Burghfield Area Weekly News Archive (January to June 2022)

Please note that this section is presented as an archive of past columns and is not updated. Some web links may no longer be active (usually indicated by a score-through), for instance when a consultation has closed. For reasons of space, the Events, Community Notices and News from Your Local Councils sections have been deleted from the archive posts.

To see the current Burghfield Area Weekly News section, please click here.

Other archives

Please click here to see the other archived columns for this (and all the other) weekly news sections.

Thursday 30 June 2022

This week we highlight an important diary date for Burghfield’s proposed café and look back to an article explaining the work of the Eastern Area Planning Committee (which will decide this). We also have our usual round-up of local news, local events and activities and news from your local councils.

This week’s news

• The Holy Trinity Church of Theale is offering a two-morning summer club for children in years one to six at Theale Primary School on 27 and 28 of July. To book a slot, you can visit here and also here to find out more information.

• We reported a few weeks ago about the closing of a footpath between Graham Court and Station Road due to a dangerous fence panel; after a review, this footpath has been reported as fixed and the footpath is now reopened.

• There will be an open sports day on Burghfield Common on Sunday 10 July between noon and 3pm for those that may want to get fitter this summer. With a whole host of different activities, it’s definitely worth having a look. See herefor those interested.

• Theale Parish Council has urged residents to take part in your Patient Participation Group, which aims to support and improve the way services are delivered by your GP Practice. See more here on the goals and how to join.

• Theale Parish Council has released a list of projects currently being funded by the Greenham Trust. Click here to see the work being done.

• Another a reason to celebrate this Saturday will be West Berkshire’s first Pride march starting at Victoria Park in Newbury at 1pm. Visit the Newbury Pride website or FaceBook page for more information about the event or read more in our article here. A new exhibit ‘Hope and Pride’ is also launching at West Berkshire Museum on Saturday and running for the rest of 2022, looking at the history of Pride in the UK, as well as contributions from our local LGBTQIA+ community. See here for museum opening times.

• West Berkshire Council has received funding from the Government to help improve bus services for the next three years. Your views are being sought on how the service can be improved. The survey is running until Sunday 3 July and you can find more about it here and the survey can be found here.

• West Berkshire Council’s June Business news includes recruitment support for employers, low carbon workspace grants to save on energy bills, online networking and an appeal to eco-conscious independent cafes, restaurants and pubs to be part of a sustainable eateries campaign. Click here to read more.

• The Mortimer West End and District Annual Show has been announced, taking place on 27 August 2022. The full schedule and details are available here, boasting vegetables, flowers, handicrafts, artwork and more.

• The latest edition of the Englefield Parish Magazine is available to read here.

• Ditto here with the latest Padworth Village Newsletter.

• Holy Trinity Church has posted an updated list of necessities for the Foodbank which you can view here.

• Click here for a report on Burghfield’s annual parish meeting on 12 May (many thanks to David Gregory of Burghfield Community FB Group and Cally Morris of Burghfield Parish Council for providing the main part of this.)

• For the latest news from theBenefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton which covers updates and events across Theale area please visit its website and click on Letters, Notices & Magazine.

• Latest news from Aldermaston Parish Council can also be found on the website aldermaston.co.uk and this monthincludes the celebration of a new florist and children’s nursery in the village.

A date for the café

As mentioned in this column several times before, there is an application pending by Burghfield Parish Council for “the rection of a temporary cafe (prefabricated unit) at the Recreation Ground, Recreation Road, Burghfield Common. I have previous looked at the several aspects of this – see the archive section below (link at the foot of the post) and search for “café”.

This mention isn’t to add to any of these observations but simply to confirm somer information recently received: the matter will be decided by the Eastern Area Planning Committee (whose activities I have also described: again, see below, 28 April) on 13 July, as the usual prelude to which there will be a site meeting at 6.30pm on 6 July. The official communication from WBC has this to say on the subject of the site visit:

“The purpose of the visit, which you may wish to attend, is for the Committee to inspect the site. The site visit is not a forum to discuss the merits of the application. Furthermore, members of the public need to be aware that access to the site is at the discretion of the land owner or their representative, who may refuse permission for third parties to enter a site. Members of the public do have the right to speak, for or against an application, at the relevant Planning Committee.

“If you choose to be at the site visit with the intention of pointing out any features you think the Committee Members should observe, you should wait in a public area close to the site access and make yourself known when the group arrives. No special arrangements can be made in advance. Interested parties may request that the Committee view a site from adjoining land or buildings but it is entirely up to the discretion of the Chairman to decide whether it is necessary. Please note that if such a visit is agreed to by the Chairman, before entering the adjoining site/property, the Chairman and Planning Officer will first establish with the owner/occupier of the property/site being entered that there are no issues of Covid-19 present. Particular access to that adjoining site is also at the discretion of that landowner.”

Except in exceptional circumstances, which seem unlikely in this case, and unless there is an appeal, the EAPC’s decision on the night will be the final word on the matter (though there’s nothing to stop a separate application being lodged if this one is refused). More information on the EAPC and this meeting can be found here. The agenda when published should include the link to the live-stream of the event which will also be able to be viewed later. I shall be watching it in this way, at the time or shortly after, and will write about this in this column as soon as possible thereafter.

Thursday 23 June 2022

This week we look at two proposed improvements to Theale’s infrastructure (complete with artist’s impressions, thanks to the local councillor) and take another brief look at the costs of Burghfield’s Hall. We also have our usual round-up of local news, local events and activities and news from your local councils.

This week’s news

• Quite literally a good update from Theale Green Secondary School as they have just received a ‘Good’ Ofsted Rating after their Requires Improvement rating in 2017. Great work from everyone involved, see here for the full report on the Reading Chronicle.

• Action for River Kennet is seeking volunteers to help get rid of threatening non-native species in the river at Balsam Bashing, Burghfield this Friday 24 June. Equipment and refreshments are provided and more information can be found here.

• The Midsummer Music event this Sunday 26 June at the Little Manor in Burghfield village is hosted by the Kennet Branch of Save The Children. More information and ticket details are available here.

• Spencers Wood Repair Cafe is running on Sunday 26 June in the village hall for those with broken household items that are a nightmare to fix. Open from 9.30am to 12.30pm you can find more information here.

• You may be aware already of the railway strikes that are taking place this weekend, which will impact a lot of travel routes across Berkshire. A full list of details and affected routes can be found here. Berkshire Live also have a survey on how the strikes will be affecting you, which can be completed via the same link. It is also worth noting that any fares affected will be refunded in full. A full timetable of the strikes is also available here on the GWR site.

• The wonderful North Wessex Downs Walking Festival finishes this Sunday 26 June so click here if you want to book place on one of the last remaining walks.

• Theale Parish Council has released a list of projects currently being funded by the Greenham Trust. Click here to see the great work being done.

• More local hosts are needed for people escaping the war in Ukraine. According to the Newbury Today, there currently around 170 hosts in West Berkshire, but a total of 390 Ukrainians have applied for visas to stay in the area – with 228 refugees having already arrived. With more still to arrive, there is a real struggle to find enough hosts to meet the demand. If you could consider hosting a Ukrainian refugee or family, please get in contact with the local support group or visit westberks.gov.uk/homesforukraine.

• A fantastic new reason to celebrate this summer, as this July will see West Berkshire’s first Pride march. Originally planned for 2020 but postponed due to the pandemic, Newbury Pride will be West Berkshire’s very first Pride celebration of its kind. It will take place on Saturday 2 July, starting at Victoria Park at 1pm. The march will be a celebration of LGBTQIA+ identify, individuality and community and everyone from all identities are welcome to join in and support our friends and neighbours. Visit the Newbury Pride website or FaceBook page for more information about the event or read more in our article here.

• On the day of the Pride march, a new exhibit ‘Hope and Pride’ will open at West Berkshire Museum. Running for the rest of 2022, the exhibition will take a look at the history of Pride in the UK, as well as contributions from our local LGBTQIA+ community. Come along to learn something new about the incredible people in our diverse community. See here for museum opening times.

• West Berkshire Council has received funding from the Government to help improve bus services for the next 3 years. Your views are being sought on how the service can be improved. The survey is running until Sunday 3 July and you can find more about it here and the survey can be found here.

• Quick reminder that scammers are taking advantage of the cost-of-living crisis to defraud people who are under financial pressure. Our local Citizens Advice West Berkshire office has seen recent cases where clients have lost thousands of pounds to investment scams and fake energy rebate scams from energy companies or local authorities. See here for how to avoid scams and what to do if you unluckily get caught. Above all don’t feel ashamed, this is what the scammers rely on so you don’t warn others. Penny got caught once. You need to tell family, friends and report it to protect others.

• The Mortimer West End and District Annual Show has been announced, taking place on 27 August 2022. The full schedule and details are available here, boasting vegetables, flowers, handicrafts, artwork and more.

• The latest edition of the Englefield Parish Magazine is available to read here.

• Ditto here with the latest Padworth Village Newsletter.

• Holy Trinity Church has posted an updated list of necessities for the Foodbank which you can view here.

• For the latest news from theBenefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton which covers updates and events across Theale area please visit its website and click on Letters, Notices & Magazine.

• Latest news from Aldermaston Parish Council can also be found on the website aldermaston.co.uk and this monthincludes the celebration of a new florist and children’s nursery in the village.

Lifts, plans and play equipment

Theale District Councillor Alan Macro has recently published his latest e-newsletter which you can read here. This covers three areas (the first two of which are illustrated with artists’ impressions):

The lifts at Theale station. Network Rail has let the contract to build the new footbridge and lifts at Theale Station and work is expected to start on site in the autumn and be completed by next summer. There have, he points out, been “many false dawns on this much-needed project, but it really looks like it’s going ahead at last. Let’s hope that the strikes by the rail unions don’t delay things…”

Play equipment at Theale Rec. Theale Parish Council has applied for planning permission to install a multi-use sports area (MUSA) and new playground on Theale Recreation Ground with the facilities including a five-station outdoor gym, a multi-use games are and monkey bars. The play equipment will replace the existing playground on the same site. The MUSA will be sited alongside the path running along the boundary of the old primary school.

Planning applications in Theale. As usual, there are quite a few of these ranging from sizeable developments to minor amendments to existing buildings.

The Village Hall costs, again

A few weeks ago, I referred to the costs of the re-furbishment of Burghfield’s Village Hall, the costs of which had risen from an estimated £200,000 to £261,000. I recently received a communication from a resident drawing attention to this increase and pointing out that this is an increase of over 30%. Costs can increase for a number of reasons but what the reasons were in this case I wasn’t sure. Last week I therefore asked Burghfield Parish Council this exact question. The Clerk is currently away but I’ve been promised a response once she’s back.

Given the amount of coverage in local social-media groups and elsewhere that this has received I was assuming that someone had contacted BPC for its version of where the extra money had gone and had, perhaps, found the response unsatisfactory. It seems, however, that no one has done this. Until I’ve heard from BPC with its comments on why the costs increased it seems pointless to speculate on whether or not these were justified. I suggested a couple of reasons why they might have done, mainly the well-documented increase in material costs over the last couple of years. About a year ago I was talking to someone in Hungerford who was re-building a house who told me that his costs had gone up by about a third for this reason. If so, these seem in line with Burghfield’s increase. However, this is just a guess on my part. Let’s wait until BPC has offered its opinions and decide then.

If anyone wants to know any information about how this or any other parish council spends its money or conducts its business, my suggestion is to ask them. BPC’s contact details can be found here. In addition, most parish councils meet once a month and any member of the public can attend and ask questions in the public forum which generally takes place at the start of the meeting. For more information on this, contact the Clerk.

Thursday 16 June 2022

This week we look at two resolutions from Theale PC following a discussion at its annual parish assembly, point to new information added to the energy recovery centre’s application and consider where parts of Burghfield and parts of Mortimer actually are. We also have our usual round-up of local news, local events and activities and news from your local councils.

This week’s news

• The play area on Theale recreation ground is getting a revamp, with new equipment and CCTV in planning, this is a great development for the community. Find details of the planning application here.

• Fancy something a little different? What better way to enjoy the sun than near the water; ASC Reading is hosting an open day for those wanting to try out sailing, windsurfing and more. If you’re interested, have a look here for more information and here to reserve your spot.

• Theale Parish Council has released a list of projects currently being funded by the Greenham Trust. Click here to see the great work being done.

• The North Wessex Downs Walking Festival is going really well with something for everyone, from family friendly and wheelchair accessible guided walks to 9 mile hikes. See here for how to book your walks.

• Unfortunately scammers are taking advantage of the cost-of-living crisis to defraud people who are under financial pressure. Our local Citizens Advice West Berkshire office has seen recent cases where clients have lost thousands of pounds to investment scams and fake energy rebate scams from energy companies or local authorities. See here for how to avoid scams and what to do if you unluckily get caught. Above all don’t feel ashamed, this is what the scammers rely on so you don’t warn others. Penny got caught once. You need to tell family, friends and report it to protect others.

• The Midsummer Music event is returning on Sunday 26 June, hosted by the Kennet Branch of Save The Children at the Little Manor in Burghfield village. More information and ticket details are available here.

• The next Padworth Jumble sale will take place on Sunday 18 June as noted on p3 of the Padworth newsletter:however, it’s worth noting that there won’t be a sale on 2 July.

• Action for River Kennet is seeking volunteers to help get rid of threatening non-native species in the river at Balsam Bashing, Burghfield on Friday 24 June. Equipment and refreshments are provided and more information can be found here.

• The latest edition of the Englefield Parish Magazine is available to read here.

• Ditto here with the latest Padworth Village Newsletter.

• Holy Trinity Church has posted an updated list of necessities for the Foodbank which you can view here.

• For the latest news from theBenefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton which covers updates and events across Theale area please visit its website and click on Letters, Notices & Magazine.

• Latest news from Aldermaston Parish Council can also be found on the website aldermaston.co.uk and this monthincludes the celebration of a new florist and children’s nursery in the village.

Theale’s resolutions

At its meeting on 6 June, Theale PC discussed two items that had been raised at the annual parish meeting on 23 May. The discussions on these are reproduced below verbatim from the minutes.

Public toilets. Cllr Clifford explained that the parish council had surveyed Theale residents in 2021 to ascertain their thoughts on the recreation ground and what facilities they wanted: public toilets did not feature as notably desirable. Cllr Gallop said that public toilets was a popular request on the councillor High Street walkabouts, and that Theale Tigers FC might benefit from available toilets. It was recognised that the latter was a separate issue which could be discussed between Theale Tigers and the parish council.

After a discussion of the merits and drawbacks of providing public toilets it was resolved to conduct a feasibility study on whether the parish council could provide public toilets on the recreation ground, and then ask the parishioners whether they would be prepared to fund the building and running of toilets by a specified increase in their precept. (Clerk to conduct a feasibility study, having first found out whether the land’s lessor – Englefield Estate – would allow the building of public toilet in principle. Feasibility study to include estimated cost to the parish council estimated increase to parishioners’precepts.)

Proposer: Cllr Cox. Seconder: Cllr Gallop. Vote in favour, 2 against.

Village infrastructure. Concerns were raised over the inadequacy of the village’s infrastructure (eg doctors’ surgery, schools, sewerage) after completion of: the Lakeside housing development, The Green housing development, and allocated developments on the site of the old sewage works and Whitehart Meadow.

It was resolved to petition the appropriate authorities involved in any decisions to improve the village’s infrastructure, including the local MP and neighbouring parish councils, stating the parish council’s concerns over the infrastructure’s inadequacy in light of the expected significant population increase. Further resolved to ask local schools and doctors’ surgery what plans they have for the expected increase in demand, prior to sending the above petition.

Proposer: Cllr Hopcroft. Seconder: Cllr Church. Vote in favour.

Whose pavements?

One of the odd things about Burghfield (though it probably doesn’t often come up in day-to-day life) is that it’s split between two WBC wards. This is quite rare for a settlement of this size and probably should be adjusted. All of Burghfield and almost all of Burghfield Common is in the ward called, logically enough, Burghfield and Mortimer (with three councillors, one Conservative and two Lib Dem). However, the extreme south-western part including the area of Normoor Road is in the Bradfield ward (with one councillor, a Conservative). This only really matters if you need to get your councillor (also known as a ward member) to intervene on your behalf. As with an MP, they can only get involved with issues that are in the area they represent. You can click here for an online map of West Berkshire which will, by use of the filters, show you a vast range of information, including ward boundaries: and click here for a list of all the councillors/ward members and their contact details.

This issue came up recently when some residents in the Normoor Road area were complaining about the state of the pavements and the matter was looked into by the Bradfield ward member, Ross Mackinnon. “Thanks to all the residents in Normoor Road who I spoke to today,” he commented on the Burghfield Community FB page. “The pavements are in a terrible condition in places and I’ll be pushing for this to be addressed as soon as possible.” I wondered if this was a similar pavement issue to the one reported recently in Hungerford where repairs had been done to a shockingly low standards by one of WBC’s sub-sub-contractors. No, Councillor Mackinnon told me: they had just been allowed to deteriorate to a point that in parts they’re next to unusable by wheelchairs, mobility scooters or buggies: or perhaps even people travelling on two legs who don’t watch their step. I don’t know how often such things are inspected, or if they are inspected at all. Assume this doesn’t happen – so, if you see a problem, report it online here. If you want to take the matter further, get in touch with your ward member (see link above). It’s what they’re there for.

On the subject of local administrative geography, you might think that if a ward called “Burghfield and Mortimer” didn’t contain all of Burghfield then it might not contain all of Mortimer either. If so, you’d be right. Mortimer West End isn’t in the B&M ward; indeed, isn’t in West Berkshire at all but in the Basingstoke and Deane district of Hampshire; in fact, is the northernmost point in the county. If you continue west for a couple of miles you’re back in West Berkshire again. Why this bite was taken out of Berkshire back in the 19th century is a mystery, to me at least. Doubtless it seemed like a good idea to someone at the time.

Burghfield’s energy recovery centre

Thanks to the Burghfield Community FB group for pointing out that some new documents appear to have been uploaded to the application for the proposed energy recovery centre in Berrys Lane. Click here to see the relevant section on the WBC planning portal.

A covering letter from WBC explains that it’s not necessary to repeat any comments already made on this application but that further comments can be made until 18 July 2022.

Thursday 9 June 2022

This week we look once again at the cost of Burghfield’s village Hall, consider an unexpected objection to the proposed café and doff our cap to a local Platinum Champion. We also have a look back at local jubilee celebrations, our usual round-up of local news, local events and activities and news from your local councils.

This week’s news

• Theale Parish Council ran the Theale Village Jubilee Fete last weekend and would like to thank everyone for the support that was shown throughout.Photos are to follow on the Jubilee Fete Facebook page here.

• Indeed, many congratulations to everyone involved in organising the numerous jubilee events all across the district. All the ones that we attended or have heard about were hugely successful. A particular vote of thanks goes to whoever was in charge of the weather: the forecast for much of the weekend was depressingly dire but generally seems to have relented at the last moment. You can click here to see our look back at some of the celebrations across the area. If there are any you would like to see included, please email penny@pennypost.org.uk and include a link to the relevant website or FB page.

• There were some pretty spectacular beacons being lit last Thursday but the prize foe the biggest must surely go to Aldermaston. Congratulations to Karen Dignan and her organising committee and Clive Vare and his team who built this one which included over 1000 pallets.

• Theale Parish Council has released a list of projects currently being funded by the Greenham Trust. Click here to see the great work being done.

• The North Wessex Downs Walking Festival kicks off this Saturday 11 June offering 28 walks across the length and breadth of the stunning North Wessex Downs. There is something for everyone, from family friendly and wheelchair accessible guided walks to 9 mile hikes. See here for how to book your walks.

• The next Padworth Jumble sale will take place on Sunday 18 June as noted on p3 of the Padworth newsletter however, it’s worth noting that there won’t be a sale on 2 July.

• Regarding the issues at Windmill Court (see previous columns and also A look back… below), District Councillor Graham Bridgman has recently advised in his latest newsletter that “a decision regarding the WBC position on the land will be going to the WBC Executive (but not to the meeting on 9 June).”

• The latest edition of the Englefield Parish Magazine is available to read here.

• Ditto here with the latest Padworth Village Newsletter.

• Holy Trinity Church has posted an updated list of necessities for the Foodbank which you can view here.

• Click here for details of the jubilee festivities which will be taking place in Mortimer.

• For the latest news from theBenefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton which covers updates and events across Theale area please visit its website and click on Letters, Notices & Magazine.

• Latest news from Aldermaston Parish Council can also be found on the website aldermaston.co.uk and this monthincludes the celebration of a new florist and children’s nursery in the village.

Burghfield’s bill

I received an anonymous letter this morning which contained some documents relating to the costs of the renovation of Burghfield’s Village Hall (which I’ve referred to before). The letter concluded with the suggestion that “I doubt you will publish anything derogatory about Burghfield Parish Council as you have been taken in by their spin,” which is not quite the way I would go about trying to persuade someone to my point of view. It’s clear that there are differing opinions about how well Burghfield Parish Council (BPC) has performed in this and other matters. However, after doing a certain amount of research (most recently today) I’m unable to find any evidence of wrongdoing on the scale that is implied. There were some points I would have liked to have asked my informant but for obvious reasons I couldn’t. At least I could contact BPC.

The main concern was that the £47,000 VAT bill on the refurbishment could not be reclaimed due to the council’s VAT status and the documents suggested one way this could be remedied. However, two phone calls to two councillors assured me that, for this very reason, BPC has arranged matters so that the VAT can be reclaimed. This seems to dispose of this point in its entirety. If any local resident feels differently I suggest they contact BPC for clarification. If I need to retract or amend this statement in the light of any fresh (an attributable) information then I’ll happily do so.

The other issue was the cost, which jumped from c £200,000 (as estimated by Newbury Today in November 2020: presumably this was based on figures supplied by BPC but I haven’t been able to find this) to £261,000 as reported by BPC in April 2022. This is certainly a significant increase. Perhaps the original estimate was unrealistic or other works were added on; certainly the well-documented increase in the cost of building materials couldn’t have helped. The councillors I spoke to weren’t able to say without checking what the cause of these increases was but I shall be following this up.

The allegation is also made that the parishioners were never updated on this increase. It does seem that BPC could in some cases communicate better (as could all parish councils, something most would probably like to do if they had enough money and time) but I can’t comment on who was told what when, nor why the costs rose and when this became clear, until I’ve asked some more more questions. However, I understand that one of the conditions of a loan from the Public Works Loan Board is that all parishioners need to be apprised of the amount being borrowed and the consequences of non-repayment, so I imagine the costs would have emerged then. Again, any concerned resident should check this with BPC. Please let me know if any facts come to light which contradict what I’ve said here.

In any event, most of the extra money was raised from grants, with £11,000 more than was originally intended coming from BPC’s own reserves. It’s true that these grants probably could been applied for even if the cost had remained at £200,000. I don’t know if my informant has looked into this but I shall ask BPC when I get a moment. However, as suggested above, the original cost may have been unrealistic.

All in all, an actual cash expenditure of £111,000 (plus £6,000pa of loan repayments for 20 years) for a new facility that is producing about £30,000-worth of revenue doesn’t seem too bad. It could possibly have been done for less: considering how fast material costs are rising, it could also have cost a good deal more. Until any further information comes to light there’s not much I can add to this.

Burghfield’s café

This project, which has also attracted a certain amount of local controversy and about which I’ve also written (see below), continues its stately progress towards a final resolution by the Eastern Area Planning Committee. You can see the full details of the application here. A number of consultees have made their views know. In addition, as ward member Graham Bridgman pointed out in his recent newsletter, recently an ‘unsolicited amended plan’ was received by the WBC Planning team from the agent that needed to be considered and a further consultation period may be required.”

Because of the sites’s location within the AWE Burghfield Detailed Emergency Planning Zone (DEPZ), WBC’s Emergency Planning Team is one of these consultees. Its response of 6 June recommends refusal on the grounds that the nature of the building doesn’t provide sufficient public protection, particularly if the expected number of customers and staff needed to shelter there for 48 hours in the event of some nuclear issue up the road. The welfare of the individuals is the concern here: but if I were going to be holed up for two days, my welfare would be improved if it were in a place with coffee, food, water and toilets.

If these are the tests for buildings in the DEPZ, there are several others that would fail: logically, these should on these grounds immediately be closed. Several of the classrooms at St Mary’s School would therefore be off-limits, as would sports pavilions, many shops and offices and any mobile homes on any current or planned sites. In fact, the safest thing would be to evacuate Burghfield altogether. Let’s see what the members of EAPC think when the matter eventually comes before them.

A Platinum Champion

As part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, David Gregory from the Burghfield Community FB Group has been awarded a Platinum Champion Award by The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall.

David was one of 70 Platinum Champions selected and judged from thousands of nominations across the UK and who were all given VIP seats for the Saturday Evening Party at the Palace as well as the opportunity to meet the Royal Couple for a special luncheon on Sunday 5 June 5.

David has been recognised for his long term volunteering work including: 17 years service to NHS Ambulance frontline, St John Ambulance Covid Vaccination Programme “Million Hours”, RVS Community Responders Programme and especially for his work in Burghfield Community where he offers a free Mobility Service, Emergency Drivers Scheme, Donates & installs AED Defibrillators to community sites, helps train residents on First Aid and assists other voluntary organisations in the area.

During the recent pandemic, he also helped organise medicine deliveries for shielding residents across two rural villages and provided a local helpline, liaising with other voluntary groups including surgeries, pharmacies and the West Berkshire Council Adult Social Care Team. He is a community link between his local parish and district council and runs a Facebook support group.

Congratulations from us at Penny Post, David– richly deserved.

Thursday 2 June 2022

This week we take a look back at some of the main stories in this area that we’ve covered in the last six months or so, many of which are still live and will be returned to in due course. We also have our usual round-up of local news, local events and activities (including jubilee-related ones) and news from your local councils.

This week’s news

• Click here for our guide to jubilee events across the area including Mortimer and Burghfield’s celebrations and Theale village fete on the Recreation Ground from noon on Sunday 5 June. More information can be found here on the Theale Parish Council website.

• On that note, Holy Trinity Church is hosting a celebration service this Sunday 5 June at 10.30am. More information can be found here.

• All of the road closures surrounding the Jubilee are now live and can be viewed here to keep you prepared.

• Councillor Bridgman also ” says that “having thought that the application for the Burghfield café would reach the Eastern Area Planning Committee on 1 June, it didn’t because of further consultation responses. In addition, an ‘unsolicited amended plan’ was received by the WBC Planning team from the agent that needed to be considered and a further consultation period may be required.”

• He also said that he has “given up trying to predict” when the Reading Quarry Energy Recovery Centre will come to EAPC. “Having anticipated this as an agenda item for 1 June, I am told that WBC are waiting for further information for this application. This will, in turn, trigger a further round of consultation, and the latest I have is that there is an extension for a decision to 31 August.”

• As we mentionned last week, faulty street light on the M4 footbridge that has been bothering locals for a while is finally getting fixed and an update here confirms the repair which should be completed by early June. Duncan Smith, The Executive Director of Operations at National Highways acknowledges that a longer-term solution is required to the constantly faulty lighting on the footbridge and new lighting system is being considered.

• Free Craft and Care classes start at Theale Library on Tuesday 7 June as part of the Corn Exchange’s Link to Thriveprogramme for mental health. You can drop in on a weekly basis to learn a variety of craft techniques offering new skills and an opportunity to share progress with others in a supportive and relaxed environment.. See details here for how to self-refer or be referred to the classes by your GP or Social Prescriber.

• Free Creating Journalling classes start at Mortimer Library on Thursday 9 June as part of the Corn Exchange’s Link to Thrive programme for mental health. You can drop in on a weekly basis for a chance to reflect and explore using mixed media, mindfulness and lots of creative fun techniques to produce a private journal just for you. See details herefor how to self-refer or be referred to the classes by your GP or Social Prescriber.

• Café B in Burghfield Methodist Church has announced new opening times: Mondays to Wednesdays between 9.30am and 1pm excluding bank holidays. More can be found here.

• On 5 June, a fundraising raffle for Ukraine is taking place to win a one-of-a-kind handmade patchwork quilt. Information on where you can find the tickets can be found here. The draw will be held at Burghfield’s St Mary’s Church at 11.30am.

• The lastest edition of the Englefield Parish Magazine is available to read here.

• Ditto here with the latest Padworth Village Newsletter.

• Holy Trinity Church has posted an updated list of necessities for the Foodbank which you can view here.

• Click here for details of the jubilee festivities which will be taking place in Mortimer.

• For the latest news from theBenefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton which covers updates and events across Theale area please visit its website and click on Letters, Notices & Magazine.

• Latest news from Aldermaston Parish Council can also be found on the website aldermaston.co.uk and this monthincludes the celebration of a new florist and children’s nursery in the village.

A look back…

See below for a brief summary of some of the recurring issues we’ve covered, often more than once, in the last six months or so. Many of these are still live and so will be returned to in the future. In all cases, you can see more by clicking on link to the archive section at the foot of this post (there’s also a further link at the foot of that to earlier columns) and then then searching for the relevant key word/s.

If there are any other matters that you think should be covered, or if you have any views or comments and the ones we’ve covered to date, please email brian@pennypost.org.uk.

Burghfield’s café and village hall. About six weeks ago, we became aware of a number of allegations about these that were circulating on social media and as leaflets. Opposition to any project and criticism of the body responsible (the Parish Council, in this case) is all part of the the normal rough and tumble in a free society. However, it seemed to me that a number of planning, commercial and licensing issues were being conflated; as, indeed, were the renovation of the Village Hall and the proposed creation of the café, which seemed to be quite separate matters. I hope that I have at least provided useful and dispassionate summaries of these issues – the visitor numbers to this post and the comments I’ve received – suggest as much. As any developments emerge regarding the café, I’ll be aiming to cover these in the same way.

The Eastern Area Planning Committee. This organisation will decide the café application. Like its identical twin sibling covering the west of the district, it can considers applications only in certain circumstances and operates under a set of procedures which can appear completely opaque to outsiders. I therefore talked to the Chairs of both organisations and wrote a piece describing how the EAPC works (these comments apply to the WAPC as well).

The Burghfield Santas. This local fundraising organisation appears to receive a bit of a mixed press in and around the village and in a recent piece in this column I tried to look at why this might be and to explain what plans it had for the future.

Windmill Court in Mortimer. Sovereign Housing, which owns this facility, announced earlier this year that it wanted to close it, pull it down and replace it with new properties. Some of these would be sold to raise money for the housing association while the rest would be sheltered or social-rent housing of a kind that, Sovereign felt, better suited the area’s needs than what was there at present. A bit of investigation (and, it must be said, some very prompt and detailed replies to my questions for Sovereign) revealed that there was nothing sinister or unusual about these ambitions. What seemed to have gone less well, however, was the communication of this to the residents which resulted in some of them contacting the parish council, which was then unaware of the plans. A rather confused few weeks then followed. All of this might have been avoided by better communication at the outset. It seems that matters have no calmed somewhat, although the problem of finding suitable alternative accommodation for the existing residents continues. Given the shortage of such places, this may prove to be a long job.

Thursday 26 May 2022

This week we take a look at the Burghfield Santas, which started out 15 years ago as a charity-collecting dodge from Christmas shopping and has morphed into a successful local fundraising and event-organising group which still retains a male-only membership. We also have news of a local volunteering event organised by Action for the River Kennet, a local football award shortlist, a possible boxing club in Mortimer and some open studios.

Scroll down for these and other local stories, local events and activities and news from your local councils.

This week’s news

• You may be aware that there will be some celebrations taking place between 2 and 5 June. Click here for our guide to jubilee events across the area.

• Theale Parish Council is hosting a village fete to bring the community together to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The fete is going to be held on the Recreation Ground from noon on Sunday 5 June. More information can be found here on the Theale Parish Council website.

• A short article here from BerkshireLive on the life of Kate Bush who lived in Theale which is perfect for those who love her music and perhaps didn’t know about her time in Theale.

• Congratulations to Burghfield FC which has been shortlisted in several categories for the 2022 Berkshire Football Awards.

• A faulty street light on the M4 footbridge that has been bothering locals for a while is finally getting fixed and an update here confirms the repair which should be completed by early June. Duncan Smith, The Executive Director of Operations at National Highways acknowledges that a longer-term solution is required to the constantly faulty lighting on the footbridge and new lighting system is being considered.

• Mortimer Hill Art Studios is hosting open days from Friday 20 to Sunday 22 May between 11am and 5pm. More information can be found here.

• Cafe B in Burghfield Methodist Church has announced new opening times, which are Mondays to Wednesdays between 9.30am and 1pm excluding bank holidays. More can be found here.

• On the same day, a fundraising raffle for Ukraine is taking place to win a one of a kind handmade patchwork quilt. Information on where you can find the tickets can be found here. The draw will be held at St. Mary’s Church at 11.30am.

• For other Platinum Jubilee celebrations, you can click here for what’s happening in Mortimer, Burghfield, Theale and the surrounding area.

• Women from all walks of life across the county are invited to join West Berkshire Council’s Women in Politics webinar on Wednesday 1 June to find out how to get involved in local decision-making panels or becoming a Councillor. WBC also would like to invite any and all local residents interested in what happens behind the scenes at the Council or how decisions are made, to join them for this event. Details can be found on the council website.

• Action for River Kennet is seeking volunteers to help get rid of threatening non-native species in the river at Balsam Bashing, Burghfield on Wednesday 1 and Friday 24 June. Equipment and refreshments are provided and more information can be found here.

• Keep your eyes on the skies on Thursday 2 June for the spectacular military flyby in celebration of the Jubilee. Over 70 aircraft will be participating, including the Red Arrows, Spitfires and Hurricanes, taking off in the east of the country, flying over Buckingham Palace, London and then heading the South and West. If all goes according to plan, Berkshire should see the aircraft overhead roughly between 12:50pm and 1:30pm – so keep your eyes peeled. More information can be found here.

• The Englefield Parish Magazine April to May 2022 issue is available for you to read here.

• Ditto here with the Padworth Village May 2022 Newsletter.

• Holy Trinity Church has posted an updated list of necessities for the Foodbank which you can view here. Your donations are greatly appreciated.

• Click here for details of the jubilee festivities which will be taking place in Mortimer.

• Burghfield and Mortimer district councillor Graham Bridgman’s most recent (5 May) e-newsletter can be read here.

• For the latest news from theBenefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton which covers updates and events across Theale area please visit their website and click on Letters, Notices & Magazine.

• Latest news from Aldermaston Parish Council can also be found on their website aldermaston.co.uk and this monthincludes the celebration of a new florist and children’s nursery in the village.

Santa banter

I’m not quite sure what I think, or should think about, organisations that only permit membership from one gender. I’ve never been drawn to joining any male-only ones but I can see that they have their place. Whatever one feels about sexual equality or gender stereotyping, few would deny that there have been some big shifts over the last couple of generations. Not everyone has found this easy. Some women and some men in some circumstances prefer the company of their own sex or might at times gravitate towards situations or events where this is the case. For men, the men’s sheds movement is a case in point. They provide, as the website states, “community spaces for men to connect, converse and create. The activities are often similar to those of garden sheds, but for groups of men to enjoy together. They help reduce loneliness and isolation, but most importantly, they’re fun.” There’s nothing obviously sinister in that and appeals mainly to a demographic that might feel it has been disadvantaged by these changes. It’s certainly in stark contrast to Oxford’s Bullingdon Club or the priesthood of the Catholic Church, both of which many would feel are self-interested anachronisms of epic proportions.

Somewhere between the two of these comes the line of what is, by the ever-shifting and subjective standards that such things are judged, generally seen as fine and those which are not. This is complicated by the fact that there are many female-only organisations – the Athena Network and the Soroptimists spring to mind – which are widely regarded as completely normal: announce that you’re going to start up a male-only club, though, and you’d be wise to expect accusations of sexism. Of course, up until about a hundred years ago the whole country was a male-only organisation so this is a natural and probably healthy reaction to that. These and other female organisations aren’t generally concerned with the exercise of power. Many traditional male-only organisations such as Oxbridge colleges, London clubs, legal chambers and most religions have or had this as their main aim. If the organisation represents a specific interest – model train or knitting, for instance – then it’s fine. If its aims are towards the furtherance or maintenance of domination in a particular sphere then it probably isn’t.

What, however, do you say about an organisation which started with two completely reasonable aims – collecting money for charity and getting out of doing Christmas shopping – about 15 years ago and has since become a major fundraiser and event organiser in its community? I’m talking about the Burghfield Santas, about which I’m aware there are differing feelings in the village. Let’s have a quick look at these, as I understand them.

It could be maintained that a male-run group (although women are involved in its work) which seems increasingly to dominate these aspects of local life is not ideal and perpetuates the idea that men are somehow beat placed to do things like run pop-up bars and organise festivals. There’s also the charge that beery blokeishness is fine up to a point but can get overbearing. Whatever your views, a male-run organisation in 2022 presents itself as an easy target: the more so as it’s not constituted as a charity which has – without any substance that I’m aware of – led to questions about whether the money raised is being properly accounted for. In fact, the Santas is an official fundraising body for Thames Valley Air Ambulance which scrutinises the Santa’s accounts.

On the other hand, whatever dynamic shaped the creation of the Burghfield Santas as a fundraising organisation seems to have worked. The 2021 annual report said that over £24,000 was raised for the Thames Valley Air Ambulance in that notoriously difficult fundraising year. I understand that it’s now supporting other charities: also that having acquired the skills involved in running pop-up bars and erecting stages, it is now the go-to organisation in the area. A new fundraising model has also been developed whereby representatives from, say, a local school are invited to help at events and are paid for their shifts in the form of a donation to an agreed charity, such as the school’s PTA.

There’s also the question of presentation, on both sides. An organisation which has grown to be locally important may see itself as indispensable and conduct itself accordingly. Opposition to it, however, might be based on old grievances and disputes, unrelated to gender issues. Total agreement on virtually any issue in a community being impossible, it’s easy for matters to become polarised. Social media is an excellent way of amplifying though not always resolving these, the force and frequency of opinions stressed not always being proportionate to the number of people who hold them. In most communities there is probably a decent majority which is happy as long as as the number of good things that take place outnumber the bad. I don’t know Burghfield well enough to offer these as more than general observations which may or may not be true here. They certainly are elsewhere.

In any community, there is a small group of people (often numbering less than 1% of the population) whose names crop up all the time when community events are being organised. In the places I know particularly well there’s no particular bias in favour of men or women. Burghfield seems unique in that its main organisation has its origins in a male-only body.

As regards the status of the Santas, the above-mentioned 2021 statement said that “we have also set ourselves the goal of achieving Charity Status during the year [2022] to improve our options of grant applications and improve our tax status.” The statement could perhaps have added that this would also make the organisation even more transparent and accountable, though this would be to admit that allegations that they currently aren’t have some validity.

On balance, it seems to me that the Burghfield Santas is a good thing. If people have problems with the way events have been organised, finances reported or communication conducted then that needs to raised with them. Any worthwhile organisation welcomes objective scrutiny and constructive criticism. I can’t say if the Santas provides suitable forums for such reporting and discussion (as a parish council does) but, if you feel it doesn’t, let them know. Their new charitable status will doubtless be given wide publicity when finalised and will need to include a statement of charitable aims. It will also mean that the financial arrangements will be subjected to the processes and scrutiny of the Charities Commission.

As regards gender, that is for the Santas to decide: just as it is up to everyone in the community to support them or not based on their conduct and achievements. Sorting out the official status will remove one easy target. The gender composition issue may well remain and it won’t be the only organisation for which it does. As for any group, continuing to enthuse a sufficiency of the population (enthusing all of them is impossible) about its ambitions for the future is a constant work in progress. The most important question is whether the organisation provides a benefit to the community. It seems to me that the Santas pass this test. As on almost every issue, however, some feel differently.

Thursday 19 May 2022

Scroll down for Burghfield’s democracy, Windmill Court, local events and activities and news from your local councils.

This week’s news

• For other Platinum Jubilee celebrations, you can click here for what’s happening in Mortimer, Burghfield, Theale and the surrounding area.

• The Englefield Parish Magazine April to May 2022 issue is available for you to read here.

• Ditto here with the Padworth Village May 2022 Newsletter.

• Theale Green School is continuing to campaign to raise £2,500 to build a well-being school garden with initial intentions for it to be used by students and staff, and now hopes to extend the use to the community. More information can be found here and pledges can be made here.

• Holy Trinity Church has posted an updated list of necessities for the Foodbank which you can view here. Your donations are greatly appreciated.

• Click here for details of the jubilee festivities which will be taking place in Mortimer.

• Burghfield and Mortimer district councillor Graham Bridgman’s most recent (5 May) e-newsletter can be read here.

• For the latest news from theBenefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton which covers updates and events across Theale area please visit their website and click on Letters, Notices & Magazine.

Windmill Court

As mentioned last week (see below), there has recently been a certain amount of kerfuffle about the plans by Sovereign Housing to close this 35-flat unit in Mortimer and replace it with a smaller number of properties, some of which would be for rent and some for sale. The obvious pre-condition of this is that the existing residents would need to move out. The initial issue was about how the communication with the residents had been handled. I contacted both Sovereign and Stratfield Mortimer PC to discuss this. I’d like to point out that I had three informative emails from Sovereign in answer to several questions I posed so respect is due for that.

The two versions don’t exactly agree on every point as regards who contacted whom and when: but nor, perhaps, do any two accounts. What does seem clear, though, is that, while I have no reason to doubt Sovereign’s claim that “We’re very much committed to supporting all our residents at Windmill Court to find a move to the best comfortable new home for them”, matters could perhaps have been handled better at the outset. This is clear from the simple fact that, although the PC was contacted by Sovereign on 16 March, by then residents had already received letters from Sovereign and some had already contacted the parish council. This doesn’t suggest that any information provided had been as clear as it could have been.

It seems there was also a problem with the only telephone number initially provided going to a switchboard full of auto-options. Clearly there’s no easy way of breaking this kind of news but any communication which results in some people contacting a different organisation clearly hasn’t worked perfectly. Sovereign has assured me that “rehousing officers are supporting every resident” and that a dedicated email address and direct phone line has been set up, “at the parish council’s suggestion.”

Sovereign pointed out to me that they “spoke to the residents impacted by the closure before anyone else as it’s important that those most affected hear the news directly from us, can ask questions and understand the support we’ll provide.” On the face of it this seems fair but I repeat the point that, if this had gone according to plan, no one else would have even heard about this. It’s always worth looking at the organisations to whom people might turn if they were confused and to make sure that these bodies were aware and on-message. The two obvious candidates here are West Berkshire Council and the parish. It seems odd that WBC didn’t know about it (perhaps their housing team did) but the councillors and the parish council weren’t told until a day or so later. This slightly suggests that Sovereign felt they couldn’t be trusted.

There have been some quite high-profile local cases recently about whether councillors can be trusted with information. I think they can be. The ward members and the parish should have been told well in advance but asked to leave the initial communication to Sovereign. This would have allowed them to suggest how the letter might read to people whom they represent, to check how well the comms methods worked and generally be appraised of what was going on. If you’re a parish councillor and something is sprung on you about which you know nothing, it’s never going to go down well.

Ironically, it doesn’t seem as if the decision to re-develop is particularly sinister. Sovereign’s attitude is that felt the current Windmill Court wasn’t the best use of the location and pointed to the fact that seven out of the the 35 flats were empty. The new plans, I was told, “would have 10 homes for rent, five for shared ownership and nine for sale. We’ve assessed that this offers the best mix of homes for the needs of the area.

“Also,” the statement added, “as a not-for-profit organisation, all income from all of the homes which are sold will subsidise building affordable homes elsewhere.” I checked this assertion with WBC. “This depends on the title,” I was informed, “but ordinarily it would be recycled back into the district for new homes.”

The Sovereign statement went on to say that “because of the proposed redevelopment, residents are given priority banding with the council.” This may be so but there does seem to be a shortage of suitable properties in the district as a whole, never mind in the Mortimer area which is presumably where at least some of the residents would want to remain. WBC has told me the registered providers of social housing in the district in 2021 provided 882 “housing for older persons” and 368 “supported housing”, compared with respectively 1,102 and 234 ten years before: a net loss of 86. Overall, social-rent housing in the district has increased from 9,217 to 9,989 in the same period but most of this termed as “general needs.” With an ageing population, this might be leading to a problem of suitable accommodation. If this is the case, the residents of Windmill Court might be about to discover this for themselves. One can’t help wondering if, given what these figures suggest, that (assuming land was available) building new accommodation should have happened before existing facilities were closed down.

Burghfield’s democracy

It was recently suggested to me that an amendment of standing orders regarding the chairmanship of Burghfield Parish Council represented a threat to local democracy. The change, which was discussed and agreed at the February 2022 meeting (see item 12.0222), seems however not to have this ambition or result.

Most parish councils have no limit on how many years a Chair can serve consecutively. Burghfield didn’t but a few months ago decided to introduce one. To quote the resolution, henceforth “the Chair and Vice-Chair are elected by members of the Parish Council at the Annual Council meeting each year under Section 15 (1) of the Local Government Act 1972 with a maximum continuous term of five years. Should either wish to continue their term, the Parish Council can at this point elect to extend this term limit.” Having no limit is the default position the government and the National Association of Local Councils provides for but parishes are free to amend this if they choose. BPC has decided to do so and I see nothing sinister in this.

The reference to “five years” doesn’t mean that the Chair is elected for one five-year term. National legislation provides that the first order of business of an annual parish council meeting (which must happen in May) in that the Chair be elected for the next twelve months. All Burghfield PC is doing is limiting the term that the Chair can serve to five consecutive years. Why might BPC want to do this?

On the speaking to the office on 18 May, I was told that this is to encourage succession planning. As the number of vacancies in most parishes shows, not everyone wants to be a councillor and even fewer want to be the Chair. Once in place, if a Chair is doing an even half-decent job they’ll probably be encouraged to stay. This is fine for a while but can’t last for ever. I know of one parish where the same person has been in the top seat for over 20 years. That level of knowledge is hard to transfer. Five years is perhaps a more realistic timeframe. Change from time to time is also generally a good idea lest a sense of entitlement and ownership creep in. I’m not suggesting that anything like this is happening in Burghfield, merely that the PC has recognised the fact that it might and has taken steps to prevent it.

I’ve asked WBC if it holds information about how many of its 60-odd parishes have any such restrictions but have not yet received a reply. In a sense, the answer doesn’t matter. The point here is that Burghfield PC has decided to do this, as it’s entitled to.

If anyone feels strongly about how a parish council conducts its business, the most effective step is to join it. Many have vacancies which can be filled by co-option (an invition to join a council without an election). The first step is to contact the Clerk. As it happens, there are four vacancies on Burghfield PC at present which can be filled in this way (as well as a further one which, due to a seeming confusion about the way the system works, needs to be filled by election although no candidates have yet been nominated). I’m sure that anyone who is interested in the workings of local democracy in this parish will be well aware of how to contact Burghfield Parish Council; but, just in case, here’s the link to click on.

Thursday 12 May 2022

This week’s news

• Deadmans Lane will be closed to motor vehicles from June 2022 for 18 months. Once the restrictions are in force a six-month public consultation will begin and, once the 18-month period is ended, it will be decided whether to drop, amend or make the restriction permanent.There will be some reflective bollards in place that will allow pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians to pass easily. You can find a map of the planned restriction here, and more information on this matter here.

We asked Theale ward member Alan Macro what he knew about the scheme. “When the council called for active travel schemes during the pandemic, I put forward the idea of closing of this narrow country lane to traffic,” he told us on 12 May. “The major part of the lane serves no housing, only accesses to Theale Green School playing fields. It is single track, with no passing places. It is heavily used by walkers but carries very little vehicular traffic.”

• Last chance to sign the above-mentioned Alan Macro’s petition for a pedestrian crossing at the eastern end of Theale High Street to enable residents to cross more safely to and from the pharmacy, convenience store and bus stops. Click here for the petition which Alan is going to submit this Friday.

• West Berkshire Council has closed the footpath between Graham Court and Station road due to a fence panel in a dangerous position. Updates can be found on the Theale Community Facebook page.

• The Englefield Parish Magazine April to May 2022 issue is available for you to read here.

• Ditto here with the Padworth Village May 2022 Newsletter.

• Theale Green School is campaigning to raise £2,500 to build a well-being school garden with initial intentions for it to be used by students and staff, and now hopes to extend the use to the community. More information can be found here and pledges can be made here.

• Holy Trinity Church has posted an updated list of necessities for the Foodbank which you can view here. Your donations are greatly appreciated.

• Click here for details of the jubilee festivities which will be taking place in Mortimer.

• Burghfield and Mortimer district councillor Graham Bridgman’s most recent (5 May) e-newsletter can be read here.

• For the latest news from theBenefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton which covers updates and events across Theale area please visit their website and click on Letters, Notices & Magazine.

Burghfield’s costs

Last week, I wrote about the costs of the Village Hall in Burghfield and also about the estimated costs for the new café in the village which has caused so much dissent. I’m aware that there has been some comment on these costs which were prompted by posting last week’s column (see below) on various FB groups in the area.

As regards the Village Hall costs, the figures I quoted were provided by Burghfield Parish Council. If you want to see more detail on these, ask the council.

As regards the café cost, there seems to be a lot of debate about what exactly this would be. I suggested £50,000 last week, based on a conversation with a councillor. I’ve seen other figures including £40,000, £49,000, £80,000 and “anything from £1 to £100,000”. I think £50,000 might be a reasonable guess. And it is a guess. Why?

Firstly, because the planning permission hasn’t been granted yet. If it is, the Eastern Area Planning Committee (EAPC) may well impose conditions which could require that the building be cladded in antique oak or that a new access road be built or any number of other possibly expensive things. Whether the applicant (Burghfield PC) will see these as acceptable and how much they will cost – factors that are likely to be closely related – remains to be seen. I’m sure that BPC will make a suitable announcement on the cost implications of any decision and will announce this fact. You can be sure that I shall be chasing them for this information and will report the results in this column.

The second is that, although estimates for the work will have been received, costs of any building work are changing all the time. A firm spec can’t be provided until it’s known what’s to be built (see above). Perhaps it might be wise to wait until the EAPC has made its decision and BPC has come up with more precise figures – which, to repeat my earlier point, I shall be pressing them for, as I’m sure will concerned local residents – before arriving at at a judgment.

Two other points. First, even the highest café cost compares favourably with the original proposal of a £2m+ spend on a new community hub. For reasons I’ve tried to explain in previous posts (see below), the justifications for this have since evaporated and BPC has downwardly adjusted its budgeted costs accordingly. The café seems to be the only part of this project that now remains, the other ambitions the hub was intended to satisfy having been dealt with by other means. A café is what the community said it wanted and what BPC is providing. As it’s portable, it can also be sold off if it doesn’t work. As risks go, the proposed solution seems to test pretty low.

Also, I mentioned £50,000. Other figures exist. However, whatever the costs are, only part of them will be funded from BPC’s reserves. With the Village Hall, a good percentage of the funds came from grants, donations, and loans from the PWLB. I understand that the latter is not contemplated for the café and that BPC is confident it can realise a good chunk of the costs from the first two sources. I’m sure BPC would welcome suggestions from local residents as to any such funding avenues which it might have overlooked.

I don’t have anything to add to these observations at this stage, except to say that if you want to contact BPC (the applicant in this planning matter and a statutory consultee in all of them in the parish) then you can do so by emailing enquiries@burghfieldparishcouncil.gov.uk or calling 0118 983 1748. If you feel that there is some aspect of this issue that I’ve missed then please email me on brian@pennypost.org.uk.

Windmill Court

There has been a certain amount of controversy caused by Sovereign Housing’s recent decision to close this 35-place sheltered housing development, find alternative homes for the tenants and re-develop the site. The questions I have about this fall into the traditional three areas: what led to the decision to close this facility; how the re-location of the tenants has been handled; and what are the proposals for the future of the site.

I’ve had several conversations with people about this and have also asked Sovereign a number of questions a couple of days ago. As they haven’t yet had time to get back to me and as it seems fair to wait to hear what they have to say, I’ll hold this over until they’ve responded. I did receive an apologetic email from Sovereign on 12 May apologising for not having got back to me (which I was expecting as I had sprung the questions on them quite late: it was good of them to bother to reply, however) and so will aim to have more on this next week. In the meantime, if you or anyone you know has been affected by this announcement and has any comment to make, please contact me at brian@pennypost.org.uk.

Thursday 5 May 2022

This week’s news

• Theale Parish Council has posted an update to the December 2020 planning permission for the development happening on the Englefield Estate. The text reads: ”

In December 2020, West Berkshire Council granted outline planning permission (planning reference 19/01172/OUTMAJ) for the construction of new homes. Over the coming weeks you may see a number of surveys taking place. This is not the start of the development, but it is part of the process of checking ground conditions, the precise location of services, etc as a precursor to the next stage in the planning process. We are currently in discussions to find the right development partner to deliver high quality new homes in keeping with the Design Code that accompanied the planning application.

“In due course, we expect the selected housebuilder to submit a further planning application to West Berkshire Council setting out the detailed design of the new homes and associated landscaping, etc. The process will be subject to a full public consultation, so there will be an opportunity for you to comment further. This will likely take place late 2022. We do not expect to see development starting until 2023.”

• The results of the election for a new Theale Parish Councillor have been posted here with Micky Church receiving the most votes. John Seto was the gracious runner-up.

• Holy Trinity Church has posted an updated list of necessities for the Foodbank which you can view here. Your donations are greatly appreciated.

• The next Padworth Village Jumble Sale is being held this Saturday 7 May, in aid of the Village Hall. After a sale on Saturday 5 March which raised £520 for UNICEF who donated where possible to the Ukrainian Emergency, and the sale on 26 March which raised a further £384 for St John the Baptist, any donations containing unwanted items are gratefully received and can be brought to the village hall between 10am and 11.30am. For more information, have a look here on the Village website.

• Theale district councillor Alan Macro’s most recent (10 April) e-newsletter can be read here.

• Burghfield and Mortimer district councillor Graham Bridgman’s most recent (5 May) e-newsletter can be read here.

• Click here to read the April 2022 edition of Padworth Newsletter which, as ever, also has information from neighbouring parishes.

• For the latest news from theBenefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton which covers updates and events across Theale area please visit their website and click on Letters, Notices & Magazine.

Costing the Village Hall

Two weeks ago (see here) I wrote something about the local debate surrounding the proposed café in Burghfield. In some documents I read, this issue had got conflated with the quite separate matter of the refurbishment of the Village Hall. It therefore seemed worth having a look at this including what it cost and where the money came from, which was the main reason for its being mentioned.

Over the last few years, various plans were considered for creating a community hub for Burghfield but, over time, these were amended and reduced in scale. This was partly because of the likely costs and partly because some of the needs that this was intended to address, such as a possible new home for the library, were solved by other means. The idea of a separate hub now seems to have been dropped: all that survives is the café proposal, which I looked at in some detail earlier. I also explained, last week, a bit about the process by which this will be decided by WBC when the time comes.

The decision to deal with the several problems with the Village Hall were to some extent forced by the pandemic. In March 2020 the government issued guidelines stipulating the conditions on which such buildings could eventually re-open when infection rates permitted. Burghfield was probably not the only community which was, as a result, forced to accept that its hall could not meet these conditions without serious work. The pandemic may well, therefore, have done them all a favour. After discussion, a number of improvements were identified. These included improved access and lobby space, increasing the energy efficiency, adding a toilet and increasing the security. These works started on 7 January 2021 and lasted for about 20 weeks. The hall re-opened on 1 September.

Where did the money come from? The reassuring news, for local residents, is that the Parish Council did not need to pay for it all from its piggy bank. The total cost was close to £261,000. Of this, £111,000 (42%) came from BPC’s reserves, £100,000 (38%) from the Public Works Loan Board (which enables councils to obtain low-interest and long-repayment loan funding) and the balance from grants. The loan repayments are about £6,000 a year. A statement from BPC has pointed out that “prudent budgeting, coupled with an increase in revenue from the hire of the village hall has resulted in no increase being applied to the precept for financial year 2022-23.”

Other buildings in the area have raised similar, indeed, larger sums. In the west of the district, Inkpen’s Pavilion was recently officially re-opened (click here for more and see the 14 April 2002 column) after a re-build which cost about £500,000 which was funded from a similar mix of sources; while on 9 May 2022 the Vale of White Horse Council approved a grant of £597,000 towards the estimated £635,000 cost of rebuilding the pavilion in Kingston Bagpuize.

The income from Burghfield’s new Village Hall has so far been £18,000 for seven months of trading: if this continues, that will equate to about £31,000pa. There are obviously overheads to come out of this in addition to the loan repayment but it seems that the building is at the very least breaking even and, moreover, is unlikely to require any significant capital expenditure for some time. Many other parishes could not say the same of their halls.

Why, some might ask, was the café not added as part of these improvements? I understand that this was considered. The hall would have needed to become larger for this to have happened. There were two directions in which this enlargement could go: out or up. Increasing the footprint was apparently not an option as it would have reduced the number of car parking spaces, which may well on its own have triggered a refusal from WBC. Adding a storey would have risked objections from neighbours and certainly increased the costs significantly (not least because of needing to remove and then re-fit all the solar panels) without any certainty that the building would as a result be more profitable. The café was thus regarded as a quite separate project and this is how it should be regarded.

As I mentioned in my previous article about this, the proposed construction also allows for it to be sold and removed if it doesn’t succeed. As for the funding (assuming this is approved and goes ahead) this is likely to be met from BPC’s reserves, grants and donation. The café project is expected to cost around £50,000 though I’ve seen other figures mentioned. This won’t be able to be confirmed until the planning approval is granted, if it is, as conditions may be imposed which will increase this.

It is of course possible that future events will prove that BPC has taken some wrong decisions on the matter. I hold no brief for the Council nor any other group in the area and am merely pointing what these decisions were, how much they cost and how they were paid for. Other parish and town councils, and local residents, may take comfort from these – the sums for restoring such buildings can be significant but they don’t all have to be paid for by the parish: or, in the case of a PLWB loan, don’t all have to be paid up-front and out of reserves.

If anyone needs any further information on either of these projects, contact Burghfield Parish Council and ask. (If you wish to be involved in any new plans it may develop from the inception, you could always put yourself forward to become a councillor.) Any such plans will also involve a number of meetings which will usually be open the public. And, of course, we’ll be doing our best to keep an eye on them here in Penny Post. Please get in touch (email brian@pennypost.org.uk) if you feel there’s anything you’d like to see us cover or look into.

Up in smoke

In September 2020, an application was lodged for “the development of an Energy Recovery Centre and adjacent Data Centre and associated infrastructure” to the north east of Burghfield (RG30 3XD), just to the north of the M4 . You can view the application details on West Berkshire’s website here. The application was called in by ward member Graham Bridgman (though the number of objections would have made it come to committee in any case) and the matter has been grinding its way through the planning system ever since. The intention is that the matter be decided at the meeting of the Eastern Area Planning Committee on 1 June 2022. See last week’s section for more on how this body (and its Western Area sibling) conducts its business.

Inevitably, such applications cause not only a good deal of local interest but also a torrent of reports and data. One of the many letters about this is from an organisation called Reading Against the Incinerator: I’ll leave it to you to guess where its sentiments in the matter lies. This cites 14 problems with the application as it stands. I won’t try to summarise these but you can find this, and other opinions, on the above-mentioned link. Clearly the waste we create has to be dealt with somehow: whether this is the best solution or the best location is a matter that EAPC will need to decide. You can comment on the matter right up to the determination date of 1 June but, given the technical nature of the application, you might want to make this sooner rather than later. Reading and digesting all the documents would be a mammoth task but you may want to glance at some of the consultation responses and letters of support or objection to help set the scene.

Thursday 28 April 2022

This week’s news

• Theale Parish Council has posted a survey from West Berkshire Council about Digital Signposting in and around West Berkshire and is asking for your thoughts and experience with digital signposting by 11 May. See here for more.

• See last week’s column (below) for some thoughts about the proposed café in Burghfield. See also the two separate sections below for a closer look at how this and other matters are communicated about and decided.

• The Rotary Club of Pangbourne is hosting an art exhibition showcasing local talent between 6 and 8 May in Pangbourne Village Hall with the nominated charity being New Beginnings Reading. There are still opportunities for artists to book places. Art lovers make a note of the dates. It is a great opportunity to showcase local talent and to buy good quality artwork at reasonable prices. Please contact Clive Williams on 01491 671631 or clivewilliams@gmx.co.uk or visit the facebook page for more details.

• The theme for the Burghfield Scarecrow Trail this May Half Term is ‘Let’s Celebrate’. If you fancy making a scarecrow, pick up a form from Wellers Fruit Shop, the Post Office or email michelle@zboltons.co.uk by 30 April if you would like to take part. Entry is £10 and all money raised will support local Girl Guides. See more information here.

• Fancy a bluebell walk this Saturday 30 April and Sunday 1 May? In sponsorship of MS Society, Rushall Farm in Bradfield is hosting a Bluebell walk that will feature family fun in the barn, hot and cold food, homemade cakes and a free treasure hunt. For adults, it is £5 and for children, £3. For more information, click here or here for the Facebook post here.

• The next Padworth Village Jumble Sale is being held on Saturday 7 May, in aid of the Village Hall. After a sale on Saturday 5 March which raised £520 for UNICEF who donated where possible to the Ukrainian Emergency, and the Sale on 26 March which raised a further £384 for St John the Baptist, any donations containing unwanted items are gratefully received and can be brought to the village hall between 10am and 11.30am. For more information, have a look here on the Village website.

• Theale district councillor Alan Macro most recent (10 April) e-newsletter can be read here.

• Burghfield and Mortimer district councillor Graham Bridgman’s most recent (7 April) e-newsletter can be read here.

• This week’s NWN reports on p24 that a recently retired local teacher in Mortimer, Mike Gomm, is hoping to set up a “men’s shed“, described as “a community grouper retired and working men to socialise, learn craft and DIY skills and teach what they know to others.” These seem like the breeding ground for the experts at a repair café, organisations which are becoming more and more common, and welcome. The article doesn’t say how you can contact him but the Stratfield Mortimer Parish Council seems to be involved so you can doubtless reach him through that.

• Click here to read the April 2022 edition of Padworth Newsletter which, as ever, also has information from neighbouring parishes.

• For the latest news from theBenefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton which covers updates and events across Theale area please visit their website and click on Letters, Notices & Magazine.

Planning Committees (the East and the West)

As mentioned last week (see below), the next step on the journey for the application of proposed café in Burghfield is West Berkshire Council’s (WBC) Eastern Area Planning Committee (EAPC). This provides an opportunity to explain what this – and its twin sibling the Western Area Planning Committee(WAPC) – does.

The vast majority of planning applications are uncontentious and are decided by planning officers. Policy, process and precedent are the key factors they consider. Matters such as the commercial viability of the proposed new structure or general sentiments such as “the place won’t be the same” play no part in their decisions. Most applications pass completely under the public radar and the changes they approve may be un-noticed even by next-door neighbours.

A very small percentage, however, are for one reason or another contentious. These are decided by one of the two regional planning committees mentioned above (there is also a District Planning Committee (DPC), to which decisions of these two can be sent, either if another view is required, perhaps as insurance policy against an appeal, or if the application has district-wide implications).

There are three reasons why an application goes to committee:

If the ward member (district councillor) decides to call it in. This they can do (a) if the officers are minded to accept it; (b) if the officers are minded to refuse it; or (c) in any event. An example of the third is the solar farm application in Enborne, where the ward members felt that the issues surrounding this fairly recent new of development should be explored in public. The Burghfield café application was also called in by the ward member in any case, as it was felt that the circumstances demanded scrutiny. (This is prudent where, as in this case, the parish council is the applicant, as it demonstrates that the matter is being properly looked at.)
If an officer decides to call it in. This is far less common but can happen. The Pincents application in Tilehurst was called in to the DPC by officers after it had been refused by EAPC as they were worried about the possibility of an expensive appeal by the developers. (The DPC confirmed the EAPC’s view – see last week’s column below).
If the application has received 10 or more objections and if the officers are minded to accept it. Note that objection to or support for the application must be sent to WBC in the way specified on the planning portal: a social-media post doesn’t cut it.

The composition of the EAPC and WAPC can be seen by looking at the respective links above. There are nine members, all from that part of the district. The composition is cross-party but in proportion to the seats held there. The Chair (Graham Pask for the EAPC) is from the ruling party and the Vice Chair (Alan Macro) from the major opposition party. (The Greens have no representation on the EAPC, though they do on WAPC, as all their members are in the west.) There are also substitutes from the various parties, called on if members are unavailable or (more rarely) compromised by having an interest in the application. Meetings take place every three weeks, on a Wednesday.

The agendas are published eight days before the meeting. The first order of business, on the Wednesday before the meeting, are site meetings for the application/s being considered. Both the Chairs I spoke to say that they prefer to go to these without any pre-knowledge and encourage their colleagues to do likewise. The attendees are briefed by officers and can ask questions. Members of the public may attend these but the Chair will restrict their contributions to pointing out matters of fact (such as what part of an existing property is likely to be overlooked by a new one) rather than engaging in debates about opinions. These are fact-finding exercises. They can be over quite quickly but in complex cases can last several hours.

The documents will be on the WBC and these will then be studied by the members. There can be hundreds of them, ranging from three-line letters of support or objection to 40-page technical reports from experts involving charts, tables, maps and the lord knows what else. None of these will be written in a racy, page-turning style. A long evening’s work can sometimes be required.

The meeting itself can also be a marathon. Currently these are hybrid, with the members and officers generally present in the Chamber but others dialling in from outside. (Opinions differ as to whether the pandemic-inspired remote-access working was a good or a bad thing. This is a separate argument.) Wherever and however it takes place, there’s a lot to fit in and the role of the Chair is very important. First, the officers will make their statement about the main issues and make their recommendations. There then follows an opportunity for up to six separate groups to speak for or against the application. Each will generally be given five minutes. If more than one person is speaking from the same interest group then the time will be divided between: two opponents, say, wishing to speak will thus get two and a half minutes each. The six groups are (not all may be relevant to the application and some may not choose to attend):

Opponents
Supporters
The applicant
The ward member/s
The parish council
Any closely neighbouring parish council/s

The committee members can ask questions of the speakers but only on matters which the speakers have raised: a new topic cannot be introduced. Then the officers are questioned by the members. After all this, there is a debate in which the members all get their chance to state their views, including recommending any conditions that be attached to the development if it’s approved. Finally, there is a vote, the Chair having the final say in the case of a dead-heat arising from abstentions. Soon afterwards the planning officers will (unless, as in Pincents Lane, they wish to call it in to the DPC), issue a Decision Notice. This can only be overturned by the Planning Inspector or the Secretary of State. Particularly complex decisions can take three hours or more, though others – where there is only one point to decide and fewer external participants – can be got through more quickly.

If you live near a proposed development which you feel will be unwelcome, or if you are the sponsor of a plan for half a dozen homes in which you’ve invested your life savings, then the decisions of the committee are, if not life-changing in the medical sense of the term, then certainly very important. The stakes being high, accusations are sometimes made about undue influence.

There may be cases of members receiving bribes to vote a particular way (and old trope) but I’m unaware of any around here. Moreover, this doesn’t form any part of any serious accusation I’ve heard about these committees’ decisions. Far more common is the charge that the voting follows party lines. There are cases where this happens but others where it doesn’t; and some, such as in the most recent Walkers Logistics application in Membury, where it did but in the opposite way to which many predicted. The main challenge for the committee members seems to a hard slog through the three Ps of policy, precedent and procedure on which the planning system rests.

The Burghfield café application will be considered by this process by EAPC, probably in the next couple of months. The decision will be taken by nine councillors, but taking into account the views of many others who will be attending the meeting in one of the above-mentioned capacities; and many more – perhaps hundreds – who have expressed their opinion. Unless there is an appeal, that will be the final word on the matter (though there’s nothing to stop a separate application being lodged if this one is refused). In some cases, the committee’s decision may not prove to be right – whatever “right” is – but it will certainly have been carefully considered. In any case, that’s the system we have and, until someone comes up with a better one, the one we’re stuck with. Burghfield’s café will get no special treatment just because it’s been proposed by the parish council: indeed, as it’s going to committee, rather the reverse. Everyone will have a chance to have their say then. Anything said before then, if not made as a formal response, might prove to be a waste of time.

Spreading the word

As has been mentioned many times before, social media is both good and bad. It’s an excellent way of communicating information or getting answers to questions quickly. It can also be a good way of opinion sharing, ranging from careful comment to merely letting off steam. Particularly in the pandemic, it provided invaluable local connectivity. It’s free and fairly easy to use. On the other hand, it’s often unmoderated and can spread inaccurate information or polarising comments. There are about 49m people in the UK who use Facebook: another way of looking at it is that there are about 21m people who do not. It’s also hopeless for any kind of nuanced discussion, mainly because posts are viewed chronologically. Unless you get in quick, the thread will vanish off the bottom of your screen to be replaced by something newer. Like any communication method, it’s not perfect. These days, there are quite a few to choose from.

This creates a problem for parish and town councils (PCs). They are legally obliged to communicate several things (like agendas and minutes) and also wish to provide information about events, consultations, initiatives and a whole host of matters ranging from fundraisers to road closures. Many will be uncontroversial: a few will be anything but. Merely publicising these in all the ways people variously expect – in print, by email, on the website and on social media – is a job in itself. For reasons of speed and cost, “digital by default” is the current municipal motto, whether officially stated or not. Whatever the media used, matters need to be carefully phrased and made consistent across all of them. That done, there are then two further hurdles to cross.

The first is whether people will pay attention. This will be linked to how many people are reached. Most PCs probably don’t email their residents but, if they did, it’s unlikely they’d have everyone’s addresses. All who are online can visit the PC’s website but the reality is that very few will regularly do so. Much the same can be said for public attendance at meetings (which tend only to swell when there’s a contentious planning decision in the air). Door-to-door leafleting is time-consuming and expensive. Communications through local media groups will be limited by their schedules, space and policy and the information may not be published as provided. Word of mouth has a role play but we’re all familiar with the distorting effects of Chinese whispers. Social media is the latest weapon in this armoury and, as mentioned above, has advantages and drawbacks (as do they all). Even if all these methods are used they still probably won’t reach everyone, or will do so in different times and in different ways.

This leads to the second issue: how people react or respond. Forty years ago, the most common method was to write, which could spread any discussion over several weeks (and keep it confidential). Subsequent methods have tended both towards a more immediate and a more public interaction, culminating in where we are now: on social media a response can (and sometimes is) made in seconds and could in theory be seen by billions of people. Managing outward communications and dealing with the unpredictable number of inward ones is time-consuming for any organisation, particularly PCs where the level of debate may be out of all proportion to the time the council has available. This requires not only a good knowledge of media communications but also a council policy which will govern how, or even if, matters will be responded to.

All PCs should have such a social-media policy. I spoke to two PCs – Burghfield and Hungerford, both about the same size – about this on 26 April. Their policies can be seen, respectively, here and here. (Burghfield’s you’ll need to download from the policy page: Hungerford’s is a pop-up.) Few people are going to study these before posting a comment of their own but they might be worth looking at if you’ve posted something and are wondering if the PC will respond. As a general rule, most will use social media to communicate factual information about, for instance, consultations or events. If comments are added which contain information the PC feels it needs to correct then it may do so. Most, however, do not get involved in replying to individual comments or expressing opinions. Aside from other limitations, they don’t have the time. The lack of any comment from the PC does not, therefore, mean it’s indifferent to, ignorant of or in agreement with the opinion expressed. The same generally applies to comments made about the PC on other local social-media groups. These will probably be monitored but the PC may not engage. Individual councillors may do so on their own accounts but that’s a separate matter and their opinions should be not be taken to represent the view of the PC unless expressly stated otherwise.

Another point to bear in mind is that most PCs will not regard a social-media post as an official response to or comment on any matter. Other organisations take the same view. You can’t report a crime in this way to the police, for instance, nor register an objection to a planning application. All in all, it’s as well to regard social-media comments as if they were verbal – that’s certainly the way many of them are written – and to recall Sam Goldwyn’s characteristically garbled but memorable observation that “a verbal contract isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on.” Most PCs will accept – indeed welcome – three ways of communication: by phone; in writing (email or letter); or by attendance at the relevant meeting. (Consultations will increasingly also offer a web-based response.) Details of all of these will be on their website.

As recent events, in Burghfield and elsewhere have shown, visiting the website is often a useful first step before venting your views on Facebook or Twitter. Social media may be the newest method of communicating but it isn’t always the best and may not even be recognised as a valid method at all. PCs are increasingly trying to diversify the way in which they interact with their residents and in the ways that the residents expect. For their part, residents need also to understand that PCs have their own preferred channels of expression. For both parties not to be aware of these risks creating dissent or misunderstanding where none need exist.

Thursday 21 April 2022

This week’s news

• A final reminder that the Englefield Estate’ Easter Woodland Trail run until this Sunday 24 April which allows the public to explore around Mortimer West End and Mortimer and Burghfield Common. The 15 activity boards along the way are sure to keep you interactive with the environment. For more details, click here.

• According to the Newbury Weekly News, paediatric doses of the covid vaccine for five to 11-year-olds with no underlying health conditions are currently available at Theale Village Hall. A second does will be offered at least 12 weeks apart. These vaccines aren’t being given at schools or GP surgeries. You can book on the NHS booking website or by calling 119.

• As mentioned last week, Theale Parish Council has announced that Deadmans Lane is going to have a No Motor Vehicles restriction to encourage active travel within the community whilst works are carried out until June. The council has also stated that signs alone will most likely not deter motorists therefore, there will be some reflective bollards in place that will allow pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians to pass easily. You can find a map of the planned restriction here, and more information on this matter here.

• A notice from Theale Parish council as the poll for the election of one parish councillor will be held on Thursday 28 April. This will occur between 7am and 10pm. You can view the official notice here which will help understand the details of the nominees.

• Fancy a bluebell walk this weekend? For the next two weekends, in sponsorship of MS Society, Rushall Farm in Bradfield is hosting a Bluebell walk that will feature family fun in the barn, hot and cold food, homemade cakes and a free treasure hunt. For adults it is £5 and for children, £3. For more information, click here or here for the Facebook post here.

• Another bluebell walk in Sulham Woods is taking place this Sunday at 2.15pm. Tickets are £5 with all proceeds going towards Purley’s historic 18th Century Barn. For more information, please see here.

• The next Padworth Village Jumble Sale is being held on Saturday 7 May, in aid of the Village Hall. After an incredible Sale on Saturday 5 March which raised £520 for UNICEF who donated where possible to the Ukrainian Emergency, and the Sale on 26 March which raised a further £384.37 for St John the Baptist, any donations containing unwanted items are gratefully received and can be brought to the village hall between 10am and 11.30am. For more information, have a look here on the Village website.

• Theale district councillor Alan Macro has recently (10 April) published his latest e-newsletter, which you can read here. Items covered include: local planning applications; the parish council by-election; the pedestrian crossing petition; and Theale Green School.

• Burghfield and Mortimer district councillor Graham Bridgman has recently (7 April) published his latest e-newsletter, which you can read here.

• Click here to read the April 2022 edition of Padworth Newsletter which, as ever, also has information from neighbouring parishes.

• For the latest news from theBenefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton which covers updates and events across Theale area please visit their website and click on Letters, Notices & Magazine.

Pincents Lane, bridge bidding and the Bazalgette Principle

Although slightly outside our area, this proposed 165-home development in Tilehurst has recently come to public attention and for reasons which may have district-wide significance.

The project was rejected by the Eastern Area Planning Committee. However, the officers requested that he be reviewed by the District Planning Committee. This was considered on 13 April, when the plans were rejected again. I’ve spoken to some of the committee members and also seen the article on p21 of this week’s NWN. This cited a range of traffic and access concerns, as well as the fact that it wasn’t in the local plan, as the main reasons for refusal. The officers were concerned that the developers might appeal and this request for a fresh look offered, perhaps, a double protection against an expensive risk: if the DPC approved the application then clearly no appeal would be required; if they refused them then at least it could be demonstrated that the matter had been given every possible consideration. I’m unclear why this site is particularly vulnerable to an appeal considering that the district has more than seven years of land supply and the manifest problems with the development, particularly its access.

As to why the access is so problematic, it’s because it would in effect pass through the car park of the retail area to the south which contains a supermarket, an Ikea and the HQ of the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Services. This would be less of a problem were a foot-bridge to have built, as per the original permission. This was, however, allowed to be dropped under a Section 73 agreement (by which a developer can vary specific conditions or aspects of an agreement) about ten years ago. Somehow, this was allowed to get through. No developer wants to build something that’s going to cost money if they can avoid it. This left the area less one useful piece of infrastructure which, years later, has come back to haunt it. This is far from being the only case of a condition being set aside. The planning system is a bit like a game of bridge: your initial bid is not what you want to do but what you think you can get away with. Once planning approval is obtained, the serious work starts on whittling the details down to the thing you’re actually prepared to build.

One dissenting voice at the DPC was that of Tony Vickers who voted to approve the scheme. This was not because he felt it was perfect as it stood – he admitted that his views were “finely balanced” – but because the local MP, Alok Sharma, had already said that if the application was approved he would call it in for the Secretary of State to decide. The point here is that, regardless how the decision went, WBC would not have to bear any costs. As matters stand, a successful appeal by the developers against WBC could cost the council a six-figure sum. This could also be seen as a kind of bridge bidding. Other DPC members were keener to stress to the principles of the issue: “We’re proud to be a policy-led authority,” Graham Bridgman said, “and this is against policy.”

The NWN article also refers to members of the DPC criticising the traffic data and, by implication, the fact that additional growth needs to be assumed: the exceptionally busy days of today could become the norm in a decade’s time. This calls to mind a story of which I’m particularly fond (please indulge me if you’ve heard in before) which examples what I call the Bazalgette Principle. The engineer Joseph Bazalgette was in the 1850s tasked with the problem of building a sewer system for London, the effluent problem having reached repulsive proportions. He came back with his plans: he had assumed, he told the government, the largest sized pipes that the city currently needed. He had then doubled his dimensions, shrewdly realising that London was only going to get bigger. The system is still operational today. It doesn’t seem that the Bazalgette Principle was applied to the Section 73 agreement about the footbridge and nor, perhaps, to the traffic projections for the recent application. Perhaps photos of these wonderfully whiskered Victorian engineers should by law be placed in in every council office as a reminder of the need for future-proofing any decisions in so far as one can. West Berkshire Council is currently grappling with a 30-year vision for aspects of its local plan: Bazalgette’s vision has so far lasted for around 170 years.

Burghfield’s café

My attention has recently been drawn to the controversy surrounding Burghfield Parish Council’s (BPC) application for the erection of “a temporary pre-fabricated café on Burghfield Common between the sports pavilion and the playground”. You can see the application (22/00535/FUL) by clicking here. There have so far between about 80 letters of opposition and about 50 of support, indicating the reality, or the perception, of concern. I’m also aware of a leaflet which has been dropped through letterboxes in the town (headed “Save our Village Green”) which contains a number of allegations about the shortcomings of the project. Burghfield PC has several documents relating to the matter on its website but this is, unfortunately, going through a site migration as I write so any links may not work (I’ll add these in when available or supply them next week).

I knew next to nothing about this until Wednesday, although I’ve seen similar disputes elsewhere. So, I made a few calls to try to find out what the issues were.

The nine points in the leaflet – which are echoed by several of the objection letters I’ve seen – could perhaps have been divided into four groups. Some (such as concerning traffic and parking) are planning matters. Others (such as the cost and the viability) are commercial ones. There is also a suggestion that the proposal would increase anti-social behaviour, which I assume would be more likely if alcohol were served: if so, this would be a licensing matter. Finally, there are suggestions that the consultation was inadequate, which is really an engagement matter between BPC and its residents (and vice versa).

Only the first of these, the planning matters, will be of importance when the application is decided at the Eastern Area Planning Committee (EAPC) some time after the determination deadline of 29 April. (Ward Member Graham Bridgman told me he had called it in regardless of whether officers were minded to accept it though it would have gone to committee anyway because of the number of objections.) Anyone writing a letter or email of support or objection is free to mention any aspect of the matter that comes to mind: however, only ones which bear on planning policy or procedure will be considered by the officers or, in this case, the committee. They may impose conditions about opening hours or delivery times or a hundred other things but will not concern themselves with the commercial viability of the project nor how this is funded.

So: is the project viable? Burghfield PC’s view, as expressed to me, was that it has, over the last five years, been scaled down from a £2m+ community-hub plan to one that comprises merely a café. I’m not sure of the exact proposed costs but they would appear to be in the mid-five-figure area. Moreover, you’ll have noted the use of the term “temporary pre-fabricated” to describe the project. The plan as I understand it is to give the project two years, after which it could be (i) retained as is, (ii) expanded into a different and (perhaps) larger site or (iii) sold and shipped away. Option (iii) isn’t normally open to building projects: but if this one didn’t work out, the whole thing could be loaded onto the back of a trailer and, still with espresso machine in place, moved somewhere else. (BPC has suggested to me that the description of the structure as a “shipping container” in the leaflet is a tad brutal: “a modular unit” was the phrase I was offered, which could be cladded with wood or something else. EAPC may insist on this.)

The immediate aim, if approval is granted, is to find a local person or people (not a national chain) to run it, within whatever hours of operation (i) are permitted by the approval and (ii) suit them. The 7am to 7pm seven days a week hours are, I was told, designed to give the greatest flexibility to whoever takes it on. The question of any alcohol licence – and thus, possibly, concerns about anti-social behaviour – will be the subject of a separate application to a separate committee and so don’t seem very important at this stage.

As regards how it’s funded, there are three main options: (i) from BPC’s own reserves; (ii) from a low-interest loan from the PWLB; or (iii) from external grants or donations. Burghfield’s recent Village Hall re-furb raised about two-thirdsof its costs from the last two sources and there’s no reason to suppose this will be any different. There will of course also be rental income from whoever’s running it.

Turning to the consultation, it was suggested to me that the only public engagement was at an earlier stage when a larger project was being conceived. It would indeed appear that the only two formal consultations took place, in 2017 and 2019. It’s also true that the plans changed several times (being scaled down because of a number of factors including cost, the re-furb of the Village Hall and another solution being found for the library) but BPC points out that “a number of articles were also included within the quarterly parish newsletter to update parishioners of progress alongside regular posts on the parish council website.”

Here we enter a subjective area. These days, consultations need to be on- and off-line and publicised in a variety of places including the PC’s website, local news groups (printed or digital) and social media. Some people may have missed some of these, or the PC could have failed to make some of these sufficiently clear. It could also be that fewer people keep their eye on the BPC website than BPC likes to assume. “Consultation” could be taken to include general news sharing with invitations to comment, though some might see it only as a more formal process with a deadline for responses and clear actions thereafter. These are expensive and time-consuming to do. Perhaps BPC could have done more: perhaps the residents could have logged on to the BPC website more often. Perhaps some of the objections have nothing to do with this application but hark back to some unconnected unfinished local business. I don’t know the place or the case well enough to judge, though I know all these issues have cropped in various combinations cropped up elsewhere.

The 2019 consultation recorded that 74% of people wanted a café in a proposed community hub. It could be argued that this is no longer a community hub and thus that the question is void. However, I don’t see that any secret was made of the fact that a café was being planned and I understand that there have been over 30 meetings, all of them open to the public, at which the matter was discussed. Certainly, the plans were changed several times, which must in part have been due to public feedback. Finally, the level of consultation isn’t so far as I’m aware a planning consideration anyway.

For most planning issues of any size, there’ll be several sources of often conflicting information and opinions. The applicant, the parish council (the same in this case), the ward member/s, local media groups (such as Penny Post), social media platforms and local objectors will have their views. It’s rare that anyone has a monopoly of the truth so be sure to check the sources against each other and ask if you see gaps or inconsistencies. Most Burghfield residents will have seen the leaflet and you’ve read my thoughts, for what they’re worth. For Burghfield PC’s views, as mentioned above the website currently has the scaffolding up – until that’s remedied, email enquiries@burghfieldparishcouncil.gov.uk if you have any questions.

It also may be that applications which are initiated by a parish council – and which, if passed, involve expenditure – risk being particularly contentious. There may be the perceptions (which I don’t share) that PCs have a secret short-cut through the planning system or that the main aim is the personal enrichment or advantage of the councillors concerned. Public money obviously needs to be carefully watched but there don’t seem to be any extravagances in this case. If anyone feels differently, raise it with BPC.

The next step is the meeting of EAPC to make a decision. (I’d add in passing that I think it would be a good idea if allapplications for which any local council were the applicant should be called into committee automatically, if only to demonstrate that these get the maximum level of scrutiny.) All parties will be able to have their say at that. Ideally this will be sooner rather than later as there are still be several hoops to jump through before the idea reaches fruition. Hopefully it will then be a success. If it isn’t and if, a few years from now, you see a “modular unit”, perhaps cladded, leaving Burghfield on the back of a lorry exuding a faint aroma of coffee and bacon sandwiches, then it’s been sold and is en route to its new home. The only way to find out whether it works or not is to try it…

Thursday 14 April 2022

This week’s news

• According to this week’s Newbury Weekly News, paediatric doses of the covid vaccine for five to 11-year-olds with no underlying health conditions are currently available at Theale Village Hall. A second does will be offered at least 12 weeks apart. These vaccines aren’t being given at schools or GP surgeries. Apparently you are meant to be able to book on the NHS booking website or by calling 119.

• Theale Parish Council has announced that Deadmans Lane is going to have a No Motor Vehicles restriction to encourage active travel within the community whilst works are carried out until June. The council has also stated that signs alone will most likely not deter motorists therefore, there will be some reflective bollards in place that will allow pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians to pass easily. You can find a map of the planned restriction here, and more information on this matter here.

• The Englefield Estate is hosting an Easter Woodland Trail that is running until 24 April which will allow the public to explore around Mortimer West End and Mortimer and Burghfield Common. The 15 activity boards along the way are sure to keep you interactive with the environment. For more details, click here.

•A final reminder that, if you fancy a great day with the family and all for a good cause, The Falcon Pub in the High Street is hosting a Family Fun Day on April 15 including an evening karaoke as well as children’s competitions. All proceeds are going towards Breast Cancer Research and The Air Ambulance. For more information click here to be redirected to their Facebook page.

• Theale district councillor Alan Macro has recently (10 April) published his latest e-newsletter, which you can read here. Items covered include: local planning applications; the parish council by election; the pedestrian crossing petition; and Theale Green School.

• Burghfield and Mortimer district councillor Graham Bridgman has recently (7 April) published his latest e-newsletter, which you can read here.

• He also refers to the problems of the new pavements in Beech Hill. The same thing happened in Hungerford for the same reason, so most of the comments in the Chasing Pavements section in the Hungerford Area Weekly News column for 7 April 2022 apply here.

• His report also covers a couple of issues in Burghfield: the Parish Council’s planning application for the pavilion and concerns about the Sovereign tenancy on Recreation Road.

• Click here to read the April 2022 edition of Padworth Newsletter which, as ever, also has information from neighbouring parishes.

• For the latest news from theBenefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton which covers updates and events across Theale area please visit their website and click on Letters, Notices & Magazine.

Thursday 7 April 2022

This week’s news

• Ever wondered what it was like teaching in the 70s? Former art teacher Raymond Gray who taught from the age of 21 at Theale Green school shares some insight into teaching and Theale Green’s History in the Reading Chronicle. Have a look here if you’re interested.

• Fancy a pub quiz next week? The Falcon Pub is hosting their first quiz on Tuesday 12 April where there will be teams of 4 and for only £1 a person, it is a great night out for a few friends or the family. For more information, have a look here.

• Speaking of which, if you fancy a great day with the family and all for a good cause, The Falcon Pub in the High Street is hosting a Family Fun Day on April 15 including an evening karaoke as well as children’s competitions. All proceeds are going towards Breast Cancer Research and The Air Ambulance. For more information click here to be redirected to their Facebook page.

• Burghfield and Mortimer district councillor Graham Bridgman has recently (7 April) published his latest e-newsletter, which you can read here. One of the matters he looks at is covered below (Windmill Court).

• His report also covers a couple of issues in Burghfield: the Parish Council’s planning application for the pavilion and concerns about the Sovereign tenancy on Recreation Road.

• Click here to read the April 2022 edition of Padworth Newsletter which, as ever, also has information from neighbouring parishes.

• For the latest news from theBenefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton which covers updates and events across Theale area please visit their website and click on Letters, Notices & Magazine.

• Theale district councillor Alan Macro has recently published his latest e-newsletter, which you can read here.

Windmill Court

Burghfield and Mortimer ward member Graham Bridgman had this to say in his latest newsletter: “Having become aware of concerns raised about Sovereign Housing’s plans for redeveloping Windmill Court, I have been (and am continuing to be) in discussions with Sovereign, WBD and Windmill Court residents. I know that residents who have contacted me were due to meet with Sovereign and I await the outcome of those meetings. I also know that, as well as attending the next Parish Council meeting, Sovereign will be undertaking some community engagement, so I await developments (and the planning application).”

Not being familiar with this story, I asked him for a bit of background. It seems that Sovereign stood accused in some quarters of leaving the residents to solve matters themselves, claims that may not be entirely fair. Sovereign is now assuring everyone that it will be doing all it can to support and help the residents in relocating. I’m sure that the Stratfield Mortimer Parish Council – and Councillor Bridgman – will ensure that this is no mere PR exercise.

Thursday 31 March 2022

This week’s news

• The April Chaddleworth News has just been published and you can read it here. Items covered include history, the jubilee, cricket, the Lent much fundraiser and news and event details from the village’s organisations. Please contact chaddnews@gmail.com if you want to be added to the circulation list for the digital edition. You can see the March issue here.

• Compton Preschool is hosting an Easter Eggstravaganza which will host a disco, Easter crafts and a chance to meet the Easter Bunny on 1 April between 4 and 6pm. Entry is £2 per child and includes an Easter Egg. For more information, visit the website here or call them on 01635 579 171 and email them at info@comptonpreschool.co.uk.

• Details for Hampstead Norreys local celebrations from 2 to 5 June for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee are available to view online and include community lunches, parties, choirs, parades and a barn dance. Please keep an eye on the Hampstead Norreys village website and Hampstead Norreys Community Facebook page for future event details.

• The March 2022 issue of the Brickleton Newsletter has been released and contains information about Easter celebrations, Parish Council updates and Parish Council minutes from the Meeting held on 14 March. Read the newsletter here.

• The Upstream Spring 2022 Newsletter is out now and can be viewed here. Items covered include Volunteer Dates, Local farmer updates, The Annual Green Meeting of the West Berkshire Countryside Society, The History of the Holies, and some walking routes.

• West Ilsley’s March Newsletter has been released and you can read that here. Items covered include deadhead flower collections, the Queen’s Jubilee plans, The preloved Boutique, Ilsley Evergreens, The Autumn Group and an Easter Family Bingo.

Speeding and potholes in Westridge Green

I’m not directly familiar with this issue which was raised most recently at the meeting of Aldworth Parish Council on 16 March. I am, however, aware that many other parishes across the Penny Post area are experiencing various problems with speeding and related matters and some feel that they are not getting the support or reaction the situation merits from their parent authority. The item was addressed in the above-mentioned minutes and has been used here verbatim.

“After what was thought to be a successful meeting with Chris Vidler from West Berkshire Council (Senior Highways Engineer) about improving road safety on the B4009 through Westridge Green, we were all disappointed to receive an email stating that a speed limit review would not be entertained.

“Concerns were raised that other promises had not been fulfilled, such as the speed monitoring devices and the review of signage from Aldworth to Westridge Green. It was agreed to write to Chris Vidler, Councillor. Alan Law and the Police and Crime Commissioner, Matthew Barber, with evidence of the recent accidents, the promises made and the lack of support we have received. The clerk will prepare a draft letter and circulate via email for amendments to be made before final submission.”

Aldworth PC’s displeasure with WBC’s highways team did not end there. Later in the meeting, this further observation was recorded:

“Potholes continue to be a problem, particularly along the B4009, near the Four Points (trenches at the edge of the road) and between Westridge Green and Aldworth. It was agreed that we are continuously being ignored and all potholes will be re-logged on the WBC portal.”

If anyone from WBC’s Highways Department is reading this, they might want to get in touch with Aldworth Parish council before it declares UDI.

Thursday 24 March 2022

This week’s news

• Theale district councillor Alan Macro is currently petitioning West Berkshire Council for a pedestrian crossing at the eastern end of Theale High Street. This aims to make crossing safer for all, but will be particularly beneficial to older people who need to access facilities such as the shop and pharmacy. If you would like to sign the petition you can do so here.

• Aldermaston Parish Council has been asked by Berkshire Digital Infrastructure Group to help advertise its Digital Survey. The Berkshire Digital Infrastructure Group represents all six Berkshire Local Authorities, working to delivery its digital strategy to help better connect Berkshire. They want as many residents as possible to complete the anonymous survey, which can be found here. You have until 8 April to have your say.

• Burghfield and Mortimer district councillor Graham Bridgman has recently published his latest e-newsletter, which you can read here.

• Holy Trinity Church is seeking donations for the Foodbank that is open on Sundays and Wednesdays from 9am to 6pm. With another rise in people’s need for foodbank support, please consider donating even one item a week so they can support those who are really struggling. You can find out what has been requested each week by clicking here.

• Theale will be hosting a Village Fete on Sunday 5 June between noon and 4.30pm on Theale Recreational Ground to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. With promises of traditional games, an arena display and funfair rides. Stall-holders who are interested should contact the Parish Council for further information.

• Healthwatch Berkshire invites you to have your say on Covid testing. This survey will show how many people are still relying on and using Covid testing equipment in daily life and whether or not it is as important as it has been in the past. You can find the survey here.

• Theale Parish Council is appealing for volunteers for the charity Read Easy which help adults who cannot read to a functional level. In West Berkshire alone there are estimated to be 5,000 people in this situation. For more information please contact Mark Ingvorsen on 07748 276959 or at swbpioneer@readeasy.org.uk.

• Click here to read March 2022 edition of Padworth Newsletter which, as ever, also has information from neighbouring parishes.

• For the latest news from the Benefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton which covers updates and events across Theale area please visit their website and click on Letters, Notices & Magazine.

• Theale district councillor Alan Macro has recently published his latest e-newsletter, which you can read here.

Thursday 17 March 2022

This week’s news

• The Annual Spring Clean of Mortimer is this Saturday 19 March from 1pm till 4pm. Volunteers are requested to sign in at the Fairground opposite the Horse & Groom pub. All current Covid guidelines will be followed during the event. Please bring your own hand sanitiser and gloves if required, however, litter-pickers and bags will be provided on the day. Please visit mortimervillage.org.uk for further information.

• Aldermaston Parish Council has been asked by Berkshire Digital Infrastructure Group to help advertise their Digital Survey. The Berkshire Digital Infrastructure Group represents all six Berkshire Local Authorities, working to delivery its digital strategy to help better connect Berkshire. They want as many residents as possible to complete the anonymous survey, which can be found here. You have until 8 April to have your say.

• Theale district councillor Alan Macro has recently published his latest e-newsletter, which you can read here.

• Burghfield and Mortimer district councillor Graham Bridgman has recently published his latest e-newsletter, which you can read here.

• As mentioned previously, due to complaints about rogue golf balls ending up in the neighbours’ backyards, new nets are to be fitted at Theale Golf Club‘s 10th hole. Supposedly to stand at 8 metres tall, the netting is proposed to be screened by new planting. See full story on Newbury Today.

• Theale Parish Council is appealing for volunteers for the charity Read Easy who help adults who cannot read to a functional level. In West Berkshire alone there are estimated to be 5,000 people in this situation. For more information please contact Mark Ingvorsen on 07748 276959 or at swbpioneer@readeasy.org.uk.

• Click here to read March 2022 edition of Padworth Newsletter which, as ever, also has information from neighbouring parishes.

• For the latest news from the Benefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton which covers updates and events across Theale area please visit their website and click on Letters, Notices & Magazine.

Arboreal rights

This week’s NWN reports on p14 of the tale of a pine tree in Mortimer which has become the centre of a local storm. Not Storm Eunice or any other recent one, which it survived: but a storm of protest by nearby residents who thought that it was ugly, lopsided, potentially dangerous and that infringed their human rights. The idea of a tree doing this was new to me although the an abuse of arboreal rights by people takes place on a daily basis in the Amazon rainforest. This tree, however, had powerful friends in the form of a Tree Preservation Order and WBC’s Tree Officer Jon Thomas. After a long period of emails to and fro, surveys and reports, the matter was recently elevated to the supreme court that is WBC’s Eastern Area Planning Committee which decided that the TPO, and the tree, should stay put.

I must declare a kind of interest in this. For about seven years we conducted delicate negotiations with our neighbours, with whom we got on very well, about some birch trees on their bank of the river. In summer these blocked out a lot of our light and, in autumn, deposited leaves all over the garden. One of them did look a bit dangerous where some pollarding years before had produced a possible weak spot about thirty feet (roughly half-way) up, which I mentioned. This fear was given extra force a year or so ago when part of the willow tree in the meadow about fifty yards away snapped off in a high wind at about midnight, causing a noise that pushed by heart rate into the low hundreds. The two birch trees have now gone, the plan being to replace them with lower vegetation that will also provide more privacy. We hadn’t thought of using the human-rights argument, though. I’ll save that for next time.

This article in Newbury Today, reporting on an earlier stage in the conflict, refers to the risk of a tree falling and injuring someone. It offers the reassuring news that “the probability of being killed by a falling tree (or part of one) is extremely low – at one in 10 million per annum.” I’m a bit unclear what this means: do you need to walk under a tree 10 million times before you’re likely to get hit, or is one in every 10 million deaths related to falling trees? About 55 people a year are admitted to A&E as a result of full or partial arboreal failure. The article goes on to say that this compares to “2.9 million “leisure-related” admissions, including 260,000 related to footballs, 10,900 involving children’s swings and 2,200 involving wheelie bins, according to the National Tree Safety Group.” Given these statistics, I’d have thought that anyone working for the Tree Safety Group would hardly be rushed off their feet.

Other comparisons also exist. This website reveals that 16 people a day are killed in the USA due to texting while driving and about 450 people a year are killed by falling out of bed. Other hazards include icicles (100 people a year in Russia), dogs (34 people a year in the USA – I would have thought it would be a lot more) and, oddest of all, vending machines, responsible for 13 deaths a year (whether in the USA, somewhere else or worldwide the article doesn’t specify). Is there, however, a Bed or a Vending Machine Safety Group? If they exist, now would be the time for them to make their activities more widely known.

Thursday 10 March 2022

This week’s news

• Theale district councillor Alan Macro has recently published his latest e-newsletter, which you can read here.

• Burghfield and Mortimer district councillor Graham Bridgman has recently published his latest e-newsletter, which you can read here.

• Due to complaints about rogue golf balls ending up in the neighbours’ backyards, new nets are to be fitted at Theale Golf Club‘s 10th hole. Supposedly to stand at 8 metres tall, the netting is proposed to be screened by new planting. See full story on Newbury Today.

• A wonky pine tree is unsettling Mortimer residents on The Bevers as they fear it might fall down at any given moment. However a council tree officer has claimed that the risk of the 100-year-old pine tree falling is extremely low and the chance of anyone coming to harm is one in 10 million. The fate of the tree will be decided at the next planning meeting.

• Theale Parish Council has set out an appeal for volunteers for the charity Read Easy as they try to help adults who cannot read to a functional level. In West Berkshire alone there are estimated to be 5,000 people in this situation. For more information please contact Mark Ingvorsen on 07748 276959 or at swbpioneer@readeasy.org.uk.

• Quick reminder the Annual Spring Clean of Mortimer is on Saturday 19 March from 1pm till 4pm. Volunteers are requested to sign in at the Fairground opposite the Horse & Groom pub. All current Covid guidelines will be followed during the event. Please bring your own hand sanitiser and gloves if required, however, litter-pickers and bags will be provided on the day. Please visit mortimervillage.org.uk for further information.

• The Burghfield May Fayre 2022 will be held on Sunday 8 May, as announced on the burghfieldresidents.org website. Applications for fayre stalls allocation can now be made via the website, with the Funfair, Dog Show, Arena Displays, Craft Stalls, Café, Food Stalls and The Bar all returning for this year’s event. Further details and updates will be released shortly.

• Theale will also be hosting a Village Fete on Sunday 5 June between noon and 4.30pm on Theale Recreational Ground to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. With promises of traditional games, an arena display and funfair rides. Stall-holders who are interested should contact the Parish Council for further information.

• Click here to read March 2022 edition of Padworth Newsletter which, as ever, also has information from neighbouring parishes.

• For the latest news from the Benefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton which covers updates and events across Theale area please visit their website and click on Letters, Notices & Magazine.

Theale Green’s award

Theale Green School has picked up a prestigious national award at the Youth Sport Trust’s 2022 Conference for helping its students to improve their wellbeing and achievement through focusing on physical and mental health. The School was presented with the national children’s charity’s Outstanding Secondary Practice Award during the YST Annual Conference in Coventry earlier this month and accepted by Headteacher Joanna Halliday, Tony Blinco, Director of Sport and PE and Maxine Smiles Cooke, School Games Organiser..

A West Berkshire Council statement explains that “the award recognises a school which has harnessed the power of physical activity, PE and sport to transform the lives of young people and put wellbeing at its heart. Theale Green School pledged to join the Well Schools Movement over a year ago, which is a national community of professionals and stakeholders who believe that wellbeing should be at the heart of education. It has used its Well School framework to tackle existing societal issues through their Respectful Behaviours Manifesto and complemented the Well School ethos with investment in staff to drive the work forward.

“Over the last year, Theale Green has changed the way it kept young people active, using PE to re-engage students in the summer term and running a whole school community sports day to help achieve this. It also gave students a say in shaping an extra-curricular programme that would increase participation for disadvantaged students. In addition, a group of students have been receiving mentoring from athlete mentors to develop life skills and increase their confidence, self-belief and motivation.”

Congratulations from us to all those involved in this achievement. You can read WBC’s statement in full here.

Thursday 3 March 2022

This week’s news

• Theale Medical Centre recently released a notice of Dr Penny Brooke’s retirement announcement after a whopping 29 years at the Centre. We at Penny Post wish her a happy retirement and thanks for the hard work put in over the years.

• Burghfield and Mortimer ward member Graham Bridgman has recently published his latest e-newsletter, which you can read here. This includes, in the parish news section at the foot, an update on the Energy Recovery Centre in Burghfield and two sets of congratulations – to the Mortimer Lunch Club for b3eing a winner of a WBC Community Champions Award; and to Mortimer St Mary’s Junior School for achieving a “good” Ofsted rating.

• Padworth Jumble Sale will be returning to Padworth Village Hall this Saturday 5 March. Please see this month’s Padworth Newsletter (page 2) for more details. Bring a coat just in case the weather doesn’t hold out.

• There has been a considerable outpouring of support for Ukraine. Here is our summary of local and national appealsto support.

• Quick reminder the Annual Spring Clean of Mortimer is on Saturday 19 March from 1pm till 4pm. Volunteers are requested to sign in at the Fairground opposite the Horse & Groom pub. All current Covid guidelines will be followed during the event. Please bring your own hand sanitiser and gloves if required, however litter-pickers and bags will be provided on the day. Please visit mortimervillage.org.uk for further information.

• Another cleaning work party will be held for any helpful volunteers to lend a hand in keeping our local area looking spick and span. St Mary’s Church, Burghfield have organised a Churchyard Community Work Party on Saturday 12 March, who will initially meet at the church from 10am. Please see a Facebook post from St Mary’s Church which further explains the importance of the work party.

• Click here to read March 2022 edition of Padworth Newsletter which, as ever, also has information from neighbouring parishes.

• The Benefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton also published its February 2022 newsletter, which covers updates and events across Theale area.

• Another newsletter for February 2022, this time from Aldermaston Parish Council. This month’s edition includes; Cedar Lodge planning application, an update on Aldermaston’s skate ramp, the repair of the Lock-Up, plus many more updates from across Aldermaston and its neighbouring areas.

Thursday 24 February 2022

This week’s news

• Our congratulations go to The Six Bells in Burghfield, who (along with Audiotonic) raised a whopping £1,000 at their fundraising event on 18 February in aid of The Mrs Williams Pre-school, bringing total money raised (as of 22 February) to just over £7,500. As mentioned in previous weeks, the pre-school needs £10,000 to save itself from closure. Please see our ‘Community notices’ section below for further details of how to donate.

• Spring is almost in the air and with that comes the Annual Spring Clean of Mortimer. 2022 cleaning will be held on Saturday 19 March, starting at 1pm till 4pm. The event is supported by West Berkshire Council, with volunteers invited to help. On the day please sign in at the Fairground opposite the Horse & Groom pub. All current Covid guidelines will be followed during the event. Please bring your own hand sanitiser and gloves if required, however litter-pickers and bags will be provided on the day. Please visit mortimervillage.org.uk for further information.

• As reported last week, a vacancy has opened for the role of councillor at Theale Parish Council and consequently will result in a by-election if ten or more electors of the parish give notice in writing claiming such an election to the Returning Officer at West Berkshire Council by Monday 28 February. If this wasn’t to happen, Theale Parish Council will fill the vacancy by co-option.

• Padworth Jumble Sale will hopefully be returning to Padworth Village Hall on Saturday 5 March. Please see this month’s Padworth Newsletter (page 2) for more details.

• Village Stores in Burghfield remain to be shut, due to health and safety issues surrounding its current on-site construction work, until Monday 28 February.

• Click here to read February 2022 edition of Padworth Newsletter which, as ever, also has information from neighbouring parishes.

• The Benefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton also published its February 2022 newsletter, which covers updates and events across Theale area.

Thursday 17 February 2022

This week’s news

• A vacancy has opened for the role of councillor at Theale Parish Council and consequently will result in a by-election if ten or more electors of the parish give notice in writing claiming such an election to the Returning Officer at West Berkshire Council by Monday 28 February. If this wasn’t to happen, Theale Parish Council will fill the vacancy by co-option.

• A recent (3.20pm on 17 February) announcement from GWR says that the red warning concerning storm Eunice will lead to “significant changes to rail services” from 4am on Friday. This is expected to last throughout the day and will result in some cancelled services. Passengers are advised to consult Journey Check before setting out. GWR is also accepting rail tickets booked for Friday 18 February for travel over the weekend or on Monday and will issue full refunds to anyone choosing not to travel at all. GWR will also need to check for any damage before re-opening so there could therefore be further delays and changes to services over the weekend.

• Through 2021, donations to West Berks Food Bank dropped-off at Theale’s Holy Trinity Church weighed in at 3971.8 kg (which is the same weight of a typical adult White Rhino). Statistics published on Holy Trinity ChurchFacebook page show that local generosity provided over 8,000 meals to those that most needed food during these tough times. To continue to support your local food bank, please see the church’s website for regularly updated lists of what is most needed at West Berks Food Bank.

• The streets of Burghfield were filled with locals cheering on Olympic gold medallist Tom Daley, who cycled through the village this week as he was completing his Red Nose Day 2022 charity challenge to row, cycle, swim and run his way from Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford to his hometown of Plymouth, Devon. Various videos from supporters of Tom were posted to social media including his cycle over the historic Burghfield Bridge and through the village itself. To learn more about Tom’s ‘Hell of a Homecoming’ challenge, and how to donate, please see comicrelief.com.

• Local grassroots club Theale Tigers were treated to a fun football session on 12 February at Reading FC indoor dome training facilities prior to the Royal’s 150th anniversary celebrations. The coaching sessions were led by coaches from Reading FC Community Trust, with plenty of skills on-show in a video highlighting the event. The Tigers were rewarded with the high-level training practice because they had purchased the most tickets for Saturday’s match against Coventry City using a ‘grassroots ticketing initiative’, which hoped to fill every seat within the Select Car Leasing Stadium (formerly known as The Madejski Stadium). After their training, all involved made the short journey over to the stadium to support the Royal’s 150th anniversary event included in Saturday’s league fixture. Sadly, Reading were defeated 2-3 by the Sky Blues but at least the match had plenty of ‘entertainment’ for all.

• More sports news: sadly Burghfield FC’s run in the FA Sunday Cup came to an end on 13 February. Their Last-16 away tie against Highgate Albion FC ended in a 2-0 victory for the home side. Despite the result, the club announced their delight at their Sunday Men’s team achievements to reach this stage of a national competition and will look to better the result next season.

• Another local football team who are reaching new heights in cup competitions are Mortimer U11s, who will have a cup final to look forward to on Saturday 14 May after their success in last Saturday’s semi-final. Good luck from all of us at Penny Post.

• Padworth Jumble Sale will hopefully be returning to Padworth Village Hall on Saturday 5 March. Please see this month’s Padworth Newsletter (page 2) for more details.

• Village Stores in Burghfield remain to be shut, due to health and safety issues surrounding its current on-site construction work, until Monday 28 February.

• Click here to read February 2022 edition of Padworth Newsletter which, as ever, also has information from neighbouring parishes.

• The Benefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton also published its February 2022 newsletter, which covers updates and events across Theale area.

Thursday 10 February 2022

This week’s news

• Click here to read the newly published February 2022 edition of Padworth Newsletter which, as ever, also has information from neighbouring parishes.

• The Benefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton also published its February 2022 newsletter, which covers updates and events across Theale area.

• Theale will be hosting a Village Jubilee Fete on Sunday 5 June between 12 and 4.30pm on the Theale Recreational Ground to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. With promises of traditional games, an arena display and funfair rides. Stallholders who are interested should contact the Parish Council here.

• There are temporary traffic signals due to water main work on Langley Hill around the Water Tower Pub. Works are expected to finish this week.

• As we mentioned last week, Padworth Jumble Sale will hopefully be returning to Padworth Village Hall on Saturday 5 March. Please see this month’s Padworth Newsletter (page 2) for more details.

• As mentioned by BerkshireLive, Aldermaston’s century-old school The Cedars School is likely to see a slight change from a school to a nursery. The village’s new nursery has been bought by Complete Childcare who wish to “give the nursery an authentic and traditional feel that will match the quintessentially British rural village.”

• Until Monday 28 February, the Village Stores in Burghfield will be shut due to health and safety issues surrounding its current on-site construction work.

• Aldermaston Parish Council’s updated Conservation Area Appraisal Report, is available to access online. Any thoughts and comments from locals, especially those living inside the CA, need to be sent to the Parish Clerk at parishclerk@aldermaston.co.uk by Monday 14 February.

• Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service are asking for opinions and survey responses from Berkshire residents, as they wish to learn more about how they can respond to Automatic Fire Alarms alerts to help reduce the burden of false alarms on the service. Please respond to their online survey and see an informational video regarding the consultation.

Thursday 3 February 2022

This week’s news

• This Sunday will be your last chance to contribute towards the final consultation on a proposal to develop a specialist education centre for young people with complex social, emotional and mental health needs (SEMH) in Theale. The public consultation is still live and will remain open until midnight on 6 February.

• Click here to read the newly published February 2022 edition of Padworth Newsletter which, as ever, also has information from neighbouring parishes.

• The Benefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton also published its February 2022 newsletter, which covers updates and events across Theale area.

• Mentioned within this month’s Padworth Newsletter and Aldermaston Parish Council newsletter (both on page 3) is the sad announcement of Aldermaston & Wasing Ladies Group closure. The group started under the name ‘Young Wives Group’ in the late-1950s but both time and the Covid pandemic have taken its toll on the group. January’s AGM saw 11 attendees and the future of the group was openly discussed. Group member Daphne says that the group has “run its course and done what it set out to do”. The Ladies group will have their final meeting on 14 April, when they can look back on many fond memories with a warm cup of tea to hand.

• Padworth Jumble Sale will hopefully be returning to Padworth Village Hall on Saturday 5 March, after a two month hiatus because of (guess what…) Covid-19. Please see this month’s Padworth Newsletter (page 2) for more details.

• Those who donated toys, books, clothes, shoe and much more to Jayne Barry’s collection for children in the Gambia will be delighted to see an album of photos which shows how their donations have been put to good use. A gentle reminder that much of what we no longer want is better being in someone else’s hands, than thrown away for landfill.

• Bradfield College held its ‘Stanley House Dinner‘ which raised £1297 for Together As One, who are a charity that provide hot meals and company for people suffering from loneliness caused by isolation away from local communities. Great work for a fantastic cause, congratulations all from everyone at Penny Post.

• More updates from Bradfield College, as they have been busy planting trees in their Leaver’s Wood to show their commitment towards the school’s Sustainable Bradfield project.

• As we reported last week, Burghfield Common’s The Mrs Williams Pre-School is facing potential closure due to rising costs and low pupil numbers, caused largely by the pandemic. Burghfield Spices took up fundraising efforts by donating 100% of its profits from all food orders on 26 January, which achieved £765 of funds. Buddy from the Burghfield pub then raised the sum to £2000, meaning that the school has almost hit its target of £10,000. Donations can still be made via a GoFundMe page and further information regarding the school’s potential closure can be read via a Reading Chronicle article.

• Burghfield FC have seats available for a team and supporter’s bus, which will transport everyone involved in Sunday 13 February FA Sunday Cup Last 16 tie against Highgate Albion. The match will be located at Sun Postal Sports & Social Club in Watford, with a 2pm kick-off.

• As mentioned last week, bin collection days are changing next week (commencing Monday 7 February) to accommodate for the impacts of both the nationwide HGV driver shortage and Covid-19. Visit West Berkshire Council’s website here to check how your street is affected.

• West Berkshire Library Service is appealing for local volunteers at Mortimer and Burghfield Common libraries. Please see this post on Facebook, call 01635 519533 or email volunteerinyourlibrary@westberks.gov.uk for further information.

• Until Monday 28 February, the Village Stores in Burghfield will be shut due to health and safety issues surrounding its current on-site construction work.

Thursday 27 January 2022

This week’s news

• Burghfield Common’s The Mrs Williams Pre-School is facing closure because of rising costs and low pupil numbers, caused largely by the pandemic. A GoFundMe page has been set up and aims to raise £10,000 to help cover cost to save the school. Other fundraising events are also happening across the district such as a Coffee Morning to be held at the pre-school on Saturday 29 January. Burghfield Spices has also taken up fundraising efforts by donating 100% of its profits from all food orders on 26 January. You can read further information regarding the school’s potential closure via a Reading Chronicle article.

• Click here for there latest e-newsletter from ward member Alan Macro which includes a list of live planning applications in the parish.

He also refers to the fact that planning application 21/03256/RESMAJ has been submitted for approval of reserved matters (appearance, landscaping, layout and scale) following outline planning permission 15/02842/OUTMAJ that was approved on appeal.

“The proposal is for 296 homes, made up of houses, flats, and a 70-unit extra-care sheltered housing block. Some of the blocks of flats in the proposal would be four stories high. The seven houses already approved for the part of the site at the end of St Ives Close needs to be added to the 296. The developers have already tried to increase that to eleven houses. The plans and other documents can be accessed by clicking here.

“Another application (21/03255/MDOPO2) was submitted at the same time to change the proportion of affordable homes. This was originally to be 12.5%, which could be increased depending on the profitability of the development. This application is a request to change this to a flat 30%.”

• A reminder from Theale Parish Council that the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch starts this weekend. The council has asked for any volunteer’s help to build four starling nest boxes, to help local bio-diversity and put a stop to the falling starling numbers in the UK (which has been evident since the 1970s). Please see the town council’s Facebook post for further information and how to get involved.

• It’s another step up the ladder for ex-Bradfield College student Lauren Bell, as she has earned her place in the upcoming England Women’s squad for the Commonwealth Bank Women’s Ashes Test match. Lauren grew up in Hungerford and was at primary school with our eldest son and we have been following her career here. We all have our fingers crossed that Lauren and the rest of our Women’s team can provide more competition to the Aussies than our Men’s team did recently…

• This week will be your final chance to provide any thoughts and opinions to Royal Berkshire Fire Authorityregarding its funding from council tax for the next financial year. You can respond by completing this online survey before 5pm on Tuesday 1 February or ask for more information by emailing precepting@rbfrs.co.uk. Further details can be found via the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service website and Facebook page.

• Another chance to voice any opinions towards Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service, as they wish to learn more about how they can respond to Automatic Fire Alarms alerts to help reduce the burden of false alarms on the service. Please respond to the online survey and see an informational video regarding the consultation.

• West Berkshire Council Community Champions 2021 winners were announced last week. Please see the council’s website post for further details of the various 2021 award winners throughout our district. Mortimer’s Lunch Club sadly can’t currently meet due to the club’s postponement until 24 February, but that didn’t stop them from winning the Community Group of the Year award. Congratulations from all of us here at Penny Post.

• More news from West Berkshire Council, as they have notified local residents that (as of Monday 7 February) bin collection dates will be changing in order to accommodate for the impacts of both the nationwide HGV driver shortage and Covid-19. Again, further information and FAQs regarding the changes can be read on the council’s website including a new bin-day finder page which was added on 25 January.

• A quick reminder that the final consultation on a proposal to develop a specialist education centre for young people with complex social, emotional and mental health needs (SEMH) in Theale is now live and will remain open until midnight on 6 February.

• As previously mentioned, Aldermaston Parish Council’s updated Conservation Area Appraisal Report, is now available. Thoughts and comments from locals, especially those living inside the CA, can be sent to the Parish Clerk at parishclerk@aldermaston.co.uk by Monday 14 February.

• Anyone interested in joining a singing group can join Holy Trinity Church, Theale free choir group, who meet for rehearsals on Thursdays between 7pm to 8pm and then perform at Sunday services starting from 10.30am. All are welcome to join, with further details found on Facebook or by sending an email to office@holytrinitytheale.org.uk.

• Click here to read the January 2022 Padworth Newsletter which, as ever, also has information from neighbouring parishes.

• Also a January 2022 issue of the Aldermaston Parish Council newsletter has just been released which covers various topics such as reviews of the recent skate ramp survey and other planning permissions, as well as a response to feedback regarding electric vehicle charging points.

• The Benefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton published its final Parish Magazine for 2021, which also covers local events in January 2022.

• Until Monday 28 February, the Village Stores in Burghfield will be shut due to health and safety issues surrounding its current on-site construction work.

Thursday 20 January 2022

This week’s news

• A final consultation on a proposal to develop a specialist education centre for young people with complex social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs in Theale is now live and will remain open until midnight on 6 February.

• Aldermaston Parish Council’s updated Conservation Area Appraisal Report, is now available. The update explains that the council believes “a long overdue appraisal of the Aldermaston Conservation Area (CA), which covers most of the central part of our Village, would be a good opportunity help preserve the special features of our Conservation Area generally, and to address the issue of heavy traffic on the A340 more specifically”. Thoughts and comments from locals, especially those living inside the CA, can be sent to the Parish Clerk at parishclerk@aldermaston.co.uk by Monday 14 February.

• Bradfield College has recently created a Sustainable Bradfield newsletter. The January 2022 edition covers how the local community can help with reducing energy use and carbon emissions, biodiversity, recycling and waste reduction, plus eco-catering.

• Theale District Councillor Alan Macro has recently published his latest residents’ newsletter, which you can read here. As well as listing local planning applications (see also below) he also refers to a planned cycle and footpath link between the proposed Lakeside housing site and Station Road.

• Click here to read the January 2022 Padworth Newsletter which, as ever, also has information from neighbouring parishes.

• With Reading FC struggling for form and fighting off potential relegation, Berkshire football fans may have their heads turned by the recent success of Burghfield FC in the FA Sunday Cup. The Men’s Sunday team of Burghfield progressed through to the Last 16 of the nationwide competition, with a 4-1 win against Banstead Rovers. They are now set to face an away trip to Highgate Albion, to battle for a place in the quarter finals. You can read match reports from FootballinBerkshire and rdg.today to follow the events of Burghfield’s impressive win.

• The Benefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton published its final Parish Magazine for 2021, which also covers local events in January 2022.

• As mentioned last week, four of Burghfield FC‘s Ladies team players are fundraising for UK-wide charity Action Medical Research. As mentioned on the group’s JustGiving page, they will be competing in July’s Race The Sun: Dawn to Dusk Triple Challenge which is a triathlon-style adventure challenge set around the Brecon Beacons.

• Sulhamstead’s Thames Valley Police Museum are hosting open mornings throughout January. Please see our ‘dates for the diary’ newsletter section below for links and further details.

• Royal Berkshire Fire Authority is asking for Berkshire’s thoughts and opinions on their funding coming through council tax for the next financial year. You can respond by completing this online survey before 5pm on Tuesday 1 February or ask for more information by emailing precepting@rbfrs.co.uk. Further details can be found via the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service website and Facebook page.

• A mortimervillage.org.uk article has announced that the Lunch Club has been postponed until 24 February because of concerns regarding the recent spread of the Covid Omicron variant.

• Another closure in the Theale area, as until Monday 28 February the Village Stores in Burghfield will be shut due to health and safety issues surrounding its current on-site construction work.

Freedom of information

The most recent meeting of Burghfield Parish Council on 6 January discussed the fact that 11 requests for information (eight of them FoIs) had been submitted in November and December . A full list of the topics covered – which seem mainly to be concerned with grants, assets and procedural matters – can be seen in the PC minutes here. A question to the Chairman from one of the members wondered “if there’s anything that can be done to reduce this administrative burden of these requests on the Parish Council.”

I don’t know exactly what lies behind these requests, nor how many people made them, but it seems to me that a number of the matters asked about including the grant donations, the cookies policy, information about the NDP and the audit reports going hack to 2016 should probably be on the PC website anyway. Others, like details of the assets owned by the PC, should be easily available and perhaps should be on the website as well. There may be something else at work here which the minutes don’t reveal but I’m just taking the requests at their face value. Irksome as they often are to deal with, many such requests are made simply because it’s felt that the information isn’t available.

Thursday 13 January 2022

This week’s news

• A final consultation on a proposal to develop a specialist education centre for young people with complex social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs in Theale is now live and will remain open until 6 February..

• Click here to read the January 2022 Padworth Newsletter which, as ever, also has information from neighbouring parishes.

• Also a January 2022 issue of the Aldermaston Parish Council newsletter has just been released which covers various topics such as; reviews of the recent skate ramp survey and other planning permissions, as well as a response to feedback regarding electric vehicle charging points.

• The Benefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton published its final Parish Magazine for 2021, which also covers local events in January 2022.

• As mentioned last week, BBC News reported Bradfield College’s plans to change Church of St Andrew, Bradfield into a study centre for pupils was approved by West Berkshire Council. The plans would see the Grade II* listed 14th Century church adapted to include “a library, seminar rooms, presentation space and refreshment area” plus would see the “addition of fans which will be hung from existing rafters and beams in the main part of the church to recirculate warm air back down to the ground level to offset the leak-prone nature of the building”. However, the plans do also include “removing some grave headstones” in the church’s graveyard.

• Further religious news, West Berkshire Council has rejected the Plymouth Brethren’s application to build a new church barn and burial ground in Sulhamstead. As reported by NewburyToday, the council stated its reasoning behind the rejection as “the proposed new church hall lies on a greenfield site between Hollybush Lane and Shortheath Lane” plus that the facility would increase local traffic, visually harm the area and would be only useful for a “very small percentage of the local population for which no exceptional need was demonstrated”.

• Burghfield May Fayre 2022 will be held on Sunday 8 May, as announced on the burghfieldresidents.org website. Applications for fayre stalls allocation can now be made via the website, with the Funfair, Dog Show, Arena Displays, Craft Stalls, Café, Food Stalls and The Bar all returning for this year’s event. Further details and updates will be released shortly.

• Theale Green School was given a surprise donation from tech giant Amazon, although as the donation came via four tail-lift trucks it might’ve been hard to miss their arrival… The delivery handed the school vital equipment for its pupils, which is especially useful in the current economic climate for our local schools.

• Plenty of news coming from Burghfield FC recently, as four of their Ladies team players are fundraising for UK-wide charity Action Medical Research. As mentioned on the group JustGiving page, they will be competing in July’s Race The Sun: Dawn to Dusk Triple Challenge which is a triathlon-style adventure challenge set around the Brecon Beacons.

• Staying with the football club, Burghfield’s Sunday Men’s team is playing their Second Round fixture in the FA Sunday Cup on Sunday 16 January. They face Banstead Rovers for a 1pm kick-off at Burnham FC’s 1878 Stadium. Sunday Men’s team manager Liam Gillis and team captain Bradley Kerr both spoke to cup Twitter promoters (not associated with the FA) in two separate interviews, in which they reflect on their thrilling first round victory and what the competition means to the club.

• Sulhamstead’s Thames Valley Police Museum are hosting open mornings throughout January. Please see our ‘dates for the diary’ newsletter section below for links and further details.

• Thames Valley Police and Crimes Commissioner, Matthew Barber, is asking residents across the Thames Valley area for their opinions for the 2022/23 Police Budget. An online survey can be responded to before the deadline of 5pm on Tuesday 18 January. Matthew Barber has stated the importance of any responses by saying “giving us your feedback, you can help shape decisions about police funding and how Thames Valley Police can continue to work to keep us all safe.”

• Also, Royal Berkshire Fire Authority is asking for Berkshire’s thoughts and opinions on their funding coming through council tax for the next financial year. You can respond by completing this online survey before 5pm on Tuesday 1 February or ask for more information by emailing precepting@rbfrs.co.uk. Further details can be found via the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service website and Facebook page.

• A mortimervillage.org.uk article has announced that the Lunch Club has been postponed until 24 February because of concerns regarding the recent spread of the Covid Omicron variant.

• Another closure in the Theale area, as from 10 January to 28 February the Village Stores in Burghfield will be shut due to health and safety issues surrounding its current on-site construction work.

Thursday 6 January 2022

This week’s news

• Click here to read the January 2022 Padworth Newsletter which, as ever, also has information from neighbouring parishes.

• The Benefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton published its final Parish Magazine for 2021, which also covers local events in January 2022.

• As reported by BBC News, Bradfield College’s plans to change Church of St Andrew, Bradfield into a study centre for pupils was approved by West Berkshire Council. The plans would see the Grade II* listed 14th Century church adapted to include “a library, seminar rooms, presentation space and refreshment area” plus would see the “addition of fans which will be hung from existing rafters and beams in the main part of the church to recirculate warm air back down to ground level to offset the leak-prone nature of the building”. However, the plans do also include “removing some grave headstones” in the church’s graveyard.

• Englefield Estate became the first private landowner in England to provide funding for places on the Prince’s Countryside Fund’s Farm Resilience Programme to support 14 of the estate’s tenant farmers. Further information on the Prince’s programme, and how it can benefit UK farmers who have taken actions to “generate environmental benefits and reduce carbon emissions” can be found in a FarmingUK article.

• Green bin (garden and food waste) collection service has been “temporarily suspend” by West Berkshire Counciluntil 8 January, with resumption of the services starting again from Monday 10 January.

• Local non-league football side Burghfield FC announced a newly-designed badge, with club chairman Luke Bishop explaining on the club’s website “we wanted a badge that represented the village, and choosing the Burghfield Bell – with it’s history going back many years -–we feel this does just that”. Further descriptions and meaning behind the change to the club’s crest have also been explained via the website post, which followed the logo reveal on Twitter at 6pm on 5 January.

• A mortimervillage.org.uk article has announced that the Lunch Club has been postponed until 24 February because of concerns regarding the recent spread of the Covid Omicron variant.

• If any of our readers have children who wish to learn about computer programming and coding, then they can sign up for a free 12 week online course with West Berkshire Libraries. Applications to attend the course must be sent before Monday 10 January.

• Mortimer-based artist Peter Driver is using his artistic skills to fundraise for Sue Ryder Duchess of Kent Hospice and Reading Refugee Support Group, all in memory of his daughter Alice who sadly passed away aged 28 due to complications involving a brain tumour. As reported by InYourArea, “Peter’s charity prints are made in his studio in Sulhamstead using the oldest form of printmaking, woodcut, in which a design is carved into the surface of a wooden block.” Donations can be made by purchasing Peter’s artwork, with further details and updates on his website.

• Burghfield Parish Council (along with ‘Skate Park Working Party’) would like to learn the opinions of locals towards the Burghfield Skate Park Refurbishment Project. They’ve asked anyone interested in the project to respond to an online survey before Sunday 9 January.

Plans in Theale

• The above-mentioned Alan Macro’s most recent newsletter, which you can read here, includes (at the end) a list of all the live planning applications in Theale. These may be near where you live in which case you have a legitimate interest in what’s proposed. West Berkshire Council no longer sends letters to neighbours when there’s a planning application so, if you happen to miss the orange notices on the relevant site, checking online is the only reliable way to discover what is proposed before it’s too later to try to do anything about it.

Currently there are 12 live applications which include the usual wide range of issues. Some concern the proposed removal or amendment of conditions for existing applications (which can be significant), concerning for example landscaping or tree works. There are also proposed demolitions, extensions, new builds and access roads. Many of these are minor and not the kind of things you’d ever notice or care about: however, anything that happens next door or across the road can have an immediate and lasting consequence. You may not want to try to change the application, or even be able to do so, but at least a resource like this means that you can’t say you didn’t know about it.

To see the current Burghfield Area Weekly News section, please click here.

Other archives

Please click here to see the other archived columns for this (and all the other) weekly news sections.