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 Improving leisure facilities
Our decision-making executive has approved proposals to deliver the Leisure Strategy (2021-25).
Enhancements at The Forest School
The proposal includes using Section 106 funding (money paid by housing developers for new and improved facilities) to enhance sports facilities at The Forest School in Winnersh.
This includes improvements to the swimming pool floor, refurbishment of the gym with the installation of air conditioning, enhancement of gym equipment and equipment for sports pitches.
Enhancements to the school’s gym are expected to cost £133,000 and the swimming pool improvements are expected to cost £74,000. £1,000 is allocated for new equipment for the sports pitches.
New 3G pitch proposed
A new artificial 3G pitch in the borough is also proposed, subject to planning permission, Football Foundation funding and public consultation.
This would address a shortfall in 3G provision and cater for the demand from affiliated football clubs and the local community, as identified in a Local Football Facility Plan conducted by the Football Foundation.
Previously Laurel Park in Earley had been considered as a site of the new 3G pitch, however a technical appraisal has taken place to include the original option and five others.
These are all in Earley and include Maiden Erlegh School, Chalfont Park, Lower Earley Events Field, the field next to Sindlesham Mill and Meredith Way.
The technical appraisal identified Maiden Erlegh School as the most suitable location for the new 3G pitch but no decision will be made until a full public consultation is held in September.
The cost of the 3G pitch with associated works is around £800,000. The council would contribute £300,000 and the Football Foundation would contribute £500,000.
 Community taking action on waste
We've worked alongside partners to run a Waste Action Day at the Acorn Community Centre in Woosehill.
Residents from across the borough joined us to learn how to act to reduce their waste, with a range of stallholders on hand to inspire, answer questions and roll out new initiatives.
There were representatives from our MyJourney Wokingham active travel team, WATCH Wokingham, Hawthorns Primary School, our adult social care provider Optalis, SHARE Wokingham and Too Good to Go (find out more on our partnership with them in the article below).
You can see more pictures from the day on our Facebook and Instagram pages.
 Don't spark a fire during summer heatwave
High temperatures and dry conditions carry risks to our countryside. We've recently had two incidents at our countryside sites which the fire brigade attended.
We’re urging residents to be extra vigilant when you're out and about in the extreme heat. Signs have been put up in our various countryside sites as a reminder of possible fire risks.
Meanwhile, here are some tips for you to stay safe while enjoying the great outdoors:
- Don't light barbecues (and if you do bring food or drink, please take your litter home or dispose of it responsibly)
- Avoid lighting open fires
- Don’t dispose of lit cigarettes on the ground
- Don’t leave bottles or glass lying around, because sunlight shining through glass can start a fire
The Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service website has more advice.
Emergency alerts updates
Later this morning we’ll send an Emergency Alert update with all the key heatwave advice heading into the weekend.
Emergency Alerts is our newsletter we use in extreme hot and cold weather, as well as emergency incidents in the borough which have a wide impact. Sign up using the button below and here’s a few useful links ahead of the weekend:
 Partner businesses needed to cut food waste
The Too Good To Go app is one of our partners in reducing waste and tackling the climate emergency. It helps food businesses sell their surplus food items in the form of ‘magic bags’, instead of throwing them away to be incinerated or sent to landfill.
As part of our partnership, the app will waive the administration fees for the first six months on the platform if businesses in the borough sign up the end of the year.
At present, 110 cafes, coffee shops, supermarkets, bakeries and the like across the borough have joined the app.
Thanks to their effort, over 46,000 magic bags that might have gone into the bin have been saved. This is equivalent to the carbon dioxide emissions from 1,310 flights from London to Berlin.
Businesses wanting to know more or sign up can go to the Too Good To Go website.
What you might have missed
Sign up for more updates using our newsletter sign up form. Here’s everything we’ve sent in the last week if you want to take a look before signing up:
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