 Turning a new page in town library's history
Wokingham town centre’s new library opened yesterday (Tuesday, 20 September) at the Carnival Hub, our flagship new community building.
The new library, which moved from its old home on Denmark Street, will be a focal point for residents with all the favourite spaces like browsing areas for books and resources, access to computers and a fantastic children’s area with fun seating.
There's space for exhibitions, larger meeting rooms which can be combined into one big space, private study and research areas, soft seating and breakout sections with tables and chairs, plus with a new area specially designed for teens.
For now, the usual opening hours will apply of Monday and Tuesdays 9.30am to 5pm, Wednesdays 9.30am to 4pm, Thursdays 9.30am to 7pm, Fridays 9.30am to 5pm and Saturdays 9.30am to 4pm.
The library remains closed on a Sunday, although we'll keep reviewing opening hours as we realise visitor numbers could change with the move to a new venue.
A safe, welcoming space for everyone
Carnival Hub is also home to the long-awaited new Wokingham Leisure Centre, as we've reported in previous editions of this newsletter.
We're pleased to report that it's now officially a breastfeeding-friendly venue after Places Leisure, our provider, signed up for the Breastfeeding Network’s (BfN) Breastfeeding Friendly Scheme.
Staff will be trained on offering a supportive environment, ensuring a safe space to breastfeed in public without fear of negative attitudes from other people.
This will support official public health advice that giving babies breast milk exclusively for the first six months is recommended where possible.
 Pitch in with your views on sports plans
We want to know what you think about our plans to build a 3G artificial sports pitch at Maiden Erlegh School in Earley.
The scheme is part of our new leisure strategy for the 2021 to 2025 period, approved by our decision-making executive earlier this year, and would still be subject to planning permission, Football Foundation funding and the community's views.
There's currently a shortage of sports pitches in Wokingham borough and we want to meet this demand with high-quality facilities that will help our residents to enjoy themselves and stay healthy.
If all goes as expected, work could start in the 2023 summer holidays. This would mean that local football teams, which are underserved at the moment, would have less need to travel outside the borough for training.
A technical study concluded that Maiden Erlegh was the best site based on existing facilities and it would also be used by pupils during term time.
You can view the proposals at a drop-in session at the school, which we've previously publicised, from 6pm to 7.30pm tonight (Wednesday, 21 September). The address is Maiden Erlegh School, Silverdale Road, Earley, RG6 7HS.
You can also find out more and share your views on our Engage Wokingham Borough website until Monday, 3 October. For help or alternative formats like paper or electronic (PDF), call us on (0118) 974 6000 or visit one of the borough’s libraries.
 How can we make cycling and walking easier?
A consultation on ideas to improve Wokingham borough's walking and cycling links has been extended to ensure everybody has their say.
Since 11 July, we’ve been seeking your views on our draft Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) - a strategic document outlining where routes could be made easier and safer for users, including those who wheel, scoot or skate.
We’ve already had more comments than expected and we’re pleased to see many people taking an interest. However, others had problems using the original consultation site, created by an outside organisation, due to technical problems.
To ensure nobody’s excluded, we’ve moved the affected section to our own Engage Wokingham Borough platform and are taking feedback until Sunday, October 2. We’ll ask to you to register to ensure responses are genuine, but this is free and simple.
The plan is part of a wider effort to reduce private vehicle use across the borough, which will improve air quality and reduce carbon emissions, while increasing opportunities to travel actively for better physical and mental health.
To view the plans or respond in a different format, contact our customer services team on (0118) 974 6000 or visit one of the borough's libraries.
 Clearing the way for new homes at Gorse Ride
We've taken another big step in the regeneration of Gorse Ride in Finchampstead by carrying out final demolition works so our contractors can start building new homes.
The site is being handed over to Wates Group so that preliminary ground works can be carried out to allow 249 new modern houses to be built. This will be followed by utilities works for the foundations to go in next year.
A massive 74 per cent of these will be affordable to meet growing local demand and they've also been designed to be energy efficient, with high levels of insulation and low carbon features like air source heat pumps to reduce emissions and make them more affordable to heat.
We’ve worked closely with the community to put residents at the heart of the process and have continued to update our designs to take into account their feedback, as well as the latest guidance on designing energy efficient housing.
We'll continue to stay in touch through the residents' steering group and other drop-in events. Many of the vacant homes at Gorse Ride are already demolished and a series of archaeological studies were recently carried out.
 Greener travel network continues to grow
We've almost finished the latest phase of our greenways scheme – a network of mostly traffic-free routes to improve active travel to key destinations in the borough.
The latest section of this project crosses Woosehill Meadows in Wokingham town as part of a route linking Cantley Park to the north with Arborfield Cross to the west.
The finished route will run from Heron Road to Bearwood Road via woodland at Fox Hill, then along Coombes Lane and Coles Lane with a new bridge at Coles Lane ford.
Work at Coombes Lane is set to start next month and we're also hosting a meeting to discuss another section from Cantley Park at Milton Road to Woosehill Meadows.
This takes place at Emmbrook Village Hall at 7.45pm next Tuesday (27 September), where council officers will explain the options and seek people's views. Anyone wishing to attend should email our project officer or drop in on the night.
We plan to build several greenways over the next decade or so. The first, running from Arborfield to Finchampstead via California County Park, opened in 2020.
It's part of our goal to get people out of their cars and travelling actively to reduce air pollution, help tackle the climate emergency and help everyone live more healthily.
 Colourful training aid for horses and riders
Horse riders have a chance to prepare for the eye-catching road improvements which we’re planning to carry out in Finchampstead.
We’ve worked with our highways consultant WSP and the nearby Wheatlands Farm livery yard to install a training panel that will help horses get used to our proposed new markings and improved road layout at California Crossroads.
The junction, consisting of two mini-roundabouts with five crossings, is set to be decorated with leaf-shaped designs in various colours as part of a scheme to slow traffic down and make it look nicer. However, during public consultations, the riding community told us that an unfamiliar surface could make their horses nervous.
We took their concerns seriously and are pleased that the new panel will allow them as much off-road training as they need before encountering the real thing. It’s proven popular since we installed it in June and we’ve been thanked for our efforts.
There’s no charge to use it, but bookings must be made in advance so that enough time can be allocated for every user. Anyone who is interested should email Wheatlands Farm.
 A better layout, however you're travelling
We want to make the California crossroads safer and easier for cyclists and pedestrians, including children walking to Nine Mile Ride Primary School and the neighbouring pre-school, in line with our aim of promoting active and sustainable travel over car use wherever we can.
The overhaul includes shared access for pedestrians on the approach road to the school, part of which will be sectioned off with bollards, plus speed cushions, new seating near the shops, wider footways and decorative "totem" signs warning drivers they are entering a busy village centre.
It was drawn up following extensive consultation with the community and follows the rollout of similar layouts at locations including Poynton in Cheshire, Coventry city centre and Ponders End in north London, where they have proven successful.
We hope to carry out the work during the 2023/24 financial year, possibly over the 2023 summer holiday although this remains subject to change. We’ll work as quickly as we can and with the least possible disruption.
 Activity centre hits first major landmark
Our £2.4m Dinton Activity Centre, at Dinton Pastures Country Park near Hurst, will mark the first anniversary of its official opening tomorrow (Thursday, 22 September).
It's our first net-zero carbon building with eco-friendly materials and features to support our goal of helping the borough address the climate emergency. It was partly built off-site and assembled to reduce disruption and the environmental impact.
The two-storey building, clad in Siberian larch, includes a fun climbing wall with modern locking mechanisms allowing people to climb without a partner. Its green additions include solar panels and windcatchers on the roof, LED lighting and air source heat pumps - all of which reduce energy usage and running costs.
It's also home to the Coffee Deck, a coffee shop on the upper-floor terrace with stunning views over the lake. Why not pop in for a hot drink and a snack?
We're very proud that the project, completed in partnership with modular construction experts Reds10 and HLM Architects, recently played a key role in our winning a top industry award for how we carry out big building projects.
Fun at Dinton is open to all
Dinton Pastures and the Dinton Activity Centre are welcoming places for all residents regardless of age or ability level.
For less mobile visitors, there are accessible features like toilets and changing rooms while those with walking difficulties can hire a free mobility scooter (advance booking and induction required).
The centre offers all kinds of inclusive activities like the Sailability sessions on our sailing lake for those with sensory issues or special educational needs. Staff are trained to help visitors from a range of backgrounds.
Earlier this year, the footpath around Black Swan Lake was resurfaced to make it more even for wheelchair users or visitors with prams and buggies.
 Roads improved around Arborfield village
We expect to finish improving the roads around Arborfield village and Arborfield Cross by the end of this month.
We recently installed a "modal filter" on School Road, effectively making it a no-through road for vehicles, and are carrying out other measures in the area including speed limit reductions and new markings to encourage slower speeds.
The modal filter is operating under an experimental traffic order, meaning it will be in place for at least a year to record data and people's feedback.
You can send comments, quoting the reference 2022/E06/001, to Traffic Management, Parking & Road Safety Team, Shute End, Wokingham, RG40 1WL or email tm.consultations@wokingham.gov.uk.
We pledged to carry out these improvements as part of the Observer Way project, a relief road serving the Arborfield area which opened in late 2020, following consultation with the public and other agencies like the police.
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