 Did you know we're responsible for around 740 miles of public footpaths, bridleways, restricted byways and byways? These form an important network for enjoying and exploring the countryside and travelling to work or school, as well as supporting tourism and good health.
A rights of way improvement plan helps us to make sure the public rights of way network meets the needs of residents and visitors, now and in the future. Our current Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP) was adopted in May 2010 and it now needs updating.
To make sure the new ROWIP reflects the needs of all users, we’d like to know about your experience of using our public rights of way, and how important the network is to your health and wellbeing. We also want to know if you've encountered any problems using the public rights of way, and whether your concerns were addressed.
Have your say in our public survey by 30 May 2021.
Secure parking for cycling lovers
We have installed "Cyclehoops" for secure bicycle parking across the district in response to resident feedback in our Active Travel consultation. The new cycle parking hoops are funded by the Active Travel Fund established to encourage active travel habits.
Making use of existing signposts and streetlighting columns, the new cyclehoops have so far been installed in Newbury town centre, Thatcham, Pangbourne and Purley. Request additional cycle parking near you.
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Visit our Active Travel engagement platform to provide feedback on our proposals for safer walking and cycling in West Berkshire
Friday, 9 April is the deadline to comment on our draft Active Travel proposals for:
• Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) for Newbury, Thatcham and Eastern area
• Crown Mead Cycleways
• Western Avenue Cycleways
You have until Friday, 23 April to comment on our proposed schemes to make streets safer for more walking and cycling: West Berks Active Streets and Calcot School Streets.
Also, if you have any specific walking and cycling proposals of your own, or wish to comment on a location which falls outside of the LCWIP routes, please use the West Berkshire Active Travel Heat Map in the engagement platform to choose a location and add your suggestion in the comments. The Heat Map is open for comments until Friday, 2 July 2021.
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 As of 29 March, people are able to meet outside in groups up to a maximum of 6 people (the 'rule of 6') or with one other household, although people from different households will still need to socially distance from each other.
Pupils deserve a well-earned break right now, having spent a term first studying from home and then returning to the classroom with new rules and regular Covid tests. They have done fantastically well but we cannot afford to drop our guard yet.
We ask parents to remind their young people not to mix in school bubbles outside of school, and to observe the 'rule of 6' when they meet friends during the holidays.
As always, maintain physical distancing and wear a face covering in busy places. Find out more about the road map out of lockdown:
If you are not currently subscribed to receive our weekly Covid-19 newsletters, you are welcome to sign up for them here (select "Coronavirus updates"):
 From Monday, 12 April our Council leisure centres will re-open in line with the Government’s roadmap out of lockdown, but with some restrictions. All activities must be pre-booked via www.leisurecentre.com or by using the Leisure Centre app. Social distancing measures and managing customer flow are essential, so timed sessions will be in operation in the gym, indoor swimming pools and courts. Children’s team sports, arranged by clubs who hire our leisure facilities, will go ahead provided clubs can give the necessary assurances about being Covid-safe.
Government guidance means that group exercise classes and adult team games indoors cannot resume before 17 May, but some classes are available online and can be found at www.leisurecentre.com
Please note that for the Northcroft Lido we are awaiting ground water levels to fall to allow draining and repair work to take place to the structure, after which the Lido will open for the summer.
 You will be able to visit West Berkshire Libraries from Monday, 12 April. However, in order to meet current guidelines and keep everyone safe, we will need to limit the number of people within each building and not all of our usual services will be immediately available.
Please watch our video to hear Library Manager Felicity Harrison explain more about what you can expect to find when you next visit. You can also download the guidelines we will have in place from 12 April.
You can find details of our current library opening hours, including our Mobile Library timetable, on our website: www.westberks.gov.uk/libraries.
Please remember to bring your library membership card with you when you visit as you will need it to borrow books or DVDs and to use our computers. You will also need to know your 4-digit library PIN. If needed you can reset your PIN online.
With this reopening, our fines amnesty will come to an end on 12 April. You can find details of our current charges on our website.
 The West Berkshire Elections for the Thames Valley Police Crime Commissioner and four By-Elections will be held on Thursday, 6 May 2021.
In order to vote in these important local elections, you must be on the electoral register, which must list your current address. The deadline to register to vote is by midnight on Monday 19 April. It takes just five minutes to apply online at gov.uk/register-to-vote/
We’re aware that many people will prefer to vote by post. Applications for postal votes must be received at West Berkshire Council's Market Street office in Newbury by 5pm on Tuesday 20 April. Please send your completed application form to: West Berkshire Council, Market St, Newbury RG14 5LD.
We know that dog waste and litter bins are very full now, as people enjoy our parks and open spaces, and staff have been working weekends to catch up. Colleagues who were shielding are now back on the job, so normal service is resuming. We have funds to manage the impact of an increase in use of our parks and open spaces now that restrictions have started to lift, including dealing with additional litter.
In the meantime please take waste home with you if the bins are full. Please report any issues to our Report a Problem facility using the button link below:
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