 Blue bag delivery starting next week
We'll start dropping blue general rubbish bags on doorsteps from Monday (6 February) and expect to have delivered them to all houses by mid-March.
Each house will get a roll of 54 bags, to cover the period from April this year to March 2024, along with a leaflet giving information on how to recycle more and waste less. You can look up your delivery date on our website.
We aren't supplying food caddy liners this year, as we announced last July, because the cost has risen hugely and we're facing big financial challenges. We have to make savings so we can keep services going for those who are struggling.
For this reason, we also agreed last September to reduce the number of blue bags from the previous figure of 80. These two changes have allowed us to keep to our current waste budget and not increase it by £269,000 in total.
If you live in a flat and have a bin store with a wheeled bin for rubbish, you can use any plastic bags because blue bags aren't delivered to these properties.
Saving the planet can save you money too
Disposing of waste costs us more than twice as much as recycling, which is why recycling more and throwing less away is so important.
For most of you, about one blue bag a week should be plenty if you put everything that can be recycled in the green recycling bags and the food waste containers. Additional green recycling bags are available, if you need more.
We’ve found that over half of what goes in our blue bags is recyclable, with food waste being the biggest culprit, followed by paper, cardboard, soft plastic bags and others. If we stop wasting them in this way, we could save about £1 million a year.
Also, don't forget that you can still line your caddy with whatever bags you have at home, buy your own liners or just leave it unlined. All bags are removed at the recycling plant so choose whatever's best for you.
 How could we improve your local journeys?
We'd like everyone who walks, cycles, takes public transport or drives around the borough to answer some simple questions to help us make this safer and easier as we face the challenges of the future.
Your views will guide our updated Local Transport Plan, a strategy document outlining how we maintain and improve footways, cycle lanes, roads and other routes. For a better idea, have a look at our current version which runs to 2026.
This will offer more ways of getting around and more chances to leave the car at home, especially for shorter journeys, which is essential as we strive to reduce air pollution and congestion and tackle the climate emergency.
During this initial engagement, which runs until 12 March, we’re asking your thoughts on things like more support for electric vehicles and cycle parking, or providing more space for pedestrians on pavements in village and town centres.
This will be followed by more detailed consultation, but we’d like you to take part now so the draft reflects your wants and needs from the outset.
 Free HIV testing - get yourself checked
During National HIV Testing Week, which starts next Monday (6 to 12 February), we're encouraging as many people as possible to check their HIV status.
We're supporting a campaign by Thames Valley Positive Support (TVPS), a charity on a mission to eliminate HIV infections by 2030, which is offering quick, free and confidential community testing.
Our public health team has provided £10,000 in funding towards this scheme, which is also running in Reading and West Berkshire. Sessions are in discreet venues and the test takes one minute to give a result on the spot.
To make testing even easier, the charity is also offering free postal test kits. These can be sent direct, or picked up from TVPS when they're in the area. They come in plain packaging and you get your results via text or phone call.
For more information or bookings, email TVPS, call (01628) 603400 or send a WhatsApp message to 07727 289712 and they'll confirm a date and location.
 Your views on proposed new ward boundaries
You can now have your say on proposed changes to electoral wards in Wokingham Borough before Monday, 10 April.
The Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) has launched a consultation suggesting there should be 18 wards in the borough, each represented by three councillors. This is seven fewer wards in total than at present.
The LGBCE is an independent body that recommends fair electoral and boundary arrangements for local authorities. The aim is to ensure each councillor represents a similar number of voters and reflect the borough's electoral cycle.
Full details of the proposals and the consultation can be found on the LGBCE website. People can also give their views by email or by post to: Review Officer (Wokingham), LGBCE, PO Box 133, Blyth, NE24 9FE.
 Donate to help community with cost of living crisis
There’s still time to donate to the Surviving Winter crowdfund, supporting the borough’s communities through the cost of living crisis.
You’ve helped us raise almost £10,000 already, meaning £30,000 will be going into the pot to help the community. We want to raise even more.
Here’s what some donors have had to say so far:
“I want to make it easy for local people who are struggling to access support, and to show that we're a community that will help each other.”
“We're in it together - happy to be able to offer some small support.”
 Don't miss your chance to get Covid booster
The NHS is encouraging residents to come forward for their Covid booster before the offer ends this month. You can book an appointment on the national booking site.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has advised that the offer for autumn booster doses, as well as the first Covid booster dose for everyone aged 16 to 49, will end on Sunday 12 February.
The Covid vaccine programme has been highly successful and the NHS will continue to operate a smaller scale version after the deadline for those at high risk. We will help to publicise details as soon as they're available.
What you might have missed
Here’s every update we’ve sent in the last week:
You can sign up for any of the newsletters above, and more, on our website.
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