 Cycling, walking and wheeling in West Berkshire is set to be boosted thanks to a £328,000 grant from Active Travel England.
The funding will go towards our design and delivery of new active travel initiatives. A number of initiatives have been already been delivered using previous funding including:
- introduction of an additional School Street scheme at Francis Baily School in Thatcham
- development of proposals to improve the pedestrian and cycle connection between Theale and Calcot; and
- development of plans for Stage 2 of the Stockcross Linkway, intended to connect into the wider Newbury area network via Speen Lane.
We plan to spend more than £1.2m next year on active travel initiatives – which with the grant would bring the total spend on active travel to over £1.5m.
More information about active travel in West Berkshire is available here.
 Work is underway on a brilliant £2.6m project at the Castle School, Newbury that will provide thirty-two new places for pupils aged 2-19 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), many of whom also have physical disabilities and sensory needs.
The project, which was given planning approval in July 2024 will provide four new classrooms with break-out and small group rooms and associated welfare facilities, including a full wet-room. It will be sustainably heated via Air Source Heat Pumps and has been designed to meet BREEAM 'Excellent' in line with the Council's Zero Carbon 2030 targets.
EW Beard Construction has begun preparing the site for the build which is due for completion by early December 2025. Specialist equipment will be fitted ready for the first students in early January 2026.
 Sign up for Council Tax e-billing by Friday (28 February) to be in with a chance to win a day pass to a leisure centre of your choice.
We've got 100 day passes up for grabs - each valid for two people - to one of our leisure centres run by our leisure partner Everyone Active.
Anyone who has signed up for Council Tax e-billing between the launch in December 2024 and Friday 28 February 2025 will be entered into the draw.
The Health Scrutiny Committee has established a Task Group to review children's mental health and emotional wellbeing. We would like to gather feedback from parents, guardians, and community members to understand their key concerns and experiences better.
The Task Group, chaired by Councillor Martha Vickers, is leading a series of sessions with key stakeholders, including schools, public health, Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, and the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board.
The goal is to understand needs and concerns regarding young people's mental health and consider the services available to support them with their mental health, and how services work together. This feedback can highlight issues, concerns, positive experiences, or questions.
To share your thoughts email Executivecycle@westberks.gov.uk
Your input will help inform the Councillors' questions to partners at these meetings.
Once the sessions conclude in April 2025, a report will be written, including recommendations for improvements, which will be presented to a future Health Scrutiny Committee.
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