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Health Scrutiny Committee

You are now able to submit questions for the next Health Scrutiny Committee meeting, which is on 12 March at 1:30pm to 4pm. Please email any questions to Executivecycle@westberks.gov.uk by 10am on Monday 11 March. These may be answered by Members during the meeting, depending on time constraints.

The next meeting will focus on:

• Early Years Health Inequalities: the committee will bring together key stakeholders to provide an understanding of the current picture, gaps in provision and opportunities for improvement.
• Pharmacy Provisions: an overview of the pharmaceutical provisions in West Berkshire, including an assessment of current provision and opportunities for improvement.

Councillor Martha Vickers, Chair of the Committee said: "Our Committee's purpose is to work together with health partners to understand and improve Early Years Health Inequalities and to review pharmacy provision. We want to figure out what's currently happening, find any gaps, and see how we can make things better. Your thoughts and ideas on these topics are important in helping us create a healthier and fairer community.”

The Health Scrutiny Committee also encourages residents to suggest topics of interest through a user-friendly form available online, emphasising the importance of community input in shaping the health services that affect their lives.

Council approves 2024/25 budget

Spending on services and infrastructure across West Berkshire from April was approved by Council last week.

The 2024/25 budget will see £174m delivering services across the district and £50m on infrastructure and improvement projects. You can find out more about our spending plans online.

Speaking about the budget Councillor Jeff Brooks, Acting Leader of West Berkshire Council, said: “This budget is a good start in making our finances stronger and helping pave the way to delivering better services for our residents. We are focused on delivering better value for your council tax, and at the same time investing in services and infrastructure to improve how residents live their lives across the district. It’s the first budget of the new administration, but it shows how we mean to go on and we’re committed to delivering for local people in the years ahead.”

Newbury station transformation now complete

The multi-million-pound redevelopment of Newbury train station is now finished!

The transformation project includes new customer facilities, new ticket gates, a multi-storey car park, cycle hubs and improved pedestrian access from the station to the town centre.

We have worked closely with Great Western Railway, Berkshire LEP, Network Rail and Grainger Plc throughout the project to provide an enhanced customer experience and support economic development in the area.

Some minor works, including car park resurfacing and cleaning of forecourt canopies and external station building walls, will now commence to compliment the finalised scheme.

With over 1,500 members of staff corporately, plus additional members of staff working across our local schools and education settings, we're one of the largest employers in the area. There are lots of reasons to consider a career with us - from the wide range of services we provide to the training and benefits we offer.

Current vacancies include:

• Senior Engineer (Highways Development Control)
• Occupational Therapist - Adult Social Care West Team (Part-time & Full-time)
• Licensing Enforcement Officer

High percentage of preferred secondary school allocations maintained

We’re pleased to have offered almost 90% of our Year 6 children their first choice of secondary school!

The move up to secondary school is a milestone for both children and parents, and we know that getting a preferred school is a huge consideration.

We always try very hard to offer as many children as possible their preferred school and would like to wish everyone the best of luck as they take their next educational step up.

Town Council by-elections next week

The Newbury (Wash Common) and Thatcham (North East) Town Council by-elections are coming up next week and you may have noticed that you now have a different polling station. Make sure you check your poll card before heading out to vote so you know where to go.

Don't forget you now need to take photo ID with you to vote at a polling station. You can find more information about what ID is accepted here.

West Berkshire Health & Wellbeing Board annual conference

The West Berkshire Health and Wellbeing Board will be holding its Annual Conference from 9:30am - 1:30pm on Friday 19 April in the Council Offices at Market Street, Newbury.

The theme for this year’s conference is ‘Primary Care and Community Outreach’ which picks up a number of key issues that have been highlighted as being important to the local community and shows how these are being addressed.

As well as highlighting the work of the Board and its partners, there will be presentations on the new Primary Care Strategy, general practice, dentistry, pharmacy, and the new Community Wellness Outreach Service.

There will also be a marketplace where delegates can network and meet a range of local service providers before and after the event.

The conference will be held as a hybrid event, which people can join remotely via Zoom or attend in person. All delegates will have the opportunity to take part in the Q&A sessions with the speakers.

The conference is open to all and is free to attend. With just 70 places available for those attending in person, early registration is encouraged to avoid disappointment. To book your place, please follow the link below.

Anyone can watch our Council and Committee meetings in person at our Market Street offices in Newbury and live on our YouTube channel to view the important decisions made by councillors on issues such as planning, waste services and schools.

Upcoming public meetings include:

• Schools Forum - Monday, 11 March, 2024 5.00 pm
• Joint Public Protection Committee - Monday, 11 March, 2024 7.00 pm
• District Planning Committee - Wednesday, 13 March, 2024 6.30 pm

Shaw House community garden

Nature not only benefits our planet but also our health. Research has shown that spending time outside in nature has a positive impact on our health, both physically and mentally which is why we have a project dedicated to this called Nature for Health.

We currently have a community garden set up at Shaw House where we have weekly drop-in sessions. This is a great opportunity to learn new skills, share knowledge and meet new people whilst getting all the benefits of being outside in nature. The session runs Thursday mornings, 10am until 12:30pm, at Shaw House. 

The main aims of the project are to deliver nature-based activities which promote and improve wellbeing, physical and mental health whilst reducing isolation and loneliness across West Berkshire.

To find out more or to get involved please contact Amy our Nature for Health Project Support Officer on amy.bosley1@westberks.gov.uk.

School governor recruitment plea

We have many brilliant school governor volunteers across West Berkshire who do really valuable work to support school and trust leaders to ensure our children receive the education they need and deserve.

We’re looking for more volunteers to get involved and make a difference. If you’re interested in becoming a school governor in West Berkshire, find out more here.

And finally...

• If your property has been affected by flooding recently or you’d like to learn more about preparing for flooding, flood grants or the assistance available to communities during a flood, please check out our dedicated webpage.
• World Book Day is tomorrow! Some of our local primary schools are taking the opportunity to dress up as their favourite book character and visit their local library. Why not visit yours? Find out more about what our libraries have to offer here.