westberks.gov.uk by 3pm on Friday 26 March.
We welcome any feedback on our draft Delivery Plan. If you have any comments, please spare 10-15 minutes to complete our short survey. The survey will be open until 11:59pm Monday, 26 April 2021. Alternatively, you can email your comments to environment@westberks.gov.uk.
Our newly announced budget will invest £12.5m in our Environment Strategy. This highlights our dedication to reaching carbon neutrality by 2030. Over the next financial year this money will be put towards green projects including progressing our proposal for a new solar farm, weekly food waste collections, schemes to encourage active travel and enhanced access to our countryside.
From Tuesday 30 March, West Berkshire residents are being invited to sign up for the West Berkshire Collective Energy Switch and save on their energy bills.
The scheme runs in partnership with Big Community Switch and offers a no-obligation collective energy switching scheme giving people the opportunity to group together and pay less for their energy. All energy will be 100% renewable and will be available for both electric and dual fuel tariffs.
Overall, £691,213 has collectively been saved, with switchers saving on average £270 per year in energy bills against standard tariffs by switching suppliers.
Register with the Energy Switch scheme from 30 March to see how much money you might save by switching. You have until 18 May to register. Further information can be found here.
Cllr Steve Ardagh-Walter (Executive Member for Environment) with the new recycling banks
In partnership with our waste contractor Veolia, we are trialling four new recycling banks to increase the collection of plastic pots, tubs and trays.
Residents will be able to recycle a wider range of plastics in the new recycling banks including: yoghurt pots, margarine/butter tubs, biscuit trays, chocolate/sweet tubs, ice cream tubs, fruit punnets, meat trays and cosmetic pots.
From Monday 29 March, the new plastic recycling banks will be located at:
- Padworth and Newbury Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs). (Residents will need to book an appointment online as usual before visiting the sites and carry their HWRC permit)
- Station Road car park in Hungerford
- Kingsland Centre car park in Thatcham
The plastic recycling banks will initially be installed on a trial basis to help the Council assess how well the public engage with this scheme as well as its suitability going forward. Onsite webcams will give residents the opportunity to have a look at real-time site conditions before they set off on their visits.
Local Climate Action Plan for the district
We have started work with our local communities to encourage and support climate action across West Berkshire. Community engagement will be vital for achieving carbon neutrality by 2030 in the district so we are aiming to kick start projects to enable our residents to get involved.
As part of our work, we will be partnering with the Greening Campaign to help Parish and Town Councils set up green community plans where they are keen to do so and may have not already started. You can get in touch with your Parish or Town Council to show your interest.
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The Office of National Statistics (ONS) recently published the latest Health Index ranking West Berkshire Council as 1st in road safety out of 149 local authorities. This is great recognition of our commitments to providing a safer environment for our residents and visitors. Our work to provide better active travel infrastructure will help encourage residents to cycle and walk too.
We also ranked 5th best overall for healthy lives and 2nd best for resident happiness!
We have recently purchased 19 new electric vehicle charge points for the district. These are set to be installed by the end of June and will be available at the following public car parks:
- Hungerford Station Road Car Park
- Lambourn High Street Car Park
- Newbury Central (KFC) Car Park
- Newbury Library Car Park
- Newbury Northcroft Leisure Centre Car Park
- Pangbourne Station Road Car Park
- Thatcham Gilbert Court (East) Car Park
As part of the order the West Berkshire Council Offices at Turnhams Green will also have charge points installed.
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The review of our Rights of Way Improvement Plan is up and running, with the aim of adopting a new plan in early 2022. We want to improve everyone's experiences, including walkers, cyclists, horse riders, carriage drivers, people with mobility impairments or other disabilities and people using motorised vehicles. The review will also ensure the land is conserved and well-managed, to avoid conflict and encourage co-operation in improving public rights of way.
We will be launching our consultation on Tuesday, 6 April 2021. This will be an opportunity for residents and landowners to suggest improvements for your area, as well as to give your views on our proposed plans.
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From 6 April, use the above button link to navigate to the upcoming consultation. The consultation will be open until Sunday, 30 May 2021 to respond.
Work has started on a great new wildflower project to enhance roundabouts and verges at three West Berkshire locations.
The 'Tesco' roundabout on the A339 Sandleford Link, the roundabout on the junction of the A4/B4000 Stockcross Road, and the verge at Cow Lane in East Ilsley will all benefit from the laying of specialist wildflower turf.
We have appointed experts Wildflower Turf Ltd to create the eye-catching wildflower displays, whose eco-friendly projects include supplying the London 2012 Olympics, The Hive at Kew Gardens, and thousands of other small and large projects around the UK.
The wildflowers will be out from late spring to mid-autumn, creating a strong visual impact as well as helping to feed and shelter bees, butterflies, and all manner of other wildlife, with only limited maintenance throughout the year.
Join Active Travel community planning for West Berkshire
More than 5,000 people have already taken a look at our proposed Active Travel schemes for improved walking and cycling opportunities in West Berkshire. Why not join the platform to see the plans and share your views?
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