Thatcham 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 Thatcham 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 music, volunteering, proms, comedy and football – 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 and the rather more certain matter of further problems on the trains.

This week’s news

• Thatcham Family Fun Day was a huge success last Saturday. Thatcham Town Council will be posting photos on their facebook page shortly. In the meantime they would like to thank the VIAN Environmental Group of refugeeswhose help with marshalling, litter-picking, setting up and clearing up was invaluable on the day.

• The refugees have been living in the Regency Hotel for many months now (in some cases over a year) and West Berkshire Action for Refugees are working hard to support them and their community engagement. WBAR has a vacancy for a Donations Co-ordinator Volunteer to distribute donations that have been dropped off at Thatcham Town Council for the refugees. If you have a regular slot free every week, can drive, are organised and patient, able to lift and carry things and keen to help refugees they would love to hear from you.

• The InCantata Choir is holding a free concert on Sunday 2 July at 2.30pm at St Nicolas Churchyard in Newbury with refreshments and cakes provided by and in aid of WBAR.

• Thatcham Tornados Football Club is holding free girls football summer school sessions this Saturday 1 and next Saturday 8 July for girls in school years 1 to 3. No prior football experience is required. For more information or to book a place, please contact Karen via summerschool@thatchamtornadoes.com.

• Thatcham Youth is holding free Summer Activities for children and teens. Activates include a sports morning, roller skating, family fun day, a magic show, a craft morning and a reptile handling event. Click here to see the full list of events and dates. Some activities require advance booking due to limited spaces, so follow their Facebook Page, to be notified when they get released.

• On Saturday 15 July, Cold Ash Brass presents The Last Night of the Proms, at 7pm at St Marks Primary School, Cold Ash. You can bring your own picnic and enjoy an evening of stirring music. Click here for details.

• There are still a few seats left for the next Thatcham Comedy Club on Thursday 13 July at Thatcham Rugby Club. This will feature Fiona Allen (Smack The Pony, Coronation Street, et alia), along with Ken Rich and Graeme Coulam. Tickets are available online or on the door, but the first two rows are already fully-booked, so you may wish to book ahead to avoid disappointment. Click here for more information.

• Ever wanted to give hand bell ringing a try? Well the Barfield Handbell Ringers are offering free taster sessions at St Mary’s Church, Thatcham on Monday 3 July, 7pm. No previous musical experience necessary. For more information or find out more about their activities, please contact the secretary Dianne Rogers at dianne@barfield.org.uk.

• Thatcham Volunteers Bureau provides transport to doctors, dentists, hospitals, shops or to visit friends and relatives for those who struggle with public transport. The Bureau currently has vacancies for volunteer drivers and a volunteer office assistant to help out on Thursday mornings. Please see here for more details and how to apply.

• Brimpton Primary School is having their Summer Fete this weekend on Saturday 1 July. The theme is ‘Best of British’ and there will be a BBQ, Disco, Stalls, Raffle, Tombola, lots of games to play and even a Silent Auction on the day for the bigger prizes, highest bidder wins. Come along between 11am and 2pm to enjoy the fun.

• This weekend Hamstead Norreys are holding an Open Garden event. Enjoy six lovely gardens, as well as afternoon tea at St Mary’s Church between 2pm and 5.30pm. Children can collect a treasure map from the church. The entry fee is £7 and all the money raised will go towards the St Mary’s Church Building Fund. Click here for more infomation.

• The latest Bulletin by St Mary’s and St Barnabas’ churches is available to read here.

• For recent news from Hermitage see the latest Hermitage Parish Council newsletter here.

• Click here to see the latest edition of the Cold Ash Community Bulletin which starts with a lily and ends with a book or two. Anyone who lives in or has any interest in Cold Ash is recommended to subscribe: contact bulletin@cacp.org.uk to do this or if you have anything you’d like to contribute.

• For the latest newsletter from Benefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton which covers updates, local groups and events across the Thatcham area, please visit their website here.

• West Berkshire Museum currently has a Focus on Thatcham Exhibition, open from now until 17 September 2023. Museum opening times are 10am to 3pm from Wednesday to Sunday.

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.

Thursday 22 June 2023

This week we cover fun, vehicles, butterflies, bells, bees, volunteers and football – 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 some thoughts about the timing of recent interventions concerning the hoped-for railway bridge in Thatcham and about what the proposed pausing of the local plan might mean for the north east of the town (and the wider district).

This week’s news

• This Sunday 25 June is Thatcham Family Fun Day at Henwick Worthy Sports Ground from 11am to 4pm. There’ll be stalls, games, a petting farm, Punch and Judy shows, a dog show, a classic car show, a raffle, funfair rides, live music and dance shows, street theatre, music from Kennet Radio and so much more. See more details here.

• A great weekend for classic car lovers it seems, as also on Sunday there will also be a Classic Vehicle Day over at Yattendon village (on the field opposite the church and at Yattendon Garage). There will be vintage vehicles including cars, motorbikes, scooters, commercial and tractors, military trucks and even a genuine WW2 Sherman tank. Money raised will go toward the Thames Valley Air Ambulance. Click here for more information.

• Would you like to learn more about butterflies? This Friday 23 June there will be a ‘Birds with a Brew’ event held at the Nature Discovery Centre, from 10am to 12:30pm. Hosted by the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust, it will be a celebration of UK butterflies, both large and small, well-known and less familiar. There’ll be top tips on identification, and about how we can help them. For details and to book tickets, click here.

• There is a new monthly drop-in group for carers in Thatcham’s Jubilee Sensory Gardens on Brownsfield Road. The gardener will give a tour of her work and let you try your hand at some gardening yourself, if you find it relaxing. The next session will be on Thursday 29 June, from 10am to 1pm. Refreshments and chat will be on offer in the tranquil garden space as a slice of respite for carers. For details click here.

• Thatcham Tornados Football Club is holding free girls football summer school sessions on Saturdays 1 and 8 July for girls in school years 1 to 3. No prior football experience is required. For more information or to book a place, please contact Karen via summerschool@thatchamtornadoes.com.

• The Old Bluecoat School is a 700 year old Grade 1 listed building but the timber front doors are very old and need to be replaced. There are plans to get new doors with high-quality hardwood doors to improve the users’ comfort, security, cut energy costs and enhance Thatcham’s historic environment. If you can spare any money for this local piece of history, please donate via their TheGoodExchange page.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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

• Thatcham Youth are looking for feedback on the provision that it provides to the town. If you have a couple of minutes to complete their quick surveys it would be greatly appreciated Parents and Carers survey and Young People’s survey. For more news see their facebook page here.

• The latest Bulletin by St Mary’s and St Barnabas’ churches is available to read here.

• For recent news from Hermitage see the latest Hermitage Parish Council newsletter here.

• Click here to see the latest edition of the Cold Ash Community Bulletin which starts with a tit and ends with Marilyn Monroe. Anyone who lives in or has any interest in Cold Ash is recommended to subscribe: contact bulletin@cacp.org.uk to do this or if you have anything you’d like to contribute.

• For the latest newsletter from Benefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton which covers updates, local groups and events across the Thatcham area, please visit their website here.

• West Berkshire Museum currently has a Focus on Thatcham Exhibition, open from now until 17 September 2023. Museum opening times are 10am to 3pm from Wednesday to Sunday.

Pulling the plan

Ross Mackinnon, the leader of the WBC Conservative opposition, penned a letter to the Newbury Weekly News this week with the heading “Lib Dem view on local plan will cost us dearly.” (That’s the letter’s only mention of the correct name, or abbreviation, of the party: elsewhere they are the “Liberals”, a completely different political outfit.) He starts with gracious congratulations to the Lib Dem’s at last month’s election before moving into his main theme: the new administration’s desire to pause the examination of the local plan in order to reassess the housing allocation for NE Thatcham (THA20) to which so many are opposed.

He makes a number of correct points about the importance of the plan, the need for policies and more housing and the cross-party nature of aspects of the work. He then moves on to the volte-face by the Lib Dem’s Tony Vickers (which he describes as a “cynical reverse ferret”) and quotes the link for this column from 24 November. This is the section he’s referring to:

“The Liberal Democrats are broadly content with the district-wide policies in the Local Plan that we’ll be asked to vote on next Thursday,” [Tony Vickers told Penny Post]. “We certainly won’t be voting against the motion to publish it for the Regulation 19 consultation. However, we are surprised at how late Members of the Planning Advisory Group were asked to comment on the Sustainability Appraisal (SA) which forms an important part of what will be sent to the Planning Inspectorate for examination in public later this year (according to the administration’s ambitious timetable). We found numerous instances of apparently rushed final drafting in just a quick reading of the SA.” He went on to say that “We reserve the right to comment quite radically on the proposed North East Thatcham site allocation in our response to the Reg 19 draft.”

As it happened – and this is Ross Mackinnon’s point – the Lib Dems did vote against that motion. I suspect that rather than being a change of heart it was a piece of political tactics, the party sensing the need to put clear water between their position and the Conservatives’ on the matter. My understanding is that there was cross-party support for the policies; the nitty-gritty of the work. Where the Lib Dems did have a problem – certainly their representatives on Thatcham Town Council did and I’m pretty sure all the WBC members did as well – was with the concentration of housing around NE Thatcham. It’s unfortunate that these two parts of the plan – the policies and the site allocations – can’t be done as separate processes and in that order.

Ross Mackinnon says that “withdrawing the plan and starting again from scratch would set us back years.” That is not, however, what the council wants to do. It’s just THA20 that’s the problem. Whether the Planning Inspector will feel that this particular thread can be removed from the jumper without the whole thing unravelling remains to be seen. The Lib Dem’s stance might have been clearer if they’d abstained on the motion to proceed with the plan, as Carolyne Culver of the Green Party did: she didn’t care for THA20 either but also didn’t want to oppose something that as a member of the Planning Advisory Group she’d spent years working on.

Ross Mackinnon also paints two other images. The first is of a development free-for-all as a result of planning by appeal. I think that’s unlikely any time soon as WBC’s current plan still has some life left in it and the district has a adequate housing supply (which will reduce the chances of a successful appeal). He also suggests that our villages may have to take up the THA20 sites but “without the infrastructure to support them.” Thatcham already has an infrastructure deficit: many villages, however, have an infrastructure surplus, with schools, halls, shops, bus services, roads and the like (though, I admit, perhaps not surgeries) with fewer users than they would like or can comfortably support. In any case, there’s a strong case to be made for new development being spread around the district rather than put in one place.

He concludes by saying that the Lib Dems “are in a mess.” It’s certainly not an ideal situation. The plan was submitted at the last possible moment by the previous administration. Politically, it would been remarkable if it had admitted that the impending election might result in a new riling group, partly on the basis of opposition to THA20, and as a result deciding to hold fire. There was no over-riding need to do it in April. However, politics doesn’t work like that, sadly. I’m sure the Lib Dems would have done the same were the situation have been reversed. If there are costs and delays as a result of this re-think then no one will benefit.

A well-timed crossing

You may have read elsewhere an article concerning an intervention by local MP Laura Farris on the urgent need for a bridge tp replace the level crossing by Thatcham station. You can see that we covered this last week” scroll down to “Building bridges” to see the article.

The timing or her comments is interesting. Laura Farris, who was brought up in Bucklebury, got involved in the controversy that was already brewing about the THA20 plans for 2,500 homes to the north east of Thatcham which would have had a severe effect on her childhood home. This was followed by what seemed to be a retraction, someone at HQ having perhaps pointed out that WBC was in charge of planning matters and were doing a local plan of which this was to be the cornerstone in terms of site allocations. Her comments on the subject were thereafter far more muted. Now, with the plan in the process (perhaps) of being revised as regards this important detail and no conflict therefore arising, the matter has been brought up again.

Laura Farris is completely correct. The town does need a railway bridge and should have had one years ago. WBC’s previous administration did not agree, feeling that these new homes would not place any extra demands on the level crossing. Many of those who voted as they did on 4 May might have felt otherwise.

The matter also is notable for being perhaps the only time when the Conservative mP, the Lib Dem Thatcham Town Council and Network Rail are all in agreement about something. Like an unlikely planetary alightment, this may not happen again. Let’s see if the tides that it calls into play produce some positive results.

Thursday 15 June 2023

This week we cover handbells, girls’ football, carers, community gardening, volunteers and refills – 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 where the the proposal to wind back the local plan with regard to THA20 has got to, Thatcham Town Council, Network Rail and Laura Farris in agreement about the level crossing, switching and saving energy suppliers and a new logo at the Kennet Leisure Centre from 1 July.

This week’s news

• The Old Bluecoat School is a 700 year old Grade 1 listed building but the timber front doors are very old and need to be replaced. There are plans to get new doors with high-quality hardwood doors in keeping with the age of this building, improve the users’ comfort, security, cut energy costs and enhance Thatcham’s historic environment. To make this possible they need to raise £10,000. They are currently over half way to their funding goal, but still have a way to go. If you can space any money for this local piece of history, you can donate via their TheGoodExchange page.

• Mikron Theatre are back this summer at the Rowbarge, in Woolhampton with their outdoor shows ‘Twitchers’ on Tuesday 25 July, and ‘A Force to be Reckoned With‘ on Wednesday 26 July, both starting at 7pm. There is no charge but a ‘pay what you feel’ collection at the end of the performance. There is no tickets required but please remember your own chairs.

• Ashmore Green Road in Cold Ash will be closed on Monday 19 June, between 9.30am and 3.30pm. The closure is from its junctions with Henwick Close to Bowling Green Road. The closure is to enable Volker Highways to carry out permanent carriageway repairs on behalf of West Berkshire Council. Details can be found here.

• 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.

• West Berkshire Libraries have announced their Summer Reading Challenge 2023, which will challenge primary age children to read up to six library books between 1 July and 15 September and to collect free incentives from their local library for their achievements as they read – with medals and certificates for everyone who completes the task. For more information, click here.

• Eight Bells is also seeking new volunteers to help support individuals throughout West Berkshire who are facing mental health challenges. If you have a skill or craft to share or simply help out with the running of the centre, they would be grateful for your support. If you would be interested, get in touch at coordinator@eightbellsnewbury.co.uk.

• June news from Thatcham Refillable which refills all your household and personal cleaning products to help reduce household and business use of plastics.. You can order from their website or pop along to their stall at the Thatcham Friday market from 8am to 2pm.

• St Finian’s School, Cold Ash, are holding their Summer Fete on Saturday 1 July and they are looking for stall holders. If you are a small or local business and would like to run a stall, they ask for a £10 donation. If you would like to book a stall place, get in contact at stfiniansptfa@gmail.com.

• Quick reminder from 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 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…

• The latest Bulletin by St Mary’s and St Barnabas’ churches is available to read here.

• For recent news from Hermitage see the latest Hermitage Parish Council newsletter here.

• Click here to see the latest edition of the Cold Ash Community Bulletin which starts with Mansfield Park and ends with destiny. Anyone who lives in or has any interest in Cold Ash is recommended to subscribe: contact bulletin@cacp.org.uk to do this or if you have anything you’d like to contribute.

• For the latest newsletter from Benefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton which covers updates, local groups and events across the Thatcham area, please visit their website here.

• There is always a volunteering opportunity available at the Nature Discovery Centre in Thatcham for those with extra time willing to help out the reserve. See here for opportunities and more information.

• West Berkshire Museum currently has a Focus on Thatcham Exhibition, open from now until 17 September 2023. Museum opening times are 10am to 3pm from Wednesday to Sunday.

Unpicking the plan

One of the main planks of the Lib Dem’s successful campaign in West Berkshire in May was to review the allocation for at least 1,500 homes to the north east of Thatcham (THA20). The draft local plan was submitted to the Planning Inspectorate just before the election. I shall say no more about the timing of this except that it could perhaps be described by the new administration as unhelpful, as it now needs to get it back. An analogy might be sending a university dissertation off to be assessed but then having a brainwave and realising that you need to re-write part of it. Can you get it returned to do this? This is what WBC is trying to establish.

To continue the analogy, the examiners’ concern is that, by making the desired alterations, the whole thing might need re-writing which could take months or, as we’re dealing here with a local plan, years. They may decide that this is too big a risk and will prolong the process to an unacceptable extent. The Vice Chancellor (the Secretary of State in this case) might also get involved, as happened with South Oxfordshire in fairly similar circumstances in 2019, and insist that what has been handed in will be what will be marked, never mind that an election has just been fought and won partly on the platform of changing it. all in all, it remains uncertain what will happen and how long this will take to resolve itself.

Two things have happened recently. The first is that the Planning Inspectorate has sent WBC 49 questions, which you can read here, “to provide clarity and potentially narrow down the focus of the examination.” These need to be responded to by 23 June. The second is that the Inspectorate has indicated that it is in the circumstances prepared to allow a one-or two-month pause to allow the new administration to assess all its options. The examination was due to start in September, so I presume that this means this will not now happen until October or November.

A member of the new Executive told me on 15 June that the administration remains committed to having a local plan but equally committed to changing the site allocation, as mentioned in its manifesto. Advice is being taken from a range of sources, internal and external. Residents of Thatcham, Bucklebury, Cold ash and Midgham in particular will be watching developments with interest as what is eventually decided could have a permanent effect on their communities.

Building bridges

One of the concerns with the THA20 plan for developing north east Thatcham is that many feel the town already has an infrastructure deficit which the new houses would only worsen. One particular area of worry is the level crossing at Thatcham which can at busy times lead to lengthy tailbacks. WBC’s previous position was that constructing between 1,500 and 2,500 homes in the town would not make this problem any worse (a view the Town Council didn’t share). This doesn’t make much sense to me, unless all the new residents signed binding undertakings never to venture south of the railway line for any reason whatsoever.

However, the document recently provided to WBC by the planning inspectorate, which contains a number of questions to help set the scene for the examination of the local plan, suggests otherwise. This refers in the preamble to q46 to Network Rail’s belief that the development would indeed increase usage of the level crossing. Surely Network Rail should know?

Local MP Laura Farris also feels this is a problem. “The Thatcham level crossing causes unacceptable delays to far too many residents,” she told the Commons on 15 June. “I know that many of you have called for a bridge and that these plans have never quite got off the ground for one reason or another. It’s time to change that. My question to the Leader of the House today and I will be following this up with the Transport Secretary on how we can get this bridge built.”

One answer might me to have a word with the Colthrop Village Partnership which has previously said that it could provide just such a bridge if it had permission to develop the site south of the railway line. Hopefully something will finally happen on this. So, that makes another item on the new administration’s to-do list…

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 a sensory garden, a market, a raffle, volunteers, netball and Thatcham Youth – 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 the VIAN volunteer group and a warning not to expect rapid results from the town-centre strategy.

This week’s news

• Calling all carers: Come on down to the Jubilee Sensory Gardens for a new monthly drop-in group for a chat and a tea or coffee break in the garden. The gardener will also give a tour of her work and let you try your hand at some gardening yourself, if you find it relaxing. The next session will be on Thursday 29 June, from 10am to 1pm. The aim is to create a layback event to enjoy the tranquil garden space and a slice of respite for carers. For details click here.

• This weekend is the Mum2Mum market, over at the Thatcham Catholic Hall, On Saturday from 2pm to 4pm. Come along to pick up nearly-new items of all things baby, children and maternity, sold by other parents. Click here for updates.

• The Eight Bells local mental health charity is holding its Spring Raffle fundraiser and tickets are on sale now. To take part for the chance to win a prize, visit their JustGiving page and donate. Include your name and in the message box, how many tickets you would like (tickets are £1 each) and you will be entered into the raffle and sent your number. The prize draw will take place on Monday 12th June.

• On Sunday 11 June, there will be a Charity Mixed Netball Tournament at the Kennet Leisure Centre. Tickets cost £5 per player and all proceeds are being split between Prostate Cancer UK & Alzheimer’s Society. There will also be a raffle and cake sale. If you would like to register your team or as an individual email rachjseymour11@gmail.com. Click here for more details.

• Are you over 65? If so, West Berkshire Council are 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.

• 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.

• Eight Bells for Mental Health raised an amazing £3,500 during the recent Mental Health Awareness Week. On facebook, they thank members, staff, trustees and donors. “With your help, we will continue offering friendship, support, and a listening ear at our drop-in sessions in Newbury, held every Monday, Thursday, and Friday. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of those who need it most”.

• 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

• The latest Bulletin by St Mary’s and St Barnabas’ churches is available to read here.

• For recent news from Hermitage see the latest Hermitage Parish Council newsletter here.

• Click here to see the latest edition of the Cold Ash Community Bulletin which starts with spaniels and ends with friendship. Anyone who lives in or has any interest in Cold Ash is recommended to subscribe: contact bulletin@cacp.org.uk to do this or if you have anything you’d like to contribute.

• For the latest newsletter from Benefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton which covers updates, local groups and events across the Thatcham area, please visit their website here.

• West Berkshire Museum currently has a Focus on Thatcham Exhibition, open from now until 17 September 2023. Museum opening times are 10am to 3pm from Wednesday to Sunday.

For the love of volunteering

There’s an article on p23 of this week’s NWN about the volunteer group VIAN (the Kurdish word for “love” and also the name of the one of the founder’s children) set up by asylum seekers living at the Regency Park Hotel in Thatcham. In March 2023, the group received an Environmental Champions Award from Thatcham Town Council: you can details of the awards here.

Asylum seekers are not allowed to work which means that time must weigh heavy on their hands. There’s only so much time you can spend at an English-language course or on an exercise bike. Hats off to all of them forgetting up such a group and to Thatcham Town Council for giving it its support. You can click here to read an article we wrote in December 2022 shortly after the group was set up.

Life in first gear

I mentioned last week that although there are town-centre strategies in place for Newbury, Thatcham and Hungerford (the first being more advanced than the other two) this does not mean that any of the ideas that have been put forward so far will reach fruition quickly, or at all. The process will be long and will require much discussion and consultation with a range of interested parties. The fact that in West Berkshire, and many other districts, there is now a new council administration doesn’t make a great deal of difference. All the election produced was a new driver, not a new car. The municipal engine rarely gets out of first gear and no destination is ever reached quickly. I’m reminded of a remark made by a Spanish ambassador in the Americas during the reign of the notoriously cautious Philip II in the 16th century: “if death came from Madrid,” the diplomat sardonically observed, “we would all live to a very old age.”

To the natural distaste of councils to step on the gas must be added a level of micro-management practised by the government. Rather than fund councils properly, Whitehall’s favoured method of distributing money is to have a bewildering series of grants for specific projects which are ring-fenced and time-limited. This might mean, to pick a hypothetical example, that councils can apply to a fund to have more public recycling bins for plastic and cans installed in town centres. If successful, they will need to have done this by a certain date. They cannot, however, spend it on bins for recycling paper or for general waste: for these there may (or may not) be another round of funding which the council’s officers may (or may not) hear about it time and which they may (or may not) be successful at applying for. Some councils are better than others at working this system and these may not always be the ones that have the most need of the money.

I don’t know how much time in Whitehall is spent administering these grants not how much time is spent by council officers in applying for them but I’d bet that the money saved by abolishing this system would be more than any sums that councils might spend foolishly. Yes, they can make mistakes; but so can the government. Virtually every time a large IT project or a defence contract is awarded one can almost hear the sound of high-denomination banknotes being torn up. The system also sends out the message that the government doesn’t trust local councils. If so, that’s almost to say that they don’t trust the people who elected them.

It may therefore be that any projects which emerge from these town-centre strategies are driven less by what the town needs than by what funding happens to be available at the time. The best that we can all do is engage with the process (a steering group is currently in the process of being set up) so that a case can be made for what’s needed, then hope that the funding can be secured without too many restrictions. But don’t expect anything to happen quickly: first gear, remember…

Thursday 1 June 2023

This week we cover refills, netball, jumble, writing 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 progress on Cold Ash’s NDP and Mansfield Park on tour.

This week’s news

• Thatcham Youth are looking for feedback on the provision that they provide the town. If you have a couple of minutes to complete their quick surveys it would be greatly appreciated Parents and Carers survey and Young People’s survey. For more news see their facebook page here.

• This Saturday 3 June sees Newbury Cats Protection Jumble Sale at Thatcham Catholic Hall on Bath Road. Admission is £1 and there will be clothes, shoes, books, toys, CDs and DVDs, and much more. If you would like to donate an item for them to sell, their Curridge branch is open daily from 11am-3pm, with out of hours donation boxes outside the reception. They will also accept donations on Saturday before the sale, between 9am-10.30am. Click herefor more details.

• Eight Bells for Mental Health raised an amazing £3500 during the recent Mental Health Awareness Week. On facebook, they thank members, staff, trustees and donors.“With your help, we will continue offering friendship, support, and a listening ear at our drop-in sessions in Newbury, held every Monday, Thursday, and Friday. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of those who need it most”. This Sunday 4 June they are holding a sponsored walk around Thatcham Lakes. It’s a great chance to enjoy some sunshine and fresh air, and support the Eight Bells community all at once. If you want to show some love, you can individually sponsor any of their members taking part or via their Justgiving page. All are welcome, so if you feel like stretching your legs or charging up your scooter, come along and help the raise some funds.

• Turnpike Road will be closed from Monday 5 to Saturday 10 June, between the hours of 7pm to 5am, from its junctions with Fir Tree Lane to A4 Benham Hill roundabout. The closure is to enable Volker Highways to carry out highway improvements on behalf of West Berkshire Council. All enquiries please contact West Berkshire Council on 01635 519080.

• The latest Bulletin by St Mary’s and St Barnabas’ churches is available to read here.

• For recent news from Hermitage see the latest Hermitage Parish Council newsletter here.

• Click here to see the latest edition of the Cold Ash Community Bulletin which starts with alpacas and ends with moving forwards. Anyone who lives in or has any interest in Cold Ash is recommended to subscribe: contact bulletin@cacp.org.uk to do this or if you have anything you’d like to contribute.

• For the latest newsletter from Benefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton which covers updates, local groups and events across the Thatcham area, please visit their website here.

• West Berkshire Museum currently has a Focus on Thatcham Exhibition, open from now until 17 September 2023. Museum opening times are 10am to 3pm from Wednesday to Sunday.

Cold Ash’s NDP

The following is taken from the minutes of Cold Ash’s Parish Council meeting on 9 May 2023, which you can read in full here.

“Councillor McArdle updated the Parish Councillors regarding recent activity on the Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP). Responses to Regulation 14 have now been received and showed strong support from the Parish and other statutory consultees. Responses have been received from 15 statutory consultees and 50 surveys completed. This represents a very good level of engagement. All Regulation 14 comments have been included in a table that will be included in the Consultation Statement. Each comment has either been accepted, rejected or noted, to show how all comments received had been dealt with.

Councillor McArdle took the council through the headline comments. Cllr McArdle advised that we are in a good position to complete the Regulation 15 documentation in the next four to six weeks, which would enable us to consider commencing Regulation 16 by the end of June 2023. Once submitted, it is West Berkshire Council’s responsibility to run the formal consultation, examination and referendum. The Parish Council would get involved in the selection of an examiner and ensuring momentum is maintained. All results from Regulation 14 would be communicated to the public.”

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 a new play area, bowls, netball, a fête, scams and stall-holders – 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 local rural verges, standing room only and opposition to the fishing chalets.

This week’s news

• Last Friday 19 May the brand new Platinum Jubilee play area at Thatcham Memorial Playing Fields, was officially opened and named in honour of the late Queen Elizabeth. The play area equipment is suitable for children with special needs. Children at the Whitland Primary School, got the honour of being the very first to enjoy the new play ground.

• Great news that Thatcham Parish Hall will re-open on Monday 12 June following an extensive electrical re-wiring project. There will be an Open Day to showcase all the activities that take place there. Please see their official Facebook Page for more details.

• This Saturday 27 May the Thatcham Bowls Club are holding an open day. Everyone is welcome to come along and have a free bowls taster session from 10am to 5:30pm, at the Bowling Club on the Memorial Playing Fields.

• Frilsham and Yattendon Village Fete will be on Bank Holiday Monday 29 May with stalls, a raffle, a BBQ and local ale, a dog show, live music, games and competitions, a bouncy castle, May Pole and Morris dancing at Yattendon Village from 1pm to 4.30pm. Please pop along for some fun and to help raise money for good local causes.•Good evening Friends of Thatcham Parish Hall.

• Thatcham Town Council is appealing for more stall-holders for their new Saturday market. Please do get in touch on 01635 863592 or email enquiries@thatchamtowncouncil.gov.uk to book your pitch. Its only £10.50 for a 3m x 3m pitch.

• 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.

• 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.

• The latest Bulletin by St Mary’s and St Barnabas’ churches is available to read here.

• For recent news from Hermitage see the latest Hermitage Parish Council newsletter here.

• Click here to see the latest edition of the Cold Ash Community Bulletin which starts with rhododendrons and ends with temptation. Anyone who lives in or has any interest in Cold Ash is recommended to subscribe: contact bulletin@cacp.org.uk to do this or if you have anything you’d like to contribute.

• For the latest newsletter from Benefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton which covers updates, local groups and events across the Thatcham area, please visit their website here.

• West Berkshire Museum currently has a Focus on Thatcham Exhibition, open from now until 17 September 2023. Museum opening times are 10am to 3pm from Wednesday to Sunday.

All aboard…but don’t expect a seat

The latest news from Bedwyn Train Passenger Group is not great but they are persistent in their lobbying GWR and local MPs. They are, for example, demanding late-night staffing at Newbury station to manage the changes of train now required for Kintbury, Hungerford and Bedwyn passengers.

New timetable changes came in on Monday 22 May. The 0803 no longer calls at Bedwyn: instead you can catch it at Newbury by getting the 0749 shuttle from Bedwyn. On the upside there is a new 0823 service from Bedwyn, direct to Paddington.

But what is affecting most commuters is the 0729 Bedwyn departure has been downgraded from two five-car units to just one. This leads to standing room only from Hungerford and often all the way to Paddington. BTPG reports that GWR has done this to free up an IET (Intercity Express Train) to use elsewhere. The group has protested to GWR that “our line has been looted of enough IETs already.”

Please report to BTPG all occurrences of not being able to get a seat on the 0729. They will then petition GWR with this. Please contact them on info@bedwyntrains.org.uk and we also strongly recommend signing up to their newsletters.

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.

Hambridge’s Trojan chalets

Thatcham Town Council has lodged an objection to the proposals to build “9 holiday chalets and clubhouse with access from Hambridge Road, parking areas, new pedestrian links and ancillary works” off Hambridge Road. TTC gave five reasons for its objections.

The first, “the nature of the application”, pointed out that several documents were missing and also suggested that, despite the stated aim, “they have the appearance of luxury apartments for permanent occupation.” The document also suggested that its claim to be of benefit to the rural economy was “contrived” and expresses doubts as to whether the fish in the lake would present a suitable attraction for the short-term and temporary market that the development will ostensibly appeal to. All in all, TTC seemed to smell a Trojan horse at work.

The objection goes on to say that the application would offend “policy DM2 in the draft Local Plan on Separation of Settlements around Newbury and Thatcham, and the Green Gaps between Thatcham and Newbury.” (The letter goes on to list these: although this has nothing to do with this application, it’s worth noting that the draft plan makes no provision for such a separation between thatcher and Bucklebury, which many – though not the supporters of the THA20 proposals – would regard as particularly valuable. This may now change under the new administration). The letter rounded off with concerns about the impact on the national cycle route NC4 and the nearby common land.

Newbury Town Council’s objection was more succinct but no less critical: Visual impact, light pollution, flood risk due to tree removal, impacts on ecology, including protected species, dark sky area, water quality and the neighbouring SSSI watercourses downstream, design and access, impact on the green gap between Newbury and Thatcham.”

Both these town councils are only consultees in the planning process and the final decision will be taken in due course by West Berkshire Council or, if the matter goes to an appeal, by the Planning Inspectorate.

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.

Thursday 18 May 2023

This week we cover a new town council, football, stall-holders, raffle prizes, a dismissed appeal 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 an application for 200 homes in Henwick, possible chalets on Hambridge Lake, Mansfield Park comes to Brimpton and Cold Ash and a secret garden (also in Cold Ash).

This week’s news

• Meet the new Thatcham Town Council in this photo back row L to R: Ben Schiffer-Harte, Owen Jeffery, Jeff Brooks, Justin Pemberton, Tom McCann, Iain Cottingham, Lee Dillon, Jeremy Cottam, Simon Pike. Front row L to R: Stephanie Steevenson, Val Watts, Christine Rice, Deputy Mayor Suzanne Adamantos, Mayor Mark Lillycrop, Mike Cole, Petra Pemberton, Jay Lunn, John Boyd.

• Join Thatcham Town Council this Friday 19 May in their beautiful sensory garden on Brownsfield Road for an afternoon of fun to celebrate Dementia Action Week. Guests can look forward to afternoon tea, chair dancing, ukulele music and lively tunes. It promises to be a delightful event filled with laughter and wonderful music from 11am to 3pm. It’s a great opportunity to come together as a community and show support for those living with dementia.

• The Planning Inspector has dismissed the appeal for the development at Lawrences Lane in Thatcham. “In November 2021,” a statement from WBC reads, “the Council refused planning permission for seven gypsy/traveller pitches, each with a static caravan, day room, and touring caravan, as well as associated works. The applicant appealed the decision and a public inquiry was held across December 2022 and April 2023. The decision by the Planning Inspectorate supports the Council’s approach to resisting harmful developments coming forward that are contrary to its policies.”

• A local ladies football team in Thatcham is looking for new players. The age range is 16 to 50 and it’s a friendly team focused on the fun of enjoying the game. If you’re interested in joining, call Mel on 07954 171586.

• On the topic of ladies football, Thatcham & Newbury Town Ladies and Girls FC, have just announced their new Wildcats Centre is now up and running for girls who want to start their football journey. The Wildcats programme specifically aims to encourage girls aged 5-11 to get involved in football, promoting skill development, health, confidence and friendship. Sessions are every Wednesday at Lower Way playing fields in Thatcham, from 6pm to 7pm. Email thatcham.newbury.girls.fc.fdo@gmail.com to get involved.

• 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.

• Whitelands Park Primary School PTA requests raffle prize donations from local businesses for their summer fair in July. If you can donate a prize such as a product, cash or a voucher, the PTA would be extremely grateful and the money raise will go towards the school. If you can help, please send a message or email to fow@whitelandsparkprimary.co.uk.

• The latest Bulletin by St Mary’s and St Barnabas’ churches is available to read here.

• For recent news from Hermitage see the latest Hermitage Parish Council newsletter here.

• Click here to see the latest edition of the Cold Ash Community Bulletin which starts with blue tits and ends with bravery. Anyone who lives in or has any interest in Cold Ash is recommended to subscribe: contact bulletin@cacp.org.uk to do this or if you have anything you’d like to contribute.

• For the latest newsletter from Benefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton which covers updates, local groups and events across the Thatcham area, please visit their website here.

Henwick’s homes

An application has recently been validated for a proposed development in Henwick Park, to the north of Thatcham. The reference number is 23/00798/OUTMAJ and full details can be seen here on WBC’s website. The summary of the application is as follows:

“Outline application (with all matters reserved except for site access to the highway) for up to 80 bed care home (Class C2), up to 200 residential dwellings (Class C3) comprising market, 45% (up to 90 no.) affordable and 10% (up to 20 no.) self/custom-build homes (Class C3) and public open space including a country park, allotments, community orchard, trim trail and equipped play areas, together with access from Bowling Green Road and Cold Ash Hill, landscaping, sustainable drainage systems and associated works and infrastructure.”

Neither Thatcham Town Council (TTC) nor the Lib Dem group which now has control of WBC has ever denied the need for new housing, particularly of the affordable and social-rent kind. The main point of difference between them and the previous administration concerned the policy of concentrating 2,500 (later reduced to 1,500) homes in north east Thatcham. It is this proposal, known as THA20, that TTC and the then Lib Dem opposition group strenuously opposed. One of the points they made was that there were several possible sites which WBC had not, in their view, investigated as potential options. One of these was this very site at Henwick Park, a second application for which has now been lodged.

The new administration has said that it wants to pause the current scrutiny of the local plan by HM Planning Inspectorate (HMPI) so that the section pertaining to THA20 can be redrafted. This may have knock-on effect for the rest of the massive document. Whether HMPI feels that these can be incorporated as a modification or if the whole thing needs to be re-done – or whether the government decides to step in and mandate that the thing be passed as it stands, as happened in South Oxfordshire in 2019 – remains to be seen. However, this latest application is a timely reminder to both WBC and HMPI that options other than THA20 do exist.

TTC will be considering the application at its Planning Committee meeting on 23 May, the agenda for which you can see here. One of the agenda items is a document objecting to the plans, which you can see here. This lists a number of grounds on which the application falls foul of the draft local plan (to which the planning department, the planning committee and, if it gets to an appeal, HMPI must give some weight). Remove THA20 from the equation, however, and many of TTC’s objections disappear.

If THA20 is to be killed off as it stands, then this will be the first of many such applications which will be proposing homes to replace those previously proposed for north east Thatcham. Each will be considered on its planning merits and interpreted according to both the current plan and, increasingly, the draft one: though what exactly the draft plan will be is still uncertain. This can’t make planning decisions any easier.

Hambridge’s chalets

Another recent planning application is 23/00989/FULMAJ: “Construction of 9 holiday chalets and clubhouse with access from Hambridge Road, parking areas, new pedestrian links and ancillary works at Hambridge Lake Hambridge Road Newbury.” This is a trimmed-down version of an application which was refused in 2020 and refused again on appeal the following year. One of the concerns was that the chalets would be a Trojan horse for more continuous occupation rather than just chalets for recreational purposes.

The developers have decided to have another try. There may be an element of urgency in this for them. It’s debatable whether these proposals would offend the policy in the current local plan that seeks to maintain some distinction between Newbury and Thatcham (and other places). It would, however, be very likely to fall foul of the new policy in the draft plan. As I understand matters, the closer to ratification the new local plan gets, the more consideration must be given to it in making decisions. The sooner this application is decided, therefore, the more likely it is to pass. If, as the new WBC administration intends, the local plan is paused and requires significant work, it may not be getting closer but further away. Alice Through the Looking Glass springs to mind…

Cold Ash’s secret garden

In the middle of Cold Ash is a seven acre Wildlife Allotment Garden (WAG) that finally got its day in the sun on Bank Holiday Monday 8 May when many visitors enjoyed their Open Day, inspired by the Coronation’s Big Help Out.

The derelict area that hadn’t been open to the public for decades has been transformed by a committed group of volunteers who have created a meadow with sculptures, picnic tables and a small bridge over the watercourse that runs through the centre of the site. Over 100 trees, supplied by the Woodland Trust, have been planted by the community. The site also reflects Cold Ash’s rural history with grazng areas for livestock, wildflower meadows and recently a Quiet Garden area has been established, framed by three Japanese Cherry Blossom trees.

Read the full story here shared with us by Cold Ash Parish Council.

Thursday 11 May 2023

This week we cover a new market, cake, a raffle, a fete and the WI. We also take a look at how the composition of the Town Council has changed as a result of the election – plus our usual round-up of other local news, local events and activities and news from your local councils.

This week’s news

• Thatcham Town Council’s new weekly Saturday Market starts this Saturday 13 May and will continue until the end of September. The focus is on local small business and start-ups. If you run a small business and would like a stall, please register your interest with the Council at enquires@thatchamtowncouncil.gov.uk and they will be in touch. More details can be found here.

• This Saturday 13 May there will be a Coffee and Cake Fundraiser at St Mary’s Church, Thatcham in aid of Time to Talk, who offer youth counselling for 11-25 year olds in West Berkshire. The event will be from 10am to 4pm, so just drop in. Click here for details.

• Thatcham’s Mayor Making ceremony will take place this Sunday 14 May 2.30pm to 4.3opm at the Frank Hutchins Hall, along with the long awaited unveiling of the Legacy Tapestry. The art work is a homage to the late Queen Elizabeth II, depicting 45 scenes from the Queen’s life and significant world events which happened during her reign. The piece was created in collaboration with various local artists and craftspeople. After the grand reveal the tapestry will remain in the Frank Hutchins Hall, which is being re-named the Jubilee Room.

• 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 in Thatcham and Newbury.

• 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.

• 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.

• The latest Bulletin by St Mary’s and St Barnabas’ churches is available to read here.

• For recent news from Hermitage see the latest Hermitage Parish Council newsletter here.

• Click here to see the latest edition of the Cold Ash Community Bulletin which starts with a buzzard and ends with respect. Anyone who lives in or has any interest in Cold Ash is recommended to subscribe: contact bulletin@cacp.org.uk to do this or if you have anything you’d like to contribute.

• For the latest newsletter from Benefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton which covers updates, local groups and events across the Thatcham area, please visit their website here.

The orange wave

It’s moot point as to whether town councils should be political (personally, I’d prefer it if they weren’t) but that’s entirely a matter for them. The larger the place, the more likely this is to happen. The only two political town councils in West Berkshire are Newbury and Thatcham (further afield, Wantage’s is and Marlborough’s isn’t). The powers of a town or parish council are fairly limited but, depending on their size, they may command a significant budget and have a number of projects on the go (such as the café in Victoria Park in Newbury) which will be locally significant.

They also act as advocates for the interests of their town and, in this regard, the TCs of Newbury and Thatcham (which for the last four years have been dominated by the Lib Dems) have often found themselves in opposition to the parent authority. The fact the some people are members of both bodies doubtless adds a bit of spice to the debates.

In the case of Newbury, the main battle lines were over the closure of the Faraday Road football ground; and also, to a lesser extent, over pedestrianisation in the town centre (which the TC supported and which, save for a brief Covid-recover period, WBC did not). In Thatcham, the main point of conflict has been an issue even large that the football pitch muddle: THA20, the proposed construction of 2,500 homes (later reduced to 1,500) to the north east of the town. Both the closure of Faraday Road and THA20 were consistently opposed by these two councils.

If the popularity otherwise of a point of view can be measured by an election, the result in both towns can be seen as a comprehensive thumbs-down for these two policies. In Newbury TC, which previously had one Conservative and two Greens ranged against 20 Lib Dems, the Tories lost their only seat. In Thatcham all three Conservatives were defeated in the 18-seat council (the only non-Lib Dem member was an Independent who had previously been a Lib Dem but needed to resign her part membership when she was appointed to a politically sensitive job a few years ago). As a result, the Lib Dems now hold every seat.

The point having been made, the job of a town councillor is perhaps made more difficult if it only appears to represent on party’s views. As the two town councils are now from the same party as the WBC administration, one also wonders if this will make it harder for the towns to stand up to their parent authority if the interests of town and district don’t align. Of the 84 politically elected seats in the district (the two town councils and WBC) eleven are Conservative, four green and one Labour. All the rest are Lib Dems. Time will tell if the mathematics will enable the necessary level of scrutiny and challenge.

You can see the full results for Newbury Town Council by clicking here; and for Thatcham Town Council by clicking here.

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 raffles, bees, tea, an exhibition and nature volunteering. 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

• If you’re still looking for a way to spend the coronation weekend, join the Thatcham United Reformed Church for an indulgent Afternoon Tea on Sunday 7 May from 2.30pm to 4.30pm. For £7.50, you’ll be treated to a scrumptious selection of tea, scones, and cakes at British School Hall, on Church Lane. Pre-book your tickets by emailing thatcham.urc@ntlworld.com or calling 07880 558 067. For more details click here – and for more coronation events, see event section below.

• New and prospective members are very welcome at the next friendly Thatcham WI meeting at 7.30pm on Thursday 11 May at Thatcham Memorial Hall. For more information on this large and active group, please see here.

• Quick reminder that Thatcham Town Council’s new weekly Saturday Market, starts on Saturday 13 May and will continue until the end of September. The focus is on local small business and start-ups. If you run a small business and would like a stall, please register your interest with the Council at enquires@thatchamtowncouncil.gov.uk and they will be in touch. More details can be found here.

• The latest Bulletin by St Mary’s and St Barnabas’ churches is available to read here.

• For recent news from Hermitage see the latest Hermitage Parish Council newsletter here.

• Click here to see the latest edition of the Cold Ash Community Bulletin which starts with a butterfly and ends with reading. Anyone who lives in or has any interest in Cold Ash is recommended to subscribe: contact bulletin@cacp.org.uk to do this or if you have anything you’d like to contribute.

• For the latest newsletter from Benefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton which covers updates, local groups and events across the Thatcham area, please visit their website here.

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 new market, football, French food, volunteering and dementia action. We also say another farewell to a long-standing ward member, draw your attention to the candidates standing for the town council and invite you to tune in to the next election special on Kennet Radio – plus there’s our usual round-up of local news, local events and activities and news from your local councils.

This week’s news

• Thatcham Town Council want to hear about your plans to celebrate the King’s Coronation. Whatever it is you are organising, tell them the details by sending an email to events.manager@thatchamtowncouncil.gov.uk.

• This Saturday 29 April Thatcham welcomes back an authentic French Market for a day of culinary delights in The Broadway from 9am to 4pm. Visitors can expect to find a range of delicious and authentic French products, including fresh bread, pastries, cheeses, charcuterie, crêpes, galettes, and other traditional French dishes. The market promises to bring a taste of France to the heart of the town.

• Thatcham Town Council are launching a new weekly Saturday Market, starting from 13 May and continuing ever weekend until end of September. The aim of this new market is to focus on local small business and start-ups. If you run a small business and would like a stall, please register your interest with the Council at enquires@thatchamtowncouncil.gov.uk and they will be in touch. More details can be found here.

• The Thatcham Town Harriers Football Club are looking for new players to join their brand new girls U6 division (current school year 1). They meet on the Henwick Playing Fields on Saturday mornings for training. If your child would be interested contact Josh at 07538483437. For more details about the club, visit their website.

• 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.

• The Thatcham Historical Society is excited to announce their free Coronation Exhibition 2023 at the Old Bluecoat School from Sunday 7 to Monday 8 May, 10am to 4pm. A local history exhibition incluing timelines of the late Queen’s reign and King Charles III, as well as various pieces of memorabilia. On Monday 8 May at 7:30pm, local historian Dr. Nick Young will give a talk on Thatcham Then and Now, looking back at various scenes around the town and comparing it with the present day. Discover the history of the buildings, people, and locations that make Thatcham unique. Cost is only £3 payable on the door, and all proceeds go to the Old Bluecoat School Charity to help with ongoing restoration efforts. Click here for further details.

• Quick reminder that Old Bluecoat School building needs to raise £5,000 towards the cost of replacing its draughty old oak doors. For more information, please see here.

• And the library is also 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 the library with your membership card to enter. A winner will be picked in each library on Saturday 6 May.

• The Mayor of Thatcham is inviting all local residents to a King’s Coronation Tea Party complete with a jazz band, local dancers and even royal themed cake. That’ll be taking place at the Thatcham Town Cricket Club Playing Field, from 2:30pm on Sunday 7 May. Click here to keep up to date.

• The latest Bulletin by St Mary’s and St Barnabas’ churches is available to read here.

• For recent news from Hermitage see the latest Hermitage Parish Council newsletter here.

• Click here to see the latest edition of the Cold Ash Community Bulletin which starts with a lamb and ends with Robert Frost. Anyone who lives in or has any interest in Cold Ash is recommended to subscribe: contact bulletin@cacp.org.uk to do this or if you have anything you’d like to contribute.

• For the latest newsletter from Benefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton which covers updates, local groups and events across the Thatcham area, please visit their website here.

Thatcham’s candidates

As well as seeing elections for West Berkshire Council, Thursday 4 May will also give residents of Thatcham the chance to vote for their Town Councillors. All 18 seats are up for grabs. Currently, the Town Council has 14 Lib Dems, three Conservatives and one Independent.

You can see a full list of the nominated candidates by clicking here.

The town is for electoral purposes divided in to four wards: Central (which will return five councillors); Crookham (three); North East (five); and West (five).

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.

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.

36 years on the job

As mentioned last week, one person who will for the first time this century be needing to tick a name other than his own on the ballot paper is Graham Pask.

He has been West Berkshire Council’s ward member for Bucklebury for a remarkable 36 years: that’s not quite true, as WBC is only 25 years old: before that, it was Newbury District Council and he was on that too, and much involved in the change-over. He’s held a wide number of jobs, most recently – in my view and that of many others – as an excellent Chair of of the Eastern Area Planning Committee, which looks at some of the more complex development issues in the right-hand part of the district. He won’t be standing again in May.

We’re delighted that he agreed to be added to our roll-call of local people who have agreed to submit to the ultimate scrutiny of a Penny Post interview. His past jobs, his thoughts on the challenges facing the district, his regrets and – most importantly – his desert-island choices of music, book and luxury item are all revealed here. Congratulations for your 36 years in the municipal saddle, Graham: we wish you a long and happy retirement.

Thursday 20 April 2023

This week we cover tea, then and now, a focus, football and bikes. We also look at two different views of how housing numbers for Thatcham (and indeed the district) should be decided, get a sneak preview of the Jubilee Tableau, say farewell to a long-standing ward member and invite you to tune in to the next election special on Kennet Radio – plus there’s our usual round-up of local news, local events and activities and news from your local councils.

This week’s news

• The Thatcham Historical Society is excited to announce its free Coronation Exhibition 2023 at the Old Bluecoat School from Sunday 7 to Monday 8 May, 10am to 4pm. A local history exhibition incluing timelines of the late Queen’s reign and King Charles III, as well as various pieces of memorabilia. On Monday 8 May at 7:30pm, local historian Dr. Nick Young will give a talk on Thatcham Then and Now, looking back at various scenes around the town and comparing it with the present day. Discover the history of the buildings, people, and locations that make Thatcham unique. Cost is only £3 payable on the door, and all proceeds go to the Old Bluecoat School Charity to help with ongoing restoration efforts. Click here for further details.

• Quick reminder that Old Bluecoat School building needs to raise £5,000 towards the cost of replacing its draughty old oak doors. For more information, please see here.

• Don’t forget that the Government’s Emergency Alert trial will be carried out this weekend. The test alert will take place at 3pm on Sunday 23 April, will be received on mobile phones, along with sound and vibration for up to 10 seconds. You will receive a message on the home screen which will say” This is a test of Emergency Alerts, a new UK government service that will warn you if there’s a life-threatening emergency nearby”. If you live with an abusive partner and have a secret or secondary phone, here is advice on how to switch off the alerts so they don’t reveal the existence of your phone.

• This weekend Thatcham Library invites families in on Saturday 22 April to celebrate the forthcoming coronation of King Charles III. There will be music, crafts and games to enjoy, with a royal treasure hunt and prizes for all. Drop in, anytime between 10am and 12pm to enjoy the fun.

• The latest Bulletin by St Mary’s and St Barnabas’ churches is available to read here.

• For recent news from Hermitage see the latest Hermitage Parish Council newsletter here.

• Click here to see the latest edition of the Cold Ash Community Bulletin which starts with a lamb and ends with Einstein. Anyone who lives in or has any interest in Cold Ash is recommended to subscribe: contact bulletin@cacp.org.uk to do this or if you have anything you’d like to contribute.

• For the latest newsletter from Benefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton which covers updates, local groups and events across the Thatcham area, please visit their website here.

“Countryside versus Thatcham” part two

Last week on Kennet Radio, Jeremy Sharp and I interviewed four candidates, one from each party (Carolyne Culver of the Greens, Alan Law of the Conservatives, Clive Taylor of Labour and Tony Vickers of the Lib Dems) on the subject of housing, planning and development. You can listen again to the occasionally robust exchange of views in the programme by clicking here. Councillors Law and Vickers are also conducting a debate in the letters pages of the Newbury Weekly News.

Last week, Alan Law (under the heading of “countryside versus Thatcham,” which made it seem like a judgement in a court case) justified his party’s plans for the large development to the north east of the town and criticised the Lib Dem’s approach to this and housebuilding policies generally. I made a number of comments about this in a section in the Thatcham Area Weekly News section on 13 April. Many of his points appeared to assume wide agreement that more homes in any particular area would be unwelcome. I said in my article that this depended on what kind of homes they were. Most people agree that we need more smaller homes, whether social-rent, shared-ownership or for sale. Many communities might welcome such developments.

This week, it was Tony Vickers’ turn to reply, claiming that Alan Law has “misrepresented” his party’s policy on planning and housing. I suggested in the above-mentioned piece last week what the Lib Dem’s position on these and his letter appears to confirm this. What I said was:

“As I understand matters, the plan is to place about 700 of them in sites in or just outside Thatcham which have already been proposed but which have not so far found favour with WBC; about 550 in brownfield sites in the Newbury and Thtacham settlement areas; and about 200 in other parts of the district, including in villages. If you exclude Newbury and Thatcham and the parishes affected by the DEPZ, that’s perhaps 40 parishes. 200 homes would be an average of five in each parish: and some parishes have more than one village in them. This doesn’t seem overwhelming, as Alan Law implies.”

Tony Vickers’ letter goes on to make a number of points including about the need for the AONB to be a working landscape, the importance of achieving more sustainability in house construction and a promise to “learn as much as possible about the plans of the many large estates and social housing providers,” this presumably in an attempt to see if land trusts or rural exception sites can be established which will provide housing without incurring the massive land costs that normally apply when there’s a sniff of a planning application in the air. He also refers to the party’s Viable Villages proposal which would aim to ensure that these not only had the right housing mix but also enough residents to support the infrastructure that already exists there or nearby. All of these seem like ideas that are worth discussing.

Whether they can be, in a constructive and cross-party way – particularly right now during an election – is another matter. New ideas are certainly needed: as, perhaps, is a new way of agreeing and implementing them.

The jubilee tableau

Work is progressing Thatcham’s Legacy Project (now officially named the The Thatcham Jubilee Tableau) which was launched in June last year. This community scheme consists of forty five 40cm x 40cm panels depicting scenes from the late Queen’s 70-year reign.

The scenes have been developed by over 50 local based crafters in a wide range of techniques that include marquetry, felting, watercolour, acrylic, oils, embroidery, cross-stitch, crochet, photography and more. Fifteen of the scenes are devoted to events in the Queens’ life including a state dinner with the Kennedys; a trip to China and the Great Wall, the Investiture of Prince Charles as the Prince of Wales in 1969 and so on.

Fifteen of the scenes are of events that occurred and influenced the United Kingdom, including Hilary reaching the top of Everest, the sixties, including the Beatles and the World Cup win, the 2012 Olympics and including the Pandemic and the NHS. The final fifteen scenes are of events that took place across the world such as the Polio vaccines (introducing mass vaccination), the Berlin wall (being built and dismantled), the launch of the Worldwide Web and including the Ukraine war. All but two of the panels have been completed.

It will be hung in the larger room at the Frank Hutchings Hall which is to be re-named the Jubilee Room. Several companies have come forward to support the project and we are seeking more organisations who wish to be associated with this ambitious work. There will be a pre-view of the tableau on the evening of 12 May and the formal unveiling will take place at the Mayor Making meeting and ceremony on 14 May.

Covering the contest

Kennet Radio’s Local Election Special

Brian has 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 they will 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 next one will be on Friday 21 April from 4pm to 5pm and will cover governance, structure and finance.

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 13 April 2023

This week we cover a concert, a better service, oak doors, tea and an exhibition. We also look at two different views of how Thatcham’s housing numbers should be decided and invite you to tune in to the next election special on Kennet Radio – plus there’s our usual round-up of local news, local events and activities and news from your local councils.

This week’s news

• This Saturday 15 April Thatcham Rotary Club will be hosting a charity concert with the world renowned Cor Meibion Morlais Male Voice Choir. Tickets are £21 each, and all proceeds will go towards the Newbury Soup Kitchenas well as other local charities. The event will be taking place at Brockhurst School in Hermitage, from 7.30 to 9.30 pm. Click here for more details and to book online.

• Thatcham Library invites families in on Saturday 22 April to celebrate the forthcoming coronation of King Charles III. There will be music, crafts and games to enjoy, with a royal treasure hunt and prizes for all. Drop in, anytime between 10am and 12pm to enjoy the fun.

• Crookham Hill, Thatcham will be closed on Monday 17 April between 9.30am and 3.30pm. The closure is from its junctions with Chamberhouse Mill Lane and Burys Bank Road for highway improvements. Resident access will be maintained throughout. All enquiries please contact Highways Improvements at West Berkshire Council on 01635 519080 or see one.network for more details.

• This week’s NWN reports, on p28, that that the Old Bluecoat School building needs to raise £5,000 towards the cost of replacing its oak doors. For more information, please click here.

• The same paper reports, on p26, that Thatcham’s Royal Mail service should now have improved following a review of procedures at the local sorting office. This will be a satisfaction to local WBC ward member Owen Jeffery who has been helping residents address this problem for some time.

• Quick reminder that Thatcham Community Larder is open from 1.30pm to 5.30pm on Wednesdays in the Frank Hutchins Hall. They offer affordable food items (starting at £3.50 per week) that reduce food waste and much more besides. There are refreshments and friendly conversation, recipe sharing, craft activities, seated exercise and signposting for any further help needed. Follow them on facebook for more details.

• The latest Bulletin by St Mary’s and St Barnabas’ churches is available to read here.

• For recent news from Hermitage see the latest Hermitage Parish Council newsletter here.

• For the latest newsletter from Benefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton which covers updates, local groups and events across the Thatcham area, please visit their website here.

“Countryside versus Thatcham”

This is the rather combative headline – whether created by the author or the editor I couldn’t say – to a letter which kicks off the correspondence section in this week’s NWN. It is part two of the promised tour d’horizon of the local political landscape by Councillor Alan Law.

He kicks off by saying that there are “only two main topics of significant difference on which the election will be fought”, these being housing and the local plan, and the tax-and-spend plans. I agree that these are important but my own examination here of the claims made by the three main parties suggests several other matters of contention including CIL payments, the LRIE, the progress towards carbon neutrality and transport. Some of these will test more highly in some wards than others but he’s certainly right that the two issues he picks out affect pretty much everyone. It’s also worth pointing out that the election is really about choosing councillors to represent you. Those who are re-standing will be judged according to how well they have served their residents rather than on their party allegiances.

He then said that the Greens and Labour have “little of significance” to say on these matters. Certainly as regards the Greens, I don’t think this is fair (see above link) but suspect that the main aim here was to clear the table for the real purpose of the letter, an attack on the views of the local Liberal Democrats on the local plan and, in particular, the allocation of at least 1,500 homes in north east Thatcham. Fair enough: it’s election time, after all.

Alan Law asks a number of rhetorical questions, mainly on the theme of where the 1,500 homes will go if not in north east Thatcham. I think I might be able to help him here. As I understand matters, the plan is to place about 700 of them in sites in or just outside Thatcham which have already been proposed but which have not so far found favour with WBC; about 550 in brownfield sites in the Newbury and Thtacham settlement areas; and about 200 in other parts of the district, including in villages. If you exclude Newbury and Thatcham and the parishes affected by the DEPZ, that’s perhaps 40 parishes. 200 homes would be an average of five in each parish: and some parishes have more than one village in them. This doesn’t seem overwhelming, as he implies.

There will be problems with this. One is ensuring that as many as possible of the 200-odd “other” homes are affordable or social rent. This could be addressed through the rural exceptions sites provision in the NPPF (see here for a plain-language summary of this). Alan Law, however, seems more concerned with sowing seeds of doubt: vote Lib Dem and your village could be the next to be over-run with bulldozers.

Through this part of the letter also runs the assumption that all extra housing in villages is bound to be unwelcome and just plain wrong (it’s OK to put 1,500 homes in the countryside north east of Thatcham, however). He closes by saying that “it will be interesting to see if rural voters…will accept more developments in their backyards.” If the village in question has suitable land, if there was local infrastructure such as shops and schools that were under-used and if many of these homes could provide low-cost housing for local people who badly needed it, than I suspect that the answer might in many cases be “yes.”

Thursday 6 April 2023

This week we cover crafts, tea, larders, volunteering and newsletters. We also report on an injunction issue in Hermitage, reflect on a ceremony in The Broadway and invite you to tune in to an election special on Kennet Radio – plus there’s our usual round-up of local news, local events and activities and news from your local councils.

This week’s news

• Pop along to Thatcham Broadway this Good Friday 7 April for Easter crafts and free samples of tasty food from around the world organised by the churches of Thatcham. See here for more details.

• The Mayor of Thatcham is inviting all local residents to a King’s Coronation Tea Party. Bring your picnic rug and sandwiches and the celebration will be complete with a jazz band, local dancers and even royal themed cake. That’ll be taking place at the Thatcham Town Cricket Club Playing Field, from 2:30pm on Sunday 7 May. Click here to keep up to date.

• Congratulations to Jenny and Tom Kirby at Thatcham Refillable for winning the NWN’s Best Green Business Award. As well as running a mobile shop for the past past years that helps people cut down on their single use plastic consumption, Jenny also helps run the West Berkshire Sustainable Community Scheme which is working towards acheiving plastic-free status for Thatcham and Newbury.

• The latest Bulletin by St Mary’s and St Barnabas’ churches is available to read here.

• For recent news from Hermitage see the latest Hermitage Parish Council newsletter here.

• Click here to see the latest edition of the Cold Ash Community Bulletin which starts with flooding and ends with Charles Bukowski. Anyone who lives in or has any interest in Cold Ash is recommended to subscribe: contact bulletin@cacp.org.uk to do this or if you have anything you’d like to contribute.

• For the latest newsletter from Benefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton which covers updates, local groups and events across the Thatcham area, please visit their website here.

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 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.

A reflective moment in Thatcham

Away from the bustle of commercial and municipal life and with the election briefly put on hold, a low-key ceremony took place in The Broadway in Thatcham on 3 April. This was to unveil the new location of the Victoria Cross Commemorative Stones that remember three local recipients of the Victoria Cross.

“We acknowledge our heroes,” the Mayor of Thatcham, Councillor Jeff Brooks, said. “We acknowledge people who fought for this country, and died. People can now come here and reflect, and perhaps to do a little research on these gentlemen, two of whom gave their life in battle and one who happily lived to an old age.”

You can read the full article here.

Hermitage’s injunction

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 section of Burghfield Area Weekly News). 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 Hermitage. 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 pooches , crafts, a closure, football and volunteering. We also take a look at Thatcham’s precept rise expressed in a different way, the Town Council’s funding for the library (also in a different way) and the recent community awards – plus there’s our usual round-up of local news, local events and activities and news from your local councils.

This week’s news

• The Rowbarge at Woolhamption is holding a Pooch Party this Saturday 1 April. Your furry friends can enjoy an agility course, ball pit, a bacon flavour bubble machine, a free toy and snack and fun photography area, while you can enjoy lunch, drinks and socialising with fellow dog lovers. To attend you must pre-book your place at pooch.party@outlook.com, £11 per dog (no cost for humans!).

• Last Thursday 29 March , the Mayor Jeff Brooks opened the Annual Town Meeting to a full house in the Council Chamber. This year’s meeting theme was ‘youth’, with presentations from Thatcham Scouts and 16th Platoon Thatcham Army Cadets and verbal reports on behalf of Thatcham Youth and RMD Adventure Learning providing the audience with an overview of some of the valuable youth work going on in the town. You can watch a recording of the meeting on the council’s YouTube channel and find a copy of the Annual Report on their website If you have any feedback on what, or who, you’d like to see at next year’s Annual Town Meeting, the Town Council welcomes your input, please email enquiries@thatchamtowncouncil.gov.uk

• At the meeting the Mayor also presented Community Awards to 10 recipients who were present including Karen Reeves from West Berkshire Action for Refugees who received the Community Contributor Award 2023 for her support of the asylum seekers based at the Regency Hotel. Bahman, one of the asylum seekers who created the VIAN Environmental Society was jointly awarded the Environment Champion Award with Thatcham Litter Pickers and Jenny Kirby from Thatcham Refillable. See also the separate section below.

• Penny was pleased to interview Karen, Bahman and Aman on 4LEGS Radio last Friday (listen to the show here). The message from the asylum seekers who have been litter picking and helping at Thatcham events is: “We arrived here unannounced and uncertain of our welcome, but our neighbours here have shown us nothing but kindness, support and understanding. We are so grateful for the shelter that your government and your society have given us; our appreciation of that support prompted us to try and become active members of your society, and that is how VIAN, our environmental group, was formed. Thank you for this award. It means so much to us to know that our efforts to give something back to this community have been recognised and appreciated. We fully intend to keep going for as long as we are guests in your area.”

• Crookham Hill will be closed at the level crossing from 23pm on Monday 3 April to 4am on Tuesday 4 April 2023. The closure will be between its junctions with Station Road and Chamberhouse Mill Lane. This closure is to enable Network Rail to carry out maintenance works on the level crossing. A plan of the closure and diversion route can be found here. Please note that blue light access will not be maintained. All enquiries please contact Sunbelt Rentals on 0370 0500792.

• Thatcham Library is hosting a free Easter Crafts event on Thursday 6 April, from 2:30pm to 3:30pm, for children 5 years and over. All materials are provided and no advance booking is needed. For more information email thatchamlibrary@westberks.gov.uk.

• 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.

• West Berkshire Community Hospital League of Friends are holding a Quiz Night on Wednesday 26 April at Newbury Rugby Club Monks Lane. All money raised will go towards supporting our local hospital. To take part is £15 per head, but includes dinner. Quiz teams are a maximum of 6 players and there will also be a raffle and bar. Get your team together and contact flynn23898175@outlook.com with your team name to take part.

• Thatcham Town Council is holding a garden party in aid of Dementia Action Week on Friday 19 May. The event will include afternoon tea, chair dancing, ukulele music and plants at the Jubilee Sensory Garden, Brownsfield Road from 11am to 3pm. For more information get in touch with Victoria from victoria.rowland@ageukberkshire.org.uk.

• 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.

• See here for information about warm spaces in Thatcham and other areas.

• We have added more information about support available to get you through the cost of living crisis, including tips on how to reduce your home energy bills. And please watch out for any scams that ask you to click to apply for energy rebates – they all happen automatically.

• The latest Bulletin by St Mary’s and St Barnabas’ churches is available to read here.

• For recent news from Hermitage see the latest Hermitage Parish Council newsletter here.

• Click here to see the latest edition of the Cold Ash Community Bulletin which starts with a pheasant and ends with doing what’s right. Anyone who lives in or has any interest in Cold Ash is recommended to subscribe: contact bulletin@cacp.org.uk to do this or if you have anything you’d like to contribute.

• For the latest newsletter from Benefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton which covers updates, local groups and events across the Thatcham area, please visit their website here.

Thatcham’s community awards

Every year the Town Council seeks nominations from members of the public for individuals, groups, organisations and businesses who have demonstrated outstanding service to the community, made a significant contribution to public life in Thatcham and have shown real dedication in helping local residents. A panel of Councillors met on 5 March to consider all of the nominations and the winners were:

Community Contributor Award to ABC to Read, in recognition of its support to the children of Thatcham with their literacy.
Community Contributor Award to Jeff Tolley, in recognition of his dedicated service as Assistant Parade Marshall for Remembrance Sunday for over 20 years.
Community Contributor Award to Karen Reeve, in recognition of her services supporting refugees settling in Thatcham.
Lifetime Community Award to Esther Lewis, in recognition of her contribution to Thatcham’s Girlguiding community and Thatcham United Reformed Church.
Lifetime Community Award to Joyce Lovelock, in recognition of her contribution to Thatcham town and community.
Lifetime Community Award to Robert Tayton, in recognition of his dedicated service to Thatcham town and community.
Inspiring Young Person Award to Bethany Kew, in recognition of her contribution to Thatcham’s Girlguiding community.
Inspiring Young Person Award to Kat Wright, in recognition of her contribution to Thatcham’s community through her work with St John Ambulance Cadets.
Environmental Champion Award to Jenny Kirby, n recognition of her dedication to improving Thatcham’s environmental status.
Environmental Champion Award to Thatcham Litter Pickers, n recognition of their dedication to improving Thatcham’s environmental status.
Environmental Champion Award to Vian Group, in recognition of its dedication to improving Thatcham’s environmental status.

Congratulations from us to all the winners and also all those were nominated.

The precept and the library

In the most This Week with Brian I looked at a press release recently received from the West Berkshire Conservative Party. I’d like to pick out one aspect of this which is particularly relevant to Thatcham.

The press release also says that “Liberal Democrat controlled Thatcham Town Councils put its Council Tax up by 9.75% respectively, compared to our 4.99%.” This is a very odd remark. For one thing, town and parish councils do not set council tax but instead request a precept from the parent authority. Thatcham did raise its precept, though by 8.75%, not the 9.75% as stated. However, the £95.60 per band D property which is the town’s precept only accounts for about 4.4% of the total band D council tax bill of £2,174. By raising the precept by 8.75%, Thatcham Town Council therefore increased the overall council tax bill by less than half of one percent.

In past years, a major outgoing for the Town Council was its support for the West Berkshire Library Service. As many residents will recall, in the mid 2010s every library bar newbuty’s was faced with the threat of closure, sparking widespread opposition. The situation was eventually stabilised but depended in part on the parishes being asked to make a voluntary contribution of £1 per person per year towards the service, about £24,000 in Thatcham’s case. TTC has recently decided that it would stop this payment on the grounds that it is a statutory obligation that WBC has and that it needs to provide the funding. Instead, it has agreed to make a contribution of £14,000 over the next three years to the Friends of Thatcham Library in order to support its work of organising and promoting events in the building.

Some people, including the Conservative members of TTC, pressed the Council to continue with these payments. Were it to have done so, the roughly £20,000 (the difference between what TTC paid the Library Service and what it will pay to the Friends) would have to have been found from the somewhere. Councils are obliged to pass a balanced budget: so, in the absence of any external benefactors, the precept would have to have risen by more than 8.75%. This would would probably have resulted in even more displeasure in the press release, despite the fact that the extra money was going straight back to WBC and had been raised at the administration’s request.

It’s also worth pointing out in passing that the 4.99% which WBC’s council tax was raised by and which the press release proudly cites as being lower than Thatcham’s, is in fact that maximum that it can increase its rate by (most councils have done the same this year). Few would argue that councils are in a tight corner but it’s pointless to pretend that 4.99% was somehow an act of restraint, just as it’s meaningless to compare directly this rise with an 8.75% precept increase. Parish and town councils are not limited in how much precept they can request.

Thursday 23 March 2023

This week we cover litter, spring, stamps, parties, refills and crafts. We also take a look at a recent biodiversity day at Parsons Down School – plus there’s our usual round-up of local news, local events and activities and news from your local councils.

This week’s news

• The lovely ladies of Thatcham Women’s Institute have moved venue to the Memorial Hall and invite everyone to their coffee catch-up on Saturday 25 March with a variety of stallholders as well as the normal delicious produce made by WI ladies.

• The Thatcham Litter Pickers are back for their first picking meet up of the year this Sunday 26 March, meeting at the Moorside Centre on Kennet Heath from 10am to 11am. They will provide all the equipment you need, so just turn up and help keep our town clean. All ages are welcome, keep an eye of their website for any updates, as well as dates and locations for upcoming picking days.

• All are welcome to come to the Cold Ash Gardening Club Spring Show, on this weekend. There will be a plant sale and seed swap, as well as cake and other refreshments available. That’s taking place at the Acland Hall, from 2pm to 4:30pm on Saturday 25 March.

• Also this weekend, the Stamp and Postcard Fair will be held at the Kennet School. There will be 20 dealers offering stamps and post cards, and you can also bring your own stamp collection if you would like to have it valued. That’s on Saturday 25 March from 10am to 4pm, admission and parking is free and refreshments will be available. Click here for more information.

• If you would like to find out about full or part time further education, professional or leisure courses, pop along to the Newbury College and University Centre Newbury’s Open Evening on Wednesday 29 March from 4pm to 7pm. From T Levels to apprenticeships, the college is working with local businesses to develop the skills needed for the workplace. Register your time-slot here.

• Proposals for the improvement of Thatcham and Hungerford town centres will have been considered at the WBC’s Executive meeting on Thursday 23 March where they are expected to be improved. As mentionned last week (see below), work will then start to raise the funds to bring the schemes to fruition. But realistically it is likely that any further progress will have to wait until the after the council elections on Thursday 4 May.

• Local man Callum Harling, is running the Reading Half Marathon to raise money for the Berkshire-based mental health charity Eight Bells. If you would like to support Callum and Eight Bells, please consider making a donation to his JustGiving page here, and help him reach his funding goal.

• 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.

• Thatcham Refillable reduces plastic waste by offering a valuable refill service for many cleaning and household products. They’d appreciate support for their eco business. Check out their Facebook page for updates on where they’ll be popping-up next.

• Barfield Handbell Ringers always welcomes new members and would be delighted to hear from anyone who would like to try handbell ringing. No previous experience required, just contact Dianne on dianne@barfield.org.uk 01635 867421 or pop along to their Spring is in the Air Concert at St Mary’s Church at 3pm on Saturday 1 April.

• Thatcham Library is hosting a free Easter Crafts event on Thursday 6 April, from 2:30p, to 3:30pm, for children 5 years and over. All materials are provided and no advance booking is needed. For more information email thatchamlibrary@westberks.gov.uk.

• 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.

• See here for information about warm spaces in Thatcham and other areas.

• The latest Bulletin by St Mary’s and St Barnabas’ churches is available to read here.

• For recent news from Hermitage see the latest Hermitage Parish Council newsletter here.

• Click here to see the latest edition of the Cold Ash Community Bulletin which starts with a gate leading to fields and ends, neatly, with WC Fields. Anyone who lives in or has any interest in Cold Ash is recommended to subscribe: contact bulletin@cacp.org.uk to do this or if you have anything you’d like to contribute.

• For the latest newsletter from Benefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton which covers updates, local groups and events across the Thatcham area, please visit their website here.

Biodiversity at Parsons Down

Many of us have been watching David Attenborough’s Wild Isles and at this time of biodiversity loss it’s cheering to hear reports of the younger generations being taught to protect the wildlife around us. Parsons Down Partnership of Schools was thrilled to collaborate with The Nature Discovery Centre on Tuesday 14 March for a fun-filled and inspiring Biodiversity Day at the school as part of their Eco-Schools programme that they have been following for the last five years.

Children came into school in non-school uniform, wearing something animal-themed. Donations were also collected for the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT). The day started off with an assembly by the NDC focussing on different types of animals and the habitats they live in. They then led workshops throughout the day for Years 1-6 in the Partnership garden. Each group were assigned a different animal to build a habitat for. The children came up with lots of creative ideas based on the four things that animals need to survive – water, food, shelter and air.

Meanwhile, class teachers provided lots of different biodiversity activities in classes and outside, including making seed bombs for pollinators and feeders for birds. Eco-Schools Coordinator, Miss Hargood, said “We hope that this will be the start of many more collaborations between Parsons Down Partnership and the Nature Discovery Centre.”

Thursday 16 March 2023

This week we cover tools, crafts, photos, refilling, football and a quiz. We also take a look at Thatcham Town Council’s response to one aspect of the of the Local transport plan consultation and bring you the latest news and possible next steps on the town-centre strategy – plus there’s our usual round-up of local news, local events and activities and news from your local councils.

This week’s news

• Got any old tools you no longer need? The Mencap Greenfinger project will be collecting them this weekend at the Thatcham Sustainable Living Market, Saturday 18 March or at any Rivar gravel depot.

• 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.

• Thatcham Refillable is a family-run, mobile household refill company, whose aim is to reduce plastic waste by offering a refill service for a wide range of cleaning and household products. However in a recent blog post they explain that hard times are leading them to consider scaling back their operation. If you would like to support an eco-friendly local business, check out their Facebook page for updates on where they’ll be popping-up next.

• Thatcham Town Council are holding a garden party in aid of Dementia Action Week on Friday 19 May. The event will include afternoon tea, chair dancing, ukulele music and plants at the Jubilee Sensory Garden, Brownsfield Road from 11am to 3pm. For more information get in touch with Victoria from victoria.rowland@ageukberkshire.org.uk.

• 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.

• 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.

• See here for information about warm spaces in Thatcham and other areas.

• The latest Bulletin by St Mary’s and St Barnabas’ churches is available to read here.

• For recent news from Hermitage see the latest Hermitage Parish Council newsletter here.

• For the latest newsletter from Benefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton which covers updates, local groups and events across the Thatcham area, please visit their website here.

Making the place in Thatcham

As mentioned several times previously, Thatcham (and Hungerford) have been the subject of an exercise variously known as a place-making and a town-centre strategy. These have now been completed and will be presented to WBC’s Executive on 23 March for formal adoption. You can see the header page for that item in the Executive’s agenda here. The final draft of the strategy document for Thatcham can be seen here.

I understand that, once the plans have been approved, the next stage will be the setting up of a working group in order to look at the details of what’s needed and apply for grant funding. Given that the pre-election “purdah” prior starts at 8am on 24 March and that any discussion of our announcements about this would be regarded as falling foul of the regulations (in that they might confer a political advantage) it’s likely that any work on this in the next sex weeks will be behind the scenes.

I spoke to a couple of Thatcham Town Councillors about this on 16 March, the day after the documents had been published. They told me that they hadn’t had a chance to consider and discuss the document and so couldn’t provide a comment at this stage. However, based on the presentation made to the Town Council a couple of weeks ago and a quick glance at the published document, it seems to contain some useful ideas.

A transport vision

As mentioned elsewhere and previously, WBC is inviting residents and businesses across West Berkshire to take part in its draft Local Transport Plan survey by providing your views on our draft priorities and objectives to improve transport facilities and travel options. As a Local Authority, it has a statutory duty to publish a Local Transport Plan (LTP), which contains a strategy and an intervention plan. You can find out more information here. The consultation closes on 22 March.

The matter will be considered at the next meeting of WBC’s Executive on 23 March (click here and see item 6). As the consultation will only end the day before, there won’t be time for all the responses (some of which will be quite detailed) to be considered for the following the day. WBC, however, clearly wants to release some kind of statement about this before the pre-election purdah period starts on 24 March. It therefore needs to be considered at the Executive; and for this to happen there has to be something to discuss. The papers therefore include initial consultation responses. How useful these will be as they’re incomplete is uncertain. certainly any statement will have to be heavily qualified to reflect this.

One organisation which had not responded by the time this document was prepared but which has since agreed its comments is Thatcham Town Council. On of the questions in the consultation was “Please tell us what could be explained more clearly and how.” TTC answered this one as follows:

“The phrase ‘vision-led’ is meaningless management-speak. For the strategy to be ‘vision-led’, it needs to contain elements that are visionary, and therefore also distinctive. There is nothing in this draft strategy that distinguishes it from what a consultancy might write for any Highways Authority in UK and many of the ‘objectives’ are little more than statutory requirements.

“Focussing on certain priorities implicitly means that some other aspects are given lower priority. These four priorities are so broad that it is unclear what aspects fall outside them, and therefore what is not a priority. If every objective is designated a high priority, then none of them is actually a high priority.”

Thursday 9 March 2023

This week we cover community awards, the WI, a fun day, photos and vintage adventure. We also take a look at the cause of the A4/Pipers Way roadworks and get distracted by a spookily obscure entry in Bucklebury Parish Council’s latest minutes – plus there’s our usual round-up of local news, local events and activities and news from your local councils.

This week’s news

• Last chance to get in your nominations for the Thatcham Community Awards 2023. The three categories are: the Community Contributor Award, the Environmental Champion Award and the Inspiring Young Person award. All nominations will be considered so please do if you would like to nominate someone, download the form and return to Thatcham Council by Friday 10 March.

• Free compostable food waste caddy liners are currently available until Saturday 11 March from all West Berkshire Council Libraries, including Thatcham Library. Collect one free roll per household, by showing proof of West Berkshire address to confirm you live within the district. This offer is while stocks last, please make sure to check opening times before visiting.

• Please note there is a overnight road closure at Crookham Hill, from 9pm on Saturday 11 March to 9am on Sunday 12 March between its junctions with Station Road and Chamberhouse Mill Lane. This closure is to enable Network Rail to carry out maintenance works on the level crossing. More information can be found here.

• On Wednesday 15 March, West Berkshire Museum is hosting a talk on Thatcham in Photos by Nick Young. A range of historic photographs will be shown highlighting some of the buildings, people and events in Thatcham. Nick Young has written a number of history books, given talks and media interviews on the history of Thatcham. Tickets for this in-person talk are £5 per person and they must be booked in advance here.

• 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.

• Churches in Thatcham invite the young at heart to the next monthly Vintage Adventure on Thursday 16 March at Thatcham Methodist Church for fun activities, making friends and informal worship. Please book your place with Karen on pastoraldevelopmentworker@outlook.com or 07444 851606.

• 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.

• If you would like a stall at this year’s Thatcham Family Fun Day on Saturday 25 June, click here for the application form.

• 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.

• See here for information about warm spaces in Thatcham and other areas.

• The latest Bulletin by St Mary’s and St Barnabas’ churches is available to read here.

• For recent news from Hermitage see the latest Hermitage Parish Council newsletter here.

• Click here to see the latest edition of the Cold Ash Community Bulletin which starts with snow and ends with courage. Anyone who lives in or has any interest in Cold Ash is recommended to subscribe: contact bulletin@cacp.org.uk to do this or if you have anything you’d like to contribute.

• For the latest newsletter from Benefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton which covers updates, local groups and events across the Thatcham area, please visit their website here.

Thatcham’s roadworks

On 7 March, WBC Councillor Owen Jeffrey contacted WBC’s Highways team with a question that had been dominating his inbox for the previous 24 hours:

At junction of A4 with Pipers Way there are traffic lights allowing only single file traffic. Delays form the East are very long. Do you know how long this will last? Perhaps more important – what are they for? A great hole has been put through the hedge and it appears almost as if a building project is being started on the very land that has been included in the Reg 19 submission if the Local Plan.”

A prompt response from WBC confirmed that “this is the preparatory works associated with the East Thatcham Flood Alleviation scheme. The current phase involves the construction of three flood attenuation ponds at Bowling Green Road, Heath Lane and East Thatcham. Initial works for these three areas has already been completed on BGR and Heath Lane with vegetation clearance and the construction of entrances into each site. Similar works have now started on the construction of the entrance to the East Thatcham site off the A4.”

There was no comment as to how long these might last for, though a glance at One.Network’s map suggests this could continue until the end of the month.

Vanishing tell-tales at Bucklebury’s cemetery

I was intrigued by item 12 in the minutes for the 13 February meeting of Bucklebury Parish Council. Under the heading “Cemetery and Chapel”, the notes record that “a number of tell-tales had been placed on the wall around the Cemetery to monitor movement. Cllr. Teal reported that on a recent inspection, all but one of the tell-tales had gone.” I’m probably displaying my ignorance here, but what are tell-tales, in this context? And recording movement of what (this was on the cemetery walls, remember)? Now “all but one” has gone – is this good news or bad? And what happens now? In due course I’ll contact BPC and ask what this all means, but for the now I shall let my mind speculate on the sinister images this conjures up.

It’s certainly the case that PC minutes are often written in a kind of code which means much to the members of the group and perhaps to some residents but nothing at all to anyone else. A year or so go, one set of minutes laconically reported that “the oak tree by the pub is being troublesome again.” Another one referred to “an escaped manhole.” I can’t now recall what the prosaic explanations were for these observations but my imagination had great fun with them in the meantime. My favourite of all was a reference to “the travelling snowmen:” this really clicked my brain into overdrive. It turned out to be a typo for “the travelling showmen”, referring to a circus troupe which stored equipment in the parish – unusual, certainly, but nothing to match the parallel universe into which I’d been so delightfully catapulted. Keep ’em coming…

Thursday 2 March 2023

This week we cover a quiz, litter, a larder, FE courses and a fun day. We also bring you the covering letter of Town Council’s response to the Regulation 19 consultation of the local plan which clearly sets out its position – plus there’s our usual round-up of local news, local events and activities and news from your local councils.

This week’s news

• There are a few tickets still available for this Friday’s Mayor’s Charity Quiz Night, at the Frank Hutchins Community Hall.if you would like to take part in a fun quiz while raising money for nominated charities, Daisy’s Dream and Thatcham Tornadoes. Supper and nibbles are included in the ticket price and there will also be a raffle.

• The VIAN environmental group is helping ‘Keep Thatcham Beautiful‘ by continuing to litter pick across the area. The group has been set up by the locally based asylum seekers and is led by Bahman, a primary school teacher from Iran who was forced to flee his country because of the Iranian regime, leaving behind his wife and children. VIAN means love in Kurdish and is the name of his daughter.

• Thatcham Community Larder is open from 1.30pm to 5.30pm on Wednesdays in the Frank Hutchins Hall. They offer affordable food items (starting at £3.50 per week) that reduce food waste and much more besides. There are refreshments and friendly conversation, recipe sharing, craft activities, seated exercise and signposting for any further help needed. Follow them on facebook for more details.

• Please note there will be a road closure at Bowling Green Road by the Henwick Lane junction, from 6 to 10 March, between 9:30am and 3:30pm to enable BT to carry out repairs on their network. Click here for more details. There will also be an overnight closure at Crookham Hill, from 9pm on Saturday 11 March to 9am on Sunday 12 March between its junctions with Station Road and Chamberhouse Mill Lane. This closure is to enable Network Rail to carry out maintenance works on the level crossing. More information can be found here.

• If you would like a stall at this year’s Thatcham Family Fun Day on Saturday 25 June, click here for the application form.

• 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.

• See here for information about warm spaces in Thatcham and other areas.

• The latest Bulletin by St Mary’s and St Barnabas’ churches is available to read here.

• For recent news from Hermitage see the latest Hermitage Parish Council newsletter here.

• Click here to see the latest edition of the Cold Ash Community Bulletin which starts with frost and ends with Hamlet. Anyone who lives in or has any interest in Cold Ash is recommended to subscribe: contact bulletin@cacp.org.uk to do this or if you have anything you’d like to contribute.

• For the latest newsletter from Benefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton which covers updates, local groups and events across the Thatcham area, please visit their website here.

Thatcham’s objection

The Regulation 19 consultation into the 10,000pp (if one includes all the appendices) local plan for West Berkshire closes at 4.30pm on 3 March and a number of parishes are putting the final touches to their responses. Many are considerable documents in their own right. Bucklebury’s tuns to 175pp and has a good deal to say about the likely impact of traffic. The proposals would, the response contends, create significant extra vehicle movements but without and mitigating toad improvements.

Thatcham’s response is 80pp, plus whatever all the appendices and references would amount to. It kicks off with a covering letter which gives a brief and clear summary of the Town Council’s position which has consistently held. With TTC’s permission, I’m reproducing it in full here.

“Thatcham Town Council respectfully submits its representations on West Berkshire Council’s Regulation 19 Consultation on its draft Local Plan.

“The Town Council welcomes the decision of West Berkshire Council to reconsider its proposal in the Emerging Draft Local Plan for a strategic site of 2,500 homes to the north east of Thatcham. However, the Regulation 19 draft Local Plan does not properly consider the impacts of a development of its revised proposal for 1,500 homes, nor adequate provision for the infrastructure that Thatcham so desperately needs – even before any additional homes are built.

“The current Local Plan states that:”Thatcham’s services and facilities will be improved allowing the town to fulfil its role within the District Settlement Hierarchy and the Hierarchy of Centres, serving the local population, not only within Thatcham, but also the surrounding rural areas.” This improvement has not happened during the current plan period, and the policies in the draft Local Plan and the Infrastructure Delivery Plan will not deliver this in the next plan period. The draft Local Plan is therefore unsound, as it relates to Thatcham and its surroundings.

“Thatcham Town Council acknowledges that Thatcham should make its proportionate contribution to the housing needs of West Berkshire, once the deficit of infrastructure (particularly social infrastructure) in the town has been addressed.

“These representations identify numerous reasons why the draft Local Plan as it relates to Thatcham is not legally compliant or is unsound. The Town Council believes that it is not ready for independent examination (as per Section 20 (7) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004). We therefore urge West Berkshire Council to delay the submission of the draft Local Plan to the Secretary of State, so that these matters can be addressed. This would also enable it to take into account the review of the National Planning Policy Framework, on which the Government is currently consulting.

“Should West Berkshire Council proceed with submission of the draft Local Plan in its current form, the Town Council envisages that the changes necessary to make it sound would be more extensive than could be addressed through ‘main modifications’, and it would therefore be rejected. The Town Council understands the need for West Berkshire to have a Local Plan. Delaying the submission in order to address the issues in these representations is therefore likely to lead to an earlier date of final adoption.

“The Town Council welcomes the statement in paragraph 6.63 of the draft Local Plan “Further detailed work will be required to develop a coherent masterplan or development framework to take the development [at North East Thatcham] forward, which will be produced in collaboration with the community and other stakeholders.”

“As the principal representative of the community of Thatcham, the Town Council looks forward to playing a leading role in this collaboration. If this collaboration had started earlier (between the Regulation 18 consultation on the Emerging Draft Local Plan and this consultation) as is called for in Paragraph 25 of NPPF, then many of these representations might not have been necessary.”

Thursday 23 February 2023

This week we cover funk disco, bus routes, a charity quiz, a fun day and a road closure. We also take a look at the problems faced by volunteers and refugees alike in providing suitable meals at the Regency Park Hotel and take a peak at the Town Council’s draft response to the Regulation 19 consultation of the local plan – plus there’s our usual round-up of local news, local events and activities and news from your local councils.

This week’s news

• Stuck for ideas this weekend? On Saturday Thatcham Bowling Club are holding a Soul, Funk and Disco Night, and on Sunday Thatcham Football Club are holding a Musical Musical Bingo, night with singing along highly encouraged.

• The Mayor of Thatcham is inviting locals to his Fun Charity Quiz on Friday 3 March in aid of Daisy’s Dream and Thatcham Tornadoes. Book as a team of 6 or as an individual and a team will be found for you. Ticket price includes a meal of either Fish & Chips or plain or battered Sausage & Chips, plus some nibbles and you’re welcome to bring your own drinks. Tickets can be purchased via their Facebook page here.

• Just a reminder, there will be no trains through Thatcham, between Reading and Westbury, from now until Thursday 2 March, due to extensive planned engineering works at various locations. See more details on bus replacement services at gwr.com/travel-information

• Faye Harland works for BBC Radio Berkshire and is doing a story about cuts to bus routes. She wants to talk to people who use the bus as their main form of transport, either through choice or necessity – particularly those who’ve been impacted by cuts to routes in recent years. If this is you, then please email her on faye.harland@bbc.co.uk

• Please note there will be a road closure on Henwick Lane, Thatcham until Wednesday 1 March for Thames Water to carry out repairs to a defective reinstatement of the road surface. Click here for more updates.

• Quick reminder to make your nominations for the Thatcham Community Awards 2023 by Friday 10 March in any of the three categories: Community Contributor Award, Environmental Champion Award and the Inspiring Young Person award. All nominations will be considered so please do visit the council’s webpage to download the form and return.

• 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.

• West Berkshire Council has published the draft of its Council Strategy 2023-27 and wants feedback from members of the community (this is different from the much more important Regulation 19 consultation on the local plan which closes on 3 March). The document sets out what the Council intends to prioritise and improve, as well as how it will deliver core services over the next four years. Click here to read the draft council strategy and click here to give your feedback via the survey. The deadline to have your say on our draft proposals by Sunday 26 February. You can read my thoughts about the Council Strategy in this separate post.

• If you would like a stall at this year’s Thatcham Family Fun Day on Saturday 25 June, click here for the application form.

• 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.

• See here for information about warm spaces in Thatcham and other areas.

• The latest Bulletin by St Mary’s and St Barnabas’ churches is available to read here.

• For recent news from Hermitage see the latest Hermitage Parish Council newsletter here.

• Click here to see the latest edition of the Cold Ash Community Bulletin which starts with snowdrops and ends with smiles. Anyone who lives in or has any interest in Cold Ash is recommended to subscribe: contact bulletin@cacp.org.uk to do this or if you have anything you’d like to contribute.

• For the latest newsletter from Benefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton which covers updates, local groups and events across the Thatcham area, please visit their website here.

Food for thought

Penny has recently started volunteering with West Berkshire Action for Refugees to support the asylum seekers living in a Thatcham hotel and has seen for herself the plastic trays of food that are delivered to the hotel to be microwaved individually three times a day for each resident.

“If they were living in the hotel for just a few months it would be tolerable but the reality is that many of them have been here for over a year,” explains Karen Reeve from WBAR. “We appreciate that it’s a challenge to provide meals that suit the wide range of nationalities but we’ve got young lads who are going hungry because the portion sizes simply aren’t big enough. After everything they have been through, their mental health is also being affected.

“Thatcham Medical Practice has been very helpful, offering health support but we would really like West Berkshire Council to put pressure on the Home Office about their concerns for the welfare of over 150 people now living in their community. We have tried contacting the Home Office ourselves but they don’t seem to listen to charities.”

Asylum seekers are not allowed to work and have an allowance of just £9.10 per week so they are dependent on the Home Office and community donations for their food.

While WBAR and Care4Calais continue to advocate on behalf of the asylum seekers with the authorities, they are very grateful for any donations of packaged snacks like biscuits or cereal bars to supplement the meal provision. Condiments like chilli sauce, soy sauce and spices would also be very welcome to allow the residents to flavour their meals as desired.

“Meals are essential to our wellbeing, not just for nutrition and health but being able to eat food that we like and are used to is something that most of us take for granted,” explains Karen.

Another frustrating aspect of the catering at the hotel is the provision of single-use plastic knives, forks and spoons. Many of the asylum seekers are equally concerned about the environment as the wider community so are grateful for donations of re-usable metal cutlery. They have even created the VIAN Environment Society that provides a litter-picking service for Thatcham with support of Thatcham Town Council. You can follow VIAN (which means love in Kurdish and is named after the group leader’s daughter) on facebook here. The group leader is a primary school teacher called Bahman who was forced to leave his country, his wife, daughter, and son, and flee because of the Iranian regime.

If you able to make any donations, please take them to Thatcham Town Council Office which is open 8.30am to 5.00pm, Monday to Thursday and 8.30am to 4.30pm on Fridays at Brownsfield Road, Thatcham RG18 3HF. For further details please contact volunteer@westberksrefugees.org

67 pages and counting

The Regulation 19 consultation into WBC’s local plan continues and you have until 3 March to make your views known. Not for the first time, I direct you to this separate post which has some background information on this gargantuan document and some suggestions as to where you might find navigation or translation help should you need it.

Most parish and town councils have or will be producing their own comments. Few are more affected by the plan than Thatcham, the particular issue being the policy SP17 which deals with the 1,500+ housing allocation to the north east of the town. The Town Council has produced its draft response which can be seen here. This currently runs to 67 pages but there is still more information to be added and several appendices ,so a final page count north of 100 pages is to be expected. When one considers that if you were to print every page of the WBC plan including all supporting documents you’d need 10,000 sheets of A4, (plus a decent provision for paper jams if your printer is anything like mine) ,100+ pages is quite restrained. Mind you, that’s just from one parish. Others will follow.

A quick glance reveals that it is written, as the matter demands, in sober and un-emotive Inspector-speak, the Inspector here being the civil servant who will have the job of evaluating the plan and all the comments which the Regulation 19 consultation has produced. In places, such as in the charts on pp11-18, the response finds itself in agreement with the policies proposed. If, as I’ve suggested before, the policies could be agreed first and the site allocations afterwards and consequent on that, the exercise might be more more manageable and less divisive. None the less, we are where we are and I’m not making the rules.

Thatcham TC’s response will be discussed at an extraordinary meeting of TTC on Tuesday 28 February from 7pm. More details can be found here and members of the public are welcome to attend.

As mentioned above, there’s still time for you to make your comments. If you are a resident of Thatcham and need any help or advice, the Chair or Vice Chair of TTC’s Planning and Highways Committee would be worth contacting. If you live elsewhere, see the post referred to in the first paragraph on this section.

Thursday 16 February 2023

This week we cover trains, councillors, yoga, a quiz and local charities. We also take a look at the latest statement from ReadiBus about its dealings with West Berkshire Council over the last five years and report on a possible improvement in Thatcham’s awful postal service – plus there’s our usual round-up of local news, local events and activities and news from your local councils.

This week’s news

• This weekend the Thatcham United Reform Church are holding a Fairtrade Fortnight Tea & Coffee morning. Everyone is welcome to come along on Saturday 18 February, between 10am and 12pm.

• Just a reminder, there will be no trains through Thatcham, between Reading and Westbury, from this Saturday 18 February to Thursday 2 March inclusive due to extensive planned engineering works at various locations. Buses will be replacing trains from stations including Kintbury, Hungerford, Newbury and Thatcham conveying customers to either Theale or (after 8pm each day) into Reading for onward rail connections. See more details at gwr.com/travel-information

• Are you passionate about your community? Do you want to help make a long-lasting change? Do you have innovative ideas for the council? If that sounds like you, then why not stand for election as a Councillor? Local elections are coming up in May and Thatcham Town Council need people from all backgrounds who reflect their community to put themselves forward for election. An integral part of a councillor’s role is engaging with local people, groups, and businesses to determine their needs, making decisions on the services and projects the council should take forward, and getting involved to ensure services meet the community’s needs. If this sounds like something you would be interested in click here for more information about the role of a Councillor and how to run for election.

• Do you have any spare yoga mats you no longer need? West Berkshire Action for Refugees would be grateful for them. If you can spare any, please drop them off at the Thatcham Town Council Offices, or contact them through their Facebook page and they can arrange a pick-up.

• Please note there will be a road closure on Henwick Lane, Thatcham, from Tuesday 28 February to Wednesday 1 March for Thames Water to carry out repairs to a defective reinstatement of the road surface. The closure will be between its junction with Bowling Green Road and its junction with Gordon Road. Click here for more updates.

• If you would like a stall at this year’s Thatcham Family Fun Day on Saturday 25 June, click here for the application form.

• 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.

• See here for information about warm spaces in Thatcham and other areas.

• The latest Bulletin by St Mary’s and St Barnabas’ churches is available to read here.

• For recent news from Hermitage see the latest Hermitage Parish Council newsletter here.

• Click here to see the latest edition of the Cold Ash Community Bulletin which starts with a visitor and ends with an index of character. Anyone who lives in or has any interest in Cold Ash is recommended to subscribe: contact bulletin@cacp.org.uk to do this or if you have anything you’d like to contribute.

• For the latest newsletter from Benefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton which covers updates, local groups and events across the Thatcham area, please visit their website here.

Thatcham’s mail

I’m not quite sure what is going wrong with Thatcham’s postal service, but local WBC Councillor Owen Jeffery has clearly had enough. In a letter sent on 13 February to the NWN and Penny Post, he writes as follows:

“The sad saga of rare and irregular mail delivery continues across Thatcham. The unanimous condemnation of the dire delivery situation that was agreed at Thatcham Town Council has had no visible effect on the postal delivery service we receive.

“May I suggest by this letter that any member of the public dismayed by the postal delivery service in Thatcham should write with their own experience to: Mr Scott Billington, Royal Mail Wokingham Delivery Office, 16 Broad Street, Wokingham RG40 1AA. I believe that Thatcham Delivery Office falls under his jurisdiction.”

I understand that the letter from Thatcham Town Council was also sent to the Parliamentary Select Committee that recently quizzed the CEO of Royal Mail.

Whether because of these complaints or not, matters seem to be improving. Councillor Jeffrey was able to tell me on 16 February that he received a letter that morning and no fewer then four the day before. “Coincidence?” he asks, “Or does publicity sometimes work?” Possibly the former: but the latter can pay handsome dividends as well. Writing stroppy letters where necessary to organisations like Royal Mail is exactly what town and parish councils and district councillors should be doing (not all the time, of course).

A five-year bus journey

Last week, I referred to a statement from the community transport company ReadiBus which we published. In this, the charity’s trustees described themselves as being “shocked and baffled” by West Berkshire Council’s response to complaint about Council misinformation.

This turned out to be merely the prelude, the hors d’oeuvre or the preliminary sketch for what was to follow. On 14 February we received a longer statement with the headline “The ReadiBus service in West Berkshire: some key issues from the last five years – a summary.” You can read this in full here. It is not a happy tale. Words and phrases like “lack of consultation”, “misrepresentation”. “misinformation”, “discrimination”, “a flawed complaints procedure” and “the Ombudsman’s finding of fault” all appear amongst the sub-headings. This is without doubt a relationship which has got badly soured but one which the charity has not completely given up on.

If WBC wishes to issue a statement of its own on this subject, we’ll be happy to print it in full.

This seems to be another matter that, like Faraday Road football and the LRIE, is badly in need of a re-boot. It’s probably unlikely that anything much will happen before 4 May (the pre-election purdah starts on 22 March and any announcements after that time which might confer political advantage are banned). After the election, though, and whoever wins, there needs to be blank sheet of paper would into the municipal typewriter, a deep breath taken and a new start embarked upon. As with the LRIE and Faraday Road, the various solutions have been tried over these last five years haven’t worked; indeed have got completely stuck in the mud. Nor have the opponents gone away. If we don’t want more of the same, something has to change. I don’t want to be writing about these stories in the same vein as we approach the 2027 election…

Thursday 9 February 2023

This week we cover a quiz, community awards, a fun day, warm spaces and a sunset. We also bring you a statement from Readibus and take a look at what lies behind seeming surprising council motion – plus there’s our usual round-up of local news, local events and activities and news from your local councils.

This week’s news

• Have you got questions about your recycling and rubbish collections or want some tips on waste reduction? A waste officer will be at Thatcham Library on Monday 13 February, between 10 am and 11:30am. If you have a question but can’t make it, please feel free to contact them through the Recycle West Berkshire Facebook page, and they will be happy to help.

• The Mayor of Thatcham is inviting locals to his Fun Charity Quiz, on Friday 3 March in aid of Daisy’s Dream and Thatcham Tornadoes. Book as a team of 6 or as an individual and a team will be found for you. Ticket price includes a meal of either Fish & Chips or plain or battered Sausage & Chips, plus some nibbles and you’re welcome to bring your own drinks. Tickets can be purchased via their Facebook page here.

• Half term is quickly approaching, so if you’re looking for ideas to entertain your little ones, take a look at our February Half Term Guide for a list of local activities including the Kennet Amateur Theatrical Society (KATS) will be performing the pantomime Dick Whittington. There will be four performances between the 16 to 18 February, at the Kennet School. Click here to learn more about KATS and click here to book tickets for their upcoming show. There will also be Lego fun events at Tuesday 14 and Friday 17 at Thatcham Library. It’s free to join in and materials are provided. The library also run regular Lego Club on the first Saturday of every month.

• All are very welcome to turn up and have a go at a fun French singing workshop, run by Watership Cantabile Newbury Choir group. Enjoy an afternoon of singing French songs, followed by refreshments on Saturday 11 February taking place at St Mary’s Church, Thatcham. Details here.

• West Berkshire Council‘s Economic Development Team is sponsoring a business start-up course with the other Berkshire authorities to help residents who are looking to start their own business. The course is run by the Berkshire Growth Hub and is in a hybrid format of online and offline sessions. This would be a great chance for anyone looking to start a business full time or turn a hobby into an income stream. Further information and steps to sign up can be found here: berkshiregrowthhub.co.uk/start-up-programme. The closing date for registration is the 14 February with the course starting on the 28 February.

• Just a reminder, there will be no trains through Thatcham, between Reading and Westbury, from 18 February to 2 March inclusive due to extensive planned engineering works at various locations. Buses will be replacing trains from stations including Kintbury, Hungerford, Newbury and Thatcham conveying customers to either Theale or (after 8pm each day) into Reading for onward rail connections. See more details at gwr.com/travel-information

• If you would like a stall at this year’s Thatcham Family Fun Day on Saturday 25 June, take advantage of the early bird deal by, clicking here for the application form.

• 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.

• See here for information about warm spaces in Thatcham and other areas.

• The latest Bulletin by St Mary’s and St Barnabas’ churches is available to read here.

• For recent news from Hermitage see the latest Hermitage Parish Council newsletter here.

• Click here to see the latest edition of the Cold Ash Community Bulletin which starts with a sunset and ends with reading. Anyone who lives in or has any interest in Cold Ash is recommended to subscribe: contact bulletin@cacp.org.uk to do this or if you have anything you’d like to contribute.

• For the latest newsletter from Benefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton which covers updates, local groups and events across the Thatcham area, please visit their website here.

A statement from ReadiBus

For the last few years, we have been covering the story of the dispute between the community transport charity ReadiBus and West Berkshire Council. Aside from a hearing before the Ombudsman following a botched consultation by the Council, the main bone of contention is a clause in the proposed new service-level agreement which, for some reason, WBC has insisted upon. ReadiBus has refused to sign this on the grounds that it is effectively a gagging clause and gives WBC a veto over any statements that Readibus might make. Quite what aspect of its reputation WBC was seeking to protect in this way, given that the two organisations had been working together harmoniously for 35 years, is unclear: the irony is that, by insisting on it, WBC has created exactly the kind of bad publicity for itself that the clause was designed to prevent.

The real losers in this are the many people – particularly in the Thatcham and Newbury areas and in the eastern parts of the district such as Calcot, Purley, Theale and Tilehurst – with mobility problems and who have long relied on ReadiBus to help them get around. Soon after Penny Post first covered this, we were contacted by about ten users, all of whom were dismayed by the likely service cuts and confused as to how this could have come about. Given the fact that the district’s population is an ageing one, demand for such a service can only be on the increase. WBC has asserted that other community transport providers exist: whilst true, none offer the same service as does ReadiBus; the various different services complement one another and each has its place in meeting different needs.

On 9 February 2023, ReadiBus issued a statement on various aspects of this protracted impasse which you can read here.

Requesting a pause

The agenda papers for an extraordinary meeting of WBC’s Full Council on 2 March 2023 includes a “Proposal for consideration by Council as detailed in the requisition signed by Members dated 1 February 2023.” This can be seen here.

This was put up by the opposition Lib Dem group and offers a number of reasons why the current Regulation 19 consultation into the local plan is defective. Most of these directly relate to the specific proposals for THA20, the plans for 1,500 (or perhaps more) homes between Thatcham and Bucklebury. The proponents urge that the Council should “(1) abandon the consultation on the Local Plan which commenced on the 20th of January 2023, so that all relevant issues can be rectified and/or clarified and thereby avoid the risk of the Local Plan Review submission being dismissed as unsound by the Inspector on the basis of a defective Regulation 19 Consultation: and (2) undertake a new Regulation 19 Consultation in the future once these omissions and errors have been rectified.”

Neither ambition seems likely to be realised unless there’s a serious outbreak of absenteeism or disloyalty at the 2 March meeting (which seems unlikely as it’s the budget-setting one so everyone will be in three-line whip mode). Passing the proposals would also mean that the Regulation 19 consultation would need to be paused less than 24 hours before it was due to finish, an epic nonsense by any standards. The Lib Dems obviously don’t think they are going to win this one: what, therefore, is the point of doing it?

The answer may lie in the fact that its target market is not local residents or anyone at WBC but the Council’s forthcoming Executive Director of Place, Clare Lawrence, who takes cup her new role in March. One of her first major duties will be to sign off the final version of the local plan as being in a fit state to go to the Planning Inspectorate. This will happen probably in early April, after the Regulation 19 responses (of which there are likely to be quite a few) have been considered.

This warning shot will, the Lib Dems hope, highlight to her the fact that some feel the plan as it stands is flawed. If she shares any of these misgivings then she cannot issue the certificate under section 20 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act confirming that the plan is, as it were, fully oven-ready. The Lib Dems would like to have aspects of the plan changed and have said that if they were elected on 4 May they would look at ways to accomplish this. The ruling Conservative group wants to have the plan passed as it stands. The further on in the process the plan has progressed, the harder it will be for reverse gear to be applied; so, the Lib Dems would prefer that the plan had not been submitted before the election. The Conservatives therefore have their foot on the accelerator while the Lib Dems are trying to put theirs on the brake.

Normally, the decision to send the local plan to the Inspector is debated at Full Council. However, due to the numerous delays the plan has experienced, this needs to take place during the pre-election purdah period (from 22 March) during which councils may not make announcements which could be seen as likely to confer political advocate. Fearing that such a discussion would fall foul of this rule, the administration decided on 1 December that this decision would be delegated to the senior officer. There therefore won’t be an opportunity to have a debate between the elected members. In the absence of that, the Lib Dems appear to feel that this requisition is the best way of getting their message across. What weight Clare Lawrence gives to these concerns remains to be seen.

A final point: none of the above should be seen as a reason for people or organisations not to make their comments as part of the Regulation 19 process. You can click here to see a separate post on the subject which includes the link to the consultation and some advice as to a few places from where you might like to get help or advice should you need it.

Thursday 2 February 2023

This week we cover community awards, a market, a choir, re-filling and a fun day. We also take a look at Thatcham Town Council’s response to WBC’s strategy consultation and suggest that TTC has a much more important document in its in-tray at present – plus there’s our usual round-up of local news, local events and activities and news from your local councils.

This week’s news

• Over halfterm the Kennet Amateur Theatrical Society (KATS) will be performing the pantomime Dick Whittington. There will be four performances between the 16 to 18 February, at the Kennet School. Click here to learn more about KATS and click here to book tickets for their upcoming show.

• This weekend the Mum2Mum Market is taking place at Thatcham Catholic Hall on Saturday 4 February, from 2pm to 4pm. Come along to pick up both new and pre-loved baby, children and maternity items.

• Did you know that you can refill your containers of household cleaning and personal care products every Friday at the Thatcham Refillable stall at Thatcham Market? You can bring your empty bottles or adopt one. Their product range is plant-based and reduces single use plastic waste. Win win.

• Steam train fans please note that The Bath & Gloucester Steam Express hauled by steam locomotive, LMS Jubilee Class 45699 Galatea will be puffing through Thatcham this Saturday 4 February. See more details here and also on realtimetrains.co.uk.

• Less good news about trains – there will be no trains through Thatcham, between Reading and Westbury, from 18 February to 2 March inclusive due to extensive planned engineering works at various locations. Buses will be replacing trains from stations including Kintbury, Hungerford, Newbury and Thatcham conveying customers to either Theale or (after 8pm each day) into Reading for onward rail connections. See more details at gwr.com/travel-information

• Ageing Creatively will soon be holding weekly Chair Exercise classes at Thatcham Methodist Church, aimed at over 55s. It’s a fun way to keep fit, improve posture and socialise. The sessions will be every Wednesday from 22 February to 29 March, and cost £2 per session. Hot drinks will be available afterward. Click here for further details.

• The Sing Louder Choir are looking for new voices. Sessions take place on Thursdays, with the 7 to 14 year olds session at 6pm to 7pm, and adults class taking place from 7:15 to 8:15pm. No audition is required and it takes place at the Frank Hutchens Hall, with each class costing £3.65. To find our more, contact singlouderchoir@gmail.com.

• Hermitage Village Hall is hosting a Table Top Sale this Sunday 5 February between 2.30pm and 4pm so do pop along to grab a bargain. See more details here.

• NYAS – The National Youth Advocacy Service are looking for volunteers in West Berkshire to befriend a child in care as an Independent Visitor. IVs are trained and vetted and are often the only adult who is not paid to be with the child. The aim is for the child and IV to become long-term friends and meet up once a month (expenses reimbursed). Children in care often lead chaotic lives and having a consistent and stable friend can mean so much. It is a hugely rewarding process, and we know many people out there want to make a difference in society. See here for more information or contact Michelle.Playle@nyas.net

• If you would like a stall at this year’s Thatcham Family Fun Day on Saturday 25 June, take advantage of the early bird deal by, clicking here for the application form.

• Lego fun events are taking place over February half-term on Tuesday 14 and Friday 17 at Thatcham Library. It’s free to join in and materials are provided. The library also run regular Lego Club on the first Saturday of every month.

• 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.

• See here for information about warm spaces in Thatcham and other areas.

• The latest Bulletin by St Mary’s and St Barnabas’ churches is available to read here.

• For recent news from Hermitage see the latest Hermitage Parish Council newsletter here.

• Click here to see the latest edition of the Cold Ash Community Bulletin which starts with a hill and ends with pork chops. Anyone who lives in or has any interest in Cold Ash is recommended to subscribe: contact bulletin@cacp.org.ukto do this or if you have anything you’d like to contribute.

• For the latest newsletter from Benefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton which covers updates, local groups and events across the Thatcham area, please visit their website here.

Strategy stuff

Newbury Today reports here on a recent Thatcham Town Council meeting which criticised West Berkshire Council’s latest strategy plan which is out for consultation until 26 February. TTC has agreed with the 44 objectives – indeed, it’s almost possible to disagree with them – but has said that more detail was needed. The letter of response said “the objectives were impossible to measure, meaning any scale of improvement can be deemed a success.” TTC Leader, and WBC Lib Dem Leader Lee Dillon, also criticised the timing, just a few months before an election at which anything might happen.

It’s very hard to disagree with this summary: indeed, I came to the same kind of conclusion when I was first aware of it on 18 January. You can see the article I wrote on the subject by clicking here. As the document was so light on detail, I took the liberty of suggesting a few places where WBC’s current activities appeared to be in breach of the various standards to which the document.

In any event, I doubt TTC will want to waste too much time on commenting on the document that is, as I suggested last week, “mainly a summary of worthy aspirations, statutory responsibilities and statements of the obvious.” Much more serious is the Regulation 19 consultation on the local plan with which, in an unfortunate piece of timing, this strategy consultation largely overlaps with (the Regulation 19 closes on 3 March). I suspect that TTC’s comments on this will be long, detailed and technical. The most important aspect of this is the proposed site allocations for 1,500 homes to the north east of the town concerning with TTC has, to put it mildly, a few reservations. All residents are urged to make they views known. This separate post suggests some places from where you can get advice should you wish.

Thursday 26 January 2023

This week we cover refills at the market, chair exercises, family fun, singing, befriending, volunteering, warm spaces and winter hedges. We also draw you attention to four stories from last week’s column that remain relevant – plus there’s our usual round-up of local news, local events and activities and news from your local councils.

This week’s news

• Ageing Creatively will be holding weekly Chair Exercise classes, aimed at over 55s. It’s a fun way to keep fit, improve posture and socialise. The sessions will be every Wednesday from 22 February to 29 March, and cost £2 per session. There will also be hot drinks available afterward. The classes will take place at Thatcham Methodist Church. Click here for further details.

• If you would like a stall at this year’s Thatcham Family Fun Day on Saturday 25 June, take advantage of the early bird dealy by, clicking here for the application form.

• If you are interested in working for West Berkshire Council, you can attend their virtual careers event on Monday 30 January at midday. Find out about working in Adult and Children’s Social Care sectors, Environment, Transport and Countryside, and Customer Services.

• 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.

• See here for information about warm spaces in Thatcham and other areas.

• The latest Bulletin by St Mary’s and St Barnabas’ churches is available to read here.

• For recent news from Hermitage see the latest Hermitage Parish Council newsletter here.

• Click here to see the latest edition of the Cold Ash Community Bulletin which starts with winter hedges and ends with unhappy families. Anyone who lives in or has any interest in Cold Ash is recommended to subscribe: contact bulletin@cacp.org.uk to do this or if you have anything you’d like to contribute.

• For the latest newsletter from Benefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton which covers updates, local groups and events across the Thatcham area, please visit their website here.

A look back to last week

There were four stories last week (scroll down to see them) which remain just as relevant now. These cover:

The community transport company Readibus;
A Q&A session regarding commitments made by West Berkshire Council;
The progress on work on the flood defence scheme; and
An update on the local plan, the housing provision for which is likely to effect Thatcham, Bucklebury, Midgham and Cold Ash.

Thursday 19 January 2023

This week we cover family fun, a nest, community awards and warm spaces. We also bring you WBC’s latest statement on Thatcham’s flood defences, look at some questions and answers about the town at the recent WBC Executive meeting, reflect on the problems faced by the community transport provider Readibus which has led to a petition being presented to West Berkshire Council, look back at a successful volunteer fair and offer some advice about WBC’s local plan consultation (which is finally about to get under way) – plus our usual round-up of local news, local events and activities and news from your local councils.

This week’s news

• It’s been announced that this year’s Family Fun Day in Thatcham will take place on Saturday 25 June. They are now accepting applications for event stallholders, currently with an early bird discount deal. If you would be interested in running a stall, click here for the application form.

• The Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust have announced that they are on the Government’s New Hospital Programme. This means they will receive funding to either redevelop or rebuild the Royal Berks Hospital in Reading. They have called their programme Building Berkshire Together and are very keen for staff, patients and local residents to have their say on the future of the hospital in this survey.

• If you see flooded roads, pavements or walkways, do report them on the council’s new interactive map to Report a Problem with Highway Drainage. You can also keep an eye on this sewage discharge map which Thames Water now has to publicise so the public is aware of the sewage pollution problems in their area.

• If you run a village hall or community building and need help with funding, sign up for CCB’s useful webinar on Wednesday 25 January on Fundraising for Village Halls & Community Buildings, including information on the new Platinum Jubilee Village Halls fund, managed by ACRE. CCB gives a lot of support to village halls across Berkshire and this event is part of Village Halls Week.

• ‘The Nest’ is a new parent-toddler group especially for families with adopted and foster children coming soon to Thatcham. The free group will meet monthly at the St Mary and St Barnabas churches. Check out more on this story in the Newbury Today.

• Quick reminder that single bus fares are capped at a maximum of £2 from January to March 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.

• A public consultation on Royal Berkshire Fire Authority’s (RBFA) draft Corporate Plan and Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP) for the next four years is now underway. Please have your say on the plans by completing a short online survey.

• See here for information about warm spaces in Thatcham and other areas.

• The latest Bulletin by St Mary’s and St Barnabas’ churches is available to read here.

• For recent news from Hermitage see the latest Hermitage Parish Council newsletter here.

• Click here to see the latest edition of the Cold Ash Community Bulletin which starts with a red sky in the morning and ends with friendship. Anyone who lives in or has any interest in Cold Ash is recommended to subscribe: contact bulletin@cacp.org.uk to do this or if you have anything you’d like to contribute.

• For the latest newsletter from Benefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton which covers updates, local groups and events across the Thatcham area, please visit their website here.

All aboard the Readibus

At the meeting of West Berkshire Council’s Executive in January, a petition was presented by Councillor Lee Dillon on behalf of over 1,200 people concerning the community transport company Readibus.

The petition includes the following summary of what Readibus does and what is proposed happen next. “The service helps those with restricted mobility get around independently, and has been an important lifeline to many during the recent lockdowns. Liberal Democrat controlled Newbury and Thatcham Town Councils have committed funding that will see the service be able to operate at a reduced capacity until the end of the year, but this is only a short term solution. The West Berkshire Lib Dems call on the Conservative administration of West Berkshire Council to review their decision on funding ReadiBus; making sure that this important service remains available for those who need it, when they need it, for the long term. Please support our calls by signing our petition today.”

The involvement of the opposition Lib Dems should not be taken to mean that the issue is inherently political (though it has become politicised). Readibus has for several decades and to the great benefit of many of people been funded by both blue and orange WBC administrations.

I’ve written about this numerous times, as a search for “Readibus” in this post and its archives will show. In brief summary, a few years ago, funding from WBC for this service (which has been operating successfully since the 1990s) was dramatically cut. Discussions since appear to have stalled. The main issue is Readibus’ refusal to sign a gagging clause (WBC doesn’t like this term but that’s what it is) that would prevent the transport company from issuing any statement without WBC’s prior approval. Such clauses are regarded with understandable distaste by the voluntary sector. The irony is that WBC has by insisting on this point damaged its own reputation, the very thing that this clause was deigned to prevent.

On top of this, WBC was found partly at fault by the ombudsman for not having consulted on the initial round of funding cuts. The reason suggested by the then officer was that there was no point as most of the clients had learning difficulties – in fact they have mobility difficulties – which makes one wonder if the council had mixed Readibus up with another organisation. I have at various occasions been assured by spokespeople from WBC that (a) the clause was only intended to provide the council with advance notification of any statement and (b) that replacement community services were available in any case. A glance at the actual wording of the proposed contract and at a list of the valuable through different types of service provided by other transport groups shows that neither of these assertions holds water.

The petition has now closed but the campaign continues. I spoke to Councillor Lee Dillon on 18 January and asked him whether, if his party won the election on 4 May, he would issue the contract to Readibus but without the gagging clause. He said that he would. He also pointed out that Thatcham and Newbury Town Councils had similar service level agreements with suppliers and that none of these contained such a clause.

Thatcham’s commitments

The meeting of West Berkshire Council’s Executive on 12 January included (item H on pp8-9) a question from Thatcham Town Councillor Simon Pike about any support or funding provided for the Newbury Leisure Park on Lower Way (the bowling alley). The portfolio holder Howard Woollaston said that stuatory Covid grants were paid (which is beside the point as this was a national scheme): as regards other funding, “given financial constraints and extensive other commitments in the Leisure Strategy the Newbury Leisure Park is not something that we could contemplate becoming involved in.”

Mr Pike then asked, it the council could not support such a private business, “why did the Local Plan in 2012 give a commitment effectively that it would be expanded, when it is outside the ability of the Council to achieve that?” Exactly the same question could (and indeed earlier in the Q&A session was asked, also by Simon Pike) about the Kingsland Centre.

This seems to me to a very good question. Howard Woollaston clearly thought so too, “good” in this case meaning “difficult to answer.” “I wasn’t a Councillor in 2012, ” he replied, “and so would like to come back with a written response.” He’s normally good about getting back with answers so I’m sure we can reply upon him to provide that.

It certainly seems odd that any organisation can base any part of its policy, strategy, aspirations or what-you-will on performing some transformative act on something which it doesn’t own and is therefore outside its control. It could say it wants to enhance it (as it did) but this can’t happen without both parties’ consent. Businesses can also fail and cease trading: indeed, in the case of the Leisure Park, this is exactly what happened. As for the Kingsland centre, the answer to item A said that “in 2010, the owners of the Kingsland Centre had stated that they would redevelop the facility, however since then the economic situation has changed and this project has not progressed.” It seems, however, that there may now be re-furbishment proposals and that there might be more on this as a result of the Thatcham Town-centre strategy (which will completed by the end of February). No matter what is promised, however, it can only be provided if the owners agree.

Flooding update

West Berkshire Council has recently provided an update on the work on the town’s flood defences.

“Following the devastating floods in 2007 in and around Thatcham where approximately 1,200 homes were flooded, West Berkshire Council has been working in partnership with a number of agencies, local stakeholders, and businesses, to ensure that Thatcham is better protected from possible future flooding. To date, construction work has been completed at Cold Ash Hill, Tull Way, Floral Way and South East Thatcham, protecting 913 properties from the impact of surface water flooding via our Flood Alleviation Scheme.

“The next phase of the scheme will involve the construction of three flood attenuation ponds at Bowling Green Road, Heath Lane and East Thatcham. Initial works for these three areas are set to start later this month (January 2023) and will involve vegetation clearance and the construction of entrances into each site. The main construction project is scheduled to start in late March 2023. Once completed, this will protect another 107 properties from the impact of surface water flooding.”

For more information, please click here.

The local plan for West Berkshire

After two delays, West Berkshire Council is “pleased to confirm that the statutory Regulation 19 Consultation will start on Friday 20 January and last for six weeks.” Please click on this post on WBC’s site for more information and for a link to the consultation.

A district’s local plan is the ultimate source of reference (subject always to any changes in national legislation) for planning officers and planning committee members when making decisions about planning and development. These generally have a life cycle of 15 years. WBC’s current local plan runs until 2026 and work has been taking place on updating this since 2018.

The final draft was submitted to WBC’s Full Council on 1 December 2022 and was approved to go to public consultation. This stage, which is known as Regulation 19, was due to have run from 6 January to 17 February 2023: as mentioned above, it will now run from 20 January to 3 March 2023. This is an opportunity for everyone in the district, individuals and organisations, to have their say.

The document is important but also long and complex, to an extent that might make large parts of it unintelligible to anyone but a planning expert. In this separate post, we’ve suggested some local people or organisations whose advice you might want to get before making your comments. The good news is that these are all completely free…

Thursday 12 January 2023

This week we cover an outstanding school, community awards, a local gong, warm spaces and football. We also bring you up to date with the latest progress on the town’s place-making strategy and WBC’s local plan consultation – plus our usual round-up of local news, local events and activities and news from your local councils.

This week’s news

• Congratulations to Kennet School for retaining its outstanding Ofsted status after a recent inspection. See more on newburytoday.co.uk.

• Thatcham Town Council wishes to celebrate and award those fantastic organisations and individuals who do outstanding things in the community. Please make your nominations by Friday 10 March for the Thatcham Community Awards 2023 in any of the three categories: Community Contributor Award – this could be any individual, group or organisation doing their bit to make Thatcham’s community just that little bit more amazing. Environmental Champion Award – this could be anyone or even a business who has acknowledged the current environmental crisis and are proactively trying to change the situation. And the Inspiring Young Person award – what movers and shakers under the age of 25 do we know in the community? All nominations will be considered so please do visit the council’s webpage to download the form and return .

• Do you have any time on your hands? Volunteering is good for the soul (and the CV) and can be very flexible, fitting around other commitments. This Saturday 14 January sees the return of the big V365 2023 Volunteer Recruitment Day at Newbury Corn Exchange. Organised by Volunteer Centre West Berkshire, it is a brilliant opportunity to meet over 50 local charities, find out what they do and how you can get involved. See here for more details.

• Now that groundwater levels are rising (and rain is falling), concerns about flooding and sewage discharges of from overwhelmed sewers are back with us again. On the latter point, you can keep your eye on this map which has been produced by Thames Water. Traffic-light colours are used: red for discharging now; orange for discharges having happened in the last 48 hours; and green for not discharging now (but shows discharges since April 2022). The overall picture is, as one might expect, pretty awful.

• Many congratulations to Buckleberry local, Erica Tipton, who has been named in the King’s New Year Honours List. She made the list due to her exemplary services to charity in the local area, earning her a British Empire Medal. Her community work include 20 years serving as a parish councillor, 10 years as treasurer for The Victory Room, as well as chairwoman of The West Berkshire Patient Panel, Bucklebury Recreation Ground and Macmillan Cancer Support, Newbury. Read here for more details on Erica’s excellent work.

• The Mum2Mum Market is returning to Thatcham on Saturday 4 February at Thatcham Catholic Hall. Come along to pick up pre-loved baby and children’s equipment, clothing, toys, books, prams, cots and much more. Alternatively, if you would like to sell some items yourself, you can hire a stall or rail. Click here to visit their website and found out more.

• Latest news from Healthwatch West Berkshire includes what to do if you are worried your child has scarlet fever or Strep A and new Urgent Treatment Centre at Great Western Hospital. Click here for full details.

• 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.

• See here for information about warm spaces in Thatcham and other areas.

• The latest Bulletin by St Mary’s and St Barnabas’ churches is available to read here.

• For recent news from Hermitage see the latest Hermitage Parish Council newsletter here.

• Click here to see the latest edition of the Cold Ash Community Bulletin which starts with a horse in a coat and ends with Oscar Wilde. Anyone who lives in or has any interest in Cold Ash is recommended to subscribe: contact bulletin@cacp.org.uk to do this or if you have anything you’d like to contribute.

• For the latest newsletter from Benefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton which covers updates, local groups and events across the Thatcham area, please visit their website here.

Making the place

The formal consultations on the town’s place-making strategy have closed. Over the next six weeks or so the results will be studied and there will continue to be engagement with stakeholders, including Thatcham Town Council. The exercise is on course to be concluded at the end of February 2023 and the results will be published shortly thereafter.

For more information on the process so far, please see this separate post.

North East Thatcham

As most people will be aware, proposals to develop much of the open space between Thatcham and Bucklebury is the most controversial aspect of WBC’s local plan, the final (Regulation 19) consultation on which has now been delayed twice but should finally start on 20 January. A meeting on this matter took place in Bucklebury on 2 December 2022, a report on which you can read here. On 5 January 2023, another was held, this time in response to request by local Liberal Democrats that they address residents on the subject. The event was held on Zoom and was chaired by Thatcham and West Berkshire Councillor Jeff Brooks. About 75 people took part.

I wasn’t there myself but, from talking to some of those who were, it appears that this covered much the same ground as did the 2 December meeting; and, indeed, many meetings and discussions since the NE Thatcham plan was mooted two years ago. WBC’s view (or that the ruling Conservative group) is that this large development represents the best solution for the local area and the district as a whole. Others disagree, for reasons that range from concerns about the erosion of the gap between the settlements through to very technical details of planning policy and procedure. Many of these have been covered in Penny Post several times, as a search for “NE Thatcham” or “2,500” homes (the original proposed number, since reduced to perhaps 1,500) will reveal. We shall continue to write about this.

Once the local plan’s Regulation 19 consultation gets under way, there will then be a six-week window for people to make their comments. As we explain in this post, the document is neither a light nor a quick read – but it is very important. Most people may feel unequal to the task of wading through this without missing or misunderstanding anything (planning-speak requires some translation). The post suggests that your ward member (district councillor) and/or your town or parish council will be able to help identify aspects that might be of concern to you or your community. Indeed, Thatcham and Bucklebury at least are already providing information based on their considerable experience of following the proposals over the last two and a bit years. Contact them to find out how you can receive these updates if you do not already do so.

The local plan for West Berkshire

Thursday 12 January update: WBC has announced a further delay to the Regulation 19 Consultation and it now seems likely that this will not start before Friday 20 January. If so, this means that it will end on 3 March.

Friday 6 January update: WBC has announced that Regulation 19 Consultation on the local plan has been delayed due to unforeseen circumstances. It is hoped it will have started by Friday 13 January. It will still run for six weeks from its commencement date.

The final draft was submitted to WBC’s Full Council on 1 December 2022 and was approved to go to public consultation. This stage, which is known as Regulation 19, starts on 6 January 2023 and will run until 17 February 2023. This is an opportunity for everyone in the district, individuals and organisations, to have their say.

Thursday 5 January 2023

This week we cover cutlery, football, walking rugby, warm spaces and food banks. We also give a round of applause to the departing Editor, and the new Editor, of the Cold Ash Community Bulletin, offer some advice about WBC’s local plan consultation and remind you about the looming deadline for any comments on Thatcham’s place-making strategy – plus our usual round-up of local news, local events and activities and news from your local councils.

This week’s news

• There is still time to have your say on the future development of Thatcham town centre. West Berkshire Council are keen to hear from those that live in, work in or visit Thatcham for input on developing place-making strategies for the town centre, with the aim of enhancing their vitality and economic prosperity whilst retaining each town’s unique economic, environmental and historical character. Click here to take the survey which will close on Monday 9 January.

• Thatcham Town Harriers Football Club is looking to increase female football opportunities in West Berkshire, and is looking to create more female-only Just Play sessions throughout 2023. If you would like to register your interest, and stay updated with all new information, please complete their Google Form here.

• Village halls that need finishing funds for well-developed projects can apply to the Platinum Jubilee Village Hall Fund by 20 January.

• The national government initiative to cap single bus fares at a maximum of £2 from January to March 2023 applies to all single journeys across the Reading Buses, Thames Valley Buses, Green Line 702/703 and Newbury & District networks. The only exceptions will be on football buses and buses allocated for school travel. The scheme is designed to help families, commuters and other passengers save money this winter, as well as help to increase the number of bus commuters, thereby reducing emissions and congestion. For more details about how the scheme will work, click here.

• The home office’s catering provision for the locally-based asylum seekers has been using plastic cutlery and as they have been in the hotel for nearly a year now, the refugees are increasingly concerned about the impact on the environment. So West Berkshire Action for Refugees are asking for donations of reusable cutlery as well as winter clothing and toiletries for men and women and toiletries. Donations can be dropped off at the Thatcham Council Offices. For more about VIAN, the new environmental group set up by the asylum seekers please see below.

• Newbury Samaritans are looking for more volunteers to join their team based at West Street in central Newbury. For more information about what is involved (and a link to Penny’s recent interview with Director of Newbury Samaritans, Andrew Melsom) please see here.

• See here for information about warm spaces in Thatcham and other areas.

• The latest Bulletin by St Mary’s and St Barnabas’ churches is available to read here.

• For recent news from Hermitage see the latest Hermitage Parish Council newsletter here.

• Click here to see the latest edition of the Cold Ash Community Bulletin which starts with mummers and ends with rattling the stars. Congrats to Robert Pattison for editing the title for the last decade and to Nicola Straffon for having taken it on. As we know better than most, producing a newsletter every week doesn’t just happen automatically. Anyone who lives in or has any interest in Cold Ash is recommended to subscribe: contact bulletin@cacp.org.uk to do this or if you have anything you’d like to contribute.

• For the latest newsletter from Benefice of Aldermaston and Woolhampton which covers updates, local groups and events across the Thatcham area, please visit their website here.

The local plan

Friday 6 January 2023 update: WBC has announced that Regulation 19 Consultation on the local plan has been delayed due to unforeseen circumstances. It is hoped it will have started by Friday 13 January. It will still run for six weeks from its commencement date.

Have your say

This section covers a quite separate consultation from the one mentioned above.

If you live in, work in or visit Thatcham or Hungerford, West Berkshire Council wants to hear from you. It is looking for public input in developing place-making strategies for Thatcham and Hungerford town centres with the aim of enhancing their vitality and economic prosperity whilst retaining each town’s unique economic, environmental and historical character. Click here to take the survey and have your voice heard. The submissions for the survey will close on Monday 9 January.

News from other areas

Penny Post area – please see the following separate sections: Hungerford area; Lambourn Valley; Newbury area; Thatcham area; Compton & Downlands; Theale area; Marlborough area.
News and views from across the area and beyond: please see the most recent Weekly News with Brian column.

To see the current Thatcham 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.