 Independent businesses come to Wokingham
Shopping in Wokingham town centre is set to get even better with the recent opening of the Fiona Parry Boutique, offering a great range of ladies fashion, at Elms Walk and the announcement that local zero waste business Maya’s Refillables will be opening soon at Peach Place.
These fantastic new retailers join more than 35 businesses who have already located to Wokingham Borough Council’s regeneration developments since December 2019, the majority of which are independent businesses or boutiques.
The new Fiona Parry Boutique store, located near Starbucks on Elms Walk, offers an amazing collection of stylish women’s clothing and accessories. Whether you are looking for a complete outfit for a night on the town, or the relaxed look with some new jeans and a new top there’s a great mix to check out and see.
Maya’s Refillables, are already a favourite with local residents, having traded at Wokingham and Woodley Markets since 2019. Maya is passionate about sustainability and the new zero waste store will help local residents and businesses shop greener, reducing their single-plastic waste by buying their products in containers which can be refilled again and again.
 Local Plan Update - thanks for your feedback
We've just finished consulting on a revised growth strategy for our Local Plan Update, which will outline where new housing, developer-funded community infrastructure and more should be built until 2038.
Many thanks to everyone who shared their views on the proposal, which includes a garden village of about 4,500 homes at Hall Farm/Loddon Valley between Shinfield, Arborfield and Sindlesham, as well as about 800 additional homes at existing South Wokingham major development and 2,700 or so across 46 smaller sites.
We'll go through feedback and make some amendments, subject to a range of conditions including national planning policy, then put a revised proposal before our full council for another consultation during the summer. This will be sent to a planning inspector, along with residents' comments, for independent examination.
We know not everyone is happy with the idea but we have to take new homes to meet Government requirements as well as allowing some natural growth to keep our borough vibrant, giving future generations a chance to remain local.
To find out more about the pressures we face - and what we've done to meet your needs, while trying to keep development at a reasonable, sustainable level - visit our Building Communities the Wokingham Borough Way information page.
 Give your view on adult social care services
We’re looking for you to take part in a national survey if you receive adult social care services.
Letters with questionnaires have been sent out to around 1,400 people this week (week commencing 31 January) and these must be returned to the council by 18 March.
The 2021-22 Adult Social Care Survey is co-ordinated by NHS Digital and asks residents to give honest feedback about their experiences. Those contacted will already be using care and support services paid for or arranged by the council.
This means they may live in a care home, attend a day centre, have a care worker, use meals services or have an allocated worker within the Community Mental Health Team. The questions allow residents to evaluate their quality of life, overall health and how easy they find it to access help and information.
 Celebrating LGBT+ History Month
We’re celebrating LGBT+ History Month throughout February, with a range of online resources and events for adults and children led by the library service, to highlight the creative, political and literary impact of LGBT+ people and friends of the community.
It’s an annual month-long celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history, and the history of the gay rights and related civil rights movements. Founded in 1994 by Missouri high-school history teacher, Rodney Wilson, it was initiated in the UK by Schools Out UK and first took place in February 2005.
The event is intended to raise awareness of, and combat prejudice against, LGBT+ people and history. Our library service is highlighting books, authors and music which are creating an impact within the community and beyond.
Partnership to tackle domestic abuse
Together with more than 40 local multi-partner agencies, Wokingham Borough Council is proud to announce a collaborative partnership to deliver the Domestic Abuse Strategy (2021-2024) to support victims, survivors and their families living in Wokingham Borough.
Responding to the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, the strategy, which was approved by the decision-making executive in December, sets out approaches for providing support to domestic abuse victims and their children, holding perpetrators to account and working towards long-term wellbeing.
Early intervention, particularly in schools, will be addressed to help educate and influence values in childhood and adolescence, as well as shifting social norms to become less accepting of violence and abuse.
The partnership involves working closely with more than 40 local multi-partner agencies and organisations including the council’s domestic abuse service provider, Cranstoun, to share key service information whilst working hand-in-hand to help domestic abuse victims and survivors in Wokingham Borough.
What you might have missed
- We're looking for your views on what we run at our Kids Activity Camps. We will be launching for the Easter holidays and we want you to tell us the sporting activities you would like to see on our programme. The camps are available for borough children during the school holidays
- Have you had to self isolate after testing positive for Covid-19? If you have you can check if you're eligible for self-isolation support payment of £500 if you've lost income while staying at home
- The Covid-19 vaccine bus has returned to Wokingham Borough this week. If you still need your booster jab, follow us on Facebook and Twitter for updates on where it will be and when for the next few weeks
- Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service is consulting on how it responds to automatic fire alarms, which are in lower-risk, occupied buildings across the county. You've got to 28 March to respond
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