 Allotments spring into life after green revamp
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.
First steps for new Matthewsgreen playground
A community playground is now being built on land near the St Cecilia's 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 the North Wokingham major 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.
 Residents' community vision gets the go-ahead
A vision to help ensure Twyford remains a healthy, vibrant community for years to come, which includes the upkeep and provision of community infrastructure, is now a formal planning document.
We’ve adopted the Twyford neighbourhood plan, which passed a referendum last month with 88.5 per cent of voters in favour, so it will guide any future planning decisions we make in the parish.
The plan was prepared by Twyford Parish Council with significant local input and includes policies to influence any development that comes forward.
It covers community facilities, sustainable travel including the station, maintaining a thriving village centre, improving air quality, protecting tree cover, cutting carbon emissions and more.
It also states the preferred type, mix and appearance of new homes and calls for the provision of a new community hub at the Old Polehampton Boys’ School with developer funding.
Don't forget that we’re consulting on the future of St Crispin’s Leisure Centre in Wokingham until Monday, 4 September. For more on the background, options and how to respond, select the blue button below.
 Another boost for electric vehicle charger rollout
We're pleased to announce that we'll be getting significant Government investment in our plans to make owning and driving an electric vehicle more convenient in Wokingham Borough.
The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) has awarded us £282,000 from its Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund towards installing more chargepoints.
Most of this would support planning the project, ensuring the correct processes are followed, while a separate application for £264,000 would fund the chargepoints themselves if it is approved.
To plan ahead as effectively as possible, we're inviting suggestions from residents in areas where chargepoints might be appropriate as your feedback has helped shaped previous installations.
If you and many of your neighbours don't have a private driveway or garage, you can email evon-streetchargepoints@wokingham.gov.uk to be considered - though please bear in mind that we can't guarantee provision.
 Chargepoint installation making good progress
We're also working to install 38 chargepoints across 18 residential streets or car parks in the borough following an earlier successful funding bid, and these should go live by early autumn.
These are mostly being met through a £173,500 contribution from OZEV's On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme, with the supplier paying the rest at no net cost to the taxpayer.
They will work on a pay-as-you-go basis and are proven to be within walking distance of areas with high demand, so they will be well used. The locations are:
- William Heelas Way, Pigott Road, St Paul’s Gate and Rose Street, plus the Denmark Street and Cockpit Path car parks, Wokingham
- Station Road and the Polehampton Close (West) car park, Twyford
- Westminster Way, Maiden Place and the Station Road car park, Earley
- Chatsworth Avenue, Winnersh
- Wheble Drive plus the Pitford Road and Headley Road car parks, Woodley
- Bramshill Close, Arborfield
- Roycroft Lane, Finchampstead
- Braybrooke Road, Wargrave
Dedicated EV-only bays are proposed everywhere except Twyford. Where existing on-street bays require a residents’ permit, this will remain unchanged to ensure they are only used by EV owners who live locally.
We'll soon apply for a Traffic Regulation Order to enable this and you'll be able to have your say before anything is finalised.
 Excitement as new playground swings into action
A new playground has been opened on Clements Close in Spencers Wood, with Deputy Mayor Cllr Adrian Mather on hand to cut the ribbon.
The community event was attended by residents, our community engagement and housing teams, Citizens Advice Wokingham and the builders of the equipment.
Fun and laughter was provided by children’s entertainer Mr Muddles and sweet treats sent along by SHARE Wokingham.
The new equipment includes a climbing frame, climbing net, in-ground trampoline, swing sets and more.
The opening marks the end of several months of improvement of council housing in the area, including re-painting the outside of properties and installing new doors and windows, cutting down overgrown shrubbery and resurfacing parking areas.
 End of the line for station ticket offices?
We're urging rail users to share their thoughts on plans to shut the borough's station ticket offices before the official consultation closes on 1 September.
The Rail Delivery Group, which represents Britain’s train operating companies, has extended its deadline for passengers to give their views.
It says the number of people using ticket desks has dropped because of the rise of smartphone apps or contactless cards, so they could be phased out in favour of retraining "multi-skilled" staff to help in other ways.
It says this would help more passengers while reducing costs, although it has prompted objections from some quarters including other local authorities and some groups representing people with disabilities.
We've long been working to promote public transport as an environmentally friendly alternative to driving, so we've sought independent advice on the possible impact and will respond by the end of this month.
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