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The previous version of this newsletter was missing a link. You'll find an updated version below. Apologies for any confusion caused.
Tuesday’s edition of Residents’ Round-up will be special looking at our budget for 2023/24.
We’ll look at how we’ve made savings under financial pressure and how central Government leaves Wokingham Borough worse off than any other unitary council in the country, meaning residents have to pick up the bill and lose out.
Most importantly we’ll look at how how it impacts services you use in the area – keep your eyes peeled for when it drops in your inbox on Tuesday morning.
 Teaming up to map walking routes
If you’re planning a hike around the borough, we’ve produced a new online interactive tool in partnership with Loddon Valley Ramblers to make it easier for you.
We’ve updated our definitive rights of way map with help from the charity, whose volunteers walked all 238 km (140 miles) of our footpaths, bridleways and byways and recorded the location of all 84 stiles, 231 gates, 108 bridges, 21 benches and 876 signs.
You can search for the nearest routes in your area, then click on points of interest to find out more. If you encounter something not listed on your travels, report it and we’ll aim to update the map or fix faults as soon as we can.
We hope this map will be especially helpful for people with mobility issues, who may struggle to navigate stiles, and we’re working to replace as many of these with gates as possible. Our thanks go to the Ramblers - we’d really have struggled to produce this without them.
 Next steps for solar farm
We’ve appointed Bouygues Energies and Services as the contractor for the new solar farm on land between Barkham and Finchampstead.
Planning permission for the 29 mega watts (MWp) capacity solar farm was granted in September 2021. This means that on a good day, the solar farm could generate 29 mega watts of energy - equivalent to the power needed for 8,500 homes.
The solar farm is just one of the many ways we are helping the environment by generating sustainable power within the borough. It also has financial benefits for the public purse.
Work will now start on designing the solar farm, with initial survey work starting in the coming weeks meaning residents will start to see more activity in and around the site. It is intended that construction work to install the solar panels will start towards the end of the year.
 Another funding lifeline for local buses
Subsidised buses in Wokingham Borough have received a funding boost to keep them going until we can agree new long-term contracts with operators.
We've extended our support, which was due to expire on 31 March, until 31 August to help services facing reduced passenger numbers and high running costs.
Our executive made the decision last night (Thursday, 16 February) and agreed to put the contracts to tender for three years from September, allowing for increased costs. We previously sought the same service at the same rate but weren't successful.
The contracted routes, currently run by Reading Buses and Thames Valley Buses, serve Wokingham town centre and its surroundings, villages south of the M4, the A327 corridor and the number 19 routes from Lower Earley to Reading.
The extended funding and new contracts will be partly funded by payments that developers must make towards local services or infrastructure. We're committed to supporting public transport, along with walking and cycling options, to meet our environmental commitments and help you live healthily and affordably.
 Young people’s views on arts and culture
If you are a parent or guardian, encourage your child to take part in a survey to help shape the development of arts and culture in the borough.
We are asking young people aged 25 or under to share with us:
- how they are involved in arts activities and events
- challenges they face in accessing them
- their views on how to make the borough an arts and culture hub
Take the arts survey, open until 19 March, on our Engage website. It can also be taken offline by calling our customer services team on (0118) 974 6000 or visiting one of the borough’s libraries.
Feedback from the survey will feed into plans for developing arts and culture across the borough. This includes a new Cultural Education Partnership to increase access to arts and cultural activities for children and young people.
 Do you feel safe in your community?
We want your views on any issues or concerns you have on crime or anti-social behaviour.
Although the majority of residents may not think they have been directly affected by crime or anti-social behaviour, we welcome feedback from those who may still have concerns about their personal safety, as well as their family, friends and community.
As part of the community safety partnership, we work closely with the key organisations responsible for keeping the borough safe including Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service, Thames Valley Police, the National Probation Service and the NHS.
You can fill in the survey, which is open until April, anonymously using the button below.
What you might have missed
Here’s every update we’ve sent to the public in the last week:
Like the look of something you’ve seen here? Sign up for more email updates on our website.
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