 New chapter for Twyford as library opens
A new library for Twyford is now open, offering a perfect community space for people to relax and read or use free services including free internet.
There's also a specially designed children’s library which includes fun nook seating and storage.
Based in the Grade II listed Old Polehampton Boys' School, off Polehampton Close, the new library offers a bright space with historical features like high ceilings, large panelled windows and areas of exposed decorative brickwork.
Over the coming months, our library service hopes to work with local organisations to start turning the outside space into a lovely garden area where people will be able to relax when the weather is nice.
There are also lots of volunteering opportunities, like delivering books to residents who can't visit in person or helping to run events like book groups or talks. Email volunteer@wokingham.gov.uk for more information.
We're really pleased to have brought this local landmark back into community use. Check the opening times on our website.
We haven't been able to send Infrastructure News recently because of this year's local and general elections, which restricted how we communicated with you. With things back to normal, this newsletter will return to its four-weekly schedule. The next edition will be on Wednesday, 21 August.
 Town centre homes scheme back on track
We've appointed a new contractor to complete the Carnival Place development in Wokingham town centre.
Feltham Construction, a Newbury-based firm with more than 50 years of experience, has been chosen to work with us on the project.
This comprises 55 apartments, a mixture of one- and two-bedroom properties, with a view to delivering high-quality and energy-efficient accommodation in the town centre. They're due to be completed by the middle of 2025.
The development sits opposite the Carnival Hub in Wellington Road, which opened in the summer of 2022 and is home to the new Wokingham Leisure Centre and Wokingham Library.
This latest news comes after the previous contractor went into administration, and we worked quickly to keep the project moving.
Archaeologists are starting surveys on the site of a new solar farm in Barkham. This project is set to generate more than £68 million in profit over its 25-year life span, after the cost of building and running it are taken into account.
 More places at school as community use continues
St Crispin’s Leisure Centre, at St Crispin's School in Wokingham, will re-open as a centre for education and community use on Monday 29 July.
This will help create new secondary school places in the borough, while continuing to offer amenities for residents and community groups, a key aspiration following last summer’s public consultation.
The Circle Trust, which runs the school, will take on responsibility for the centre. This will support the safe expansion of the school with 55 more Year 7 places for pupils from September 2024 and beyond..
Places Leisure has already relocated several services to other sites, and the leisure centre building will be transferred to the trust on 22 July. This means Places members won't be able to use the gym facilities from 6pm on Sunday 21 July.
From 29 July, the centre will continue to accommodate many activities that already take place outside school hours, including sports like squash. Anyone interested in hiring the facility should email contact@crispins.co.uk
 Howzat? New pitches and pavilion approved at Arborfield
We've approved proposals for new sports and community facilities off both sides of Princess Marina Drive in Arborfield Green.
The scheme, to be provided by developer Crest Nicholson, comprises:
- A new pavilion to replace the current one
- Seven football pitches (four small and three large)
- Four refurbished tennis courts
- A cricket wicket
- A multi-use games area
- Two children's play areas
- 35 allotments
The pavilion will meet Sport England's standards, be wheelchair accessible and have changing rooms for players and umpires.
It will have a club room with kitchen and serving facilities, which will allow it to be hired out for events - in turn raising money towards its upkeep.
There'll also be two car parks, which offer enough space even when the pitches are at maximum capacity.
You can view the full version of the plan shown above on our website.
More amenities in the pipeline
Works are still progressing on a new district centre for Arborfield Green which will have shops, new homes, a public square and more.
It will also have a community centre, the layout of which will be shaped by feedback from residents including a recent survey and drop-in sessions.
Developer Crest Nicholson, which is providing the district centre as part of a planning obligation, is also working on a new 23.8-hectare nature park at West Court.
 Shinfield sports hub also gears up for kick-off
The new sports pavilion at High Copse, off Hyde End Lane near Shinfield, is taking shape - as this stunning image by Reading Drones shows.
It's being built, along with sports pitches, by the University of Reading as part of their legal obligations to serve new housing in the area.
We gave full planning permission last November and it'll be managed by Shinfield Parish Council once completed.
This follows consultation with residents and measures to offset the impact of traffic.
Work has now started on a new Lidl supermarket off Hollow Lane in Shinfield parish after we awarded planning permission. It's being provided as part of a planning application for new housing and related infrastructure.
 And that's a wrap as Shinfield movie studio finished
Shinfield Studios is now fully built at Thames Valley Science Park, and it's already bringing a touch of movie magic to our borough.
Since we gave planning permission in autumn 2021, it's hosted some major international productions including Sony Pictures' Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire and Disney's Star Wars: The Acolyte.
It's the UK's largest new film and TV studio, totalling a million square feet with 18 sound stages, including two of the biggest in the country at 43,000 sq.ft. It also has 38 workshops and a nine-acre filming backlot.
Accessible facilities have been incorporated into every stage and office floor and it also has highly sustainable features like air source heat pumps, solar panels and electric vehicle charging points.
This means that, as well as supporting our economic development, it also supports our efforts to tackle the climate emergency by working towards borough-wide carbon neutrality by 2030.
Thames Valley Science Park is owned by the University of Reading and sits on land south of the M4 that was allocated for employment use in our local plan.
 Photo courtesy of Peter Novell
Village centre improvements progressing well
We're now five months into our California Cross improvement project at Finchampstead and pleased to report that the team are making great progress.
Most of the Phase 2 works are due to be completed by early to mid August although some aspects, like resurfacing and lining works, are due to be completed overnight under a road closure during Phase 3.
At the moment, drainage works are taking place at the entrance to Avery Corner car park. This follows drainage works along Finchampstead Road, while new paving stones have been installed on one side Nine Mile Ride.
We hope to reopen the crossroads by mid August, with temporary traffic lights in place, but this could change. Most works should finish by 2 September but some aspects like overnight resurfacing and linings works will run to mid-September.
Local businesses are open throughout, so we're encouraging everyone to keep supporting them, and we're sharing regular updates through our Traffic & Travel and California Crossroads newsletters.
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