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New Climate Change Service

Earlier in the month, our newly formed Climate Change Service met altogether at Shaw House to look at our priorities and to further understand our pathway to carbon neutrality. The new service brings together our Environment Delivery Team with our Waste Team and Countryside Team, to enable the teams to build on existing joint and collaborative working to further benefit the District. 

If you ever need to get in touch you can use our team emails below:

Environment Delivery: Environment@westberks.gov.uk

Waste: Recycle@westberks.gov.uk

Countryside: Countryside@westberks.gov.uk

Last chance - sign up to our free Business Breakfast Event on Energy Efficiency!

We are inviting local businesses to share their thoughts on sustainable practices and their business needs. Join us at Chequers Hotel on 4 July, 7.30-9am, for breakfast and networking, followed by a chance to hear from other businesses and learn how the Council can support you to improve your energy efficiency.

Topics to expect include:

• Existing grants and schemes for businesses
• Benefits of improving energy efficiency and adopting sustainable practices
• Hearing from those already taking steps to be more energy efficient
• Possible ways the Council could look to support businesses, e.g. energy/carbon audits, sustainable certification etc.

Plastic-Free July

We're celebrating Plastic-Free July and have put together an easy list of small ways to make changes in your everyday life. Our staff eco-champions have put together a useful list of ways to ditch plastic and be greener. From changing how we shop and the food we eat to even home DIY. Take a look and see what you can implement.

Trust for Sustainable Living event at House of Commons

On Tuesday 27 June, representatives from West Berkshire Council attended an event at the House of Commons celebrating the last 30 years of The Living Rainforest/Trust for Sustainable Living. The Trust unveiled their plans for the next 30 years, aimed at rebuilding The Living Rainforest Centre and helping to close the sustainability learning gap in the UK and globally. We were also joined by Laura Farris MP who spoke at the event. 

The photo shows Nigel Lynn (Chief Executive, West Berkshire Council) on the right standing with Karl Hansen (Executive Director, Trust for Sustainable Living).

Solar Together Group-Buying Scheme – Engaging residents to take action

Increasing pressure around climate change, stronger interest in grid-independence and growth in electric vehicle uptake changes the way people look at the opportunity available through solar panels. However, buyers often find it hard to find trusted, objective information online. Solar Together group-buying scheme makes it easy for homeowners and small businesses in West Berkshire to install solar panels and storage batteries for a competitive price with a trustworthy, pre-vetted installer.

West Berkshire Council’s Environment Delivery Team together with iChoosr will run Solar Together Berkshire scheme this summer. This scheme will be available to all the residents in Berkshire.

By bringing customers and suppliers together, we can accelerate the energy transition and help our residents take control of their energy costs, reducing carbon emissions and helping us to reach carbon neutrality targets. Don’t miss out on this opportunity this summer!

Veolia Orchard

Veolia have an offer available for local schools to help them deliver ecological transformation by applying for a Veolia Orchard. A Veolia Orchard is made up of five young fruit trees or, for those schools with more limited space, ten strawberry plants, which can thrive in pots and bring nature and biodiversity to playgrounds, big or small. All schools in West Berkshire (nursery to college) can apply online from now up until Monday 24 July. Successful applicants will be informed in September with deliveries taking place during October and November. The trees and plants will be accompanied by an information pack on how to plant and how to harvest the fruit, making this a unique learning opportunity for pupils.

Dispose of your vapes correctly

Did you know vapes contain batteries hidden within them? When single-use or rechargeable vapes are binned or incorrectly disposed of, they can get crushed or damaged in bin lorries and recycling centres and start fires. Never bin them, recycle ALL your vapes separately from your household waste and recycling. We have separate recycling bins for vapes at both of our Household Waste Recycling Centres. Make sure to book an appointment before you visit here.

Give young trees a helping hand this summer

Newly-planted trees need to be watered regularly over the summer months if they are going to become established and thrive. If you have a tree outside your house, or one that you pass on your daily walk, then you can help. Requirements vary depending on a number of factors such as species and location, but a general rule is that they should receive at least 50 litres of water per week in May, June, July and August. Please water regularly during dry periods with as much as you can – every little helps! The following information may be of help: Watering should ideally be carried out in the early morning or evening. It is good practice to water trees for the first three years after planting. If the tree has a watering pipe, then half of the water should be poured down the pipe and the other half on the ground surface around the tree. If the tree has a watering bag, then fill that. Where possible, water should be sustainably sourced. Harvested rainwater is ideal, but bath water, or water which has been used for washing up, is also suitable. More information about tree watering can be found in the London Tree Officers Association publication Sustainable water management, available for free download here.  For further information, including an introductory guide to young tree establishment, click here.  Photo credit: Greener Greenham Group watering trees, June 2023

Learn to cycle this summer

Now that the weather has improved, getting out and about on a bike is a great way to travel for business or pleasure purposes, exploring the countryside with friends or your family. If you are looking to increase your cycling skills and confidence this summer then we have a course for you.

We have courses available for all abilities as well as some more specific ones such as:

• Adult cycle training
• Family cycle training
• Adult confidence courses (ladies only courses with female instructor or with an all-female group available on request)

Each course lasts approximately 2 hours and are delivered by our friendly instructors who are fully DBS checked and trained to the respectable standards delivered by Bikeability.

There are several easy accessible locations throughout the district including:

• Shaw House, Newbury, RG14 2DR
• Linear Park, Calcot, RG31 7AW
• Kennet Leisure Centre, Thatcham, RG19 4LJ
• Cotsworld Leisure Centre, Tilehurst, RG31 6SL

To take part you will need a correctly sized bike in good condition with two working brakes and a cycle helmet.

If you’re interested in joining one of our summer cycling courses, please complete the expression of interest form here as soon as possible so we can find the perfect course for you.  We will keep the expression of interest form open right through to 1st September 2023 but best matches of requests and courses will be possible with early responses.

Alternatively contact: activetravel@westberks.gov.uk for more information.

Travel to Harwell and Didcot by bus

From Monday 24 July 2023 an exciting new bus service from Newbury Wharf Bus Station to Harwell Science and Innovation Campus and Didcot will be introduced. The service is called X34 and will run hourly between Newbury and Harwell Campus Monday to Saturday and will be operated by Thames Travel who are part of Oxford Bus Company. It provides a vital link between Newbury and a very prestigious local science and innovation campus, as well as providing a link to Didcot where there is onward bus travel to Abingdon, Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Wallingford and Wantage.

Why not use the bus to go to work at the Harwell Campus, to go on a day trip with family and friends or take advantage of shopping opportunities in Didcot or Oxford. This service has been made possible by funding from HM Government given to West Berkshire Council and Oxfordshire County Council after submission of a Bus Service Improvements Plan (BSIP) in October 2021. Further information will be made available in the coming weeks so do look out for updates.

We have introduced a number of ticketing improvements recently, an “early bird” concessionary fare ticket has proven to be very popular, it can be purchased for a reasonable rate before 0930am on weekdays for anyone boarding with a valid bus pass. If you are travelling with family or friends why not take advantage of the Connect Group Day Ticket (available for up to 4 people), the ticket can be bought on the bus or in advance on Newbury & District’s app. The national £2 Single Fare Cap scheme has been extended until 31 October 2023, after which the cap will raise to £2.50 until 30 November 2024. Further information about operators who will continue to take part in West Berkshire will be updated here.  

There will be lots more exciting announcements about your local bus services in the coming months so please do look out for them here. 

Do you feel safe out and about?

Whilst West Berkshire continues to be a very safe place to live, we want to understand if feeling unsafe is a bigger problem in certain public spaces, and is likely to affect some groups more than others. 

We'd like to hear your ideas and suggestions for how public spaces could be changed, e.g. clear sightlines, well maintained spaces, good lighting, and natural surveillance, to make those that use them feel safer.

We know that there are already some great support and community groups in the district, and we want to find out if there are any ways in which people in West Berkshire could feel even more connected to their community.

We are encouraging everyone living in West Berkshire to complete the survey. Please complete the survey by midnight on Sunday, 30 July 2023. It should take about 10 minutes.

What Lies Beneath

Historically, peat was cut from several places in West Berkshire, particularly around Newbury, but deposits of this organic material still survive in our river valleys.  It is a valuable resource in many respects, including its capacity to preserve archaeological and environmental evidence due to its waterlogged nature.  The recent construction of a garage near the river Lambourn in Boxford led to a remarkable discovery in a layer of peat. A large piece of waterlogged oak was found to have carvings on it, so we took it to Historic England’s science facility for analysis. It has been dated to 4600BC, near the end of the Mesolithic period or Middle Stone Age, when people lived a hunter-gatherer lifestyle.  It is the oldest known piece of carved wood in Britain.  Once conserved, it will be returned to our area to be put on display, but we are already exploring what further research might reveal about this important transitional time.

Kennet Valley Wetland Reserve

The proposed new Kennet Valley Wetland Reserve in Hungerford is gaining tremendous support across West Berkshire - if you have not yet had your say do fill in the online questionnaire with your views and ideas.

For more information on the Town and Manor of Hungerford’s Kennet Valley Wetland Reserve, please visit their webpage here or email wetland@townandmanor.co.uk.

Please note, surveys responses are being accepted beyond 30 June. 

Sheepdrove Eco Show

Sheepdrove Organic Farm near Lambourn is collaborating with Penny Locke from Penny Post and 4LEGS Radio on a new monthly podcast that features seasonal news from the farm and inspiring green projects across the area. 

The latest Sheepdrove Eco Show includes: dewpond and wildflower meadow progress at Sheepdrove, a tour of Leverton Walled Garden near Hungerford with Catherine Hill who grows seasonal cut flowers, and June foraging tips from Verity Murricane at The Rat's Whiskers Natural Infusion Company in Newbury.

Swift Talk & Walk: 2 July, 4pm

Join in: 4pm Sunday 2 July 2023 at Hungerford Hub & Library

Swifts are amazing birds who are disappearing from our skies – their numbers have dropped by over 60% in less than 30 years. Did you know that they live almost entirely aerial lives, fly up to 2 million km (or 1.24 million miles) in a lifetime, sleep with only half their brain at a time and bathe by flying through rain? HEAT (Hungerford Environmental Action Team) and John O’Gaunt School’s Eco Club are launching the Hungerford Swift Town Project with this event on Sunday 2 July where local nature writer Nicola Chester will introduce the community project and outline how to get involved. This will be followed by a talk and a short walk to spot swifts and their nest sites, by local bird expert and swift devotee, Ailsa Claybourn.

Places are free but limited but need to be pre-booked on eventbrite here. 

Update from Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust: West Berkshire Wild Verges – June Wildflower Focus

This month of wildflower focus we’re in the peak flowering period for native grassland flowers. Orchids, wild peas, scabious and more are flowering and pollinating insects are all on the wing. Butterflies and bees are out in great numbers, especially on wildflower-rich verges! 

June’s flower of the month is Wild Marjoram, known interchangeably as Oregano. Not to be confused with Sweet or Pot Marjoram which are very closely related, but not as ubiquitous in the British countryside. A common flower of grassy verges and gardens alike, it is a favourite of many pollinating insects. If you’re keen to help bees in your garden and grow your own ingredients for the kitchen, Wild Marjoram is a very safe bet. 

Speaking of cooking, Wild Marjoram has a long and storied history in the culinary world. Native to southern Europe and the Mediterranean, the Ancient Greeks, Egyptians and Romans all used it in flavouring meat, fish and vegetable dishes, and both as a flavouring and preservative in wines and beers. Today, it is commonly used in cooking around the world. Its prevalent use in Italian cooking dating back to those days of the early Roman Empire paying credence to the plant’s gastronomic qualities. 

Medicinally, the plant has an equally impressive history. With uses ranging from a cure for snakebites to a plethora of respiratory conditions, and a treatment for stomach aches to an antiseptic for skin infections all the way back in the days of the Ancient Greeks, some 2,500 years ago. In a 2017 paper, a couple of the chief chemical components of Marjoram have been found in clinical studies to have effective antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. These compounds can reduce the growth of certain nasties, including E. coli and four species of Salmonella bacteria. Those Greeks sure were ahead of their time. 

Going along with this Greek theme, the name Oregano comes from the Greek meaning ‘joy of the mountain’. Named for where it was found growing in abundance and showing an appreciation for how much good can be derived from it. It was believed that Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, created Oregano as a symbol of happiness and joy. With both the Romans and the Greeks using it in wedding ceremonies to crown the bride and groom. 

Keep an eye out for this plant growing on a verge near you. They should be abundant for some time to come, growing as a short, bushy herb covered in small flowers and likely lots of bees!

Ground nesting birds – the green, green grass of home

Photo credit: Jon Hawkins, 2023

Greenham Common has been heating up through June. For anyone who has been watching BBC’s Springwatch, you might have heard that lowland heaths can get particularly hot, as the sun warms up the exposed sand and gravel throughout the day. The second Saturday in June was a scorcher!

The grass has certainly seen a tinge of straw colour from the heat, but the ground nesting birds are still out in force, gathering food for their young (the first reports are out of Dartford warbler chicks fledging). This is such an important time for our ground nesting birds, to be able to find food for their chicks, and the open grassy areas – as the photo above of a woodlark shows – are vital foraging areas. Appropriate levels of livestock grazing help enrich the grasses and create a mosaic of habitats, providing divots which ground nesting birds might find useful to make nests in. This bare ground provides nesting ground for many insects and exposes seeds; both food sources for ground nesting birds. This is why we ask visitors (and dogs) to keep to the paths, as it is the grassland – and not just the heather, gorse and other dense vegetation – that is important for these birds.

Nightjar surveys have also been very positive this year, with every survey site recording nightjar activity (across the wider Greenham, Crookham, and Snelsmore areas). We hope many pairs are successful in rearing chicks. Their breeding season usually runs well into August.

Update from North Wessex Downs AONB Over 400 walkers enjoy our third Walking Festival!

Over 400 walkers hiked, strolled, wandered and explored their way through the third North Wessex Downs Walking Festival which closed on 11th June. Twenty-six walks took place over nine days with events across the area including walks starting from Sheepdrove Organic Farm near Lambourn, Pangbourne, and Walbury Hill near Inkpen – to name just a few! (photo credit: Jackie Browne) The North Wessex Downs has top class walking country on offer and the walking festival provided the perfect opportunity for residents and visitors to explore more of this fascinating and beautiful landscape in the company of knowledgeable and welcoming guides. This year walkers have visited farms, admired the views from the downs, learnt about ancient trees, heard intriguing stories from the past, discovered wildflowers and butterflies, and even practiced their art journalling skills with the support of a professional artist. Walk leaders have included local historians, farmers and land managers, a Savernake Forest ranger as well as community walk leaders. You can see a gallery of pictures taken during the festival on our website here.

Farming in Protected Landscapes (FIPL) The AONB team continue to deliver the FIPL programme across the North Wessex Downs.  Funded projects in West Berkshire have included scrub removal on Bucklebury Common, healthy horse pasture workshops and further support for Action for River Kennet who work across the AONB region. The allocation from Defra that the North Wessex Downs received for 2022-2023 was over £690,000.  For the year 2023-2024 the allocation is just over £1M.  The programme has been extended to March 2025 and we will receive an allocation of just over £1.3M for 2024-2025. Read about what we have funded so far through FIPL here

And finally....

• Don't forget you can report a problem to us online 24/7. Click on the link here to go to our webpage.