 An expanded kerbside recycling collection service has started this week.
In response to public feedback, certain plastic pots, tubs, and trays can now be included with your regular recycling - making it easier than ever to recycle everyday items.
Alongside plastic bottles, cans, and aerosols, residents can now recycle items such as clear yoghurt pots, spread tubs, clean ready meal trays (without film lids), and fruit punnets (without film lids). Communal bin users can also dispose of these items in the red-topped wheelie bins.
To ensure recyclability, please rinse items and remove any plastic film and lids before placing them in your recycling bag. Need more space? Squash plastic bottles to make room.
We're pleased to be able to launch this new service over a year ahead of the Government’s Simpler Recycling deadline, thanks to the work our waste team have done in partnership with Veolia.
Together, let’s reduce waste, enhance recycling, and create a brighter, greener future for West Berkshire.
Last September saw the introduction or kerbside battery collections - it’s great to see our residents now utilising this service. We would like to remind residents to please NOT place batteries (INCLUDING VAPES) inside any of their bins.
Residents just need to follow these simple steps:
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Batteries: Veolia’s collection team will collect the most common household batteries, including D, C, AA, AAA, AAAA (1.5-volt), A23 (12-volt), PP3 (9-volt), CR2032 (3-volt), and LR44 (1.5-volt).
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How to recycle: Place your used batteries in a clear bag, like a freezer or sandwich bag, and simply place it on top of your black wheelie bin on collection day. Our new waste collection vehicles have special compartments designed just for these batteries, ensuring they’re safely recycled.
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Safety first: Please remember, batteries should never be placed inside your wheelie bin. Doing so can cause them to ignite during the waste compaction process, posing a significant fire hazard.
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Exceptions: While we’ll gladly collect most household batteries, there are some exceptions: Car/moped batteries, lithium-ion (Li) power tool batteries, and vapes, should continue to be taken to our household recycling centres at Newtown Road, Newbury, or Padworth. To schedule a visit, book an appointment online.
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West Berkshire is characterised by market towns, beautiful villages, rural Inns, rare chalk streams and exceptional countryside. The district can boast that 74% of its area falls within the North Wessex Downs National Landscape.
Why not take one of our bus services to explore our district and maybe go further afield into neighbouring towns or villages? We have put together a selection of local sightseeing ideas and places to visit by bus: Bus Services for Days Out in West Berkshire for the routes 3, 4, Jet Black 1 and West Berkshire Community Connect Northwest Downlands service.
- Travelling by bus can be more fun and less stressful than taking the car.
- Relax on your journey.
- Keep costs down.
- Know that you are contributing towards the sustainability of the environment.
- Stay Fit. The walk to the bus stop contributes to your daily exercise & fresh air!
Inspiration for days out on our doorstep:
The bus services in West Berkshire can help transport you to a memorable day out making memories, here's a couple of adventures to try: Bus Services for Days Out in West Berkshire - West Berkshire Council
Newbury to Lambourn - This bus route takes you through the heart of the Lambourn Valley, known as the Valley of the Racehorse. You will pass though villages entwined with iconic and rare chalk streams. Plus, look out on the way for the disused railway line that once ran from Lambourn to Newbury (sections of this form the Lambourn Valley Way).
Perhaps visit Welford Park Estate which is known for its lovely woodland walks and displays of snowdrops from 29 January – 2 March 2025. Some editions of the Great British Bake Off were filmed here too.
Newbury to Reading- End to end journey time is around one and a half hours and takes in Shaw House, Thatcham Discovery Centre, the Kennet & Avon Canal, (alight from the bus at Woolhampton for walks along the canal, see working locks and visit local pubs), the River Kennet is next to the Oracle Shopping Centre, Reading Museum and Reading Arts and Venues include the Hexagon, South Street Arts Centre, and the Concert Hall at the Town Hall - all of which are close or within the town centre. Plus don't forget the riverside museum!
Check out places to visit by bus and we'll have more suggestions in the coming months!
We worked with one of our tree contractors, Foremost Tree Care, to plant 16x River Birch (Betula Nigra) and 3x Wild Cherry (Prunus Avium) trees in Northcroft.
The aim is to provide long term climate mitigation and improvements to biodiversity and habitats for wildlife along this important water course. Our chalk streams have unique species and habitats - both are sensitive to climate changes. These trees will help stabilise the banks with their root systems, provide food sources for the river wildlife and insects, add shade from heat, cover from predators, as well as to provide more interest for visitors to this open space.
The River Birch were planted in clusters close to and on both sides of the ditch, and the Wild Cherry trees were planted close to the River Kennet.
West Berkshire Council manages around 740 miles of Public Rights of Way (PROW) which includes a lot of signage!
We are working to extend the life of our faded finger signage on footpaths and Public Rights of Way's (PROW), to keep them in circulation for much longer by applying new lettering while keeping the original sign in place.
This reduces the cost of buying completely new finger signs, which is reducing the environmental impact - by reducing the amount of new, printed fingers that are needed to be manufactured and transported out to us.
Our online map shows Public Footpaths, Bridleways, Restricted Byways and Byways Open to All Traffic (BOATs), stiles, gates and steps in our district.
Use our online portal to report a problem with a PROW in West Berkshire..
 2024 was a very wet year and 2025 has so far been a bit mixed with the Environment Agency issuing a number of flood alerts and flood warnings in early January as a result of the rising river levels.
You can find out if you're at risk of flooding, how to prepare for a flood and what to do if flooding is happening on the West Berkshire website: Flooding: Be Prepared - West Berkshire Council
In addition to river flooding there is a risk of groundwater flooding in West Berkshire.
Groundwater flooding takes place when aquifers in the ground become saturated causing springs and bournes, which are streams or rivers that are dry in the summer months, to activate. This tends to occur when there has been a prolonged period of rain typically over several months, for example above average rainfalls or following exceptional rainfall events when aquifers can fill rapidly.
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Aquifers have a natural cycle in which they fill with water typically in the wetter winter months and discharge in the summer months, providing a regular river flow all year round into chalk streams. Aquifers are a common source of drinking water, however excess levels may result in flooding as the water ‘breaks out’ at ground level. Groundwater has the potential to overwhelm drainage systems and can cause property flooding. Groundwater flooding can trigger river, sewer and highway flooding as the water levels rise.
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Further information as to the location and complexity of groundwater risks is detailed on the Environment Agency website.
Current groundwater alerts in force in the West Berkshire Council area:
Who to report flooding to will depend on the cause of flooding. We have set a handy list of the types of flooding and who to report issues to on our website: Types of flood risk - West Berkshire Council
You may have noticed the Ramblers work party have been busy replacing old stiles with new gates to improve accessibility. Footpath Woolhampton 13 has recently had two separate stiles removed in two areas and new gates installed. If you encounter a problem with a gate or style please report it to us online.
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The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead are the Responsible Authority (RA) for our Berkshire LNRS.
Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRSs) are an important tool to assist in nature
recovery across England and are required under the Environment Act 2021. There are 48 LNRSs covering the whole of England, with no overlapping strategies and no areas left uncovered. Bracknell, Reading, Slough, West Berkshire and Wokingham Councils are supporting authorities with Natural England.
Berkshire has a beautifully diverse landscape and your feedback will help us ensure that we can create the right strategy to play our part in assisting nature recovery across our county.
The Local Nature Recovery Strategy will set out the best actions to protect the biodiversity of local areas, reduce the impact of climate change and enhance other wider environmental benefits across Berkshire.
From Monday 3 February to Monday 10 March 2025 the public will be able to leave their comments on the public survey and add pins to the local habitat map.
LNRS will also be running drop-in sessions at Newbury Library on Friday 21 February 12:00 - 3:00pm for anyone who requires support in completing the survey and using the map.
Any questions or problems please get in touch via email: bnc@rbwm.gov.uk or call: 01628 777440.
The primary objective of the WBSC volunteering programme is to help with conserving and enhancing the West Berkshire Countryside from Lambourn to Tilehurst.
This environmental benefit, accords with the thrust of the wider Berkshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS), which is currently being developed with a view to implementation in 2025.
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Volunteers “Haloing” around veteran oak trees in December – Ashampstead Common
But it is worth considering the many varied benefits gained by volunteering in the countryside:
Physical exercise – The health gurus tell us that the best thing to do when you reach a certain age is to remain active as this is likely to benefit one’s fitness and general health. Our volunteers are mostly retired so getting out once a week to wield a saw, shears or rake sits well with this advice and helps to keep the body moving. Yes, it can lead to the odd ache or pain after a task day but they soon disappear and overall, the exercise is beneficial.
Mental health – Closely linked with the above benefit, spending time in nature and focussing on an activity be it a hobby, sport or indeed conservation work has been shown to improve mental health. The activities the WBCS volunteers undertake require a degree of planning and forethought beforehand and careful management on the day, all of which are good for the mind, as well as the body.
Socialising – Most of us appreciate spending time with friends and colleagues. It is good to get together with like-minded people and it can lift the spirits when they need raising.
If you have time and inclination to join the West Berkshire Conservation Society you will be most welcome! WBCS volunteer work parties operate on Tuesdays throughout the year. The tasks include woodland and common management, coppicing, hedge-laying and hedge/tree planting.
Do get in touch via email: enquiries@westberkscountryside.org.uk or visit the website: www.westberkscountryside.org.uk.
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We will start by wishing everyone a Happy New Year!
We'd also like thank the residents of Purley who helped with the Purley Litter Pick on 4 January 2025. It was cold, but it was dry! We got some steps in, we made new friends, got fresh air and made Purley look more attractive.
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The group litter picked covered Goosecroft, Beech Road, Glebe Road, Westbury Lane, Purley Lane, Colyton, Purley Rise, Sherwood Rise, Bowling Green Lane, Wintringham Way, the railway paths, the alleyways and footpaths and behind the bus stops and collected a staggering number of rubbish bags – about 20!
Purley Sustainability Group picked up sweet wrappers, cigarette ends, bottles, clothing, takeaway containers, cans, broken umbrellas, amongst other things - some particularly unpleasant unfortunately.
It is so sad that there was so much litter in the lovely village of Purley, but what damage does it cause?
- Litter can block drains and we have enough water problems as it is. Litter and plastics, end up entering our rivers (via the road drains and ditches), this harms freshwater wildlife and can go on, out to sea, via the Thames at Pangbourne.
- Litter looks like food, which wildlife eat instead of energy-rich foods they need to survive. Plastics may cause choking, airway or stomach obstruction and can ultimately lead to death.
- Equally worrying is the tiny, but deadly microplastics from litter breaking down on land or in water, that build up in the bodies of small animals, impacting many more along the food chain.
- Animals search out food, so empty food containers can act as deadly traps.
- Litter may harbour disease that can be harmful when ingested or released into our soils and rivers.
- No one likes seeing rubbish and we risk more fires!
What can we do about it?
- Be careful not to drop litter in the first place, take your rubbish home or use the litter bins.
- Educate others on the impacts of litter and encourage them to be responsible.
- Check your recycling – secure it to stop the wind blowing it away. Check recycling options in West Berkshire to ensure correct disposal of items.
- Think about using items that can be used over and over instead of purchasing single use or plastic items.
- Take part in litter picks. PSG will schedule more litter picks throughout 2025 – check purleysustainability.co.uk/events and Facebook.
Perhaps you can organise your own litter pick with your community group? - PSG (and Purley Parish) have the equipment to loan and will help you plan your own litter pick. Drop an email to info@purleysustainability.co.uk to make arrangements.
West Berkshire Council also have litter picking equipment that can be loaned out.
To arrange to borrow the equipment, please contact Customer Services.
Please give us as much notice as possible when requesting equipment and wait for confirmation before you advertise your event, as our equipment may not be available. More information: https://www.westberks.gov.uk/communitylitterpick.
 The Freshwater Habitats Trust (FHT) are inviting people across the UK to record Common Frog and Common Toad spawn that they have spotted in their garden, community ponds, and out in the countryside. 2025 PondNet Spawn Survey runs until May.
In 2024, the first spawn was recorded from a large puddle near St Ives in Cornwall on 21 December! (2024 map)
This survey helps to provide a much better understanding of when and where Frogs and Toads are breeding. All records are submitted to the the UK’s main dataset on herpetofauna (reptiles and amphibians).
Did you know that despite its name, the Common Toad is no longer as common as it once was, and Toads are now considered an ‘at risk’, Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) species, and are protected by law from sale and trade.
Lets help and get spotting! 👀
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Spawn facts
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Amphibians live on land for much of the year but return to ponds to breed in spring. This means waterbodies can become extremely crowded.
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Frog spawn is laid in big clumps, whereas toad spawn forms long chains.
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Toad spawn is generally laid in deeper water than frog spawn.
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A single frog or toad will lay thousands of eggs. This is because eggs and tadpoles are very vulnerable to predators, so only a few will survive and become adults.
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It takes between two and four weeks for spawn to hatch and tadpoles to emerge.
Freshwater Habitats Trust has a wealth of information on creating and managing ponds for wildlife. Check out their FREE booklet: Creating Garden Ponds for Wildlife.
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