 Community centre to welcome disabilities service
Our physical disabilities day service will be moving to the new Matthewsgreen community centre at North Wokingham this autumn.
The service is based at Westmead Day Centre, a short distance away off London Road, but the new centre in Queens Road is better suited to its needs.
It has ample activity space, a fully accessible kitchen with height-adjustable worktops and a Changing Places toilet with hoist facilities.
The decision follows a detailed review of Westmead, which is in serious disrepair and would cost at least £250,000 to restore.
Given changes in how people use the service, this wouldn't be a sound investment.
We and Optalis, who run the service, have involved attendees in the process and taken their feedback on board before moving forward.
There'll be lots of support with the transition, allowing everyone to continue enjoying the friendships and routines they've built over the years.
We'll run the Matthewsgreen site for now, with a view to eventually tendering for a long-term management partner.
You may recall our previous announcement that an operator was lined up to manage the Matthewsgreen community centre. Unfortunately, they aren't currently in a position to do so - but this doesn't affect the day service moving, and we'd be happy to work with the operator in future.
 Land sale to provide homes and boost finances
We’ve agreed to sell a site on the outskirts of Wokingham in a multi-million pound deal to secure new housing and generate income to fund services.
The 7.7-hectare plot off Twyford Road, known as Toutley East, could be developed for up to 160 homes, subject to planning permission.
Outline consent was granted in 2022 for up to 130 homes and a 68-bed dementia care home. We’ve since increased provision by investing in care homes elsewhere, so now we want to provide additional housing at Toutley East.
About 67 homes could be affordable, possibly including specialist units for adult social care users or young care leavers. The new homes would have to meet high energy efficiency standards, in line with our climate goals.
Our decision-making executive decided to progress the sale at a meeting on Thursday (18 September). Any housing built will form part of our North Wokingham major development.
The new community centre at North Wokingham was built by developers alongside St Cecilia's Primary School, which opened in 2022. They were required to provide these amenities as part of the wider planning process for housing developments in this area.
 Tell us how you travel and you could win a prize!
If you live in the new homes that are part of the North Wokingham major development, we’d like you to tell us about how you get around.
Do you drive everywhere? Or walk or cycle? Do you catch the bus or train? Or a mixture of everything? However you travel, we want to hear from you.
Your answers will help us understand how we can make travel around your community easier, and will also help us plan major developments better in future.
After taking our survey, you can enter a prize draw to win a £100 Love2shop voucher. The survey’s open until Sunday 28 September. Good luck!
We've got newsletters on lots of different topics, from our Residents' Round-up to Moving Around the Borough, Community News, Environment News and loads more - why not sign up for anything else you're interested in?
 Above: Old Forest Meadows, to the west of where two new green spaces are coming soon
More green spaces in the pipeline for 2026
Developers are putting the finishing touches to two new green spaces in North Wokingham, which we're planning to adopt once they're finished.
The first is a park beside the Ashridge stream off Queen's Road, to the north of St Cecilia's Primary School and south of the Toutley East site.
Also nearing the end of construction is the last of five planned nature parks serving this major development, at Ashridge Farm to the north of Dalley Road.
When it's fully built and landscaped, this will connect to its existing neighbours on either side at Ashridge Meadow and Kentwood Meadow.
North Wokingham is also served by Old Forest Meadows, which includes the Berkshire Arboretum Woodland, and Keephatch Meadows.
Before adopting nature parks to manage ourselves, we inspect them to ensure the developers have built them to the right standard.
Both sites should be open by early 2026 and we'll share more news soon.
|
