Burghfield Area Weekly News Archive (January to June 2023)

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 29 June 2023

This week we cover films, sports, blooms, recycling, drivers and coffee – plus our usual round-up of other local news, local events and activities and news from your local councils.

Scroll down below “This weeks news” for possible problems looming with local bus services,the rather more certain matter of further problems on the trains and a look at a possible large housing development near Tadley.

This week’s news

• If you fancy kicking off the weekend with a film, St Mary’s Church in Burghfield will be screening Finding Dory on Friday 30 June. Food is available and all are welcome. Children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult. Click hereto register for free.

• This weekend is Burghfield Parish Council’s free, family friendly Community Sports Day on Sunday 2 July. All are welcome to take part in the sporting events or just sit back, relax and enjoy their picnic. There will be sports workshops, races, face painting, a craft tent, a climbing tower and much more. See here for details. As part of the event, the council will be supporting local charity Guide Dogs, cash donations can be made on the day or click here to donate online.

• Last chance to enter the Theale in Bloom competition by 2 July. Entry details and forms are available from the Council’s website or can be collected from the Parish Office, Theale Library & Englefield Garden Centre. Judging will take place on the 22 and 23 July and categories include: best front garden, tallest sunflower and best window box/hanging basket/container.

• An archaeology professor from the University of Reading will be excavating an early Mesolithic site (8820-7380 cal BC) at Ufton Bridge from 10 July to 18 August of this year. If you are interested in being a Sieving and Sorting Supervisor, a Student Trainee or a Volunteer, please get in contact to receive an application form at archaeology@westberks.gov.uk.

• Have you or anyone you know been forced to leave their home due to migration and live in West Berkshire? Be part of the conversation with Community United and about how the journey of being uprooted has moulded you to be part of the new community. Contact Pragna or Alice on hello@communityunited.uk

• Quick reminder about Citizens Advice West Berkshire and the Public Protection Partnership’s advice about scams and how to protect yourself and what to do if you get caught. There is no shame if you do get caught out by scammers and you must seek help and warn others.

• This year ARK – Action for the River Kennet is tackling the invasive Himalayan balsam non-native species of plant and need your help. They have nine dates over the summer at Burghfield, Enborne and along the Pang and are looking for keen volunteersto help pull up the balsam before it seeds. Book your place with anna@riverkennet.org

• The Burghfield and Mortimer Volunteer Bureau are looking for more volunteer drivers. The service aims to get elderly and less-mobile people who can’t drive to essential medical appointments. If you would like more information, call the office at 01189 831 814 or email bureauorganisers@gmail.com.

• Click here to see a list of all active planning applications in Theale (check the date at the top of the post for latest update).

• Click here for information about the range of activities organised by the Burghfield Community Sports Association.

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

On the buses

You may have heard about a proposed strike by 10 out of 36 bus drivers at Newbury & District. The drivers, who were previously employed by Reading Buses and subsequently transferred to the Newbury & District operation when the company was acquired, will take action on 6, 7, 10, 14, 19, 20 and 21 July.

We contacted Robert Williams, CEO of Reading Buses, who predicted that the impact will be “inconsequential” and that the company would be able to operate all services as normal. The action does not affect Reading Buses’ Jet Black 1 service that runs to Newbury, nor any school or corporate contract services: however, it may affect public services that are used by pupils going to and from school.

The problem stems from the fact that when the drivers moved between the companies their contracts were never fully harmonised with the others, particularly as regards sick pay. It is this that Newbury Buses is trying to resolve. Robert Williams said that “we continue to discuss ways forward with the employees in a positive manner to try and address their concerns.” A statement from the Unite union says that these drivers have not received a pay rise for four years and that this will only change “if they accept inferior contracts that will significantly reduce their sick pay.”

If there are any side effects from the industrial action, the company will alert customers through social media channels. This may not include putting notices on bus stops as any staff shortages will only be known on the day. As regards how little disruption there is, much will depend on whether any of the other drivers decide to take action in support of their colleagues.

On the trains

Strikes also dominate the latest update from the Bedwyn Train Passengers Group (BTPG), which you can read here. ASLEF has announced an overtime ban from Monday 3 to Saturday 8 July which might cause short-notice alterations or cancellations. The RMT union has also announced strike action that will affect rail services on Thursday 20, Saturday 22 and Saturday 29 July.

Other items include a cracked crossing at Theale this week (now hopefully sorted), short-formation trains and bus services from Bedwyn to Marlborough.

The BTPG has been campaigning for improved rail services from Bedwyn, Hungerford, Kintbury and Newbury since 2006. If you use these stations, we recommend subscribing to BTPG newsletters by emailing info@bedwyntrains.org.uk.

Tadley’s homes

Bewley Homes – which has recently completed the Lancaster Park development in Hungerford and is trying to make progress with a plan for a development south of Newbury in Wash Water – intends to submit plans for 260 homes in the south of Tadley. It recently hosted a public exhibition at the Hurst Leisure Centre.

A statement from the firm, which is based in the town, said that was “seeking an allocation for land in the draft Local Plan and is preparing an outline planning permission for approximately 260 homes which would include 40 per cent affordable housing.” This last point is a requirement for greenfield sites. The mix of homes comprises one, two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom homes. How many of each, I wonder? it’s the ones at the low end of the scale that are the most needed, though the ones at the top end are the most profitable.

The statement also mentions, twice, that this will help Basingstoke and Deane meet its housing shortfall. The district has the longest housing waiting list in south east England. if it is also unable to demonstrate that it has an up-to-date local plan and cannot demonstrate at least a five-year housing-land supply, any refusal will stand a fairly good chance of success on appeal. There’s some way to go before anything like that happens, however. First, the pre-app discussions with planning officers need to be concluded and application needs to be lodged and validated. It’s at that point that residents will be able to see what’s proposed and make their comments.

I contacted Tadley Town Council about this on 29 June. A spokesperson said that they were aware of the proposed application but couldn’t comment further until they’d seen the details and had a chance to consider it at their next planning committee meeting. In common with all town and parish councils, Tadley TC is a consultee in the process but does not get to make the final decision.

Thursday 22 June 2023

This week we cover Jane Austen, creation, blooms, balsam, food banks and parish newsletters – plus our usual round-up of other local news, local events and activities and news from your local councils.

This week’s news

• The long awaited Theale Village Fete is this Sunday 25 June, from 12pm to 4.40pm at Theale recreation ground. There’ll be stalls, games, a dog show, a raffle, a funfair, live music and more. Check out their dedicated Facebook Page here for more details and updates. They are also still looking for volunteers who can help the event run smoothly, including car park marshals, raffle ticket seller and stall manners. Click here to sign-up if you are available for a shift or two.

• There’s plenty of exciting entertainment going on in the area this weekend. On Saturday 24 June the Watermill Theatre’s touring production of Mansfield Park is performing at Brimpton Village Hall, while over at St Mary the Virgin, Silchester the Newbury Cantemus: will be performing songs from The Sound of Music. Then on Sunday 25 June Little Manor, in Burghfield will be hosting ‘Midsummer Music’, an event by Save the Children (Kennet Branch) showcasing big bang and jazz from the 1930s through to 1950s.

• Also this weekend the Festival of Creation is back for 2023 at St Mary’s Church. Exhibits announced so far as part of the festival include, a screening of Sharkwater, works from the Burghfield Art Group, stall selling hand crafted items in aid of funding for clean water in remote Africa and more. Come along on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 June and enjoy the displays and stalls and take part in the conversation about caring for the environment.

• Whilst West Berkshire continues to be a very safe place to live, West Berks Council wants to understand if feeling unsafe is a bigger problem in certain public spaces, and is likely to affect some groups more than others. There are already some great support and community groups in the district, and the council wants to find out if there are any ways in which people in West Berkshire could feel even more connected to their community. Fill out their street safe survey here.

• West Berkshire Council invites suggestions on how to improve the lives of people with autism living in this area. If you are a person on the autistic spectrum or know someone who is and would like to share your experiences of the challenges faced by people with autism with local services, including education, health, employment, social care and local community resources, please complete the Council’s online Autism Survey 2023. The deadline to have your say is midnight on Wednesday 19 July.

• Burghfield Parish Council will be holding a free, family friendly Community Sports Day on Sunday 2 July. All are welcome to take part in the sporting events or just sit back, relax and enjoy their picnic. There will be sports workshops, races, face painting, a craft tent, a climbing tower and much more. See here for details.

• There is still time to enter the Theale in Bloom competition by 2 July. Entry details and forms are available from the Council’s website or can be collected from the Parish Office, Theale Library & Englefield Garden Centre. Judging will take place on the 22 and 23 July and categories include: best front garden, tallest sunflower and best window box/hanging basket/container.

• This year ARK – Action for the River Kennet are tackling the invasive Himalayan balsam non-native species of plant and need your help. They have 9 dates over the summer at Burghfield, Enborne and along the Pang and are looking for keen volunteers to help pull up the balsam before it seeds. Book your place with anna@riverkennet.org

• This is the season where you might see a swarm of bees in your garden. Newbury Beekeepers Association can help collect them but please first check their website here for help with identification so you know it is honey bees you’ve got rather than wasps or tree bumble bees…

• Burghfield Community Café B is looking for volunteers to help on Mondays and Wednesdays. There are multiple roles available including serving barista coffee, waiting on customers, operating the till or in the kitchen. Full training will be given. If that sounds interesting to you, get in touch at cafeb@togetherinmission.org.uk.

• Quick reminder that single bus fares are capped at a maximum of £2 until 30 June (this has recently been extended) across the Reading Buses, Thames Valley Buses, Green Line 702/703 and Newbury & District networks. For more details about how the scheme will work, click here.

• Click here to see a list of all active planning applications in Theale (check the date at the top of the post for latest update).

• Click here for information about the range of activities organised by the Burghfield Community Sports Association.

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

Thursday 15 June 2023

This week we cover bike rides, excavations, gardening, Mansfield Park and guide dogs – plus our usual round-up of other local news, local events and activities and news from your local councils.

Scroll down below “This weeks news” for two enforcement issues in Aldermaston, switching and saving energy suppliers and a new logo at the district’s leisure centres from 1 July.

This week’s news

• This Sunday is not only Father’s Day, but also the Burghfield Family Bike Ride. The event will start at 11am from Burghfield Recreation Ground. The route is 8km on road bike ride suitable for all ages (with optional 1km off road section, by permission of Englefield estate). This year’s theme is ‘neon’ so wear your brightest flashiest outfits and maybe bling your bike too. Check out their Facebook page to keep up to date.

• Due to unforeseen circumstances the Guide Dogs Fun Day on Burghfield Common which was going to be this weekend is being postponed to Saturday 30 September, so make sure you hold the date. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for more details.

• Are you involved with a community gardening group? BBC 1’s The One Show in partnership with the RHS are recognising new growers who have transformed a green space in their area in their Growing Together Award 2023 for Community Gardening. They are particularly keen to hear about projects that involve a diverse range of people who are traditionally under-represented in gardening and have really benefited from starting to garden or having a new outdoor space to use. The winners will receive National Garden Gift Vouchers, a plaque and certificate. Apply here by Tuesday 11 July.

• The Festival of Creation is back for 2023 at St Mary’s Church. Exhibits announced so far as part of the festival include, a screening of Sharkwater, works from the Burghfield Art Group, stall selling hand crafted items in aid of funding for clean water in remote Africa and more. Come along on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 June and enjoy the displays and stalls and take part in the conversation about caring for the environment.

• The Watermill touring production of Mansfield Park will be performing at Brimpton Village Hall on Saturday 24 June. Book your tickets here.

• Are you over 65? If so, West Berkshire Council is interested in how you travel around the district by walking or taking the bus and any challenges or issues affecting your ability to travel, and the things you find most helpful when walking or using buses. Please complete this Active Travel survey by midnight on Friday 16 June.

• Guide Dogs UK are looking for any local businesses or vendors that would like a pitch to come and sell their products at their upcoming Guide Dog Fun Day event on Saturday 17 June, on Burghfield Common. They are also looking for a photographer for the event. If you’re interested in having a pitch at the event or photographic it, please get in touch with Ana through her Facebook post.

• For latest news about Theale Village Fete on Sunday 25 June, check out their dedicated Facebook Page here. They are also taking bookings for pitches as well as advertising and sponsorship. For more details, please email enquiries@thealeparishcouncil.gov.uk.

• Click here to see a list of all active planning applications in Theale (check the date at the top of the post for latest update).

• Click here for information about the range of activities organised by the Burghfield Community Sports Association.

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

Aldermaston’s enforcements

Aldermaston parish Council held its most recent meeting on 13 June. Not surprisingly, one of the main items on the agenda was the Easy Concrete saga. I’ve written about this several times recently: see “A concrete refusal” in the 1 June archive of this column here for the most recent one.

“To begin with some good news,” the meeting notes began. “In case you hadn’t heard, we’ve won our case against Easy Concrete (EC) in that WBC has ruled that EC will not be allowed concrete-making facilities at Woodyard, Paice’s Hill. Thanks are due to all the local people who expressed their opposition. However, the future is uncertain. EC may challenge the ruling (which we think is unlikely as the case against them is so damning) but the cost of normalising the land would be very expensive (not to mention the owner of the field to the north on which the huge earth mounds are located).”

This is the key point. The work has been stopped and an official position established but it might prove harder to get the site back to something approaching its original condition. Nothing will happen until it’s clear if an appeal is planned; and perhaps not even then, unless EC is compelled to act. This could prove a protracted and divisive business.

Much will depend on how far WBC and its new administration wants to push it. It may be seen as an opportunity to put down an early marker about ensuring that the consequences of a breach are remedied. Aldermaston PC and the residents will be watching developments with interest.

As mentioned above, at least the EC site is now constrained within the framework of a planning decision. Nothing of this kind seems to apply to another problematic site in the parish, Padworth Sawmills, which to the best of my understanding seems to have come into existence almost by stealth and without really leaving much official evidence of its evolution. It’s not possible to enforce planning conditions when there are no conditions to enforce.

“In Open Forum,’ the Aldermaston PC notes continue, “at our request a representative of the new owners of Padworth Sawmills answered questions re HGV traffic at Raghill. He explained that they have eight tenants at the Sawmills. The tenants are the worst traffic offenders and “they will be spoken to”. We remain concerned at the large number of unauthorised buildings on the site, and talks have begun with WBC to regularise the situation. We are pleased that the new owners are co-operating with us.”

I’ll be finding out a bit more about this issue and will share this in the next few weeks.

A new splash

West Berkshire Council has appointed Everyone Active as the new leisure management operator to manage the leisure facilities across the district. From 1 July 2023, Everyone Active (EA) will begin a 10-year contract run Northcroft Leisure Centre and Lido, Hungerford Leisure Centre, Kennet Leisure Centre, Cotswold Sports Centre, Willink Leisure Centre, Lambourn Sports Centre and the Downland Sports Centre.

“The new contract will have a strong focus on community outreach,” a statement from WBC says, “providing a variety of creative and physical activities in local venues such as community halls, churches, centres and outdoor locations to increase accessibility.

“We are delighted to officially begin our partnership with West Berkshire Council and are looking forward to many successful years ahead,” Steve Salwa, Area Contract Manager at Everyone Active said. “The sports and leisure centres within this contract are so important for the health and wellbeing of the local communities and we look forward to supporting the council’s vision for leisure across West Berkshire. We would like to reassure existing customers that all memberships, classes, lessons and club bookings will carry over and continue as normal during the transition.” I understand (and hope) that this will also include that any direct debits are seamlessly transferred across from Parkwood Leisure to EA.

“The contract is the start of a very exciting period for leisure in West Berkshire,” Janine Lewis, West Berkshire’s Executive Member for Culture, Leisure, Sport and Countryside added. “Increasing participation in active leisure for all, especially those currently less active, is a key focus of our new leisure strategy. We are delighted to be working with EA. Our centres are about so much more than leisure activities. They are community hubs where people can socialise while keeping active and well.

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank our current provider, Parkwood Leisure, for their hard work over the last 19 years and their excellent contribution to improving health and wellbeing across the district.”

All the staff will be transferring over so there will still be the same friendly and familiar faces at Hungerford (which I use) and elsewhere. One thing that the new management might want to look at is the website. Certainly as regards pool sessions in Hungerford, the online information doesn’t always accord with reality and it seems the staff don’t have as much control over the content as they should. This may also be an issue elsewhere. If you have any suggestions of your own then let your local centre know.

Switching and saving

Over the last 18 months, many households have grappled with high energy costs and financially struggled due to the increasing energy price cap and no decent fixed deals. Through West Berkshire Council’s partnership with the Big Community Switch scheme, residents can now save money by getting a better energy deal as a group, and switching to a trusted energy supplier. This will not only save money but also support a greener future and the move to 100% renewable energy tariffs.

You can register to switch here by 21 June. Personal offers will then be sent out from 4 July where you have time to decide if you want to go ahead and switch or not. Your decision to accept or decline the new offer needs to be made by 31 July. For more information, please click here.

As many of us know, switching energy suppliers can be a daunting task. However, the Big Community Switch does all the hard work for you and provides guidance throughout the entire process. Moreover, there is no obligation to switch to the winning supplier once you receive your personal offer.

“I’ve always believed in the principle of Save Money and the Environment (SMATE),” Councillor Adrian Abbs, WBC’s Executive Member for Climate Action, Recycling and Biodiversity said. “Now, during this cost of living crisis, having a chance to do just that with the Big Community Switch makes perfect sense.”

The more people who participate in the scheme, the better the deal that will be reached – so do spread the word and tell your family, friends and neighbours.

Thursday 8 June 2023

This week we cover excavations, creation, participation, blooms, Jane Austen, sports and bees – plus our usual round-up of other local news, local events and activities and news from your local councils.

Scroll down below “This weeks news” for a look at the latest news on Windmill Court in Mortimer.

This week’s news

• The Burghfield Scarecrow Trail is now over, but if you missed it or would like to remind yourself of this years fabulous creations, there is a lovely gallery of images here. Many congratulations to the winners and runners-up!

• Next month, Burghfield Parish Council will be holding a free, family friendly Community Sports Day. All are welcome to take part in the sporting events or just sit back, relax and enjoy their picnic. There will be sports workshops, races, face painting, a craft tent, a climbing tower and much more. That’ll be at the common recreation ground from 11am to 3pm, see here for details.

• West Berkshire Council also wants to hear from people aged 16 and over who either currently live in West Berks or have done so in the last three years, and have experienced any form of domestic abuse. They’d like to know whether you received the support you needed, and what improvements you think could be made. The Domestic Abuse Needs Assessment Survey closes at midnight on Monday 12 June 2023.

• There is still time to enter the Theale in Bloom competition. Entry details and forms are available from the Council’s website or can be collected from the Parish Office, Theale Library & Englefield Garden Centre. Judging will take place on the 22 and 23 July and categories include: best front garden, tallest sunflower and best window box/hanging basket/container.

• The Watermill touring production of Mansfield Park will be performing at Brimpton Village Hall on Saturday 24 June. Book your tickets here.

• Click here to see a list of all active planning applications in Theale (check the date at the top of the post for latest update).

• Click here for information about the range of activities organised by the Burghfield Community Sports Association.

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

Windmill Court

We’ve reported many times on this matter (see archive sections below). The following is taken from the minutes of the meeting of Stratfield Mortimer Parish Council on 18 May 2023:

“Councillor Morsley reported that the planning application will be being submitted imminently. She confirmed that whilst the planned layout is the same, all the houses are now affordable. Priority for the six maisonette properties will be given to current/returning Windmill Court residents, followed by older persons (+55) from Mortimer/potential connection to Mortimer and only then general needs housing. Only one covenant, which is in respect of the supported living housing, now needs removing.

“The Council was very supportive of the news regarding the affordable housing.”

Thursday 1 June 2023

This week we cover scarecrows, blooms, scams, volunteers and a fête – plus our usual round-up of other local news, local events and activities and news from your local councils.

Scroll down below “This weeks news” for a look at a new ward member’s newsletter for Burghfield and Mortimer, a concrete refusal in Aldermaston and Mansfield Park in Bradfield.

This week’s news

• If you haven’t visited the Burghfield Scarecrow Trail yet there is still time, as it continues until this Saturday 3 June. This year’s theme is ‘Musicals‘ and you can pick up a trail map from the Library, Post Office, Co-op or Wellers., follow the scarecrows and solve the puzzle for the chance to win a £50 prize. All money raised will go to local Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers groups.

• Theale Parish Council is still looking for local volunteers who are able to help with the Village Fete. Volunteer roles include helping to set up, car park marshalling, manning stalls and selling raffle tickets. If you can spare an hour or two to help them raise money for local good causes and community groups, please click here to sign up for a shift. The Fete will take place on Sunday 25 June.

• Local children’s author Larry Hayes is on a mission to get local primary school kids loving writing and loving books. To celebrate the publication of his new book How to be a Kid Boss, he’s taking his hugely popular Creative Writing Workshop for kids on tour to primary schools in West Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Reading and Wiltshire. Any primary school can book Larry for one of 50 free workshops suitable for Years 3 to 6. The workshop is for 30 to 60 children at a time. For more details contact laurencechayes@gmail.com

• Next Wednesday, the Mortimer Surgery Participation Group is holding a ‘Health for the Future’ talk about how Mortimer Surgery is expanding its range of services. The talk will cover: services to help with medical and social needs; advice, diagnoses and therapy options; the various roles within the surgery and how they help patients; and more. There will also be a chance to meet and talk with your local representatives and support organisations. Click here for a full list of what will be covered, as well how to register for the event on Wednesday 7 June.

• The Watermill touring production of Mansfield Park will be performing at Brimpton Village Hall on Saturday 24 June. Book your tickets here.

• Are you over 65? If so, West Berkshire Council are interested in how you travel around the district by walking or takng the bus and any challenges or issues affecting your ability to travel, and the things you find most helpful when walking or using buses. Please complete this Active Travel survey by midnight on Friday 16 June.

• Would you like to share your skills? There is an opportunity to train the next generation at Newbury College and get all the support and benefits you need for a secure future. Click here to find out more.

• Click here to see a list of all active planning applications in Theale (check the date at the top of the post for latest update).

• Click here for information about the range of activities organised by the Burghfield Community Sports Association.

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

A concrete refusal

In February 2023, Aldermaston Parish Council (APC) distributed a leaflet around the village “to give its residents information about planning application 22/03132/FUL relating to the redevelopment of the old wood yard site on Paices Hill.” The document clearly pointed out the key aspects of the application and also some longer-term implications of the proposals which the applicants had shared with APC at a meeting a few months earlier. It then summarised the potential problems but also was open-minded enough to say that some residents might feel that there were benefits. You can read the text of the leaflet here.

As can be seen by visiting this section of WBC’s planning portal, a good number of people heeded APC’s suggestion to make their views known. All of those who did so registered an objection. APC also made no secret of the fact that this was its position. On 30 May, WBC’s officers decided that this was their view as well and the application was refused.

As the application was part-retrospective, a certain amount of work had already been done. This left no one in any doubt as to the scale of what was intended. The work also doesn’t seem to have been done very well, with soil piled up against unsafe retaining walls near a road and a good deal of material dumped on neighbouring land. Enforcement appears to have been light-touch, to say the least. The applicant may now wish it had been less so: to have stopped sooner would have saved them a considerable amount of money, with more needing to be spent if the site is to be returned to its original condition – not that this will be possible given that several trees have been uprooted.

Nor are we talking about refusal for a couple of technical reasons that could be easily overcome. Seven separate reasons were listed: significant detrimental change to the site and neighbouring properties; its situation within the AWE’s emergency zone; sustainability issues; the effective change of use; threats to bio-diversity; and road access objections. This is pretty much a full house. All of these aspects of the matter were perfectly clear ro APC from the off. I’m not clear on what advice the applicants relied to go ahead without getting the OK but they might want to go elsewhere in future.

The applicants might appeal but the decision notice doesn’t appear to provide any handholds for this. The site’s location in the AWE’s DEPZ would seem on its own to be an insuperable obstacle. If they don’t appeal, or do and lose, then next question will be what happens to the site, both in the short term as regards the clear-up and in the longer term as regards to what use it will be put.

Nick’s newsletter

Nick Carter, one of the three councillors for Burghfield and Mortimer elected in may, has recently sent out his first newsletter as a ward member. You can click here to read it. See the bottom of the last page for details of how to contact him is you have a problem or if you would like to be added to his circulation list in the future.

The items he covers include the following:

A quick report on the count on 5 May and tributes to the staff and former councillor Graham Bridgman.
Some thoughts on the “fresh start” as a consequence of the regime change at WBC.
Problems with dog-waste bins. All the evidence suggests that this is a matter that he, and all the other councillors, will have to get used to dealing with.
Initial proof that WBC’s system for dealing with residents’ housing problems seems to work.
Gigaclear upgrades in Mortimer.
Security cameras at the Fairground.
The planning application relating to the proposed homes being Tower Gardens.
The Mortimer Cafe fume extractor.

A mixed bag, all in all, and a fairly typical example of the kind of things in a ward member’s in-tray – or in-box, as would be more appropriate these days. Any member who produces a regular newsletter is to be congratulated. As well as telling people what they’re up to it probably saves time in the long run as people can then see that a particular matter is being dealt with and so not need to contact them about it. The real dividend, though, may come in four years’ time when they need to prove that (a) they have actually got things done and (b) that they’ve been communicating. These are, of course, what the job is all about…

Mansfield Park on the road

As part of its remit, the excellent Watermill Theatre in Newbury produces a summer show which goes on tour round the area before coming back to HQ for a short run. This year, the touring performance is a dramatisation of Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park. The Watermill’s website describes this as “an inventive and intelligent outdoor production (which) reveals a fresh perspective on Jane Austen’s classic romance.”

There are 15 touring venues in all. Seven of these are in the area covered by Penny Post and these are listed below. For more information on the production and details of other venues, please click here. All except East Garston’s are for one performance only.

7 and 8 June: East Garston Village Hall – Book online
9 June: Shrivenham Memorial Hall – Book online
14 June: Cold Ash Acland Memorial Hall – Tickets available from Cold Ash Post Office (cash only)
16 June: Kintbury The Old Vicarage – Book online
19 June: Bradfield Village Hall – Book online
23 June: Aldbourne The Old Manor – On sale soon: visit the Watermill website for further details.
24 June: Brimpton Village Hall – Book online

Thursday 25 May 2023

This week we cover Burghfest, Mansfield Park, blooms, volunteers, scams and rural verges – plus our usual round-up of other local news, local events and activities and news from your local councils.

This week’s news

• Did you attend Burghfest 2022, or one of the previous festivals? The Burghfield Santas are currently planning Burghfield’s Beer Festival for 2023 and are asking previous attendees to provide feedback via this survey, to help make improvements. Before filling out the survey, have a read of the very detailed and informative report on the ‘Evolution of Burghfest’, which provides a breakdown of the cost involved in running the event, changes over the years and discusses potentials changes for the future.

• This week sees the launch of Theale in Bloom competition. Entry details and forms are available from the Council’s website or can be collected from the Parish Office, Theale Library & Englefield Garden Centre. Judging will take place on the 22 and 23 July and categories include: best front garden, tallest sunflower and best window box/hanging basket/container.

• The Mortimer Surgery Participation Group is holding a ‘Health for the Future’ talk about how Mortimer Surgery is expanding its range of services. The talk will cover: services to help with medical and social needs; advice, diagnoses and therapy options; the various roles within the surgery and how they help patients; and more. There will also be a chance to meet and talk with your local representatives and support organisations. Click here for a full list of what will be covered, as well how to register for the event on Wednesday 7 June.

• The Watermill touring production of Mansfield Park will be performing at Brimpton Village Hall on Saturday 24 June. Book your tickets here.

• Citizens Advice West Berkshire and the Public Protection Partnership are promoting Scam Awareness Week but in truth we need to be scam aware every week. These people are so clever and there is no shame in being caught out. Penny once fell for a facebook messenger scam and would have lost money if her internet banking app wasn’t down. See advice here on how to protect yourself and what to do if you get caught.

• The Burghfield Football Club are looking for new players to join their U17 squad (School Year 12 from September). If you or somebody you know is interested, drop them a message through this link.

• Click here to see a list of all active planning applications in Theale (check the date at the top of the post for latest update).

• Click here for information about the range of activities organised by the Burghfield Community Sports Association.

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

On the verge

Now is the time of the year when the 1,700km of rural road verges in West Berkshire are bursting into life, with clouds of cow parsley, oxeye daisies and yellow rattle. Traditionally, our roadside verges were given regular number-one haircuts but now things are changing.

The main reason is that it’s become clear just how important these habitats are. By their nature, verges tend to connect to other verges and to hedges and woods, so providing vital wildlife corridors; much as the roads they follow are vital corridors for us and our vehicles. The West Berkshire Wild Verges project is a collaboration Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) and West Berkshire Council to support the use of verges to “make a space for nature.” There are certainly plenty of rural verges to work with in West Berkshire. If all of them were joined end to end they would stretch from Newbury to Madrid. If they were stacked side by side they’d cover over 700 football pitches.

Another reason is cost. Some verges are maintained by councils, which are perennially short of cash. Many private landlords may also see no cutting, or less of it, to be a good way of saving money.

However, there’s also the matter of road safety. If vegetation is obscuring road signs or visibility at junctions then it’s the landowner’s responsibility to deal with it and the council has the power to enforce them to do so.

We contacted WBC on 23 May to ask what its policy was. “Rural grass cutting tends to take place between end of Aug and March to avoid this kind of issue,” a spokesperson told us, “and we concentrate on urban routes during the summer. We have reduced verge cutting in urban areas which is allowing dandelions, cuckoo flower and buttercups to flourish. We are totally cognisant of the value of verges for wildlife.”

You can also click here to listen (from 7′ 20″) to the recent Sheepdrove Eco Show on 4LEGS Radio to see how Sheepdrove Organic Farm manages the verges by the side of the tracks and paths on its land.

The new team and its shadows

Click here for details of who’s on the Executive and the Shadow Executive at the new-look West Berkshire Council following the 4 May elections.

Thursday 18 May 2023

This week we cover a disco, a fayre, footballers, historical artefacts, abuse and volunteer drivers – plus our usual round-up of other local news, local events and activities and news from your local councils.

Scroll down below “This week’s news” for Mansfield Park in Bradfield.

This week’s news

• The Burghfield Residents Association is inviting all local resident, families and friends along to the Hatch this Friday 19 May, to join in the Family Disco, the first in a range of events as part of the Burghfield May Fayre. The Santa crew will be managing the bar and food will be available on site, as well as a tuck shop will be selling all kinds of sweets, drinks and crisps. Click here for details.

• Also part of the May Fayre event roster is the much anticipated ABBA Inferno tribute night. This Saturday 20 May there will be dancing, singing and non-stop grooving to a playlist of ABBA’s most iconic hits. Click here to get your ticket.

• Of course the Burghfield May Fayre itself takes place on Sunday 21 May, from 10am to 4pm. Enjoy a funfair, dog show, arena displays, craft stalls, café, food stalls and bar and much more. This event is volunteer run and could still use a few more to help the day run smoothly. If you can spare an hour or two to help out this local event, you can sign up for a role here, at a time slot that suits you.

• Eight Bells for Mental Health charity invites local residents to join them in making a difference for Mental Health Awareness Week from 15 to 21 May. See here for how to engage with them during the week as they do outreach. The theme of the week is anxiety which is a normal emotion in us all, but sometimes it can get out of control and become a mental health problem. If you or a loved one is facing these issues, check out the national Mental Health Awareness Week information.

• Click here to see a list of all active planning applications in Theale (check the date at the top of the post for latest update).

• Click here for information about the range of activities organised by the Burghfield Community Sports Association.

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

Mansfield Park on the road

“When young Fanny Price is sent to live with her wealthy cousins,” the summary continues, “she quickly grows from a timid child into a clever, witty young woman with a fine moral compass. At Mansfield Park, Fanny meets the frivolous Crawfords. They introduce her to a world of reckless flirtation, unrequited love, and decadence. As their antics escalate, Fanny is led further astray until her uncle’s departure to visit his plantation in Antigua. Forced to confront the source of her family’s wealth and its true cost, Fanny must ask some difficult questions. Where does she belong? Will she ever find love? And what does it take to be the heroine of your own life?

“In collaboration with Two Gents Productions, the Watermill’s Mansfield Park fuses European regency with a Trans-Atlantic chorus for a fresh take on Jane Austen’s classic and an honest look at our colonial past.”

7 and 8 June: East Garston Village Hall – Book online
9 June: Shrivenham Memorial Hall – Book online
14 June: Cold Ash Acland Memorial Hall – Tickets available from Cold Ash Post Office (cash only)
16 June: Kintbury The Old Vicarage – Book online
19 June: Bradfield Village Hall – Book online
23 June: Aldbourne The Old Manor – On sale soon: visit the Watermill website for further details.
24 June: Brimpton Village Hall – Book online

Thursday 11 May 2023

This week we cover Santas, business engagement, football, fetes and donations – plus our usual round-up of other local news, local events and activities and news from your local councils.

This week’s news

• After a splendid coronation weekend, the Burghfield Santas announced via their Facebook page that they raised an incredible £3,000 through the bar for Thames Valley Air Ambulance, as well as donations to Mortimer and Burghfield Toy Library and 1st Burghfield & Sulhamstead Scout Group. Well done everyone.

• The next big event is the Burghfield May Fayre and volunteers are requested to help with The Bulging Sack, Burghfield Santa’s Pop-Up Pub from Friday 19 to Sunday 21 May. They need volunteers who can help them with event set-up and bar staff. If you would like to sign-up for a shift, click here to sign up.

• Calling all businesses in Theale. Next Wednesday 17 May the Theale Business Engagement Forum will be held at Arlington Business Park. The aim of the event is to connect with local businesses by helping them gain a greater understanding of the Parish Council’s remit, what it does and how the Parish Council can help them engage with the local community. The Parish Council can better understand the needs of Theale’s business community and share local news, events and activities. To register, please email enquiries@thealeparishcouncil.gov.uk.

• Theale Parish Council’s free community coffee morning, every Wednesday from 8.45am to 11.15am is at the Peter Gooch Room on Englefield Road. Everyone is welcome including young children and well behaved dogs. Click herefor details.

• Eight Bells for Mental Health charity invites local residents to join them in making a difference for Mental Health Awareness Week from 15 to 21 May. Pop in to their Open Day on Monday 15 May at Newbury Friends Meeting House or see here for more details on how to engage with them during the week as they do outreach.

• Are you over 65? If so, West Berkshire Council would like to understand your walking behaviour and experience of using buses within West Berkshire. They are interested in finding out how people aged 65 and over move around the district and any challenges or issues affecting your ability to travel, and the things you find most helpful when walking or using buses. If you’d like to take part, please complete this survey by midnight on Friday 16 June.

• Open Studios West Berkshire and North Hampshire 2023 runs until May 29 with local artists opening their studios and exhibitions free of charge. They make entering any art space a comfortable experience, to encourage and promote accessibility to art and artists. See their website for details. Work by all participating artists is also exhibited at the wonderful INSIGHT exhibition at The Base, Greenham until 29 May 2023.

• ARK (Action for the River Kennet) is appealing for volunteers to help bash Himalyan Balsam, a non-native invasive species that is threatening river habitat on three dates in May, June and July. See details here.

• We’ve lost nearly 97% of flower rich meadows since the 1970s and with them is gone vital food needed by pollinators like bees and butterflies. A healthy lawn with some long grass and wildflowers benefits wildlife, tackles pollution and can even lock away carbon below ground – and best of all, to reap these benefits all you have to do is not mow your lawn in May (or ideally for longer). For more information on No Mow May, click here.

• Burghfield Football Club are looking for new players to join their U12s division (school year 7). Training takes place on Monday evenings, with matches on Saturday mornings. If your child might be interested in joining, get in touch with Aran Long, by clicking here.

• Theale Parish Council is looking for help with the Village Fete in June. They are also taking bookings for pitches as well as advertising and sponsorship. For more details, please email enquiries@thealeparishcouncil.gov.uk. Check out their dedicated Facebook Page for updates.

• West Berkshire Museum is calling residents who may have items of local historical significance to loan them for its upcoming exhibition, focusing on the parishes of Burghfield, Wokefield and Beech Hill. This exhibit aims to cover a range of history from the prehistoric period, right up until the present day. If you have anything which might help tell a story of local history and you are happy to loan it for a year (starting this September) please email collections@westberks.gov.uk or call on (01635) 519562. Click here for more details.

• Theale Parish Council is looking for prize donations for the grand raffle at upcoming Theale Village Fete. If you are a local business and can help with donating a prize, big or small, please email them at enquiries@thealeparishcouncil.gov.uk. In particular they are looking for 2nd and 3rd place star prizes, which will be printed on 5000 raffle tickets, so a great way to promote your business to local residents.

• The Cowshed, a Reading-based charity which helps families in crisis, has been receiving an overwhelming amount of requests from families in need of double prams. It apparently has seven families currently on their list, some of whom have been waiting for nearly three months. If you have a double pram that you no longer need or can spare, please consider donating it. For more information about how to donate, click here they also have an Amazon Wishlist.

• Click here to see a list of all active planning applications in Theale (check the date at the top of the post for latest update).

• Click here for information about the range of activities organised by the Burghfield Community Sports Association.

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

Reflecting on the election

The local elections are over and the results confirmed, indeed exceeded, the worst fears of the Conservatives. In West Berkshire, which we covered particularly closely, the Lib Dems took control of the council with a large majority. Both the Leader and the Deputy Leader, as well as two other members of the Executive lost their seats. As for the other parties, the Green’s performance was surprisingly disappointing, being reduced from three members to two. Labour won its first ever place on the Council, Clive Taylor taking the second berth in Tilehurst Birch Copse by just one vote.

This leaves the overall results as 29 Lib Dems, 11 Conservatives, two Greens and one Labour. The administration therefore has more than twice as many seats as do the other parties combined. It remains to be seen if this will enable adequate scrutiny to take place. Here are a few thoughts on what happened and why…

Reflecting on the coronation

On 10 May, Penny visited Educafé in Newbury, as she usually dies, on this occasion with Newbury College student Max Taucher who’s been doing some work experience with us this week. They started chatting to people about the recent coronation and they soon realised that the many and varied comment merited a separate article – so here it is…

Thursday 4 May 2023

This week we cover Eurovision, cakes, picnics, scarecrows and football. We also look out for some swifts and take a look at what happens next with the local elections – plus our usual round-up of other local news, local events and activities and news from your local councils.

This week’s news

• To celebrate Ukraine’s victory in last year’s Eurovision Song Contest, local charity The Cowshed is holding a Eurovision Party on Saturday 13 May for Ukrainians who have fled the war. The free event is now fully booked with 250 local Ukrainians. However, they are asking the public for help to make the event great by donating: tablecloths, crockery and cutlery, glasses, favours, cupcakes and flowers. If you or your business could help with any of these areas, please do get in touch by messaging becky@thecowshed.org.

• This weekend Mortimer residents are invited to join the community celebration this Saturday with ‘Picnic in the Park’ whilst watching the coronation ceremony on a super-large screen. There will also be lots of family-friendly events including children’s crown making, a children’s fancy dress parade, competitions, a fun fair, market stalls, food concessions and bar, live music, firework display and much more. Furthermore, if you spare an hour or two and would be up for helping out as a volunteer, please contact volunteers@mortimervillage.org.uk. Follow on Facebook for updates.

• Mortimer Village Partnerships and the Mortimer Women’s Institute are excited to announce that there will be a Coronation Cake Decorating Competition, at the King’s Coronation event in Mortimer on Saturday 6 May. The competition will be to produce a Coronation themed decorated cake. This will be judged, by a public vote, purely on the decoration. The “Best in Show” will receive a certificate and £50 Prize, while the two runners up with receive certificates. For more more details, as well as other events happening on the day click here.

• Meanwhile, Burghfield Parish Council will be holding their own range of ‘Picnic in the Park’ Coronation competitions on Sunday 7 May. The first is a dress up competition, take a photo of yourself and/or your family all dressed while having fun at the picnic, then share to Facebook and make sure you tag @BurghfieldParishCouncil. If dressing-up isn’t your style, their second competition involves photographing your picnic fit for a king, and again tagging the council on Facebook. The third is a children’s colour the crown competition, which you can enter by printing the picture here, or picking one up from the library and then handing in on the day.

• St Mary’s Church will also be holding a Coronation Supper, in celebration of the ascension of King Charles III. The evening will include a royalty themed meal, as well as drinks, quiz and a raffle. Tickets cost £20 per head and can be purchased from the Church, or by contacting bannepock@aol.com. That’s taking place on Friday 5 May from 7:30pm.

• Still time to enter the Burghfield Scarecrow Trail before the closing date of Saturday 13 May. The trail will run from Saturday 27 May until Saturday 3 June and the theme is ‘Musicals’. You can collect an entry form Burghfield Library, Wellers Fruit Shop, Nisa, or the Co-op. Visit their Facebook page for updates, as well as some inspiration from previous years.

• The Burghfield Santas are calling for volunteers to help them at their upcoming pop-up events. The Bulging Sack, Burghfield Santa’s Pop-Up Pub will be popping up at Burghfield Parish Council’s Coronation Picnic on Sunday 7 May, as well as at the Burghfield May Fayre from Friday 19 to Sunday 21 May. They need volunteers who can help them with event set-up and bar staff. If you would like to sign-up for a shift, click here to sign up.

• Save the date for the Burghfield May Fayre which will be back for 2023 on Sunday 21 May. Expect a fun-filled afternoon complete with a funfair, dog show, arena displays, craft stalls, food stalls, a bar and lots more. There are also plenty of volunteer roles which need filling, whether helping with the event set-up or cooking the BBQ to carpark marshalling. To make things easy, a Sign Up page has been created so you can just click on the role that interests you and volunteer yourself.

• Click here to see a list of all active planning applications in Theale (check the date at the top of the post for latest update).

• Click here for information about the range of activities organised by the Burghfield Community Sports Association.

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

Swift watch

Swifts are the last migrant birds to arrive in the UK and these amazing birds need our help as their traditional nesting places in building nooks and crannies are disappearing as is their food source of insects. Swifts are black boomerangs, scything and flickering through the air, often in squadrons of ‘screaming parties’. These small birds spend the first three or four years of their life totally on the wing, only landing when they are ready to breed, and they are the fastest birds in level flight. Here is a guide to distinguish them from swallows and house martins.

Swifts mate for life and meet their mates at the same nest every year. If you can identify where swifts are nesting or even see them flying low please log them on the RSPB’s Swift Mapper or let us know so that new swift boxes might be able to be installed close to where the birds might see them (see RSPB advice on how to attract swifts to new boxes).

Out for the count

The polls for the local elections close at 10pm on 4 May and, in West Berkshire at least, the count begins the following morning at 9am. The first stage, which could take several hours, is verifying all the ballot boxes. Totalling up the votes will probably start at about lunchtime with the results expected from late afternoon. It’s the Returning Officer’s hope that all the results will be declared on Friday. If not, due to the bank holiday, the process will be resumed on Tuesday. The process in West Berkshire takes place at Newbury Racecourse but is not open to the public.

You can click here to read an interview we did last month with WBC’s Returning Officer (and CEO), Nigel Lynn.

You can click here to see details of the whole voting procedure. Once the results of the district election have been decalred, the composition of the new council will be updated on this page. The full results will be summarised on WBC’s website as soon as possible after the declarations. I’ll be visiting the count during the afternoon and will have a report on this and the overall figures in next week’s Penny Post.

As well as the elections for the 43 WBC members, there are also four town and parish elections taking place. The first two, for Newbury and Thatcham, are no surprise as these are traditionally political and have contested elections (where there are more candidates than there are are seats). Two parishes, East Ilsley and Stanford Dingley, are also having contested elections because more candidates were nominated than there are seats available. In the other parishes, the elections are uncontested as the number of candidates was equal to or less than the number of seats available. These candidates will be described as having been elected unopposed.

(This is different from the way by which council may later be topped up by co-opting new members. All councillors –whether elected opposed, elected unopposed or co-opted – have exactly the same status. The only difference is if the council has General Powers of Competence which give it greater discretion in how it may act. There are two pre-conditions for this: the council must have a fully qualified Clerk; and it must have at least two-thirds of its members elected (opposed or unopposed), rather than co-opted. If either of these conditions ceases to apply, the council loses its GPC status until these are remedied.)

It’s also worth noting that no parish or town council meetings can happen until after 15 May. This is because the official swap-over day (when the old council is replaced by the new) is on 9 May. Even if the new members are already known, they aren’t formally councillors until after this date. In the case of contested elections, the composition of the council clearly will not be known until the results have been declared. In either case, there then needs to follow a notice period of at least five clear days before the new council can meet.

Thursday 27 April 2023

This week we cover a pop-up pub, scarecrows, local history, cake decoration and two local community champions, as well as issuing an invite to tune in to the next election special on Kennet Radio – plus our usual round-up of other local news, local events and activities and local councils’ information.

This week’s news

• The Burfield Scarecrow Trail is back this summer and there is still time to enter your scarecrow before the closing date of Saturday 13 May. This year the trail will run from Saturday 27 May until Saturday 3 June and the theme is ‘Musicals’. You can collect an entry form Burghfield Library, Wellers Fruit Shop, Nisa, or the Co-op. Visit their Facebook page for updates, as well as some inspiration from previous years.

• The Burghfield Santa’s are calling for volunteers to help them at their upcoming pop-up events. The Bulging Sack, Burghfield Santa’s Pop-Up Pub will be popping up at Burghfield Parish Council’s Coronation Picnic on Sunday 7 May, as well as at the Burghfield May Fayre from Friday 19 to Sunday 21 May. They need volunteers who can help them with event set-up and bar staff. If you would like to sign-up for a shift, click here to sign up.

• The lastest West Berks Council Environment News includes boiler upgrade scheme, reducing waste at Coronation events, reusable nappies, flood risk management schemes, funding for nature projects for schools and young people, using the bus and sharing car journeys. See details here.

• Mortimer Village Partnerships and the Mortimer Women’s Institute are excited to announce that there will be a Coronation Cake Decorating Competition, at the King’s Coronation event in Mortimer, on Saturday 6 May. The competition will be to produce a Coronation themed decorated cake. This will be judged, by a public vote, purely on the decoration. The “Best in Show” will receive a certificate and £50 Prize, while the two runners up with receive certificates. For more more details, as well as other events happening on the day click here.

• On the topic of the Coronation, West Berkshire Libraries are holding a prize draw to win a coronation teddy bear. Open to all West Berkshire library members, all you have to do is pop into your local library branch with your membership card to enter. A winner will be picked in each library on Saturday 6 May.

• Meanwhile, Burghfield Parish Council will be holding their own range of ‘Picnic in the Park’ Coronation competitions. The first is a dress up competition, take a photo of yourself and/or your family all dressed while having fun at the Picnic in the Park on Sunday 7 May, then share to Facebook and make sure you tag @BurghfieldParishCouncil. If dressing-up isn’t your style, their second competition involves photographing your picnic fit for a king, and again tagging the council on Facebook. The third is a children’s colour the crown competition, which you can enter by printing the picture here, or picking one up from the library and then handing in on the day.

• Burghfield Parish Council are planning a coronation celebration with their Big Coronation Lunch on Sunday 7 May. Everyone is invites to celebrate together on Burghfield Common Recreation Ground with picnics. More details will be released soon follow their Facebook Page to keep up to date.

• Click here to see a list of all active planning applications in Theale (check the date at the top of the post for latest update).

• Click here to read the latest newsletter from one of Burghfield and Mortimer’s ward members, Graham Bridgman.

• Click here for information about the range of activities organised by the Burghfield Community Sports Association.

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

Mortimer’s awards

Thanks for Mortimer Life for drawing our attention to the recent Stratfield Mortimer’s Community Awards which this year were presented to Rebecca Barker and Anne Haines.

Rebecca’s award recognises her role as a founding member of Mortimer Village Partnership and a former chairman of the parish council. She’s also played a central part at Mortimer Lunch Club and the Bags2School clothes collection.
Anne award recognises her role as a stalwart of Mortimer WI, for collecting and delivering prescriptions for those unable to and being a central part of Mortimer Flower Circle. She helped the Covid vaccination programme at Pangbourne, helps with the Mortimer Baby and Toddler group and is a Handybus escort for transport to Lunch Club.

Our congratulations to both of them. For the full article, please click here.

Kennet Radio’s Local Election Special

I’ve been joining Jeremy Sharp on Kennet Radio’s series of election specials which discusses various themes with invited representatives of each of the main political parties contesting seats in the elections in West Berkshire.

The first Local Election Special was on Friday 7 April and the theme was the environment, transport and the countryside. The guests were David Marsh (Green Party); Adrian Abbs (Liberal Democrats); Suzie Ferguson (tbc) ((Labour); and Steve Ardagh-Walter (Conservatives). You can listen to the programme by clicking here.
The second one on Friday 14 April covered planning, development and housing. The guests were Caroline Culver (Green Party), Alan Law (Conservative Party), Clive Taylor (Labour Party) and Tony Vickers (Liberal Democrats). You can listen to that here.
The third one on Friday 21 April covered governance, structure and finance. The guests were Jeff Brooks (Liberal Democrats), Charlie Coral (Labour), Lynne Doherty (Conservatives) and David Marsh (Green Party). You can listen to that here.
The fourth and final one will be on Friday 28 April from 4pm to 5pm and will cover health & wellbeing, social care, leisure and culture. You can tune in on 106.7FM if you’re in the coverage area: for other options, please visit the website. The programme will also be available as a listen again from about ten minutes after the show has finished.

Thursday 20 April 2023

This week we cover cake, a museum appeal, a fayre, a play park and photography, as well as issuing an invite to tune in to the next election special on Kennet Radio – plus our usual round-up of other local news, local events and activities and local councils’ information.

This week’s news

• Mortimer Village Partnerships and the Mortimer Women’s Institute are excited to announce that there will be a Coronation Cake Decorating Competition, at the King’s Coronation event in Mortimer, on Saturday 6 May. The competition will be to produce a Coronation themed decorated cake. This will be judged, by a public vote, purely on the decoration. The “Best in Show” will receive a certificate and £50 Prize, while the two runners up with receive certificates. For more more details, as well as other events happening on the day click here.

• The Burghfield Resident’s Association have organised a ABBA Tribute for a night of non-stop grooving. Tickets are £15 and the funds raised will go towards good local causes. That’ll be taking place at the Hatch Green on Saturday 20 May. Click here to secure your ticket.

• Last weekend saw the official opening of the brand new play park at Theale Recreation Ground. Phase one of the new park was completed back in January with the opening of the playground and this month saw the official unveiling of the multi-use sports area with new outdoor gym equipment, so now there is something for everyone of all ages to enjoy.

• Get snap happy as at this year’s Theale Village Fete, Theale Parish Council will be holding a photography competition. This year’s theme is ‘Community’ and anyone of any age can enter (for under 18s categories will be differentiated by school year group). Better start snapping!

• Local residents are reminded that the UK Government now has an Emergency Alert system to warn people when lives are in danger and a test will take place UK-wide on Sunday 23 April which will see us all receive a welcome message on our mobile phones. You do not need to do anything when you receive the message – this is just a test. The service is more effective if it has been tested before use. See more details here.

• Meanwhile, Mortimer Village Partnership is seeking volunteers to help at its local coronation event, taking place on Saturday 6 May. The coronation of King Charles III will be live streamed to a large screen at Mortimer Fair Ground, where families can come together with picnics and later there will be live music, children activities and stalls. If you would like to get involved, please email volunteers@mortimervillage.org.uk. You can keep up to date with the latest news from the event organisers here.

• If you don’t have the accepted form of photo ID to be eligible to vote at the elections on 4 May, you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate by 25 April. See more information here.

• Click here to see a list of all active planning applications in Theale (check the date at the top of the post for latest update).

• Click here to read the latest (2 March) newsletter from one of Burghfield and Mortimer’s ward members, Graham Bridgman. This has a particularly long “Parish Matters” section this month and covers – as well as the hoped-for changes to Mortimer’s bus service covered in the separate section below – information on highway improvements, parking near local schools, highway safety, the opening of The Hub and Garland Junior School, planning applications, drainage and a road closure.

• The new cost of living support hub on West Berkshire Council website explains the different types of support available if you are struggling with rising living costs and are concerned about paying your household bills. You can also click here to read this article we’ve recently published about the Hub and what help and support you can expect from it.

• Click here for information about the range of activities organised by the Burghfield Community Sports Association.

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

Covering the contest

West Berkshire (and many other districts) goes to the polls in the local elections on 4 May 2023. We’ve produced a number of articles relevant to this which we hope will be of interest and use in helping you make up your mind who to vote for on the big day and you can see links to them all here. These include the need for voter ID, a list of all the candidates (with some of them answering some questions), a ward-specific questionnaire, the views of the leaders, election radio specials, a chat with the Returning Officer, some background reading and an excursion into a parallel democratic universe.

Thursday 13 April 2023

This week we cover ABBA, donations, various meals, a play park and planning applications, as well as issuing an invite to tune in to the next election special on Kennet Radio – plus our usual round-up of other local news, local events and activities and local councils’ information.

This week’s news

• This Sunday 16 April, will see the the official opening of the new play park at Theale Recreation Ground. Phase one of the new park was completed back in January with the opening of the playground and now phase two will see a multi-use sports area with new outdoor gym equipment, so now there is something for everyone of all ages to enjoy. Everyone is invited to come along to the official opening event at 2pm this Sunday, where there will be lots of free activates to take part in.

• If you don’t have the accepted form of photo ID to be eligible to vote at the elections on 4 May, you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate by 25 April. See more information here.

• Click here to see a list of all active planning applications in Theale (check the date at the top of the post for latest update).

• Click here for information about the range of activities organised by the Burghfield Community Sports Association.

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

Kennet Radio’s Local Election Special

I’ve been asked by Jeremy Sharp from Kennet Radio to join him for a series of election specials which will be broadcast on Kennet Radio. In each programme we shall be covering a different theme and to discuss this Kennet Radio has invited representatives of each of the main political parties contesting seats in the elections in West Berkshire..

The first Local Election Special was on Friday 7 April from 4pm to 5pm and the theme was the environment, transport and the countryside. The guests were David Marsh (Green Party); Adrian Abbs (Liberal Democrats); Suzie Ferguson (tbc) ((Labour); and Steve Ardagh-Walter (Conservatives). You can listen to the programme by clicking here.

The next one will be on Friday 14 April and will cover planning, development and housing. The guests will be Caroline Culver (Green Party), Alan Law (Conservative Party), Clive Taylor (Labour Party) and Tony Vickers (Liberal Democrat Party).

You can tune in on 106.7FM if you’re in the coverage area: for other options, please visit the website. The programme will also be available as a listen again from about ten minutes after the show has finished.

Thursday 6 April 2023

This week we cover photos, Santas, prams, a fayre and volunteer drivers. We also take a look at fibre installations in Mortimer, highlight an injunction that hasn’t been made in Aldermaston and invite you to tune in to an election special on Kennet Radio – plus our usual round-up of other local news, local events and activities and local councils’ information.

This week’s news

• The Burghfield Santas are back at it again with their Bulging Egg Sack Easter event, this Good Friday 7 April at Burghfield Village Hall from 5pm to 11pm. Come along for an evening of fun with a quiz, great beverages and a fantastic community atmosphere. Reportedly their last St Patrick’s day event, managed to raise an incredible £1,200 for the Thames Valley Air Ambulance.

• Faye Harland from BBC Radio Berkshire is currently planning the station’s coverage for the Coronation of Charles III and is keen to speak to people from the local community with memories of the Queen’s Coronation in 1953. If that’s you or someone you know, then please drop her an email at faye.harland@bbc.co.uk.

• The bells of the Holy Trinity Church in Theale stopped ringing in August of 2022 due to safety concerns. The old framework is damaged and in disrepair and an approximate £2,000 is needed to make the structure safe to use again. To make this possible, the church are launching a crowdfunding campaign to get the bells back to chiming again. If you would like to make a donation please click here.

• Looking ahead to May, local groups are starting to make plans for the coronation of King Charles II. Burghfield Parish Council are planning a coronation celebration with their Big Coronation Lunch on Sunday 7 May. Everyone is invites to celebrate together on Burghfield Common Recreation Ground with picnics. More details will be released soon follow their Facebook Page to keep up to date.

• If you don’t have the accepted form of photo ID to be eligible to vote at the elections on 4 May, you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate by 25 April. See more information here.

• The Burghfield Residents Association is now accepting applications for this year’s May Fayre. If you would be interested in a stall, please send a brief overview of your wares or activities to the coordinator at burghfieldmayfayre@gmail.com.

• Click here to see a list of all active planning applications in Theale (check the date at the top of the post for latest update).

• Click here for information about the range of activities organised by the Burghfield Community Sports Association.

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

Kennet Radio’s Local Election Special

The first Local Election Special is on Friday 7 April from 4pm to 5pm and the theme will be the environment, transport and the countryside. The guests will be David Marsh (Green Party); Adrian Abbs (Liberal Democrats); Suzie Ferguson (tbc) ((Labour); and Steve Ardagh-Walter (Conservatives). You can tune in on 106.7FM if you’re in the coverage area: for other options, please visit the website. The programme will also be available as a listen again from about ten minutes after the show has finished.

Mortimer’s fibre

My attention was drawn to this article in Mortimer Life about broadband improvements in the area.

“Following last year’s Mortimer Community Fibre initiative, that tried to bring Fibre to the Premises to parts of Mortimer that did not have it, and which didn’t quite reach target take-up, the good news is that Gigaclear is about to start deployment to such areas.

You’re likely to have received a card if their plans include your street, and their postcode checker is here. Their plans include (but aren’t limited to) The Avenue, St Mary’s Road, St John’s Road, Birch Lane, Ravensworth Road and Victoria Road.”

For more information, including details of whom to contact if you have any questions, see the full article here.

Injunction time

A statement from WBC says that planning officers are continuing efforts to address an unauthorised development in Hermitage. An injunction was served by West Berkshire Council on 4 April following activity on the site to prepare the land for unauthorised residential purposes. The injunction prohibits further activity taking place at the site in breach of planning controls. Anyone who breaches the injunction faces further court action.

“Residents concerned by activity at the site can contact the Council’s planning service by email at planningenforcement@westberks.gov.uk or by phoning 01635 519371.

Speaking on behalf of West Berkshire Council, Service Director for Strategy and Governance Sarah Clarke said: “Activity such as this can have a significant impact on local residents and we are aware of concerns in relation to this unauthorised development. We are in contact with the parish council and local residents to keep them updated on the situation. At West Berkshire Council we pride ourselves on being a plan-led authority to ensure development and growth are managed and properly planned for. This helps to ensure our green areas are protected and that development only happens where it is most appropriate. Unauthorised activities go against this and which is why we applied at an early stage for this injunction to prohibit further work.”

I wonder what residents of Aldermaston think of this statement. We’ve covered on several occasions the saga of Easy Concrete’s planning application relating to the site in Paices Hill (see the archive sections for the Burghfield Area Weekly News columns). It appears that the breaches there were far more serious and yet were met with an official reaction bordering on fatalistic insouciance, in marked contrast to robust and rapid response in Thatcham. Doubtless there are big differences between the cases which explain these variations. If anyone knows, please let me know and I’ll be happy to cover this in the future.

Thursday 30 March 2023

This week we cover prizes, prams, 1953 and volunteers. We also have a statement from Stratfield Mortimer PC about Windmill Court, issue an appeal for artefacts, report at a new use for Theale’s sports pitch and look at a sport-pitch issue of a different kind involving charges in Burghfield – plus our usual round-up of other local news, local events and activities and local councils’ information.

This week’s news

• Arlington Business Park in Theale is holding an Easter Family Fun Day on Tuesday 4 April, from 11am to 2pm. There’ll be an Easter trail, stalls, farm animals too and maybe even chance to meet the Easter Bunny! Everyone is invited to come along, for more details check out their Facebook Page.

• Burghfield Community is interested in creating a new meeting group for artists and designers in the local area. The idea is that local artists can periodically meet like-minded skilled craftspeople as well as share ideas on how to sell their crafts in the local area. Click here for more details or email burghfieldcommunity@gmail.com.

• Now we are officially in spring, dog walkers need to be mindful of their impact on ground-nesting birds. Of course dogs love to romp but skylarks and nightjars are endangered species and if an adult is disturbed they will not return to their nest, leaving their chicks to die. Dog walkers are requested to keep dogs on leads less than 2 metres long when walking in potential bird nesting areas. Please see more details here about national requirements for dog walkers between 1 March and 31 July.

• If you don’t have the accepted form of photo ID to be eligible to vote at the elections on 4 May, you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate by 25 April. See more information here.

• Click here to see a list of all active planning applications in Theale (check the date at the top of the post for latest update).

• Click here for information about the range of activities organised by the Burghfield Community Sports Association.

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

Theale’s pitch

One of the items discussed at Theale Parish Council’s meeting on 6 March was the proposed usage of the sports pitch by the Berkshire Youth Development League (BYDL), which had submitted a detailed proposal in advance of the meeting (circulated with the agenda). The Chair then outlined the current usage of the sports pitches, which was followed “by a lengthy discussion.” The main points covered, as recorded in the minutes, were as follows:

“Councillor Cox raised questions/concerns regarding parking in the surrounding areas but was advised that Berkshire Youth Development League will provide parking attendants and have offered to pay for the geo cell to extend the existing car park.
Councillor Church and Councillor Paul raised questions/concerns regarding the traffic flow and congestion between matches. BYDL offered to change kick off times to elevate the traffic congestion. Cllr Church suggested creating passing bays on the road leading to North Street playing fields.
Councillor Coker raised questions/concerns regarding the storage of goals etc but was advised that Berkshire Youth Development League propose to purchase a storage container.
Councillor Cox raised questions/concerns regarding the portaloos but was advised that these will not remain in situ all week but be delivered on a Friday and collected by or on Monday.
Councillor Coker asked about Wayward Wanders and was advised that there current contract remains in place until the end of this season. For next season they will be offered an alternative pitch.

The Chair proposed to offer BYDL an initial two-year contract subject to approval by Englefield Estate. The Clerk to contact Englefield Estate and keep members updated on their response to this matter.”

The museum looks east

In 2019, West Berkshire Museum started a series of exhibitions focusing on each of the parishes in the area. From September 2023 will be featuring three of the parishes in the eastern part of the district; Burghfield, Wokefield and Beech Hill.

A recent statement from West Berkshire Council says that “the Museum team is keen to include items loaned by local residents, to tell the story of the history of these parishes. If you have anything which you are happy to lend to the exhibition for a year, from 27 September 2023 until 22 September 2024, please contact the Museum before the end of April. The three parishes which are the focus of this exhibition cover history ranging from the prehistoric period, right up until the present day. The exhibition will examine the story of the large manor houses and their families, the type of education available in the area, and the impact of changing working environments on the local population and housing.

“If you have any items or information that you think might enhance the Focus on Burghfield, Wokefield and Beech Hill exhibition, please email collections@westberks.gov.uk or call the Museum during opening hours (Wednesday to Sunday 10am to 4pm) on (01635) 519562.”

Burghfield’s pitch costs

My attention was drawn very recently to what might qualify as a spat in Burghfield between the Parish Council (BPC) and the Football Club (BFC) concerning charges for using the pitch. I know little more about it than I have read in these two documents, so I shall lay these both before you so you might come to your own conclusion.

The BFC’s position is summarised in this statement on 28 March which starts off by saying “We are disappointed to have received confirmation from Burghfield Parish Council (BPC) that the cost of pitch hire at Burghfield Recreation Ground (The Rec) – for both the children’s 9-a-side and adult 11-a-side pitches – is to increase for the second time in the past 12 months”; and which ends with a threat that the club may as a result need to look for a new home elsewhere.

BPC’s position can be seen in this statement, published the following day. This refers to the fact that the price for an adult game was £40 in 2015, rose to £50 in that year and then to £75 from April 2023; and suggests that this “equates to a c5% year-on-year increase.” (£50 in 2015 increased by 5% a year would be £73.87 in 2023: if one starts from the original £40 it would now be £59.10.) BFC is probably seeing it as a 50% increase over last year’s rate. However, even that would have been some way above the rate of inflation. The Bank of England’s inflation calculator suggests that something costing £50 in 2015 would cost £63.95 now. I don’t know, though, if the data used for this is relevant to the costs BPC incurs.

Nor do I know how similar charges for pitch use elsewhere in the district have increased river the last eight years. It may be that these rises are reasonable by comparison with other ones. If anyone out there can enlighten me, drop me a line at brian@pennypost.org.uk. You might want to tell BPC and BFC as well…

Windmill Court

We’ve covered tmany times he matter of Sovereign Housing’s attempts last year to redevelop its properties here without having done very much in the way of discussing this with people first. Stratfield Mortimer Parish Council has been much involved in the push-back on this and the following statement was made at its meeting on 9 March:

“Councillor Morsley introduced the agenda item and gave a summary of events and meetings that had taken place. She reported Sovereign Housing had produced a series of amended plans based on a housing needs report and discussions and feedback given. Representatives of Sovereign Housing were invited to speak, presented a summary of the latest plans, and answered questions from councillors and the public. They confirmed:

The new plans maintain Stafford House and provide for six maisonettes designed for the elderly and 24 new units which will include both social rental houses and private sale houses.
Priority for the maisonettes will be given to current/returning Windmill Court residents, followed by older persons (+55) from Mortimer/potential connection to Mortimer and then general needs housing.
Under a local lettings plan agreement with WBC, priority will be given to local people for the shared ownership and rental properties.
Eleven Windmill Court residents currently remain in situ but five have offers of alternative accommodation.
Sovereign Housing is planning on undertaking the development and management of the land itself.
It is likely to take 12-14 months to build 24 units.

“Two points raised to Sovereign Housing:

Financial support is being offered to current Windmill Court residents moving into other properties but there is no financial assistance for anyone wishing to move back into one of the new maisonettes.
In line with SMPC’s Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP), Sovereign Housing should be producing a Site Design Brief to address the relevant NDP policies.”

Thursday 23 March 2023

This week we cover eggs, a walkabout, artists, volunteers and dogs. We also congratulate WBC for having modified a press release following our suggestion – plus our usual round-up of other local news, local events and activities and local councils’ information.

This week’s news

• This Saturday, Theale’s Councillor Katie Gash and Rob Gallop will doing a walkabout around Theale High Street, between 10:30am and 11:30am. Feel free to have a chat, ask any questions and give any feedback.

• If you’re planning on any street parties in celebration of the King’s Coronation in May, remember road closure applications need to be submitted to West Berkshire Council by Friday 31 March. Click here for details.

• Easter is coming early, this weekend at St Mary’s Church, as the are holding a free Children’s Easter Egg Hunt & Craft day. The event will take place on Saturday 25 March, from 10:30am to 12pm. It your child would like to take place, register here.

• Also this weekend, the Burghfield & Mortimer Mobility Service are holding a pre-owned wheelchair and roller charity sale on Saturday 25 March. They have a catalogue of their stock, with the retail guide price. They are just asking people to donate fairly based on ability to pay. Any money raised will go back into maintaining their stocks and transport costs. For more information, call 0759 595 9479 or email burghfieldcommunity@gmail.com.

• Looking ahead to May, local groups are starting to make plans for the coronation of King Charles III. Burghfield Parish Council are planning a coronation celebration with their Big Coronation Lunch on Sunday 7 May. Everyone is invites to celebrate together on Burghfield Common Recreation Ground with picnics. More details will be released soon follow their Facebook Page to keep up to date.

• Theale Parish Council have started planning the next Village Fete for June. There is lots to organise so if you can help them with planning the fete and/or lend a hand on the day, whether setting up and breaking down stalls, selling raffle tickets, litter picking and clearing up after the event, etc then they would be keen to hear from you. They are also taking bookings for pitches as well as advertising and sponsorship. For more details, please email enquiries@thealeparishcouncil.gov.uk. Check out their dedicated Facebook Page for updates.

• Meanwhile, Mortimer Village Partnership is seeking volunteers to help at its local coronation event, taking place on Saturday 6 May. The coronation of King Charles II will be live streamed to a large screen at Mortimer Fair Ground, where families can come together with picnics and later there will be live music, children activities and stalls. If you would like to get involved, please email volunteers@mortimervillage.org.uk. You can keep up to date with the latest news from the event organisers here.

• If you don’t have the accepted form of photo ID to be eligible to vote at the elections on 4 May, you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate by 25 April. See more information here.

• Click here to see a list of all active planning applications in Theale (check the date at the top of the post for latest update).

• Click here for information about the range of activities organised by the Burghfield Community Sports Association.

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

Garland updated

Last week I mentioned (see below) about “the project to transform the former caretaker’s bungalow at Garland Junior School in Burghfield Common” but questioned why the press release I received omitted any mentioned of sustainable features. I asked for, and received, this information but wondered (as I still do) why it wasn’t seen as being important enough to include first time round.

I’m delighted to see, however, that in the article based on this that was published on WBC’s website on 23 March, these features merit a paragraph of their own. As I mentioned before, I leave it to others to asses whether to not these are all that they might be. it’s certainly a lot better than the nothing at all that was suggested originally.

Thursday 16 March 2023

This week we cover artists, eggs, wheelchairs, a quiz and a lunch. We also take a look at the latest developments in the saga of Aldermaston’s proposed concrete plant and dig out some good news to add to a WBC press release – plus our usual round-up of other local news, local events and activities and local councils’ information.

This week’s news

• Quick reminder that you have until next Wednesday 22 March to have your say on West Berkshire’s draft Local Transport Plan that focuses on creating places for people, providing sustainable access for all, decarbonising transport and supporting sustainable growth. If you have any questions or require a different version of the survey, please email Transport Policy Team on ltp@westberks.gov.uk.

• St Mary’s Church is holding a free Children’s Easter Egg Hunt & Craft day. The event will take place on Saturday 25 March, from 10:30am to 12pm. It your child would like to take place, register here.

• The Burghfield & Mortimer Mobility Service are holding a pre-owned wheelchair and roller charity sale on Saturday 25 March. They have a catalogue of their stock, with the retail guide price. They are just asking people to donate fairly based on ability to pay. Any money raised will go back into maintaining their stocks and transport costs. For more information, call 0759 595 9479 or email burghfieldcommunity@gmail.com.

• BBC Radio Berkshire is looking for your photographs of the county to be wrapped around one of their vehicles. See their facebook page for details.

• Newbury Lions are holding a fundraiser quiz night at The Hatch Gate in Burghfield on Thursday 23 March raising money for good local causes. It starts at 7:30pm and entry is £5 per person, with maximum teams of 6. Booking in advanced is advised, by phoning 0118 9832059.

• If you don’t have the accepted form of photo ID to be eligible to vote at the elections on 4 May, you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate by 25 April. See more information here.

• Click here to see a list of all active planning applications in Theale (correct as of 22 February).

• Click here to read the latest (26 February) newsletter from Theale’s ward member Alan Macro.

• Click here to read the latest (2 March) newsletter from one of Burghfield and Mortimer’s ward members, Graham Bridgman. This has a particularly long “Parish Matters” section this month and covers – as well as the hoped-for changes to Mortimer’s bus servicve covered in the separate section below – information on highway improvements, parking near local schools, highway safety, the opening of The Hub and Garland Junior School, planning applications, drainage and a road closure.

• Click here for information about the range of activities organised by the Burghfield Community Sports Association.

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

Aldermaston’s concrete again

This matter, which we’ve referred to several times before (see below), rumbles on. The planning application – as often happens with contentious ones – has had its determination date pushed back to 14 April. I understand this is partly because more information is required from several of the specialist consultees. It may be delayed again.

The matter was discussed at the meeting of Aldermaston Parish Council on 14 March. Notes supplied to me by someone present at the meeting gave the following summary:

“In Open Forum, a member of the public asked for an update on Easy Concrete’s Planning Application for Paices Hill. The Chairman explained that WBC was claiming that EC had been given no commitment in writing to the role of the site, and no pre-application advice had been sought. Any work undertaken by EC to date was therefore done at their own risk, though we are mindful that considerable money had already been spent by them in acquiring and developing the site. Later in the meeting, in closed session, we agreed financial support for legal advice to support our claim that future use of the site is restricted.”

The legal advice is needed because APC has realised that, even if the application is refused (and the Office for Nuclear Responsibility has already objected) the uncertainties surrounding the possible uses to which the site can be pout will remain: were another application to be made in the future, the whole debate about what it can or cannot be used for would kick off again. APC therefore wishes to create some certainty about the site designation and is considering taking legal advice in order to establish the best way of accomplishing this. Seeing off the application and defining future uses are two of APC’s objectives in the matter. The third is to ensure that, if the application is refused, the site is returned to its previous condition. Regardless of what way the planning decision goes, this matter is therefore far from over.

Burghfield’s bungalow

This week I received a release from WBC telling me that “A West Berkshire Council project to transform the former caretaker’s bungalow at Garland Junior School in Burghfield Common is complete. Enhancement works on the roof, windows and doors of the main school were also included. In total, the project cost just over £1 million (£388k of which was for the bungalow) and was funded by the Council with a £72k contribution from the school.

“It has seen the bungalow refurbished and extended to provide a new hub with additional space for children with Social, Emotional & Mental Health (SEMH) needs, two teaching spaces, an office, toilets, and after school club room with a kitchen and external play areas.”

That’s all fine, I thought. However, as well know, WBC has declared a climate emergency. One of the ways it can walk the walk itself is to load from the front when it is itself the landowner. I therefore asked what sustainable features such as additional insulation, PV panels, heat pumps and EV charge points, were used in the upgrade. These will, obviously, serve not only to reduce energy costs and maintenance for the school in the future but also help to achieve the goals set out in WBC’s climate emergency. The fact that they hadn’t been mentioned suggested that, like the first iteration of Chestnut Walk in Hungerford, there wouldn’t be any.

In fact, I received the following response. “We improved the thermal performance of the roofs and windows (where replaced) to Building Regulations 2021 standards thereby reducing energy requirements for heating. The new WCs in the Hub building have dual flush water-saving cisterns. The wash basins have sensor flow taps to also reduce water usage. Externally, the Hub has bat boxes incorporated in the south wall, a water butt to harvest rainwater for use in the school garden, compost bins for re-cycling and the meadow grass that has been planted will assist biodiversity.”

I leave it to others more expert than me to judge if more could have been done. None the less, this makes the statement rather more positive than it was before. I don’t know why this wasn’t included first time: perhaps the portfolio holder was unaware of these or didn’t think they were of importance or of interest to anyone. The time will probably come when mentioning such aspects is taken as read and as pointless as saying that “the building was fired with doors, windows and a roof.” However, that time hasn’t come yet. Until it does, let’s be told what’s being done in this way.

Thursday 9 March 2023

This week we cover pre-owned items, a quiz night, volunteers, soil conditioner and cricket. We also take a look at the aspirations for improvements to Mortimer’s bus service – plus our usual round-up of other local news, local events and activities and local councils’ information.

This week’s news

• A reminder that everyone in the community of all races and religions are invited to join in traditional Hindu Festival of Colour, Holi, at the Burghfield Community Sports Association. The Holi Party will take place on Saturday 11 March from 12:30pm to 5pm. There will be a DJ, Indian caterers, stalls and of course the packets of colour. To get tickets click here.

• This weekend the Padworth Integrated Waste Management Facility will be giving out free locally produced soil conditioner (c0mpost), to West Berkshire residents. Take along your own bags/boxes to collect a reasonable amount (about six 50 litre bags) to ensure there’s enough to go round. No booking is necessary, however take along ID or a bill to prove you live in West Berkshire. See here for more details.

• A heads up that West Berks Foodbank has a new phone number. If you need help please call 0808 208 2138 (phoneline open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm except bank holidays).

• Thames Valley Police news for drivers: free webinairs for older drivers on 11, 13 and 14 March to address concerns including eyesight and impairment. Also BMWs and Mercedes are apparently being targetted for theft in West Berkshire so keep them locked and keep your keys out of view away from your front door to avoid keyless car theft or “relay theft” is when a device is used to fool the car into thinking the keys are close by. This unlocks the car and starts the engine.

• Upcoming events on Mortimer Life’s calendar include a Creative Wellbeing Walk with local artist Simon Jardine meeting at Mortimer Library on Wednesday 15 March.

• West Berkshire residents are invited to take part in the draft Local Transport Plan survey about priorities and objectives to improve transport facilities and travel options. As a Local Authority, West Berks has a statutory duty to publish a Local Transport Plan (LTP), which contains a strategy and an intervention plan. Have your say on the LTP survey page here by midnight on Wednesday 22 March. If you have any questions or require a different version of the survey, please email Transport Policy Team on: ltp@westberks.gov.uk.

• Youth membership for the Theale and Tilehurst Cricket Club is now open for the 2023 season. Click here if you or someone you know would be interested in joining.