Helping those in need to save on energy bills
We’re helping residents to save more than £1 million in fuel costs, as part of the Hardship Alliance, by providing energy efficient devices.
Using the Government's Household Support Fund, this partnership has turned a £60,000 investment into about £150,000 in savings this winter alone.
More than 2,000 items like shower timers, heated blankets, air fryers and much more were provided to about 900 families in need to help them continue heating their homes and cooking hot meals amid soaring living costs.
During their lifespan, these devices will save about £1.2 million on energy bills so they'll also help fight the climate emergency by reducing carbon emissions.
Families needing this support for the first time should contact First Days’ support team while organisations seeking items for clients can send an email.
A range of help is available for anyone struggling with the cost of living and you can find out more on our information hub.
Cllr Kerr presented with 'Berkshire is warming' stripes
Last week, Britain's biggest sporting celebration of climate action and nature, the Running Out of Time Relay, reached the fourth greenest university in the UK at the University of Reading.
In hot temperatures, Reading students, staff and some of the world's leading meteorologists followed the baton relay around the Whiteknights campus on the latest leg of the 2,661km climate relay, which has been running from Ben Nevis to Big Ben to raise awareness of our warming world.
Executive member for climate emergency and resident services Cllr Sarah Kerr took part in the relay and ran two kilometres from Reading School to the University of Reading.
Afterwards, she was presented with a framed copy of the ‘Berkshire is warming’ climate stripes from the University of Reading.
The climate stripes represent the rise in global average temperatures over two centuries. The message is clear: we’re running out of time and we must do our bit to help tackle climate change.
We plan to put the framed climate stripes in a publicly accessible location for residents to see. Keep a look out on our social media channels and in our newsletter where we will announce the confirmed location.
Find out more about our climate emergency work by visiting our website.
Thank you to Mike Brogden for the photograph.
Allotments spring back to life with green makeover
We’ve given a modern makeover to a century-old allotment site at Twyford, in partnership with the parish council.
The previously unused allotments at Hurst Road now boast green innovations like a shed with plug sockets powered by solar panels and an odour-free "dry" or composting toilet that doesn’t use water or chemicals.
The £33,000 scheme is welcoming applications from residents of the Matthewsgreen area in the emerging new community at North Wokingham, and complements those available at Keephatch Beech, off Diamond Jubilee Way, and at Montague Park in the new community at South Wokingham.
It was funded by contributions from developers building new homes in the area as part of their obligation to fund local amenities, which we know is important.
We're striving to make the borough carbon neutral by 2030, which includes making buildings and amenities as energy efficient as possible.
Campaigning for more sustainable housing growth
The leader of Wokingham Borough Council has affirmed his commitment to keep lobbying for a fairer deal on our area’s housing numbers.
Cllr Stephen Conway, who took over from Cllr Clive Jones in May, says he'll maintain his predecessor’s efforts to make our position heard in Government.
We think national planning policy should be more transparent, consistent and fair to all parts of the country – including a more sensible approach to new housing.
The current system doesn't consider our individual circumstances and imposes challenging housing requirements on us, and we argue it should be replaced with one that looks more at the national picture.
This could allocate more housing to areas that genuinely need it to support economic growth, in keeping with the Government’s levelling-up agenda.
We're pressing this point to local MPs as we update our own local plan and, once we've discussed a timetable for this, will look to consult on the next steps.
Team praised for anti-terror efforts
Our Community Safety Team have been commended by Homeland Security, part of the Home Office, for the work they have undertaken to prevent people within our community from being drawn into terrorism.
After a successful funding bid of £20,000 for a new government grant, preventing radicalisation in unfunded areas, the team coordinated a Prevent training programme for the voluntary and community sector across Berkshire West which was delivered by Connect Futures.
The team have also been working with local schools, Bracknell and Wokingham College and Berkshire Youth network to educate students and parents about online safety.
These are just two examples of how the team play a vital role mitigating the risk of radicalisation and terrorism in our communities and they have been praised for the fantastic work they have achieved with limited resources.
Local authorities have a legal duty to protect people from radicalisation and the Government have said we’re doing this very well. They say our work shows good practice for an unfunded area and is among the best in the Thames Valley.
Funding awarded to help protect nature
Planning will soon get underway to prioritise areas where nature can be expanded and protected in Berkshire, after the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead received a share of £14million of Government money.
The Royal Borough has been designated as Berkshire’s responsible authority for the Local Nature Recovery Strategy – one of 48 such authorities across the country.
Over the next two years, the Royal Borough will lead the work with the county’s five other unitary authorities, including Wokingham Borough Council, or supporting authorities, and their communities.
The work will inform where resources are needed to improve, protect, or enlarge habitats, create corridors between them, or create new ones on land or around watercourses.
Through consultation with residents, community groups, the farming community, and businesses, a nature map of opportunities will be created, as well as a list of priorities. It is hoped to be published in the winter of 2024.
The Government hopes it will be integrated into planning processes, so areas of greatest potential are better reflected in planning decisions. In addition, funding can be sought for specific projects within the strategy. Find out more about the strategy by visiting the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead's website.
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