It will not have escaped you that this year has been wet, indeed over the last 24 months, 18 of them had above the average rainfall. In the last 3 months (Sept to Nov 24) in Berkshire we have experienced 351%, 100% and 141% respectively, of the average rainfall - so a lot of rain!
The above average rainfall has meant that the groundwater and the rivers in the area are all above where they would normally be. In addition, the soil is moist so cannot hold any more water. As a result, we are very likely to experience groundwater, river and surface water flooding should we get significant rainfall in the coming weeks and months.
The Council, Environment Agency and Thames Water are all working together to reduce the risk of flooding. However, we cannot stop flooding so we would encourage everyone now to take action to protect your property from flooding.
Emergency Planning's advice on what we can all do NOW:
- Check for flooding status in West Berkshire - GOV.UK
- Find out if you are at risk of flooding by using the Environment Agency website: Where do you want to check? - Check your long term flood risk - GOV.UK
- If you are at risk of flooding then sign up to receive the Environment Agency flood alerts and warnings Sign up for flood warnings - GOV.UK
- Find out what flood property level protections will work for your property – information is on the National Flood Forums website in their ‘blue pages’ section. (noting sandbags are not recommended and that the Council does not provide them)
- Find out if you have flood wardens in your area and have a look at their websites if they have them. (You can also ask your Parish Council if there is a local flood warden).
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Pang Valley Flood Forum The Pang Valley Flood Forum was set up in 2013 as a joint initiative by West Berkshire Council, the Environment Agency and Thames Water. The aim of the Forum is to act as the principal consultation body to the three agencies on flooding and drainage issues in the Pang Valley. Check out their rainfall and dashboard info.
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Lambourn Valley Flood Forum The LVFF body comprises representatives from West Berkshire Council, Thames Water, The Environment Agency and the valley Parish Councils.
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Project Groundwater are trialling a warning alert system for communities to sign up to in the Lambourn and Pang Valleys.
More information about flooding, including the different types of flooding and getting prepared can be found here: Flooding: Be Prepared - West Berkshire Council.
Remember Water Safety:
- 10cm of flowing water can knock you off your feet
- 30cm of flowing water can lift and move a car
- Driving through flood water can create bow waves which mean properties flood
- Underneath water can be many dangers including open manholes.
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Click on image above to download and keep this handy document
Picture a world without any towns or villages, roads or infrastructure. There are no fields because there are no farms or farmers. In the environment there are woods, wetlands and rivers – and humans travelling through this landscape, hunting animals and using the resources they can find. This is what our area was like between 12,000 and 6,000 years ago, after the end of the last Ice Age in a period called the Mesolithic, or Middle Stone Age.
Because there was no writing then, the only way we can find out about how people lived is by studying surviving physical remains. This is what the archaeologists currently excavating a site by the River Kennet are doing, and they have already uncovered evidence of flint tool making and hearths. Much more unusually, there seems to have been a wooden structure here, possibly some kind of shelter, and there may be more than one.
This exciting discovery was made during a planned river restoration project involving the Environment Agency (EA) on private land near Newbury. Once discovered, the river work stopped and the EA called in their Archaeologists, who are still on site. The archaeological potential has been highlighted in the West Berkshire Historic Environment Record.
Though the ancient features in the gravels will be removed, the human story will be captured through this investigation and analysis. It emphasises the importance of our river valleys for both nature conservation and nationally significant archaeology.
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Around 250,000 tonnes of food is wasted in the UK alone over Christmas. The following tips will help to save food waste and money this Christmas:
Reduce - take a shopping list with you so that you only buy what you need over the festive period. Try using the notes facility on your phone to save paper. Check the use-by dates and eat food in date order. Check your fridge temperature - The Food Standards Agency advises it should be 5°C or below. If you can't eat all your food in time, check to see whether you can freeze the items. Click to visit lovefoodhatewaste.com for more hints and tips.
Reuse - if you've got a lot of leftovers, avoid throwing them away by sticking them in your freezer after the celebrations. Leftover vegetables from the Christmas dinner can be made into delicious bubble and squeak or winter soup.
Recycle - leftovers that you can't make use of, please recycle these in the food waste caddy or purple bin. You can put all your food leftovers (raw and cooked) in the caddy including turkey bones, eggshells and peelings.
Food waste is collected every week on the same day as your recycling or rubbish. If you have a composter at home, you can compost your own food waste. For more information visit: www.westberks.gov.uk/article/38641/Composting.
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Please note there are no garden waste collections between Monday 23 December 2024 and Monday 6 January 2025. The garden waste collection vehicles and operatives provide temporary support with the recycling and rubbish collections which will see an increase in demand over the festive period.
Please see below for the change of collection days over the Christmas period. You will also will have received as a bin hanger on your latest collection. Make sure you keep it to refer back to.
Working with our highways term contractor Volker Highways, West Berkshire Council has designed and delivered upgrades to pedestrian and cycle facilities on the A4 Bath Road at Crown Mead, Thatcham.
The pedestrian crossing between Crown Mead shops and the Library has been modified to a Toucan crossing that both pedestrians and cyclists can use considerately, and signals equipment has been updated. Removal of the central island has allowed cycle lanes to be provided on the carriageway, linking into to existing cycle lanes to the east and west.
In addition, footway improvements have been carried out on both sides of the A4 and in the High Street either side of Whybrow Court. Tactile paving has been introduced at several road junctions including at the junction of A4 with Beverley Close, where the crossing distance for pedestrians has been reduced by widening the footway.
There's still a few weeks left to have your say on our public consultation on proposals affecting Council frontline services as we look to deliver a balanced budget in 2024/25. End date: 23.12.2024
Englefield Estate’s Education and Environment Officer, Dr Liz Mattison and Head Gamekeeper, David Wiggins at Maridge Ponds.
Ponds dug at Mayridge Farm on the Englefield Estate in 2023 are already helping wildlife, providing a new home for plants and animals in the marginal zone between land and water.
All five ponds, in an area known as The Flats, have been full of water since the end of the wet winter of 2023-24. Now plants are starting to colonise the areas at the water’s edge, while animals are moving in.
At-risk species, including red-listed birds like the linnet, have already been spotted in the area, said Englefield Estate’s Education and Environment Officer, Dr Liz Mattison. She, with Englefield’s Head Gamekeeper David Wiggins, have overseen the project which was supported by the North Wessex Downs Farming in Protected Landscapes Programme.
2024 was a very successful year with 105 Barn Owl chicks fledging from boxes across our area.
Barn Owls are perhaps one of our most iconic birds. They were once a common sight hunting across farmland and would often be found taking advantage of old storage barns which they used as nest sites to raise their young. As farming became more intensive and roads became increasingly busy Barn Owl numbers fell making sightings of this beautiful bird less common.
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For many years now The West Berkshire Barn Owl Group (WBCS) has been working with landowners keen to encourage Barn Owls. The WBCS owl group carry out site surveys to identify suitable habitat and their installations team will erect boxes suitable for them to nest in. They are often surprised at how quickly these boxes become occupied when Barn Owls are in the area. Each year they carry out surveys to monitor the boxes for breeding activity. The boxes are visited for the first time around late May to mid June. Timing can vary but WBCS get guidance from a recognised expert to help judge when to start. Where breeding is identified it's possible to work out the age of the chicks and do a second visit, accompanied by a licensed ringer who rings the chicks. The final visit is to check the chicks have fledged and clear out the boxes ready for use as winter roosts and for the next season.
Barn Owls are a Schedule 1 Species which means any activity during the breeding season has to be licenced. This is done by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) on behalf of Natural England. All the results of the annual monitoring are reported to the BTO to help understand the distribution and breeding success.
Do get in touch if you would like to join WBCS enquiries@westberkscountryside.org.uk Website: www.westberkscountryside.org.uk
As 2024 ends,Eco Friends are thrilled to share that their collective efforts have removed an incredible 162,300 single-use plastic items per year from circulation - a huge leap from 108,252 items in October 2023!
This Eco Friends milestone shows the power of working together with our amazing community, local businesses, authorities, and our dedicated champions and allies. Every reusable swap, refill, and small change has contributed to this success.
Thank you to everyone involved! To keep the momentum going, Eco Friends are inviting more champions and allies to join them. If you’re ready to make a difference, contact plasticfree@eco-friends.org.uk and learn more about the network.
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Volunteer with Eco Friends in 2025
Eco Friends West Berkshire is excited to offer volunteer opportunities for individuals passionate about the environment. They're looking for enthusiastic team members to join their Plastic-Free initiative, helping to promote sustainable practices and support our community in achieving the Plastic-Free Award. Volunteers will engage in outreach activities and share knowledge on how to reduce plastic use within our communities.
Volunteer Roles Available:
Community Outreach Volunteer
- Role: Engage with local businesses, schools, and residents to promote plastic-free practices and encourage participation in sustainability efforts.
- Commitment: Flexible hours, with opportunities for both in-person and online meetings.
- Requirements: Enthusiasm for community engagement and environmental sustainability.
Content & Social Media Volunteer
- Role: Help create and share informative content on plastic-free living through social media and our website. Optional WIX training provided for web content creation.
- Commitment: Flexible schedule, with work that can be done remotely.
- Requirements: Interest in social media, content creation, and basic digital skills (or willingness to learn).
Event Support Volunteer
- Role: Assist with organizing and supporting community events focused on environmental education and plastic reduction, helping with set-up, coordination, and information distribution.
- Commitment: Events typically held on weekends; flexible commitment based on volunteer availability.
- Requirements: Friendly, reliable, and comfortable working at public events.
If you’re interested in helping Eco Friends make a positive environmental impact, please contact them at 01635 49004 or email vbase@vcwb.org.uk to request a form and register your interest.
(L-R) Foresters Fin Lace and Rob Allen with Assistant Forester Charlotte Moss
The Englefield Estate’s Forestry Team, responsible for commercial timber production and woodland conservation, has expanded with the appointment of two young foresters.
Charlotte Moss, 24, has taken up a training post with the West Berkshire Estate through the Royal Forestry Society’s Forestry Roots scheme, specially designed to help young people overcome barriers to a forestry role. Charlotte joins another young forester on the team at the Englefield Estate. Fin Lace, 19, who completed an in-house forestry traineeship in the summer of 2024 and is now a full-time forester.
The Englefield Estate’s Forestry Team, under Forestry Manager Rich Edwards, looks after 3,500 acres of woodland managed for sustainable timber production as well as providing space for walking and horse riding and habitats for wildlife.
Tub 2 Pub will be running again in January 2025, an initiative set up by Greene King.
Save your empty Quality Street, Hero, Roses, Celebrations, shop own brand and sweet style tubs to drop off at your local Greene King Pub in January.
All tubs are then taken onto a plastic reprocessing centre where they’re shredded, before being sold onto plastic manufacturers to use in place of virgin plastics where they become recycled products. All the profit from the shredded plastic sales will be given to their chosen charity which is Macmillan Cancer Support.
The Berkshire Arms Midgham, The Bear Pub in Hungerford and others will be collecting for January ONLY. Search here for your nearest tub drop off.
If you can not make it to one of the drop off pubs in the area, Jenny at Thatcham Refillable will also be collecting tubs in West Berkshire during January ONLY. thatchamrefillable@hotmail.com.
Further information: https://www.tub2pub.co.uk/tub2pub.
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