 Winnersh by-election result
Residents in Winnersh ward voted in a by-election yesterday (Thursday, 6 February).
The votes were counted overnight as soon as the polls closed at 10pm and the result was as follows:
- Chetna Jamthe (Liberal Democrats) – 1,177 votes (Elected)
- Nick Kilby (Conservative) – 833 votes
- Samuel Langlois (Green) – 99 votes
- Parvinder Singh (Labour) – 126 votes
There were 2,244 ballots and the turnout was 28.07 per cent. As a result of the by-election, the number of councillors for each party is as follows:
- Liberal Democrats – 27
- Conservative – 20
- Labour – 6
- Independent – 1
Visit our current elections pages for more information. You can also check who your local councillors are on our website.
 Healthy finances despite lack of Government funding
Our finances remain in a healthy position despite the pressures of low government funding and the increasing cost of meeting residents’ needs, according to a report presented ahead of our 2025/26 budget.
The report highlighted how little we receive from the Government compared with other authorities:
- Wokingham Borough has the lowest funding level in Berkshire
- Wokingham Borough receives the lowest settlement funding assessment (the annual Government grant to pay for services) per person of all unitary authorities in the country
Despite these issues, we'll be able to set a robust balanced budget for 2025/26 thanks to a programme of efficiencies and close control of all spending to ensure value for money.
Most of our money (more than 60 per cent) goes on looking after and supporting those who need it most.
This includes people with learning difficulties, physical disabilities, mental health issues and older people with care needs. Our budget this year will again seek to prioritise this support.
The Chief Finance Officer's report was presented last week and the budget will be set at a full meeting of the council on 20 February.
 Roadmap for town centre success agreed
New visions and priorities have been set to support the town centres in Wokingham Borough, ensuring they meet the needs of residents and businesses both now and in the future.
We’ve agreed key principles to help our towns and districts adapt and thrive in an unpredictable economic climate, as well as specific development strategies for Wokingham and Woodley town centres, and Twyford village centre.
These set out priorities and opportunities for growth in each of the three areas.
Meanwhile, our new Economic Development Strategy aims to ensure the continued economic success of the borough. It outlines an economic vision for 2035, with Wokingham Borough becoming a ‘growing and greener economy for everyone’.
Reminder - We're offering free parking to help you join the Lunar New Year event at Wokingham Market Place this Sunday (9 February)
 Online safety events next week
There are a host of events and webinars next week to support the Keep Safe in Wokingham campaign.
Next week there are free webinars to help people navigate the digital world and understand its impact on the real world.
It covers day-to-day online matters including cyber protection for everyone, online safety for parents and carers, digital mental health support for young people, domestic abuse and how to avoid being a victim of hacking and scams.
Next week’s webinars for you
Online safety for parents and carers, including help understanding your child’s online behaviour. Register now:
Students and safety campaigns with Reading Students’ Union. Register now:
Cyber protection at home, including current threats, data breaches, scams and improving your security and privacy online, with the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit. Register now:
We’ll also be working with more than 500 year 7 students from local schools to help them make positive choices both online and in their everyday lives. To see the full list of webinars and book, visit the Involve website.
What you might have missed
Here’s all our email newsletter updates from the last week:
If you’re interested in getting these updates directly, you can sign up on our website.
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