 Don't miss your chance to shape your community's future
A revised blueprint for new homes and supporting infrastructure across Wokingham Borough is set to go before residents for their views.
When it next meets on 12 November, our executive is expected to agree to launch a public consultation on the authority’s new Local Plan Update: Revised Growth Strategy.
This would run from 22 November to 17 January next year and everyone should take part because the finished document will help meet demand for new housing, schools, roads, green spaces, community and leisure facilities and other amenities for many years.
Unlike the previous draft Local Plan, which people were consulted on last year, a new town of about 15,000 homes at Grazeley is no longer proposed. Following an unexpected extension of the emergency planning zone around AWE Burghfield to include that area, the Ministry of Defence now opposes development so it isn’t considered achievable.
We therefore suggest an alternative approach which will continue allocating most new development to carefully planned major new communities so suitable infrastructure can be provided.
Public meetings will be held from 7pm to 9pm at St Crispin's School in Wokingham on 22 November or at Arborfield Green Leisure Centre on 30 November. Please consider taking a Covid-19 lateral flow test before attending.
There will also be four virtual meetings on 2 and 6 December running from 6pm to 7pm and 7.30pm to 8.30pm on each date, one of which will be recorded for viewing on demand.
All places must be booked in advance by visiting the Engage Wokingham Borough webpage. You can read more on our news website.
 Book a free taster session or tour at BXGFit
Final preparations are taking place at BXGFit, Wokingham’s first boxing fitness hub, as it gets ready to open this winter.
We're investing in the state-of-the-art boxing fitness hub at Peach Place following an increased demand in combat sports and fitness sessions across the borough.
The hub includes a training ring, storage rig with three fitness stations, a functional cube rig with attachments for four to six fitness stations and punchbags including aquabags, heavy bags and uppercut bags.
We are offering residents free thirty-minute tours of the new boxing gym every Monday and Wednesday from now until 24 November 2021.
The tours can be booked on the BXGFit app, available on the Apple App Store or Google Play, and via the Eventbrite website. The app can be downloaded for free by searching ‘BXGFit’ in Android’s Play Store or Apple’s App Store.
In addition, residents are invited to try out the boxing equipment by booking a free thirty-minute taster session which are available this week on 10 and 11 November (available on the app only).
 Cooking on sunshine at The Bulmershe School
As part of our plans to help tackle the climate emergency and achieve a carbon net zero Wokingham Borough by 2030, we’re working hard to make our schools and buildings more energy efficient.
We’ve recently helped make The Bulmershe School’s catering a little bit greener by installing new solar panels across the roof of the building in which the kitchen is based.
The 131 new panels, which replace older and less efficient versions, could generate up to 49kw per hour at maximum capacity, enough green energy to power much of the equipment the kitchen uses each day as well as saving tonnes of carbon emissions from being released into the atmosphere.
And there is even better news as the original solar panels removed from the school won’t go to waste, as we’re currently storing them ready to reuse for new projects in place such as the country parks.
Find out more on our news website.
 Tackling financial hardship in the borough – have your say
We are asking for residents’ input to help shape a brand-new strategy aimed at tackling financial hardship and related challenges in the borough, and ensuring all residents have access to the support they need.
The Covid-19 pandemic has brought about many challenges for local people, impacting their standards of living and health and wellbeing. By taking part in the survey, you will help us understand more about the issues that are affecting people, with key topics including family and home life, employment and income, and access to support.
The information will be used alongside other key data points to help inform the strategy and ensure we have the right support in place to help residents who are on low income, or who are facing financial hardship for the first time.
The engagement is taking place on our new online platform, Engage Wokingham Borough, which is being used to improve how we listen to residents and ensure there is a two-way dialogue. You can sign up to Engage Wokingham Borough and take part in the survey and others via our Engage Wokingham Borough webpage.
 50+ Job Skills Workshop
Are you aged over 50 and looking for a new job? Are you having concerns about a range of factors that might affect your chances of success? Wokingham Job Support Centre is running a free workshop on Tuesday 23 November between 10.30am and 12.30pm specifically designed to help you explore the potential of your transferable skills and celebrate your wealth of knowledge and capabilities in a relaxed and informal small group.
The workshop is taking place at The Cornerstone, Norreys Avenue, Wokingham, RG40 1UE. To register and book a place call (0118) 977 0517 or email: jobsearch@wjsc.org.uk
 Limited Christmas Market huts available
Get into the festive spirit as Cantley Park’s first Christmas Market is set to light up the event field this winter. The Christmas Market will take place in-person from 24 November until 23 December 2021 (excluding 1 December).
The free event offers residents the perfect chance to shop local for Christmas presents from a wide range of traders including food, homeware, arts and crafts, gifts and much more.
If you are looking to exhibit at the Christmas Market, we have a limited number of stalls available and are running an early Black Friday discount of 10% on all bookings made before 12 November. Each exhibitor will have a 3.2m x 2m market hut equipped with power and adorned in a festive garland with festoon lights. For more information, email artsandculture@wokingham.gov.uk
What you might have missed
- Join Wokingham Borough Mayor Cllr Keith Baker MBE and his chosen charity Chance to Dance CIC at a fundraising Christmas Fair on 28 November
- Gritting season has started three weeks earlier than planned due to low temperatures. For regular updates of when we are deploying the gritters, follow our traffic and travel Facebook and Twitter pages
- We've ramped up installation of CCTV cameras in a bid to crack down on illegal fly-tipping
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