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Review recognises Council's good performance

Last week we received the results of a peer review conducted by the Local Government Association back in February. The Council requested the review as part of its ongoing commitment to delivering high quality, efficient and effective services for residents.

Grateful for the feedback, Councillor Jeff Brooks, Leader of West Berkshire Council said:

"It's great to hear the panel's feedback, affirming that we're a well-performing Council. The report highlights our effective service delivery, strong leadership, and positive partnerships with our agencies. While it points out areas for improvement, it's reassuring to know that we're already excelling in the many areas.

"The peer team found that clear progress had been made acting on the recommendations made in 2019 and we remain committed to doing the same now. An action plan is being developed to ensure we know how we will deliver on these in the months ahead.

"Thank you to everyone who participated in the review for their valuable and honest perspectives on the Council."

You can read more about the peer review and read the full report online.

Come and join us on WhatsApp!

West Berkshire rated 'Good' following new Care Quality Commission assessment

We’re delighted to have been rated ‘Good’ by the Care Quality Commission for ensuring people have access to adult social care and support they need.

It gives us reassurance that we are performing well in an area which provides vital services for vulnerable residents.

Our adult social care service ensures that older people and vulnerable adults are looked after and supported to live independently. Around 2,000 adults are supported by the service at any given time – with the service accounting for around 40% of the Council’s annual budget. This underpins our commitment to prioritise support for those who need it most. Read more about it here.

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:

• Technician - (Asset Management - Highways & Flood Risk)
• Social Worker (Adult Social Care - West team) Part & Full time
• IT Security Analyst - Security Information Event Management (SIEM)

Grants paid to owners of properties affected by flooding

Owners of properties affected by flooding this winter have started to receive grants to help cover the costs of this. The Council has helped more than 50 households and businesses, distributing over £90,000 to those in our communities directly impacted by the flooding this winter. In addition, we are helping over 30 residents with Property Flood Resilience repair grants, which allows those whose properties were flooded internally to claim up to £5,000 each for resilience measures which will help prevent or reduce the impact of future flooding. The Property Flood Resilience repair grants are open for expressions of interest until Friday 31 May. You can find out more on our website.

Council calls on Thames Water to do better for residents

Site visits have been completed at six locations which continue to be affected by sewer contents escaping into public areas - in Lambourn, Eastbury, East Illsley, Hampstead Norreys, Newbury and East Garston. As a result, we will be arranging for more gulley emptying, repairing roads and undertaking other maintenance. We will conduct more visits in the coming weeks if these become necessary. In addition to this, we have also written on behalf of residents to Thames Water to highlight the impact on the district caused by a lack of investment in sewage infrastructure - and calling on them to do better.

Expanded bus services link Newbury to Basingstoke

Improvements to your local bus services are continuing apace, making it an even more attractive way to travel thanks to Stagecoach introducing more journeys to the route connecting Newbury and Basingstoke.

Service 32, formerly known as The Link, will now operate on Sundays and bank holidays for the first time, with extended evening hours Monday to Saturday, and additional peak time options on weekdays.

These enhancements build upon recent introductions from West Berkshire Council, such as the 1e late evening service between Newbury and Thatcham, the Lime 2a extension to Mortimer on Sundays, and the X34 route between Newbury and Harwell Campus/Didcot.

Combined with new on-demand bus services like West Berkshire Community Connect and Wiltshire Connect, local bus services continue to evolve to better serve your needs.

Don't forget, your concessionary fares bus pass is valid on these services from Monday to Friday (9:30am to 11:00pm) and anytime over weekends and bank holidays.

Northcroft Lido fully open for summer

It’s here! Northcroft Lido's full summer swim programme launched on Monday with:

• Family swim sessions
• Quiet adult sessions
• Sessions for SEND groups
• Lane swimming
• and a special swim disco with a live DJ on Saturday 25 May

Come along and enjoy the pool, the splash pad and waterslides, or relax on the beautiful decking and enjoy the sunshine.

Visitor numbers are limited, and booking is essential to avoid disappointment. Under 8s must be accompanied by an adult. You can book online, via the Everyone Active app or by calling Northcroft Leisure Centre on 01635 31199.

People can come to the centre on the day they wish to visit, but there is a high risk that there could be queues or that you could be turned away if the activity is at capacity. It is best to book in advance to avoid disappointment.

Library service changes next week

Along with a number of other library authorities across the South East, we're making some improvements to our library management system next week.

In order for us to carry out this work, the following services will be temporarily suspended for one week from Sunday 26 May:

• The library catalogue will be unavailable
• You will be unable to reserve books and other items
• You will be unable to use the West Berkshire Libraries app, Planet Library and some of our e-resources

Please pay for any photocopying or printing with cash as we will not be able to add any charges to your account.

We apologise for any inconvenience. No items will be due for return and no fines will be charged during this period.

We hope that all library services will be available again in West Berkshire from 1 June, but please note that it will not be possible to reserve books from other library authorities in the South East (SELMS) until 29 July.

Are you a Sporting Champion?

West Berkshire’s up-and-coming athletes are set to gain support as part of a special sports talent development programme.

Sporting Champions has helped more than 5,000 athletes achieve their sporting potential Alongside free access to our leisure centres, Sporting Champions will also receive valuable mentoring and guidance from an impressive panel of elite athletes, some of whom look set to compete at Paris 2024.

Find out more here.

We value your views on the decisions we take. There are several areas we are currently holding consultations on, including:

• Theale Village: Proposed 20mph Speed Limit

80th anniversary of D-Day

To commemorate the 80^th anniversary year of D-Day, West Berkshire Museum will be screening Working in Shadows, an archive film of workers at Elliotts of Newbury during the Second World War. This was a time when the furniture manufacturer was adapted for war work. Elliotts of Newbury commissioned a series of films during this period and Working in Shadows is a compilation of these, capturing the production of Spitfire components as one of many Shadow Factories.

The film is one hour and four minutes long and will be played everyday at 10.30am, 12pm and 1.30pm, from 22 May - 2 June for free.

Younger visitors can also make a pair of World War II aviator goggles from card, cellophane, and sticky tape. This free craft activity can be found in Gallery 5 along with the screening of film.

LGBTQ+ family morning at the museum

With Pride month just around the corner, you can join us for a relaxed morning in West Berkshire Museum’s Long Room. The event takes place on Monday 27 May from 10.30am – 12pm providing a safe space for local LGBTQ+ families to meet one another and be involved in a creative activity.

Members of the Newbury Pride committee will be on hand to answer questions and to deliver the craft session.

There will be refreshments available in the Museum café. On Mondays, the Museum is closed to the public so refreshments will be limited and self-service (free).

The craft is aimed at children 7-12 years, although younger and older children as well as accompanying adults are very welcome to take part.

Join the Thursday walking group

Join us every Thursday at 10:45am to walk through the countryside around the Watermill Theatre. For more information, please email walking@westberks.gov.uk or call 01635 503437

Disco Dragons craft morning

We love dragons at West Berkshire Museum and are hosting a free family craft event on Tuesday 28 May to make disco dragon puppets. There are three 45 minute session to choose from (subject to availability) at 9am, 10am and 11am. Children must be accompanied by an adult throughout the session. Places are limited and must be booked in advance.

To book a free child place please visit our website. If you book a place and later realise you are unable to attend, please let us know as soon as possible so we can offer the place to other families.

This event is run alongside the Disco Dragons Treasure Map which has been produced by our Health and Wellbeing team in partnership with Treasure Map Trails to encourage people to travel, explore and learn more about the historic town of Newbury. 

Fun at Shaw House over the next week

Join us for the Shaw House open days this weekend where you will have the opportunity to access many areas of the house which are not usually open to the public, including the ‘Forbidden Corridor’ on the second floor, the basement tunnel and the Elizabethan bake house. You can also visit the exhibition rooms including our historic costume exhibition ‘Dressed for Shaw’ and the English Civil War arms and armoury exhibition ‘Dressed for Battle’. Come along for free on Sunday 26 and Monday 27 May, 11am – 4pm. Bake house viewings take place at 12pm, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm, and are free, but online booking is essential. In addition to open days, Shaw House also has a family activity day on Wednesday 29 May from 10am – 3pm. The day costs £2.50, but there's no need to book, just drop-in! Make and decorate a 3D pre-cut card tree with felt tip pens, foam stickers and other craft materials and explore the garden at Shaw House with the free tree themed trail. The day is aimed at 7-11 year olds, but younger and older children are welcome. An adult must remain with the child at all times. Please dress for mess, although disposable aprons will be available. You are however welcome to bring your own.

And finally...

• If your recycling or black bin collection date is on Bank Holiday Monday we will continue to collect these as normal. Please put your rubbish or recycling containers out by 6am on your scheduled collection date. Check your bin day here.

• We’ll soon be installing solar panels on the roof of the Kennet Leisure Centre thanks to a £237,600 grant that has been awarded to us. It's another step towards tackling the climate emergency and it's possible following a successful bid to the Government and Sport England's £60m capital investment program. It will help us improve our energy efficiency and the future of our community leisure facilities.