 Last chance to switch suppliers and save
Today is the last day to get your free quote for lower energy bills through the Big Community Switch.
The scheme uses the bargaining power of a large group to help secure lower prices and you will receive a personal offer after you register, which is free and there is no obligation to go ahead.
Making the switch to renewable energy helps us to make progress towards our ambition of working towards a carbon neutral Wokingham Borough.
 Photo credit: St Helens Borough Council
Free road closures for VE Day street parties
Are you thinking of hosting a community get-together, neighbourhood tea party or special event for VE Day?
We’re making it easier for the borough to celebrate the 80th anniversary by dropping the usual fee for road closures for events held from 3 to 5 May. There are two main options for hosting an event:
- A street meet – this does not require a road closure. These are perfect for events held on private property, such as a driveway and front garden, or in shared spaces like a cul-de-sac or grass verge. Just remember to keep footways clear for pedestrians
- Road closure – if you’d prefer to close the road to traffic to create a larger, safer space, you’ll need to apply for a 16(a) Road Closure Order, which would normally cost £100
If you want to close the road, you’ll need to get support from your neighbours, arrange public liability insurance and provide your own road closure signage.
To apply, visit our website and complete the form by 5pm on Friday 18 April. We’ll be happy to guide you through the process and make it a day to remember.
We're working with Shinfield Parish Council to run a fun day at School Green Centre (RG2 9EH) from 10am to 1pm today (Friday 11 April). Head down for soft play, arts and crafts, community policing team, sports activities and more
 Get in shape for Bikeathon this summer
Before this year's Wokingham Bikeathon on Sunday, 22 June, anyone needing more experience can take part in a series of free, fun and relaxed guided rides.
The sessions, led by an experienced British Cycling leader, will go at the pace of the slowest rider so that nobody is left behind.
You must be an adult and able to cycle, with a roadworthy bike and cycling helmet. The rides are free but must be booked in advance.
They start with lower mileage on cycleways before increasing the distance and moving to quiet roads with traffic. They take place on the following dates, all at 10am:
- 25 April - FBC to Henry Street Garden Centre
- 2 May - Cantley Park to Dinton Pastures Country Park
- 9 May - Montague Park to Foxes Den Cafe, Binfield
- 16 May - FBC to The Mutton at Hazeley Heath
- 23 May - Cantley Park to Hurst (Hurst Lanes)
- 6 June - FBC to Riseley Tea Rooms
- 22 June - Wokingham Bikeathon
The Bikeathon is an independent event run by local volunteers, and we support it through our My Journey Wokingham team. Bookings are now open.
Waste collections will still take place on upcoming bank holidays on 18 and 21 April but start earlier at 5.30am, so put your items out the night before to help out our crews. You can check your collection day on our website.
 Gearing up for this year's road maintenance
We've just started some preliminary works that will allow us to launch our annual road maintenance programme for 2025/26.
Last week we carried out pre-patching at 19 sites across the borough to ensure they're ready for surface dressing works within the next few months.
As well as clearing any overgrown vegetation, they'll be removing any damaged carriageway before they apply new layers of bitumen and stone chippings to make it more waterproof and skid-resistant.
These works depend heavily on the weather, so they might need to be delayed if it rains or temperatures are extreme when work is due on your road. This is because the treatment might not take hold properly.
We list all the pre-works on our live schedule, which is updated as soon as possible if there are any delays. Dates for the main resurfacing and surface dressing works will be added as soon as they're confirmed.
 Last chance to take equalities survey
There’s only a few days left to have a say on our updated Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy, which aims to make Wokingham Borough a fair, safe place where everyone feels they belong.
We’ve spoken to communities to identify priorities and the key areas we should focus on and used this to draft a policy, setting out what we will do for our communities and our workforce.
We want to make sure that it reflects our diverse local communities and are asking you for feedback. The survey closes on Monday (14 April).
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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