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Separate weekly food waste collection service survey

We have launched a survey ahead of the roll out of our separate weekly food waste collection service and would like to encourage everyone who lives in West Berkshire to take part. The survey will close on 3 May 2022 at midnight.

We are asking for resident's views to help us better understand your recycling habits, whether you think it's important to recycle food waste, and if you'd use the new service when it starts during autumn/winter 2022.

We'd also like to hear from people who don't currently recycle their food waste to find out what, if anything, is stopping you from doing so.

If you’d like to participate, but don’t have online access, you can request a hardcopy from our customer services team on 01635 519080.

Free Easter weekend bus travel in West Berkshire

Travellers in West Berkshire will have even more reason to consider using the bus this Easter.

Following on from the successful free bus travel offered in December for Christmas, most bus journeys starting in West Berkshire over the Easter weekend (15-18 April 2022) will be completely free!

Travellers may wish to consider using the bus to attend Easterfest in Newbury, horse racing at Newbury Racecourse, meet or visit friends and family over the long weekend, do some shopping or to visit a local café or restaurant.

We have developed this initiative in partnership with Reading Buses and Thames Travel. The offer is valid on any Reading Buses, Newbury & District and Thames Travel services within West Berkshire. If you board the bus outside West Berkshire you will still need to pay for the ticket or use a valid concessionary bus pass.

To make it even easier to travel by bus at Easter, services in the Newbury and Thatcham area will also operate on both Good Friday and Easter Monday, as well as Easter Saturday. These additional services will be provided on routes 1a, 1c, 2, 8 and 9 with a Saturday timetable. Sunday services will operate on routes Jet Black 1, Lime 2/a, 15, 16, 26 and 33 on Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. The 143 service by Thames Travel will be operating on Easter Saturday.

Get into cycling this April!

Bikeability Training Bikeability has equipped over 3.5 million children across the UK with the skills and confidence to cycle on today’s roads. Give your child the opportunity to access training locally to complete their Level 2 and Level 3 Bikeability training.  Easter holiday: 11 - 14 April Half term holiday: 30 May - 1 June  If you are interested, contact activetravel@westberks.gov.uk for dates and courses available.

Come and join the CYCLOMANiACS for 3 hrs of fun!

FUN cycle club starts Saturday 9 April 9am to 12 noon, then every other Saturday, at Shaw House, Church Rd, Shaw, Newbury RG14 2DR. This course is aimed at children aged 9-12 years old. Limited places are available - don’t miss out. 

For more information contact activetravel@westberks.gov.uk. 

Update on cycle and footway construction: A4 Western Avenue, Newbury / Speen

Last month we updated you on our cycle and footway construction along A4 Western Avenue, Newbury / Speen. The scheme is intended to improve facilities for pedestrians and cyclists, helping to make it easier to cycle or walk locally to shops, schools, workplaces and other amenities, while not affecting traffic capacity on the A4.  The works involve: Improvements to existing walking and cycling paths, as well as crossings and pedestrian refuge islands Construction of new cycle tracks and footways Safety improvements for pedestrians and cyclists  Phase 1 and 2 of the project are completed, which included works on the north side of A4 Western Avenue (east of Old Bath Road) and the widening of Brummell Road and A4 refuge islands. The remaining work has started and we anticipate that the project will be completed May 2022. Phase 3: underway – commenced 28 February, anticipated completion early April: involving temporary removal of the raised island to allow safe construction of the improved cycleway and footway on the north side of the A4 opposite Benedict Court, tree works, and reconstruction of the island afterwards; Phase 4: scheduled 25 March to 23 April: works east of Brummell Road junction, including temporary pedestrian diversion, removal of existing crossing island under multi-way signals, and preparation for replacement signalled crossing; Phase 5: works to south side of A4 Western Avenue between Benedict Court and Old Bath Road, involving improvement of the shared footway/cycleway, with temporary narrow lanes on the A4.

Real Nappy Trial Packs are back!

If you have a child under the age of 18 months old you can apply for one of our real nappy trial packs. Click below for more details (terms and conditions apply). We also have a cashback scheme where you can apply for £30 cashback if you have spent over £60 on real nappies.

Come and visit our waste team out and about

Our Waste team have been out in the district providing information, advice and waste reduction goodies. If you have an event that you would like them to come along to please email: recycle@westberks.gov.uk and put in the subject header 'waste team event.'  Their next scheduled event is at Hungerford Library on Wednesday 6 April between 10am - 1pm.

Reduce waste this Easter

Did you know around 80 million Easter eggs are bought each year in the UK? However, research has shown around 25% of the weight of an Easter Egg can be packaging alone.  If you are buying Easter Eggs this year have a look out for eggs that are in less packaging and ones where the packaging can be recycled. Cardboard boxes can be placed in your green box at the kerbside and plastic inserts can be taken to any of our four plastic banks across the district.

Update from Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust:

Spring is here and with it brings the sights and sounds of rare ground nesting birds, such as skylark, woodlark and Dartford warbler, establishing their territories and preparing to nest. To help protect these ground nesting bird species we have employed three seasonal Wardens to interact with visitors at Greenham and Snelsmore Commons and highlight the importance of sticking to main paths during the bird breeding season (1 March - 31 July).  Visitors to either Greenham or Snelsmore Commons should look out for signage on how they can help to give ground nesting birds the best chance at breeding successfully. Dartford Warbler photo credit to Jon Hawkins.

Update from North Wessex Downs AONB: Newbury MP Laura Farris visits chalk stream project in Hungerford

Ellie Dickins and Jonathan Welfare of the Town and Manor of Hungerford, Laura Farris MP and Henry Oliver, Director, North Wessex Downs AONB.

On 18 March, Laura Farris MP visited the River Kennet at Eddington Mill, Hungerford, to see first-hand how the Sparkling Streams Partnership Project is helping to improve this very important chalk stream. Henry Oliver, Director of the North Wessex Downs AONB, explained how the project has applied a catchment-based approach to water management which will have a cumulative effect on improving the water quality, habitats and biodiversity of the River Kennet.

The North Wessex Downs AONB coordinated and wrote the bid that received £400,000 just over a year ago from the Government’s Green Recovery Challenge Fund. The AONB has since been administering the project which is working in partnership with ARK, Town & Manor of Hungerford and the Southern Streams Farmer Group.

The major works at Eddington included restoration works and reconnecting the river to the historic channel, creating 600m of new chalk stream habitat - all of which will improve the potential for fish to migrate and spawn.  Other activities have included the design and creation of new wetlands to slow down water and sediment from arable fields, improving water quality and creating new wildlife habitat.  A number of smaller-scale habitat restoration works have also been completed, such as opening up over-shaded sections of stream or using woody debris to narrow the channel to help speed up flow and clean otherwise silty gravels. Clean gravel is important for fish to spawn successfully.  

In addition, the contribution from local people has been fantastic with many having volunteered to carry out in-river habitat improvements, planting over 630 metres of hedge and more than 3,000 trees as well as taking part in water vole surveys and water quality monitoring. 

And finally.... Earth Day!

Don't forget Earth Day is on 22 April! This is a internationally recognised day highlighting environmental protection and action.