Wokingham Borough Connect
 Have your say on our spending for 2026/27
On Monday 2 June, we’ll launch our extensive budget consultation.
We’re committed to getting residents more involved in the decisions about the services which matter to them and this wide-ranging consultation on our budget for 2026/27 is part of this.
However, most of our spending is committed to things we have a legal duty to provide, so you’ll mostly be shaping our spending where we have a choice, also known as discretionary spending, as well as how we can look to make savings.
More than two thirds of all the money we have goes on supporting vulnerable adults and children.
Give your views
It’s important you know how our money is used.
We’ll use next Tuesday’s Residents’ Round-up newsletter to explain our financial situation, before the first round of consultation on our 2026/27 budget opens on 2 June.
If you aren’t already signed up to receive our twice weekly general news e-newsletter, Resident’s Round-up, sign up today.
You’ll be able to give your views again in the autumn on more detailed proposals, before councillors finalise our spending plans early next year.
The survey will go live on our Engage Wokingham Borough platform and we’ll provide you with the link in our next consultation newsletter.
You said, we did...
 Enhanced bus service following feedback
An enhanced Leopard 3 bus service for Shinfield, Arborfield, Finchampstead and Barkham started on Monday (19 May).
Reading Buses will run the service up to every 30 minutes on this section between 6.30am and 7pm, and on Saturdays between 8am and 6pm.
The Sunday timetable is also being improved, with buses now running directly to Wokingham hourly between 8.30am and 8pm.
Thames Valley Science Park in Shinfield will now be served by buses that run to and from Wokingham on Monday to Fridays, providing a new direct link.
There'll still be buses up to every 15 minutes between Reading and Shinfield, via Royal Berkshire Hospital, with minor changes to allow for the route extensions.
Listening to your needs and supporting sustainable travel
Reading Buses is already running an hourly service on the 3 on a commercial basis, including more frequent journeys between Arborfield and Reading.
We tendered for a contract to run the Wokingham to Arborfield stage more frequently earlier this year, following feedback from residents.
The weekday and Saturday daytime improvements have been funded through contributions from developers building new housing in the borough.
The Sunday and weekday evening journeys are Government funded through our Bus Service Improvement Plan, working in partnership with Reading Buses.
 Give time to help your library be even better
You can give back to your community by volunteering at our libraries.
We post any new opportunities on our Engage Wokingham Borough website, where you can find out more about the role requirements and get in touch with us to apply.
Our latest opportunities include running a book group for visually impaired people at Woodley Library and being a Rhymetime volunteer at Spencers Wood Library.
We are also looking for volunteers to help at our libraries in Lower Earley, Wokingham and Woodley as part of the annual Summer Reading Challenge, helping to run activities for children.
You can find out more about any of these opportunities by emailing us.
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