 Allotments spring back to life with green makeover
We’ve given a modern makeover to a century-old allotment site for use by residents of the Matthewsgreen area in the major new community at North Wokingham.
The allotments at Hurst Road, Twyford, 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 scheme is welcoming applications, which will be handled by Twyford Parish Council, and complements those at Keephatch Beech, off Diamond Jubilee Way, and at Montague Park in the South Wokingham new community.
It was funded by developers building new homes in the area as part of their obligation to fund local amenities, which we know is important and we ensure through legal agreements linked to planning consents.
We're striving to make the borough carbon neutral by 2030, which includes making buildings and amenities as energy efficient as possible.
 Open events at community's new school
A series of open events will be held at St Cecilia's Church of England Primary School in Matthewsgreen, North Wokingham, from September this year.
For more information or to book a place, visit the school website.
The school opened for selected academic years in January to meet rising demand from some age groups and relieve pressure on other schools.
Parents or carers of any aged children are welcome to attend the open events, but no decision is yet taken on opening a nursery or reception in 2024.
St Cecilia’s premises were funded by developers building new homes which the council is required to provide under its Local Plan.
Developers also funded the adjacent neighbourhood centre, which includes a Your Co-op food store that opened in February.
First steps for new Matthewsgreen playground
A community playground is now being built on land near the primary school site in Howlett Grove, off Queen's Road.
We know this has taken considerably longer than originally planned, but we've been working closely with the developers who are funding it to make sure you get a high-quality playground to meet your needs and last for years to come.
We'll be sharing more details as it nears completion, hopefully in the early autumn, and look forward to welcoming you when it's ready.
Green space work continues apace
Looking ahead, work is still proceeding on the last of five new nature parks serving this development.
This 4.5-hectare site at Ashridge Farm, which will have two ponds and a host of features to attract and protect wildlife, will bring North Wokingham's total new green space to about 35 hectares - that's equivalent to about 42 football pitches.
Until then, why not visit our Wokingham Countryside website to plan your next visit to your nearest nature park? There's also more information from our partners at the Thames Basin Heaths Partnership, who offer an interactive map.
 Housing reform would help infrastructure provision
The council's leader Cllr Stephen Conway has confirmed his commitment to lobbying the Government for fairer new housing numbers in Wokingham Borough.
We believe the current system, based on a standard mathematical formula, lacks common sense and imposes difficult housing requirements.
By taking a more sensible approach, it would be more transparent, consistent and fair to all parts of the country – and would help us ensure that our residents are served by high quality developer-funded infrastructure.
We've been arguing this for a long time, most recently in response to Government proposals on changes to the housing system which we believe would be a positive step in the right direction.
However, we're keeping up the pressure for a more fundamental shift that looks at the national picture, considering housing requirements alongside other strategies like levelling up, economic growth and infrastructure investment.
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