 Smoother school run thanks to traffic-free path
Our latest section of greenway at Woosehill Meadows is proving popular with residents, including pupils of the nearby Windmill, Hawthorns and St Paul’s primary schools, who use it to get to school.
Both are designated “air quality schools” which work with our My Journey Wokingham team to monitor air pollution and reduce it by changing how they travel.
Greenways are a network of typically traffic-free paths linking key destinations across the borough, and this section is part of a route between Cantley Park in Wokingham and Arborfield Cross via Woosehill Meadows.
It has a hard, permeable surface to make it accessible in all weathers and will blend in with its surroundings as the grass on either side grows back. The area around Kingfisher Bridge has also been tidied up.
Greenways are mostly funded by developers building new homes in the area, and the money is “ring-fenced” for this purpose so it can’t be spent on services or other running costs.
Next phase of Wokingham to Arborfield greenway coming soon
As part of the same project, our contractor Volker Highways is set to resurface Coombes Lane and Coles Lane near Barkham from next week. This will take about five days and is likely to include closures, typically from 8am to 6pm.
Unlike much of the greenways network, this stretch will remain open to traffic. It will be more accessible to pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders than before and will be followed by a new, improved bridge at Coles Lane ford.
There’s no connection to our recent planning enforcement actions in protected woodland next to the new greenway, which we’re still committed to protecting from inappropriate and unlawful development.
 New stackable housing almost complete
A state-of-the-art temporary housing site to help homeless families remain in Wokingham borough has been shortlisted for an industry award as it nears completion.
The 23 modular timber-clad units at Grovelands Park in Winnersh, which replace outdated mobile homes that couldn't be maintained, will provide a comfortable setting for those awaiting a more permanent home.
They will offer high energy efficiency, helping us honour our climate emergency commitments - and our project partner Rollalong, a modular construction specialist, was recently named a finalist in this year's London Construction Awards.
Funding comes from money already earmarked for improving housing stock and, as we grapple with spiralling costs like inflation and energy bills, should save hundreds of thousands of pounds a year on more expensive bed and breakfast places.
It will also help local families to remain in the area at a vulnerable and uncertain time, rather than becoming cut off from their support networks.
Despite our financial challenges, we’ve affirmed our commitment to protecting essential services.
 Powering up our drive towards greener journeys
Dozens of electric vehicle charging points are closer to being installed across Wokingham borough now that funding is available. We’re getting a Government grant for 38 chargers in 19 locations, which will cover 60 per cent of the cost.
This comes from the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme, run by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) with support from the Energy Saving Trust. The remaining money will be paid by the supplier once a contract is agreed.
Twelve sites are residential streets in Wokingham town, Twyford, Winnersh, Earley, Woodley, Arborfield, Finchampstead and Wargrave, which were chosen following consultation with residents.
The others will go in our car parks at Denmark Street, Rose Street and Cockpit Path, all in Wokingham town, Polehampton Close (West) in Twyford, Station Road in Earley and Crockhamwell Road and Headley Road in Woodley.
We were keen to pursue the grant, which is mostly for streets that don’t have off-street parking, as part of our strategy to tackle climate change and improve air quality by reducing emissions.
We've declared a climate emergency and pledged to play as full a part as we can in making the borough a net-zero carbon producer by 2030.
 Application to fund new SEND schools
We’ve started applying for funding to open two new schools in the borough for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
An increasing number of our children have educational, health and care plans (EHCP) and there isn't enough local provision so they're having to spend additional time travelling to schools outside the borough.
Just under 1,500 pupils had an EHCP in January this year, equating to 2.5 per cent of the school-aged population, and it's thought that this could rise by 60 per cent to 2,400 in the next three years.
We’re putting forward parts of Rook's Nest Farm (Barkham parish) and Grays Farm (Wokingham Without parish) as suitable sites, although both would be subject to public consultation and would need planning consent.
If the proposals were to go ahead, the schools could be ready for September 2026.
 Huge response to walking and cycling proposals
We’d like to thank our residents, businesses and community groups for sharing their views on plans to improve the borough’s walking and cycling links in the long term.
We’re analysing your comments on our draft Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan, which we consulted on between 11 July and 2 October, and we’re grateful for the overwhelming response to this survey.
We received almost 4,500 written comments and 7,546 responses overall, which was far higher than expected and among the largest responses we’ve ever recorded for a consultation of this kind.
The plan outlines key active travel networks around the borough plus specific improvements like new cycleways, improved crossings or lower speed limits.
All would be subject to consultation and outside funding, none of which is currently allocated, while the plan will always be open to updates.
 VIDEO: See inside town's smart new library
In our last edition, we reported on the opening of an exciting new library at the new Wokingham Leisure Centre, part of the Carnival Hub project.
If you haven't visited already, take a quick peek at this video tour!
Find out more about our libraries or read more about their digital services.
|
