 Building thriving communities - a new Local Plan
We're moving forward with a vision for healthy, sustainable growth across Wokingham Borough.
Our new Local Plan will shape all aspects of how our borough should develop to meet our needs to 2040 - covering housing, employment, education, transport, community amenities and more.
It proposes a new settlement at Hall Farm, between Shinfield, Arborfield and Sindlesham, including new schools, parks, nature reserves and a country park along the River Loddon. Smaller additional growth is proposed at other locations.
The plan includes ambitious policies to protect green space, secure a high proportion of affordable housing and ensure new development meets the highest sustainability standards.
If it’s approved by a planning inspector, we'll adopt it as council policy - meaning it will shape our decisions on where we allow housing and other forms of development.
This will enable us to refuse permission for less suitable proposals, ensuring that future growth supports the next generation.
Listening to your feedback
The new Local Plan and its policies, including the proposed housing sites, have already been shaped by feedback from previous consultations.
We have to hold one more consultation before inspection, though this can only consider the plan's legal compliance and soundness. We’ll share more details soon.
 Have your say - new Royal Berkshire Hospital
The survey looking at options for a new Royal Berkshire Hospital closes this weekend.
Two sites have been identified as being suitable and the trust wants to understand the impact for staff, patients and the wider community if the hospital were to move from its current location in Reading.
You can give your views in an online survey, send your feedback by email or call (0118) 322 607.
The two potential sites, both in Wokingham Borough, are:
- Thames Valley Park (at the end of A329M) – 2.2 miles north east of the current site, between east Reading and Woodley
- Thames Valley Science Park – 3.7 miles south east of the current site, off the M4 near Shinfield
 New one-stop shop for community support
We’re working with charity partners to bring help direct to communities with new Residents' Reception sessions.
The aim is to provide you with advice on a range of subjects at a regular venue and time each month. A full list of services you can get help with are on our website.
Swallowfield will host the first of these sessions at the parish hall (RG7 1QW) on Thursday 19 September from 10am to 1pm. These will continue to be held at the same location on the third Thursday of the month. Other sessions will be held at:
- Woodley Library, Headley Road (RG5 4JA) starting on 3 October and held on the first Thursday of the month, from 10am to 1pm
- Wokingham Without (starting date and venue to be confirmed) to be held on the second Thursday of the month, from 10am to 1pm
- Arborfield Green Community Centre, Princess Marina Drive (RG2 9NN) starting on 26 September and held on the fourth Thursday of the month, from 10am to 1pm
Sessions will involve our Adult Social Care and Community Engagement teams. There will also be help available from Citizens Advice Wokingham, The Cowshed, First Days Children's Charity, Involve and Community Wellness Outreach Wokingham.
 Feeling this cold snap? Get ready for winter
The drop in temperatures in recent days mean you may have started thinking about the winter months ahead.
The Government has advice on what you can do to get your home ready for winter. It includes suggestions on low and no cost actions you can take to save energy and money over the winter period.
If your worried about the cost of living as we head into winter, here’s some options:
Checks on voting eligibility of EU citizens
We're contacting EU residents to make sure they are eligible to vote in future elections after changes to national legislation.
Following the UK’s departure from the European Union, the voting rights for EU citizens living in England have changed as of 7 May 2024. In order to register to vote, EU citizens need to meet specific eligibility criteria based on their country of origin and when they began residing in the UK.
We are sending out emails and letters to verify the eligibility of EU citizens and two groups will continue to have voting rights:
- Qualified EU citizens from countries with reciprocal voting arrangements, who have leave or do not require it, to remain in the UK. These countries are Denmark, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal and Spain
- EU citizens who were residing in the UK before the end of the EU Withdrawal Agreement Implementation Period, which was on 31 December 2020
You can respond online, using the security codes provided, or complete the paper form and return it to us.
Today’s the last day to register your interest in Solar Together. Join more than 2,000 residents in getting a free, personalised quote to install solar panels at your property. The group-buying scheme means you’d purchase alongside thousands of other residents in Berkshire, helping you get a better deal.
What you might have missed
Here’s all our email newsletter updates from the last week:
If you’d like to get these any of these updates, you can sign up for our newsletters on our website.
|
