Hungerford Area Weekly News Archives (July to December 2025)

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 Hungerford Area Weekly News section, please click here.

Other archives

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

Thursday 30 October 2025

Our usual round-up of Hungerford area news includes the latest news on the saga of Chestnut Walk and the forthcoming Penny Post Hungerford e-newsletter – plus rugby success, freedom of the town, the NDP’s referendum date, parcels, blue tokens, scams and the library service. See also below for community notices and news from your local council.

Upcoming Hungerford events include Halloween Disco, Firework & Bonfire Night and Shirley Valentine. See below for details, plus regular events and group activities.

• Chestnut Walk

As regular readers will know, we’ve been banging on about this fiasco for what seems like years [that’s because it has been years – Ed.]. The short summary is that, after ten years of a joint venture to redevelop the former care home in Hungerford as social-rent housing accomplished nothing, it’s recently been discovered that the building is actually in quite good condition and that it will be re-purposed as emergency accommodation.

Many questions need to be asked about this tale of woe: I did this in this column on 9 October (see below) and shall be doing so more formally to WBC soon. These will take some time to respond to.

More immediately, there’s the matter of why the decision was taken to use the building for this emergency purpose rather than the one which had long been and what the next steps are. Earlier this week, I received the following statement from the Council:

“We are in the early stages of a project to bring the former Chestnut Walk care home in Hungerford back into use by converting it into temporary supported accommodation for our residents. The building has been vacant for several years, and this project presents an opportunity to make positive use of the space to provide safe, short-term housing for people from the local area who are in need.

“The accommodation will be carefully managed and designed to support residents in a respectful and community-minded way. A planning application will be submitted shortly, and we are committed to keeping neighbours and the wider community informed throughout the process and ensuring that the site is well-managed and respectful of its surroundings. Enabling us to help people from our community who need a safe place to stay while they get back on their feet, and we look forward to sharing more details as things progress.

“It is a sensitive and important project, and we want to ensure that everyone understands its purpose and benefits. Further details will be shared once the planning application is live, including opportunities for residents to ask questions and view plans.

“It was a joint decision between the Council and SNG to no longer proceed with the previous plans for this site due to viability issues. We have seen an increased demand for temporary accommodation in the area, and we want to provide safe, short-term accommodation for households in housing need.”

As with all communications about this wretched matter, the response answers some questions but raised some others.

I asked what kind of “viability issues” were responsible for this decision and was told that “the scheme was not viable due to increased building costs and site related matters which affected viability” which will sort of do.

On asking if the the engagement with nearby residents and others would take place “throughout the process” or only “once the planning application is live”, as are both variously stated (hopefully the former), I was told that this was a “valid comment” that would be “considered by the project team”.

As to how “the local area” in the first paragraph is defined, it turns out that this means “West Berkshire”, perhaps not what everyone would understand by “local” given that Hungerford’s right on the western edge of it.

We’ll continue to keep an eye of this and will bring you further news as available.

• Penny Post Hungerford

Our regular monthly newsletter covering life in the town will next be published on Tuesday 4 November. If there’s anything you’d like to have included in this, please contact penny@pennypost.org.uk as soon as possible.

• Other news

• Congratulations to Hungerford RFC at the weekend who saw a 19-15 victory over Fareham Heathens that takes them through to the next round of the Counties 2 South Plate.

• Cobbs Pumpkin Patch is running until 31 October. See here for details of this seasonal fun. Hungerford Food Community also has some pumpkin recipe inspiration to help reduce the 18,000 tonnes of pumpkins that were wasted last year.

• John O’Gaunt School PSA welcomes all to their fundraising Fireworks and Bonfire Night on Wednesday 5 November. Gates and bar open at 6pm, the bonfire will be lit at 6.30pm with fireworks at 7pm. Tickets can be bought at the school office or on the gate. See details here.

• Have you got your tickets for Hungerford Theatre Company’s production of Shirley Valentine at Hungerford Library on Friday 7 and Saturday 8 November? Starring Roushka Westall, this popular one-woman show tells the story of Shirley, an ordinary middle class housewife who is offered a chance of escape from her humdrum life when her friend offers to take her on holiday to Greece. The only question is, is she brave enough to go? Not to be missed. Purchase your tickets here.

• Another shout out for this year’s Freedom of the Town recipients Kathy Bossom, Penny Brookman and John Downe. They received their commendations on Sunday 19 October from Mayor of Hungerford Helen Simpson and Lord-Lieutenant of Berkshire. See more details here.

• If you are going to be alone on Christmas Day why not contact Hungerford Methodist Church to join their festive Christmas Lunch, either as a guest or a volunteer? Tickets are free but must be booked in advance as places are limited. Click here for contact details.

• A quick reminder for all forces veterans to join the Hungerford Remembrance Day Parade on Sunday 9 November to commemorate fallen comrades. The form up will be at 10.30am outside Hungerford Town Hall, where the order of the march will be on pavement signage. All participants are invited to enjoy refreshments after the service at the Hungerford Royal British Legion Club.

• The long journey of Hungerford’s neighbourhood development plan reached its penultimate stage last week when the plan was presented to and accepted by West Berkshire Council. The last hurdle is a referendum of all the electors in the parish which will take place on Thursday 27 November. You can read more information about it here.

• If you live in Hungerford or Hungerford Newtown and have celebrated your eightieth birthday this year or will do so before the end of the year, and you would like to receive a NWN Christmas Parcel please contact the co-ordinators Ted and Daphne Angell on 01488 682610, 07799 886597 or tedangell.ta@gmail.com. If you know of anyone who is now 80 years old or will be by the end of the year, let them know no later than the end of November. Likewise, if you know of anyone over 80 who for whatever reason is no longer with us, again please let them know.

• There is still time to vote for the People’s Choice Award at the annual Greenham Trust Charity Awards 2025. The deadline is this Sunday 2 November to vote here for a local charity to receive £5,000 towards their Good Exchange Project at the event on Thursday 6 November. The contenders are: Berkshire Youth, Bridge for Young People, Citizens Advice West Berkshire, Swings & Smiles and West Berkshire Therapy Centre.

• Quick reminder from Citizens Advice about the most common types of scam, how to avoid them and what to do if you get caught. Sadly, once someone has been scammed, they can be preyed upon by other scammers, pretending to help them. The golden rule is if something seems too good to be true or doesn’t feel right it might be a scam, so take a moment and get advice or just ask a friend.

• Quick reminder to ask for your blue tokens when you shop at Hungerford Tesco as there are three worthy recipients to vote for in their Blue Token Scheme between now and mid-January 2026. The three organisations are Hungerford Food Community, Kintbury Primary School and West Berks Foodbank. In order of their votes they will receive a cash donation of £500, £1,000 or £1,500, to boost their work for those in need in the community.

• West Berkshire Council now longer operates a mobile library. In order to give communities without a nearby library easier access to aspects of this service, WBC is working with parishes on two separate schemes which can help replace this. Click here for more information including how to contact WBC if you want to discuss how your parish can benefit from these initiatives.

• Quick reminder that St Lawrence’s in Hungerford is also co-ordinating a Hungerford Christmas Hampers campaign. The target is to distribute one hundred hampers to worthy local recipients containing twelve high quality sweet and savoury treats for the twelve days of Christmas. The campaign is open now and will be collecting donations until Sunday 14 December. If you would like to donate, or volunteer to assemble and distribute, click here for full details.

• Can you support this year’s campaign to fund Hungerford’s Victorian Extravaganza? This popular annual event costs about £14,000 to put on and donations of any size from individuals or businesses are hugely appreciated via the Good Exchange here, and will be match-funded by Greenham Trust. There are still a few pitches available at a discount for local voluntary groups. For more information, email chairman@hungerfordchamberofcommerce.co.uk or simon@ridgewaypress.co.uk or drop into the Hungerford Printing Company office at 109 Hungerford High Street.

• Quick reminder that you can check on what day your next bin, recycling and food-waste collection day is (respectively every three, two and one week), use the online bin-day finder.

• Book your Christmas trip on The Rose of Hungerford. Every child will get a chance to meet Santa in his grotto and take home a present as the boat gently cruises the tranquil waters of the canal. Booking can be made at katrust.org.uk or at Fare Wise Travel on the High Street.

• See this web page for more information on the local TVP Police team in the Hungerford area.

• Latest local newsletters

• Inkpen and Combe Bulletin.
• Froxfield News.

• Have your say on:

Consultations being run by West Berkshire Council:

Proposed Traffic Regulation Order: Thatcham 20mph speed limit (Ref: TM442) – deadline 5 Nov.
Extension of pedestrianisation hours for Newbury Town Centre from 10am-5pm to 10am-11pm trial – deadline 19 Nov.
Health Visiting Service feedback survey (October 2025) – deadline 2 Dec.
Springfield Primary School – School Streets Scheme – deadline 2 Dec.

Parish and town councils also run consultations from time to time: see the appropriate website/s below under Council contacts.

• News from other areas

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

Thursday 23 October 2025

Our usual round-up of Hungerford area news includes a tribute to John Willmott, Hungerford’s NDP accepted by West Berkshire Council, questions at Chestnut Walk, an approval for a take-away and outreach library services for parishes – plus Christmas parcels, Shirley Valentine, blue tokens, wetlands, colouring, pumpkins and the Extravaganza. See also below for community notices and news from your local council.

Upcoming Hungerford events include Charity Gig and Hungerford Christmas Fair. See below for details, plus regular events and group activities.

• Tribute to John Willmott

Hungerford Town Council writes on behalf of us all when it says that it is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of John Willmott on 13 October.

“John was a much-loved member of our community whose energy and kindness will be greatly missed by everyone who knew him.

“John was the driving force behind Smarten Up Hungerford, the volunteer group that has transformed our town centre with its beautiful flowers and planting displays throughout the year. Thanks to John’s inspiration, Hungerford has never looked more vibrant or welcoming.

“John also gave his time generously as a co-opted member of the Highways and Transport Committee, where his contributions were always appreciated. He was a truly dynamic character, someone who got things done, brought people together, and inspired others. Beyond his community work, many will know John and his family from Eliane’s Cafe on the High Street.

“Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with John’s family and friends at this sad time.”

• Hungerford’s neighbourhood plan

The long journey of Hungerford’s NDP reached its penultimate stage last week when the plan was presented to and accepted by West Berkshire Council. The plan was widely praised by members and one described it as “exemplary”.

Before we look at what the final stage is, it’s worth reminding ourselves what an NDP is.

Most planning authorities (such as WBC) have a local plan. This gargantuan document is the bible for planning decisions and contains all the policies, site allocations and everything else that’s needed when considering applications. It is refreshed from time to time and must be renewed every fifteen years.

There are sections that relate to specific areas, regarding for example the allocated housing sites and the various policies and other considerations that must be applied there. An NDP effectively means that these parts of the local plan are written jointly by the planning authority and the local community, usually as represented by an NDP steering group.

The level of local engagement involved in deciding these is far greater if done through an NDP than it otherwise would be. At various stages, the public is consulted, the opinions provided shaping the next stage of the work. One of the matters the Inspector considers in the examination at the end of the process is whether there has been sufficient engagement. If it’s felt there hasn’t, it’s thrown out. Hungerford’s passed this test with flying colours.

All in all it’s a time-consuming process, not least because there are pauses for these engagement exercises, for specialist reports and for the reactions of the parent authority. Hungerford’s has taken seven years, which is not unusual.

The result is a document which reflects the wishes of the community and is consistent with the over-arching policies of the planning authority. A beneficial side effect is that the local parish or town council and the planning authority better understand each other’s concerns and obligations. When considering any application thereafter, both are looking at policies and allocations that both of them jointly created, not something which one imposed on the other.

Although this wouldn’t have been the main reason for doing it, there’s also a financial upside. Without an NDP in place, parish councils get 15% of all the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) payments from developers, though capped at £100 per property in the parish. With an NDP, however, this figure rises to 25% and is uncapped. The money can only be spent on local infrastructure, not on things like staff salaries.

The CIL sums involved can be large. A council like Hungerford has a good track record at developing projects for the benefit of the town. One result of the NDP will therefore be that more of the money contributed by developers will stay in the town and how it’s spent will be decided by a council that’s only concerned with that area.

So: what’s the final stage?

This is a referendum of all the electors in the parish which will take place on Thursday 27 November. You can read more information about it here.

The only question you’ll be asked to decide is “Do you want West Berkshire District Council to use the neighbourhood plan for Hungerford to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?” Voting “yes” to this will enshrine all this community-led work into WBC’s local plan, ensure that future decisions are in accordance with this and divert a lot more funds to the town. Seems like an easy choice to me.

• Take-away approval

As we reported on 2 October (see below), Hungerford Town Council’s planning committee last month offered its opinion on an application for a “Change of Use of a Class E unit to a Hot Food Takeaway (Sui Generis), installation of extraction and ventilation equipment and external alterations” at 14 Charnham Street (near Amore). You can see the details of the application by clicking here and using the reference 25/10687/FUL.

As the matter was called in by the ward member, the matter was determined by the Western Area Planning Committee on 22 October. The only real problem was highways access and safety, one of the entrances having bad sightlines and being near a zebra crossing, and on an A road.

After a surprisingly long debate, the application was approved (eight in favour and one abstention) with several conditions being specified relating to how these two entrances will be used (the smaller, problematic, one will be only for staff parking and delivery mopeds).

How this will be enforced is another matter. As usual, the Town Council and local residents will be expected to be the eyes and ears of WBC.

The most striking thing about this to me is not what the decision was (which was pretty predictable) but how it was arrived at.

A ward member is quite entitled to call in any matter to planning committee, if the Chair agrees. The problem is that, under the rather strange rules that prevail, once a matter’s been called in this can’t then be rescinded, even if the concerns are addressed.

Surely the ward member ought to be able to say “I’ve been asked to call this in because of this issue. If this is resolved then I’ll withdraw it. If it isn’t, I’ll say at the meeting that I asked for this to happen but that it didn’t.”

Some matters may need to be thrashed out in public but this was surely not one of them. It could have been sorted out by the officers in a couple of meetings. The solution arrived at for the access roads seems very obvious. Everyone involved surely had better things to do.

As it had to go ahead, about twenty people ended up discussing it for over two hours: the problem with having large meetings is that everyone feels they need to speak. On this occasion, this was made all the more absurd by the fact that it was there only item on the agenda. Talk about breaking a butterfly on a wheel…

• Chestnut Walk

As reported in the last couple of weeks (see below), I’m awaiting further information from WBC as to the background to the decision to re-purpose the former care home as emergency accommodation, rather than as the social-housing units which the town was long promised. I’m not saying that this was a bad decision, merely that I’m unsure how it was arrived at.

The questions that I posed in this column on 9 October (see below) will take rather longer to answer. These will involve considering what happened (or not) over the last decade and how and why the scheme failed in every respect to deliver what it promised.

• WBC offers outreach library services to parishes

West Berkshire Council now longer operates a mobile library. In order to give communities without a nearby library easier access to aspects of this service, WBC is working with parishes on two separate schemes which can help replace this. Click here for more information including how to contact WBC if you want to discuss how your parish can benefit from these initiatives.

• Other news

• It’s that time of year already, with the popular Hungerford Christmas Fair at the Town Hall this Friday 24 and Saturday 25 October. Don’t miss this annual festive event with many new stallholders, in aid of West Berkshire MENCAP. 10% of all sales go to Amref Health Africa, the charity supported by Kathini Graham who started and ran this fair for over 25 years. See here for details.

• If you live in Hungerford or Hungerford Newtown and have celebrated your eightieth birthday this year or will do so before the end of the year, and you would like to receive a NWN Christmas Parcel please contact the co-ordinators Ted and Daphne Angell on 01488 682610, 07799 886597 or tedangell.ta@gmail.com. Similarly, if you know of anyone who is now 80 years old or will be by the end of the year, let them know no later than the end of November. Likewise, if you know of anyone over 80 who for whatever reason is no longer with us, again please let Ted and Daphne know as they need to keep their list up to date so that nobody misses out.

• The Thursday gymnastic sessions for kids at Hungerford Leisure Centre have, due to popular demand, been increased so that there are now sessions on Saturdays as well. For more details, click here.

• Quick reminder that St Lawrence’s in Hungerford is also co-ordinating a Hungerford Christmas Hampers campaign. The target is to distribute one hundred hampers to worthy local recipients containing 12 high quality sweet and savoury treats for the 12 days of Christmas. The campaign is open now and will be collecting donations until Sunday 14 December. If you would like to donate, or volunteer to assemble and distribute, click here for full details.

• Have you got your tickets for Hungerford Theatre Company’s production of Shirley Valentine at Hungerford Library on Friday 7 and Saturday 8 November? Starring Roushka Westall, this one-woman show tells the story of Shirley, an ordinary middle class housewife who is offered a chance of escape from her humdrum life when her friend offers to take her on holiday to Greece. The only question is, is she brave enough to go? Hilarious, quietly devastating but ultimately uplifting, this show is not to be missed. Purchase your tickets here.

• This coming week, don’t be surprised to see unusual activity on the Common as The Town & Manor of Hungerford will be taking in the cows on two separate occasions for various tests before they leave for the season at the end of the month.

• Voting is now open for the People’s Choice Award at the annual Greenham Trust Charity Awards 2025. Five local charities have been shortlisted and the ultimate winner will receive £5,000 towards their Good Exchange Project and will be announced at the event at the Corn Exchange on Thursday 6 November. The contenders are: Berkshire Youth, Bridge for Young People, Citizens Advice West Berkshire, Swings & Smiles and West Berkshire Therapy Centre. The deadline is Sunday 2 November to vote here for your favourite charity.

• And while you’re in Tesco, pick up a free colouring sheet for your little people and take part in their Halloween Colouring Competition. The winners will be displayed in store. Full details here.

• In 2018, the Town and Manor of Hungerford acquired forty acres of untenanted and fairly unkempt water meadows on the north west edge of the town near Charnham Park and adjacent to the River Kennet. A number of options existed as to what would be done with it and, after several surveys and much discussion, it was decided to create a wetland. This separate article looks at the fundraising launch event in Hungerford on 13 October and includes links to the project’s website and to the page on The Good Exchange website where donations can be made.

• Cobbs Pumpkin Patch is running until 31 October. See here for details of this seasonal fun, and a reminder that pumpkins are food that can be eaten as well as decorated…

• Earlier this year, we ran a number of prize quizzes to celebrate the hundredth edition of our Penny Post Hungerford newsletter in May. One of these involved local treats, with the three prizes on offer: one of these, a meal for two in Amore Italian Restaurant in Charnham Street in Hungerford, was won by Julie Mungomery. She was recently able to take up this offerand was kind enough to send us the a brief review of her visit, which you can read here.

• Keep an eye out from Saturday 25 October to Saturday 1 November for Hungerford’s Scarecrow Trail 2025. Thirty scarecrows will be popping up across town with the theme of children’s books. Pick up a trail map from Hungerford Bookshop or Hungerford Nursery School for £3, the proceeds raised going to Shoal of Friends which raises money for the Nursery School. See more details here.

• If you are community minded and looking for a way to impact your environment, Hungerford Town Council still has a vacancy for a councillor. Click here for further details of the process.

• Quick reminder that you can check on what day your next bin, recycling and food-waste collection day is (respectively every three, two and one week), use the online bin-day finder.

• Booking is now open for the ever popular Christmas trips on The Rose of Hungerford. Every child will get a chance to meet Santa in his grotto and take home a present as the boat gently cruises the tranquil waters of the canal. Booking can be made at katrust.org.uk or at Fare Wise Travel on the High Street.

• Thames Valley Police is keen to alert residents that there has been a rise in vehicle thefts in West Berkshire. It advises some simple steps to protect your vehicle and valuables including always locking your vehicle, storing your key in a signal-blocking pouch, using a steering wheel lock, installing a vehicle tracker or having an immobiliser fitted.

• See this web page for more information on the local TVP Police team in the Hungerford area.

• Latest local newsletters

• Inkpen and Combe Bulletin.
• Froxfield News.

• Have your say on:

Consultations being run by West Berkshire Council:

Proposed Traffic Regulation Order: Thatcham 20mph speed limit (Ref: TM442) – deadline 5 Nov.
Extension of pedestrianisation hours for Newbury Town Centre from 10am-5pm to 10am-11pm trial – deadline 19 Nov.
Health Visiting Service feedback survey (October 2025) – deadline 2 Dec.
Springfield Primary School – School Streets Scheme – deadline 2 Dec.

Parish and town councils also run consultations from time to time: see the appropriate website/s below under Council contacts.

• News from other areas

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

Thursday 16 October 2025

Our usual round-up of Hungerford area news includes the launch of the fundraising for the wetlands project, the latest on Chestnut Walk, a competition winner’s review, a look back at a successful Heritage Festival, the forthcoming Hungerford Extravaganza, a local take on the wisdom of school closures in the pandemic and a crime survey from the PCC – plus blue tokens at Tescos, colouring, questions, hampers, scarecrows and rugby. See also below for community notices and news from your local council.

Upcoming Hungerford events include Cobbs Pumpkin Patch Carving and Poetry Open Mic Night. See below for details, plus regular events and group activities.

• The wetlands project

In 2018, the Town and Manor of Hungerford acquired forty acres of untenanted and fairly unkempt water meadows on the north west edge of the town near Charnham Park and adjacent to the River Kennet. A number of options existed as to what would be done with it and, after several surveys and much discussion, it was decided to create a wetland.

Perhaps ‘re-create” would be more accurate as that was what the land had previously been before human drainage and cultivation took a hand – a natural flood plain for the Kennet, supporting a wide range of fauna and flora characteristic of this once widespread but now increasingly rare habitat.

Planning permission has finally been granted and the work is currently taking place on discharging the various pre-commenvcement conditions. Once those are out of the way, the work can start. First, though, there’s the small matter of raising the estimated £1.5m that will be needed, this split roughly equally between creating the wetlands itself nd building the information centre.

This separate article looks at the fundraising launch event in Hungerford on 13 October (which included a brief speech the wetland’s patron, Lord Benyon, extolling the many merits of the scheme) and includes links to the project’s website and to the page on The Good Exchange website where donations can be made.

• Chestnut Walk

See last week’s entry below for some questions which I, and others, feel need to be answered about this fiasco. There are various ways this can be obtained and I’m looking into which would seem to be the best. All this may take some some time but I hope to be able to report some progress quite soon.

One thing I have learned is that it appears that other similar joint ventures have worked fairly well. This makes it all the more important that it be established why this one proved to be such a busted flush.

Turning to the planned future use of the building (for emergency accommodation), I’m awaiting a statement from WBC to explain how this decision was reached, why the original plan to use it for social housing (which the Town Council had consistently supported) was dropped and what the timetable is for finally returning the building to a useful purpose.

• A competition winner’s report

Earlier this year, we ran a number of prize quizzes to celebrate the hundredth edition of our Penny Post Hungerford newsletter in May. One of these involved local treats, with the three prizes on offer: one of these, a meal for two in Amore Italian Restaurant in Charnham Street in Hungerford, was won by Julie Mungomery.

She was recently able to take up this offer (in a restaurant she knows well) and was kind enough to send us the a brief review of her visit, which you can read here. Seems like a rather lovely meal…

• The Extravaganza

This year’s campaign to fund Hungerford’s Victorian Extravaganza has been launched by the organisers, Hungerford Chamber of Commerce.

“We are proud that the event has been running for decades and is a highlight of Berkshire’s festive calendar,” Chamber chairman Karen Salmon explains. “This year the date is Friday 12 December and you can look forward to all the festivities including steam engines, live nativity animal scene, Extravaganza parade, live music and performers, carriage rides with Dancer and Prancer, street food and charity stalls – all set against the perfect backdrop of the town’s magical Christmas lights.”

The event costs about £14,000 to put on, not including hours of volunteer time. Donations of any size from individuals or businesses are hugely appreciated via the Good Exchange here, and will kindly be match-funded by Greenham Trust.

There are still a few pitches available at a discount for local voluntary groups. For more information and to book, please emailchairman@hungerfordchamberofcommerce.co.uk or simon@ridgewaypress.co.uk or drop into the Hungerford Printing Company office at 109 Hungerford High Street.

• The Hungerford Heritage Festival

There was an excellent turnout for Hungerford Food Community’s rescheduled Hungerford Heritage Festival last Sunday 12 October. This was combined with Apple Day and was the last Food & Artisan Market of the year.

Besides the normal line-up of local stalls, there were plenty of opportunities for visitors to have a go at traditional crafts and culinary skills including green woodworking with Berkshire Bodgers who were delighted with the interest from people of all ages, with lots of children enjoying making their own mallets.

At the same time families were busy making and baking their own harvest wheatsheaf loaves in the Croft Field Building, with a display wheatsheaf loaf kindly created for the event by Master Baker Henry Jefferies. See here for more details of the day.

The Hungerford Food Committee team us extremely grateful to all the volunteers and supporters that made the event possible. Its next market will be on the second Sunday in April 2026.

• Covid and schools

Over five years after it first struck, we’re still poring over who decided what and why during the pandemic. The latest former minister to take the stand at the Covid Inquiry is Gavin Williamson, who was the Education Secretary at the time. Whether schools ahould be closed, or not, and if so for how long was one of the most fraught and divisive discussions during the pandemic.

In this article in Schools Week, Williamson said that there were there were “failures” in the government’s lack of pre-planning before the pandemic. We knew that already. What we perhaps didn’t know was the extent to which he was “hacked off” by some of Johnson’s decisions: he had, he claimed, been “fucked over” by decisions about Covid school closures and had had his “legs cut from under me” by the appointment of catch-up tsar Sir Kevan Collins. He also admitted the model to award GCSE and A-level grades in 2020 was “quite clearly wrong”.

Clearly the situation back then was a bit of a facer for everyone making decisions. Some of the decisions were the wrong ones, as in cases becmae obvious within days. There’s no one as smug and self-satisfied as Mr Hindesight: even so, I don’t think it’s unreasonable that we should scrutinise how the government conducted itself. As much as anything else, it demonstrates that ut is still accountable. It will be a dark day indeed if no such questions can be asked.

So much for life at the top: but what about the way the schools handled the crisis? Fortunately, we can bring you a first-hand report. Ever since he became Head of John O’Gaunt in June 2020, Richard Hawthorne has been providing us with regular monthly updates about life on the front line of the education system. You can click here to read the the 2020-24 sections. His diary provides some startling insights into just what it takes to run a secondary school.

Few of these sections are more revealing than his account of life in the pandemic. The words”Covid” and “pandemic” appear between them well over a hundred times, so this isn’t an issue he dodged. “Guidance” (generally referring to that from the government) is mentioned about fifty times. This was always complex and important but also unfortuntely sometimes also confusing, contradictory and regularly changed. I can think of few more stressful times to do what is in any case this highly stressful job.

This week I asked him what he now thought of the school-closure and other decisions in the light of Gavin Williamson’s comments. He told me that, given the sometimes alarming evidence about the possible death toll, it was probably like right decision at the time and that it was “an incredibly tough one” to make.

He also admitted to an error of hiw own, in suggesting that the pandemic might act as a leveller in society, given that we were “all in it together.” Instead, he said, “I could not have be more wrong. In terms of the educational impact, it now looks like it has been divisive and we’ll be feeling the effects as a society for years. It’s certainly had a negative impact on the education of many students.”

He adds that there was an assumption “that after a few years with reducing resources schools would somehow magically fix the problem and close the gaps in learning.” This does not appear to have happened.

For these and other reasons, he suggests that, looking back, “we should have kept schools open” though he admits he can see why it was decided to close them. He also echoes the thoughts of many when he says that “Perhaps Williamson is right in that the poor planning for a pandemic was the problem.”

Will we any better prepared next time? That is one of the things the Inquiry is seeking to establish. I wonder how many head teachers hve been invited to submit their comments. The government, or local educational authorities (who in some instances might be better placed) make the decisions, but its the Heads and their staff who have to follow them.

School leaders are, in these regulated times, used to dealing with complex instructions and guidance, but some of the stuff coming from Whitehall in 2020 and 2021 completely floored them. Preparedness might be one problem that needs addressing, and decision-making: so too might be how these decisions are communicated.

• How much does crime impact your business?

“I know that crime can affect businesses,” Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber wrote this week, “and I also recognise that low crime and a thriving economy go hand in hand. So I am asking you to share your experiences.” His Local Business Survey (which has some prizes to encourage you to take part) is being done, he explains, partly for him to gather information on how crime affects your business so he can try to improve policing; and partly “to help play my part in strengthening our local economy.”

You can click here to take part in the survey which will, he assures us, take only “a couple of minutes” to complete.

• Other news

• There are three worthy recipients to vote for in Hungerford Tesco’s Blue Token Scheme between now and mid-January 2026. The three organisations are Hungerford Food Community, Kintbury Pre-School and West Berks Foodbank. In order of their votes they will receive a cash donation of £500, £1,000 or £1,500, to boost their work for those in need in the community.

• If you have a question for the Leader of West Berkshire Council, there is an opportunity to ask Councillor Jeff Brooks when he goes live online on Wednesday 22 October at 6pm at the next Ask the Leader event. Send your questions in advance by emailing asktheleader@westberks.gov.uk before 4pm on Tuesday 21 October. See here for more details.

• Nip down to Tesco Hungerford, pick up a free colouring sheet for your little people and take part in their Halloween Colouring Competition. The winners will be displayed in store. Full details here.

• This year, St Lawrence’s in Hungerford is co-ordinating a Hungerford Christmas Hampers campaign. The target is to distribute one hundred hampers containing 12 high quality sweet and savoury treats for the 12 days of Christmas. The campaign is open now and will be collecting donations until Sunday 14 December. If you would like to donate, or volunteer to assemble and distribute, click here for full details

• The wait is over, Cobbs Pumpkin Patch opens Friday 17 October and runs until 31 October. See here for details of this seasonal fun, and a reminder that pumpkins are food that can be eaten as well as decorated…

• After the success of the English Roses in the recent Women’s Rugby World Cup, Rugby Development Berkshire are running a free female-only Ready2Ref course at Hungerford RFC on Friday 31 October. More information and a link to book can be found here.

• Each year, West Berkshire Council’s Learner Achievement Awards (LAA) celebrate remarkable individuals whose commitment to learning defies expectations and inspires others. If you know someone whose journey reflects courage, growth or determination, please nominate them here by 5pm on Friday 24 October to honour their achievements and share their story.

• If you are community minded and looking for a way to impact your environment, Hungerford Town Council still has a vacancy for a councillor. Click here for further details of the process.

• Hungerford Youth and Community Centre was extremely grateful for help from Fuel Cell Systems staff who volunteered their time to help clear the youth club sports court, with help from some Home Ed youth members. The court was very overgrown with brambles, stinging nettles and a fresh dropping of autumn leaves, as you can see from the photos. If you have a skill, passion or hobby that you would like to share at one of their youth sessions, or a couple of hours per week to spare to join their team of volunteers, please contact office@hungerfordyc.org.uk or 07999 053744.

• Check out the new gymnastics sessions at Hungerford Leisure Centre for 3 to 5 years and 4 to 11 years on Thursdays starting on 2 October at Hungerford Leisure Centre. Click here for more details.

• Crimestoppers is working with Thames Valley Police to tackle Courier Fraud – a crime where fraudsters pose as police officers or bank officials to steal money and valuables. Detective Inspector Duncan Wynn of Thames Valley Police explained, “With Crimestoppers’ support, we can shine a light on this crime and empower communities to speak up.” Report anonymously by calling 0800 555 111 to help stop fraud in its tracks.

• West Berkshire Council has now introduced three-weekly black bin collections. To check on what day your next bin, recycling and food-waste collection day is (respectively every three, two and one week), use the online bin-day finder.

• See this web page for more information on the local TVP Police team in the Hungerford area.

• Latest local newsletters

• Inkpen and Combe Bulletin.
• Froxfield News.

• Have your say on:

Consultations being run by West Berkshire Council:

Proposed Traffic Regulation Order: Thatcham 20mph speed limit (Ref: TM442) – deadline 5 Nov.
Extension of pedestrianisation hours for Newbury Town Centre from 10am-5pm to 10am-11pm trial – deadline 19 Nov.
Springfield Primary School – School Streets Scheme – deadline 2 Dec.

Parish and town councils also run consultations from time to time: see the appropriate website/s below under Council contacts.

• News from other areas

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

Thursday 9 October 2025

Our usual round-up of Hungerford area news includes some progress at Chestnut Walk but a number of serious questions remain, a look at the most recent Hungerford newsletter and the Hungerford Heritage Festival – plus Christmas hampers, pumpkins, scarecrows, a silver award, extravaganza stalls, learner achievements and the youth club. See also below for community notices and news from your local council.

Upcoming Hungerford events include Hungerford Apple Day & Heritage Festival and Poetry Open Mic Night. See below for details, plus regular events and group activities.

• Chestnut Walk

Residents of Hungerford will be vividly aware that in November 2015 it was announced that the care home in Chestnut Walk would close. The plan was, through a joint venture (JV) between WBC and Sovereign, that the site would be redeveloped for social housing.

At the Hungerford Town Council meeting on 6 October 2025, WBC’s housing portfolio holder and local ward member Denise Gaines announced that a design statement was in the process of being prepared for the existing building (which has been empty since the closure), the intention being to use to use it for emergency accommodation for people, particularly families, who would otherwise be put up in hotels.

You’ll notice that there’s a ten-year gap between these two events. The fact that the building is still there and still unused eloquently demonstrates that this joint venture managed to accomplish precisely nothing.

It’s obviously good news that WBC has managed to extract itself from this arrangement and is now putting the site to some useful purpose. However, it’s not what was promised. Nor is it clear what the immediate neighbours will think about the proposals.

In addition, a number of questions need to be asked about this fiasco. These include:

How, when and by whom was it decided that a complete redevelopment of the site was the only option that would be pursued?
Why did the JV for ten years fail to provide its stated objective?
Who exactly was running this project?
What project-management disciplines were applied to try to keep the plan on track?
Why were Hungerford Town Council’s (HTC) regular requests that in the meantime the building be used for some socially useful purpose dismissed on the grounds that the building was not of an acceptable standard and couldn’t be made so? (It has since been shown that this is not and never has been the case.)
Was the fairly good condition of the building known to JV before WBC’s recent survey? If this had been known, why was HTC told otherwise; and why were no plans drawn up to utilise it as it stood? If this wasn’t known to the JV, why wasn’t it?
Could this be explained by the fact that the definition of “an acceptable standard” has changed since 2015?
How much money has been spent on re-housing the residents elsewhere?
How much money has been spent on the building by WBC, Sovereign or the JV since it closed, including on the planning application (which has since lapsed)?
How much money has WBC spent on emergency hotel accommodation since the care home closed which could have been saved were the building to have been used for the purposes now envisaged?
What value, if any, does the JV place on the hundreds of hours of time spent by unpaid volunteers, including members of HTC, to try to bring the social-housing project to fruition, all of which have been wasted?
Did WBC have to make any penalty payment or similar to Sovereign for breaking the JV?

There are doubtless other questions, but these will do for starters. I intend to raise these formally with WBC.

• Penny Post Hungerford

The October issue was published earlier this week and, as ever provides the best round-up of life in the town. An update from the Town Council, the latest from the retailers and community groups, special offers, events, activities, eco news, jobs, property, special offers and some wise words from Albert Einstein are all included. You can click here to read it if you didn’t receive it.

If you have anything you’d like to contribute to the November edition, please email penny@pennypost.org.uk by the end of this month.

• The Hungerford Heritage Festival

The Hungerford Heritage Festival, postponed in September due to the inclement weather forecast, has been rescheduled for this Sunday 12 October. So the Hungerford Apple Day and Heritage Festival will run from 10am to 3pm on the Croft Field, alongside the usual food and artisan market stalls plus ferret racing and Morris dancing.

Run by Hungerford Food Community, you can utilise its press to juice your abundant apple and pear harvest, experience some wonderful demonstrations and have a go at green woodworking, wool spinning, flour milling, butter churning and making your own apple crumble and harvest wheatsheaf loaf to take home. See more details here.

• Other news

• Hungerford Town Council is proud to announce that the town has received a Silver Award in the Britain in Bloom Competition. Congratulations to all volunteers and community groups who have enabled the riverside meadows, historic landscapes, Hungerford Common & Marsh, canals, rivers, parks and community allotments to shine so brightly.

• Latest news from our wonderful independent shops and businesses includes Halloween at Inklings Gift & Cards, Christmas Bookings at Amore Italian Restaurant, October travel tips from Fare Wise Travel, stamp duty advice from Marlborough Law, pumpkins at Cobbs, poetry at Hungerford Bookshop and impressive prices at Foxhill Auctions.

• St Lawrence’s Church is once again running its Christmas hamper appeal and aims this year to distribute 100 hampers. Click here for information on how you can create and distribute the hampers and also how to nominate someone you would like to receive one.

• Not long to wait now, Cobbs Pumpkin Patch carving runs from 17 to 31 October. See here for details of this seasonal fun, and a reminder that pumpkins are food that can be eaten as well as decorated…

• Stalls are still available at Hungerford Victorian Extravaganza on Friday 12 December with discounts for local voluntary groups. For more information and to book, please email chairman@hungerfordchamberofcommerce.co.uk or simon@ridgewaypress.co.uk or drop into the Hungerford Printing Company office at 109 Hungerford High Street.

• If you are community minded and looking for a way to impact your environment, Hungerford Town Council still has a vacancy for a councillor. Click here for further details of the process.

• A full list of the recipients of the 2025 Hungerford Town Council grant awards, the amounts received, a summary of their work and weblinks for those who want to find out more about what they do can be found here.

• Hungerford Town Council is keen to promote the work of the National Youth Advocacy Service (NYAS) who support children, young people and young adults in care across the UK. If you would like to be a positive role model for a young person in care in West Berkshire, the Independent Visitor Service matches children in care with a trusted adult volunteer to offer support, friendship and fun experiences that help young people grow in confidence, self-esteem and resilience. If this is something that resonates with you, email Felicity on felicity.dracott@nyas.net or call 07711 765923.

• See this web page for more information on the local TVP Police team in the Hungerford area.

• Latest local newsletters

• Inkpen and Combe Bulletin.
• Froxfield News.

• Have your say on:

Consultations being run by West Berkshire Council:

Extension of pedestrianisation hours for Newbury Town Centre from 10am-5pm to 10am-11pm trial – deadline 19 Nov.
Springfield Primary School – School Streets Scheme – deadline 2 December.

Parish and town councils also run consultations from time to time: see the appropriate website/s below under Council contacts.

• News from other areas

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

Thursday 2 October 2025

Our usual round-up of Hungerford area news includes Hungerford’s November newsletter, the Resource Centre is saved, a take-away planning application and slightly alarming news on the local rail services – plus apples, heritage, Lord Grantham, kids’ gymnastics, recycling and grant awards. See also below for community notices and news from your local council.

Upcoming Hungerford events include local author talk with Nicola Chester & John O’Gaunt School Open Evening. See below for details, plus regular events and group activities.

• Penny Post Hungerford

Our regular monthly newsletter covering life in the town will next be published on Tuesday 7 October. If there’s anything you’d like to have included in this, please contact penny@pennypost.org.uk as soon as possible.

• The Resource Centres

After seven months of uncertainty, the decision has recently been taken that the three day-care Resource Centres in Hungerford, Newbury and Calcot will not close or have their services out-sourced. As a staement from WBC put it, “it became clear that the market does not currently have the capacity to deliver the level of service our Resource Centre users need.”

At the Executive meeting on 25 September at which this was announced, portfolio holder Patrick Clark admitted that “the period of uncertainty from the initial announcement has been hard work for the people who use the centres, their families and our staff.” He then issued a handsome apology for this: not something one often hears from a politician at any level so he’s to be congratulated for this.

This has certainly been a bit of a muddle since the intention to out-source the services was so prematurely announced in February but it seems like the right decision has been taken.

The work that’s been done in the last seven months will be used to help inform future decisions about the provision of these services, as will the level of demand (which would seem to be to be strong) and the level of council’s finances (which would not).

This might include, as WBC says, locating “complementary services, such as family hubs, within the same buildings. This approach will help maintain the centres’ viability while keeping a broad range of services accessible and affordable for residents.” And, the statement could have added, affordable for the Council.

Another possibility is that the service might even be exapnded. In the past, for instance, there were outreach centres in Compton and Mortimer.

Many people were involved in getting this policy changed, in particular the staff of the Centres, parish and town councils and local media groups. Several of the district councillors also got involved.

Clive Taylor, one of the members for Tilehurst Birch Copse, told us after the announcement that he was “delighted” at the outcome and said that he been working with “staff, Unison officers, Olivia Bailey MP and the Newbury Labour party” to oppose the proposal. he also presented a 1,450-signature petition to the Executive meeting.

Now that they have been welcomed back into the WBC family, this would be a great opportunity to change their names. Until earlier this year, I thought that these “Resource Centres” were perhaps something to do with IT, and I wasn’t the only one. A re-brand seems long overdue, lest we all forget again as the publicity surrounding them dies down.

This isn’t the first time WBC has changed its mind about aspects of the adult social-care services. A few years ago the closure of the Notrees care home in Kintybury was announced but, as a result of new evidence and public pressure, the then portfolio holder Joanne Stewart reversed the decision.

This was presented disparagingly by some as a U-turn. However, sometimes turning the car round and going back the way you came is the most sensible decision.

• Pizzagate

Hungerford Town Council’s planning committee has recently offered its opinion on an application for a “Change of Use of a Class E unit to a Hot Food Takeaway (Sui Generis), installation of extraction and ventilation equipment and external alterations” at 14 Charnham Street (near Amore). You can see the details of the application by clicking here and using the reference 25/10687/FUL.

Whilst admitting that “the sooner the building undergoes maintenance, the better”, it has concerns based on highways safety. The committee considered that there was “a reasonable expectation that clients will park on the A4 on double yellow lines rather than the car park causing obstruction and danger to the public.” It also said that “the proposed changes to the rear sections of the building would remove the historical context and replace it with a bland exterior, causing harm to the Conservation Area.”

The comments from West Berkshire Council’s highways and conservation teams do not, however, share these concerns.

Town and parish councils are consultees in the planning process but do not themselves make any decisions. The matter will in due course be decided by officers or, by planning committee if it’s called in by a ward member (which hasn’t happened here) or if there are more then ten onjections (so far there’s only one) and the officers are minded to approve it.

Comments can be made on age above-mentioned web portal until the application has been determined.

• Rail news

The indefatigable Bedwyn Train Passenger Group (BTPG) has produced its latest (2 October) update which you can read here. It includes details of a number of engineering works over the next two months which are, as ever, quite numerous. Anyone who uses the train services between Bedwyn and Newbury is strongly urged to sign up for the newsletters that this excellent lobbying group produces.

The main order of business in this communiqué, however, comes under the heading of “Restoring our off-peak direct trains to and from Paddington.” Regular passengers will know that for the last few years, most journeys from Bedwyn, Hungerford and Kintbury now require a change at Newbury and sometimes at Reading as well. This is a situation that the BTPG has long been campaigning to reverse.

The disheartening news is that the DfT has said that “a business case submission” needs to be made for a full restoration of the service.

The BTPG has written to Newbury MP Lee Dillion regarding this. “We shouldn’t be in a position of having to go through a ‘business case’ to reinstate a service that in 2022 was only temporarily taken away,” the letter says. “Mark Hopwood, MD of GWR, has always stated it is the intention to reinstate the direct services to Bedwyn. This is a case of ‘when’ not ‘if’. To now hear a business case is required is very concerning. We’d be very grateful if you could raise this point with the DfT.”

The report also refers to concerns about GWR’s equivocal response to the request for a service restoration, this seeming to imply that the Bedyn to Paddington route and slipped down the list of the GWR’s priorities.

Doubtless the BTPG will continue to press these points. Further updates will be provided when available.

• Other news

• John O’Gaunt School warmly invites prospective families to its Open Evening on Thursday 9 October. See full details here.

• Not long now until Hungerford’s Apple Day and Heritage Festival (that was postponed from September due to bad weather forecast) on Sunday 12 October on The Croft Field. The ferret racing, morris dancing, rural crafts and culinary activities will be back for all to enjoy and have a go, as well as the usual stalls, cooking demonstrations and street food. Bring your apples and pear to juice. If you don’t know the name of the variety that grows in your garden, bring a leaf as well and the apple experts will have a go at identifying it for you. See here for details.

• If you’re a fan of Hugh Bonneville, don’t forget you can catch him signing his new children’s book Rory Sparkes at the Hungerford Bookshop this Saturday 4 October. Admission is by ticket only. Each ticket includes a copy of the book (RRP £14.99) and permits a family to attend (so if you are a family of four but only want one copy of the book, then you only need to book one ticket). There will also be copies of Hugh’s autobiography, Playing Under the Piano, available. The bookshop expects there to be a queue for this event and advises fans to dress accordingly…

• Hungerford Town Council is sad to report further vandalism at Smitham Bridge Play Park. If you have any information about this incident, please contact the council. The incident has also been logged with Thames Valley Police.

• Hungerford Youth and Community Centre is launching a new youth session for young carers, starting on Monday 6 October. For more details please contact Anna at youth2@hungerfordyc.org.uk or call 07907 236254.

• West Berkshire Council is organising a free soil conditioner giveaway on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 October at Padworth Integrated Waste Management Facility (RG7 4JF). For full details click here.

• As the nights draw in, it’s time to get creative. From Saturday 25 Oct to Saturday 1 November, Hungerford Nursery’s fundraising Scarecrow Trail will be back. This year’s theme is Children’s Books and the deadline to enter your own creation in this fabulous event is Friday 3 October. For full details click here.

• The westbound M4 will be closed overnight between junctions 12 and 13 for resurfacing until Friday 10 October. The closure will be between 9pm and 6am with diversions in place via A4 and A339. Click here for more from BBC Sounds.

• Hungerford Town Council is keen to promote the work of the National Youth Advocacy Service (NYAS) who support children, young people and young adults in care across the UK. If you wouldlike to be a positive role model for a young person in care in West Berkshire, the Independent Visitor Service matches children in care with a trusted adult volunteer to offer support, friendship and fun experiences that help young people grow in confidence, self-esteem and resilience. If this is something that resonates with you, email Felicity on felicity.dracott@nyas.net or call 07711 765923.

• See this web page for more information on the local TVP Police team in the Hungerford area.

• Latest local newsletters

• Inkpen and Combe Bulletin.
• Froxfield News.

• Have your say on:

Consultations being run by West Berkshire Council:

Extension of pedestrianisation hours for Newbury Town Centre from 10am-5pm to 10am-11pm trial – deadline 19 Nov.
Springfield Primary School – School Streets Scheme – deadline 2 December.

Parish and town councils also run consultations from time to time: see the appropriate website/s below under Council contacts.

• News from other areas

Penny Post area: see the following separaFte sections: Hungerford area; Lambourn Valley ; Newbury area; Thatcham area; Compton and Downlands ; Burghfield area; Wantage area; Marlborough area.
News and views from across the area and beyond: see the most recent Weekly News with Brian column.

Thursday 25 September 2025

We’re taking a bit of time off so there’ll be no update this week. Normal service will be resumed on Thursday 2 October.

Thursday 18 September 2025

Our usual round-up of Hungerford area news includes two awards ceremonies organised by Hungerford Town Council (one for grants and one for plants), bin collections about to change, the latest on the wetlands project which has now been approved and the results of our meeting this week with the man responsible for organising the gas-mains repairs in Hungerford in January – plus apples, storms, repairs, eco news, canal trips and rugby. See also below for community notices and news from your local council.

Upcoming Hungerford events include Repair Cafe and Harvest Festival Lunch. See below for details, plus regular events and group activities.

• Hungerford in Bloom

“This year’s Hungerford in Bloom was a joyful celebration of creativity, care, and community spirit,” a statement on Hungerford Town Council’s website reads. “Residents, schools, businesses, and groups showcased their gardening talents, transforming our town into a vibrant tapestry of colour and life.

“Each year, Hungerford in Bloom reminds us of the power of nature to uplift, inspire, and unite. From colourful front gardens to imaginative courtyard spaces, thriving school plots to lovingly tended community displays – every entry is a testament to the care and passion of our residents.”

A ceremony at the Croft Field Centre on Saturday 13 September celebrated this annual event. You can read the fill article, and a list of the winners, by clicking here.

• Hungerford’s grant awards

Earlier the same day, a similar ceremony at the same venue confirmed the various recipients of the Town Council’s annual grant awards.

“Our town thrives because of the dedication, creativity, and care shown by so many of our local organisations and volunteers,” Hungerford’s Mayor Helen Simpson said at the event. “I want to take a moment to recognise and thank the groups who have received council support this year and whose work continues to enrich our community in countless ways.”

A full list of the awardees, the amounts received, a summary of their work and weblinks for those who want to find out more about what they do can be found here.

• The wetlands project

We mentioned last week (see below) that planning consent has finally been granted for this project. Hot on the heels of this, the Town and Manor has produced a newsletter to explain where matters currently are.

This explains what’s been going on while the permission has been awaited, the next steps on the construction and fundraising progress. You can click here to read the newsletter (and see its wonderful photos).

• Gas repairs in January

I met the Wales and West Utilities’ manager of this project in Hungerford on 17 September and we discussed the gas-mains repairs that will be taking place in early January. We also met some of the retailers and market traders and dropped in to the Town Council office to discuss how the matter could best be promoted and explained.

As mentioned last week (see below), I remain impressed with the almost unprecedented level of pre-works engagement that’s going on. Seeing Hungerford High Street on market day left the manager in no doubt that it’s a place of work for many as well as an A-road through a market town.

All these details are to be confirmed, but at present it appears that work on the High Street will start on Monday 5 January 2026 and continue for at least two and (depending on what’s discovered) no more than four weeks. Most of the disruption will be be to the west (Bookshop and Town Hall) side where the parking bays will, from about the Coin and Stamp Centre down to the Church Street junction, be closed off, probably in two chunks with a week for each.

The market will not take place on Wednesday 7 January as a result. Some two- and three-way traffic lights will also be required at each end, hopefully in each case only for a few days.

Work will also take place in other parts of the town including Honeyfields and Prospect Road.

Wales and West Utilities intends to be at one of the Wednesday markets, probably in early December, to explain what’s happening and to answer any questions.

It must be stressed that the job of replacing quite elderly pipes can produce unexpected problems. For that reason, the works permit is for up to four weeks. However, the hope and expectation is that all this will be completed in two.

• Bin collections

In preparation for the new three-weekly black bin collections from week commencing Monday 22 September, West Berkshire Council (WBC) has arranged a one-off extra Saturday black bin collection for areas (like ours) which would otherwise have to wait more than three weeks for their next collection.

To check if your household is included, see your new collection calendar or the online bin day finder. This extra collection is temporary “to make sure no one is left with too long of a wait during the change of black bin collection frequency.” WBC is introducing the three-weekly black bin collection, which has already proved effective in other areas, in order to encourage more recycling.

• Other news

• The stormy weather last weekend had an impact on many events, not least Hungerford’s Heritage Festival on Sunday at The Croft Field. It was clearly postponed with a very heavy heart, but thankfully the organisers have reassured everyone that the ferret racing, morris dancing, rural crafts and culinary activities will be back for all to enjoy at Hungerford Apple Day on Sunday 12 October. See here for details.

• The Town & Manor of Hungerford also reports significant storm damage on Hungerford Common too. Teams have now been out to fell trees too impacted to be safe and a warning has been issued to be mindful to take extra care on the Common as nature recovers.

• Don’t miss the next Hungerford Repair Cafe at the Croft Hall this Saturday 20 September. Such a great opportunity to get all sorts of things fixed by the talented volunteer repairers. Plus you can get tea and cake while you wait. See here for more details.

• September’s monthly HEAT meeting is a joint eco group forum with West Berkshire Green Exchange and includes a talk by district councillor Carolyne Culver on how to influence politicians. All welcome on Wednesday 24 September in Hungerford Hub and Library from 7pm. See details here.

• Hungerford RFC was thrilled that its first away game of the season at Tadley was a success, coming out on top with a 28-22 win. Well done team.

• Do you need help with form filling, tech support, referrals, or general advice and a listening ear? Drop in to the Let’s Talk West Berkshire session at Hungerford Town Hall from 9.30am to 12.30pm on Wednesday 24 September. Open to everyone, this is a one-stop shops for information and support organised by West Berkshire Council’s Community Outreach Service. See here for more details.

• The Town & Manor of Hungerford has confirmed that “WBC has now granted full planning consent for the construction of the wetland landscape and its access, alongside outline planning permission for the Education and Information Centre.” A full application for the latter will be lodged in due course. However, the good news is that work on the wetland itself and its access can now begin. You can read the full statement from the Town & Manor here. Congratulations to all involved in what has proved, even by the normal standards of the planning system, to be a particularly protracted business.

• Congratulations to the recipients of this year’s Hungerford Freedom of the Town awards: Kathy Bossom, John Downe and Penny Brookman. All three have served the community for years in their very different capacities. Please see their citations here.

• John O’Gaunt School invites prospective families to its Open Evening on Thursday 9 October and Open Mornings from Monday 22 September to Thursday 2 October. See full details here.

• West Berkshire Council have two eco-friendly offers this autumn. Free compostable caddy liners from until 30 September from all West Berkshire Libraries and the West Berkshire Council Office (Market Street, Newbury), and a free soil conditioner giveaway on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 October at Padworth Integrated Waste Management Facility (RG7 4JF). For full details click here.

• See this web page for more information on the local TVP Police team in the Hungerford area.

• Latest local newsletters

• Inkpen and Combe Bulletin.
• Froxfield News.

• Have your say on:

Consultations being run by West Berkshire Council:

SENDIASS Parent/Carer Feedback Survey (August 2025) – deadline 21 September.
Review of the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) in Thatcham Town Centre (August 2025) – deadline 29 September.
Extension of pedestrianisation hours for Newbury Town Centre from 10am-5pm to 10am-11pm trial – deadline 19 Nov.
Springfield Primary School – School Streets Scheme – deadline 2 December.

Parish and town councils also run consultations from time to time: see the appropriate website/s below under Council contacts.

• News from other areas

Penny Post area: see the following separate sections: Hungerford area; Lambourn Valley ; Newbury area; Thatcham area; Compton and Downlands ; Burghfield area; Wantage area; Marlborough area.

News and views from across the area and beyond: see the most recent Weekly News with Brian column.

Thursday 11 September 2025

Our usual round-up of Hungerford area news includes the wetlands project finally gets approved, three Freedom of the Town winners announced, a decision is expected later this month on the future of the day-care Resource Centres including the one in Hungerford, impressive levels of communication over January’s gas-main repairs in Hungerford and bin-collection arrangements are about to change – plus open days and evenings at John O’Gaunt School, talent, eco-friendly offers, history and vehicle thefts. See also below for community notices and news from your local council.

Upcoming Hungerford events include Heritage Open Days: Hungerford Churches and Hungerford Heritage Festival. See below for details, plus regular events and group activities.

• A green light for the wetlands

As we’ve previously reported several times, the Town and Manor’s exciting wetlands project in Hungerford was for many months bogged down due to a very peculiar objection. This was based on the Environment Agency’s insistence that it wasn’t a “water-compatible development”. I’d have thought the clue was in the name…

In early June this misunderstanding was finally corrected and the objection was effectively withdrawn. This left West Berkshire Council free to grant the permission, something it has recently done.

The Town & Manor of Hungerford has confirmed that “WBC has now granted full planning consent for the construction of the wetland landscape and its access, alongside outline planning permission for the Education and Information Centre.” A full application for the latter will be lodged in due course. However, the good news is that work on the wetland itself and its access can now begin.

You can read the full statement from the Town & Manor here. Congratulations to all involved in what has proved, even by the normal standards of the planning system, to be a particularly protracted business.

• Freedom of the Town

Congratulations to the recipients of this year’s Freedom of the Town awards: Kathy Bossom trustee of CHAIN and long-term supporter of the Community of Hungerford Theare Company; sustainable energy advisor, Nursery School trustee and volunteer driver John Downe; and Penny Brookman who has spearheaded the Hungerford/Ligueil Twinning Association for many years, founded the Garston Gallopers Morris Dancing side and also taught maypole dancing to generations.

All three have served the community for years in their very different capacities. Please see their citations here.

• Resource Centre decision coming soon

As we’ve mentioned several times before, a decision on whether WBC’s three adult day-care centres in Hungerford, Newbury and Calcot will stay as they are or be taken over by someone else is expected to be announced at WBC’s Executive meeting on 25 September.

In this article, we look at the background to the issue and suggest some reasons why changing the current arrangements needs to involve some quite subtle measurements and that doing this might cause more problems than it solves. We also report on a recent visit by two Town Councillors to the Hungerford Centre.

This decision may already have been taken and not announced. However, assuming that it hasn’t been, there will still be time for anyone to lobby one way or another.

If the decision is taken to leave them as they are, I congratulate WBC in advance. It takes strength, not weakness, to admit that you’ve taken a wrong turning and to change course. This happened with the proposal to close Notrees care home in Kintbury a few years ago. After carefully argued opposition, the then portfolio holder Joanne Stewart said that she’d changed her mind. I was quick to congratulate her.

If the decision is taken to have the service provided by someone else, I and others will be very interested to know exactly what criteria has been taken into account to ensure that this provided the “equal or better than” service that Jeff Brooks promised when the matter was so prematurely presented at February’s budget meeting. We’d also all need to understand what the savings were, how both the service and the costs could be guaranteed and what effect this would have on the users. Finally, if any new supplier didn’t want to use the existing buildings, we’d need to understand what would happen to them. As mentioned, restrictive covenants and complex land-ownership issues make their sale, or even their re-use by WBC for a different purpose, fairly problematic.

Let’s see what’s decided later this month.

• Impressive communication on the gas works

In January 2026, Wales and West Utilities will need to close part of the pavement in Hungerford High Street and some other streets for gas-main repairs. This work, necessary though it is, will inevitably be disruptive. The Wednesday market, for instance, will need to be suspended for a week and throughout the period there’ll be parking spaces which won’t be usable.

In such situations, the perception or fear is that the contractors give only the minimum information about what they’re proposing to do ans when. And then, when they start, they end up doing something different and finish later than predicted. Throughout, there’s often the general impression of a lack of communication with, or interest in, the needs of the community they’re intruding on.

As regards Wales and West however, this could not be further from the truth. The project manager has been in touch several times to let me know what’s planned and has stressed that he wants to keep disruption to a minimum and communicate as well as possible. Hats off to him.

More details will follow: but the current plan is that the work will take place in January 2026 (this being the month when they’d be least disruption to the retailers, another thoughtful gesture) and in the High Street it will last for between two and three weeks (though the market will only be closed for one).

There will be an information event, possibly in the Library, in late October and early November. This will give residents and retailers a chance to understand what’s happening and why and to ask any questions. We’ll give both the works dates and the event wide publicity once both have been confirmed.

Other utility companies could learn a lot from this approach…

• Station Road

See the 4 September column below for what we said about the plans to ensure that the new 42-home development near the station provides 100% affordable homes, as has long been the intention.

As we suggested and as I’ve since had confirmed, three-way discussions are taking place between WBC, the developers and the housing association which is planning to take these homes on. Once matters have been arranged to everyone’s satisfaction, the details can be announced and work can start.

It seems that the number of affordable homes could be anywhere between the 30% minimum as defined by WBC’s policy and 100%. However, the intention remains that they will all be affordable and that is what, I’m assured, all parties are currently working towards.

• Bin change day approaches

Not long now until the new three-weekly black bin collections start from Monday 22 September 2025. West Berkshire Council (WBC) is introducing this change, which has already proved effective in other areas, in order to encourage more recycling. See here for details.

As recycling bins will still be collected every two weeks, this means that every six weeks all bins will need to be put out at once. WBC has told us that the officers are aware that this might be an issue in residential areas with limited kerbside space. We’ve been assured that they will monitor the situation closely and work with collection crews to come up with any solutions required.

• Other news

• Local families don’t forget to nip into Hungerford Library this weekend (Friday 12 and Saturday 13 September) on their last two open days before the end of their Story Garden Summer Reading Challenge to collect your final stickers, prizes and take part in some fun activities.

• Hungerford’s four churches (St Lawrences, Hungerford Methodist, United Reform and Catholic Churches) will all be open this Saturday 13 September between 10am and 2pm for Heritage Open Days. This is a great opportunity to explore the history of the sites, as well as the present purpose, with volunteers guides on hand to chat. And of course, there will be cake. See here for details.

• Please don’t miss the annual Hungerford Heritage Festival 2025 this Sunday 14 September. Presented by Hungerford Food Community , this free event is open from 10am to 3pm in the Croft Field to explore rural crafts and traditional culinary fun with lots of stalls, cooking demonstrations and street food.

• Good news for Hungerford resident Jane Buckle this week, when she hit the headlines for getting through two rounds of Britain’s Got Talent. The effusive 72 year old actor enthralled the judges, with her novel raps and an astonishing display of the splits. Good luck with your TV adventure Jane.

• John O’Gaunt School invites prospective families to its Open Evening on Thursday 9 October and Open Mornings from Monday 22 September to Thursday 2 October. See full details here.

• Inkpen Historical Society believes they’ve identified an old well with connected buildings, but to be sure they need to expose the area. They need about six people interested in giving this a go, digging down carefully by up to a meter and sifting through the soil that’s been removed. If you think you might be interested please email inkpen-climate@outlook.com. Do also visit the history.inkpenvillage.co.uk where audio files and wartime items are being added. If you think you might have something to add, get in touch. Comments are also very welcome.

• Thames Valley Police are keen to alert residents that there has been a rise in vehicle thefts in West Berkshire. They advise some simple steps to protect your vehicle and valuables including always locking your vehicle, storing your key in a signal-blocking pouch, using a steering wheel lock, installing a vehicle tracker or having an immobiliser fitted.

• See this web page for more information on the local TVP Police team in the Hungerford area.

• Latest local newsletters

• Inkpen and Combe Bulletin.
• Froxfield News.

• Have your say on:

Consultations being run by West Berkshire Council:

SENDIASS Parent/Carer Feedback Survey (August 2025) – deadline 21 September.
Review of the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) in Thatcham Town Centre (August 2025) – deadline 29 September.
Extension of pedestrianisation hours for Newbury Town Centre from 10am-5pm to 10am-11pm trial – deadline 19 Nov.
Springfield Primary School – School Streets Scheme – deadline 2 December.

Parish and town councils also run consultations from time to time: see the appropriate website/s below under Council contacts.

• News from other areas

Penny Post area: see the following separate sections: Hungerford area; Lambourn Valley ; Newbury area; Thatcham area; Compton and Downlands ; Burghfield area; Wantage area; Marlborough area.

News and views from across the area and beyond: see the most recent Weekly News with Brian column.

Thursday 4 September 2025

Our usual round-up of Hungerford area news includes two options for the new homes at Station Road, a big hurdle crossed with the neighbourhood plan, decision day looms for the Resource Centre and a look back at our latest Hungerford newsletter – plus local shops and businesses, the Youth Club’s summer, a pedestrian crossing in Froxfield, environmental news and free trees. See also below for community notices and news from your local council.

Upcoming Hungerford events include Sebastian Faulks author event and Hungerford Heritage Festival. See below for details, plus regular events and group activities.

Station Road

The application in Hungerford for “Erection of 42 residential dwellings, alongside associated access works (including formation of new access from Station Road), parking, landscaping, open space, drainage and other associated works” has recently been approved by WBC. You can click here to visit the planning portal and then enter thr reference 24/00823/FULMAJ to see all the documents.

One of these is the decision notice, which includes 29 separate conditions, several of them pre-commencement ones. Another is the draft Section 106 agreement which governs aspects of the financial contributions by the developer and also the question of the affordable homes. There are fifty uses of “affordable” in the document but the key ones appear to be in Schedule 2. This lists two possible outcomes;

Option A: nine social-rent and four shared-ownership (this is the 30% for a brownfield site as stated in WBC’s policy).
Option B: thirteen social-rent and twenty-nine “open-market dwellings but used in accordance with the objects contained in the rules of the Registered Provider”. This term is defined as “a provider of affordable housing under the 2008 act” and effectively means a housing association or something that behaves like one. I understand that this will not be Sovereign.

One can only assume that all the parties are currently keeping their options open. I imagine the option B deal with the developer (Archel) will require a fair price being paid promptly, and perhaps partly up-front. If that can’t be agreed then option A would apply. Option B is what’s always been assumed here and is one of the reasons why many, including Hungerford Town Council, were so supportive of the scheme. So far as I’m aware, this is what all parties want to happen.

The application was lodged in April 2025 but was only approved a couple of weeks ago. Why the delay? One of the reasons was there were a number of drainage issues on the site and two adjacent ones that are being developed separately which needed to be addressed. Another is that WBC’s planning decisions rarely arrive quickly. Sixteen months is not particularly remarkable.

More months will elapse which the above-mentioned deal is done regarding the housing tenure and the various pre-commencement conditions are discharged. Don’t therefore expect to see spades in the ground any time soon.

• The neighbourhood plan

This was started over seven years ago and has recently crossed its last-but-one hurdle. This was confirmed by the receipt of the examiner’s report HTC following fact-checking stage. The Inspector proposed some modifications, none of which are major, and which HTC has accepted. He also heaped praise on the “commendable” work, describing the plan itself as “succinct, logical, informative and very well illustrated.”

Aside from WBC’s formal agreement to the changes which is expected to happen on 16 October, all that remains is a referendum of all voters in the parish. It’s hoped that this will have happened before the end of the years.

You can reread more on this and all the previous stages through which the plan has passed in this separate article.

• The Resource Centre

This is another matter that we’ve been watching closely. In summary, West Berkshire Council announced at its budget meeting in February that it had plans to transfer the day-care services it provides here and at two other centres in Calcot and Newbury to a private provider. Further discussion at the meeting revealed that the predicted cost savings and benefits had yet to be supported by any firm evidence. The last six months has thus seen work being done on considering the options. A final decision will be announced at a meeting of WBC’s Executive on 25 September.

The stop-start nature of the process has not been ideal either for users of the service or for its staff. Life has carried on during this uncertainty and the Hungerford Centre has during this time attracted more clients. The other two were running at pretty much full capacity and continue to do.

In this article, we look at the background to the issue in a bit more detail and suggest some reasons why changing the current arrangements needs to involve some quite subtle measurements and that doing this might cause more problems than it solves. We also report on a recent visit by two Town Councillors to the Hungerford Centre.

• Penny Post Hungerford

The September issue was published earlier this week and, as ever provides the best round-up of life in the town. An update from the Town Council, the latest from the retailers and community groups, special offers, events, activities, eco news, jobs, property, special offers and some wise words from Voltaire are all included. You can click here to read it if you didn’t receive it.

If you have anything you’d like to contribute to the October edition, please email penny@pennypost.org.uk by the end of this month.

• Other news

• The latest news, events and tips from Hungerford’s wide range of wonderful independent shops and businesses, including special offers and advice from Fare Wise Travel and Hungerford Chiropractic & Physiotherapy Healthcare, Sebastian Faulks author evening with Hungerford Bookshop and new online auction date from Foxhill Auctions. Let’s keep supporting all of them to boost our local economy.

• Hungerford Youth Club looks back at its successful Summer Camp activities and forward to their busy schedule for this academic year including a new weekly group for Young Carers as well as their regular sessions for Yrs 5, 6, 7 & 8, a teen cafe for Yrs 9+, Home Ed sessions and ICE Additional Needs group. See here for more details and how to volunteer or register your child.

• September news from HEAT (Hungerford Environmental Action Team) an update on the successful HEAT Pumps Tour, a visit to the Kennet Valley Wetland Reserve and this month’s joint meeting with the West Berkshire Green Exchange at the Hungerford Hub/Library. All welcome at their Group Forum on Wednesday 24 September, which includes a talk by West Berkshire Councillor Carolyne Culver on how we can influence politicians.

• Funding has been secured by Froxfield Parish Council for a pedestrian crossing across the A4 just beyond The College at the eastern end of Froxfield. It is estimated this will be created in early 2026. There is a second crossing point also being considered near the bottom of Brewhouse Hill. This is the more complicated engineering project, however, and the Wiltshire roads engineers say a detailed assessment is required for this proposal. For more details see here.

• Last chance for community groups to apply to Greenham Trust for free trees to be delivered in November and December 2025. The deadline for ordering these is Monday 8 September: for more information, and how to apply, click here.

• Have your say on Women’s Health in West Berkshire. Healthwatch West Berkshire is running a community survey to understand women’s experiences and challenges in accessing health and social care. Click here to have your say.

• Have your say about crime in the Thames Valley by completing this anonymous crime survey here and help shape the future of policing in your community.

• West Berkshire Libraries invites you to download the new Planet Library App to encourage your children to stay engaged with the wonderful world of books and reading, by perusing, reserving and renewing book loans.

• See this web page for more information on the local TVP Police team in the Hungerford area.

• Latest local newsletters

• Inkpen and Combe Bulletin.
• Froxfield News.

• Have your say on:

Consultations being run by West Berkshire Council:

SENDIASS Parent/Carer Feedback Survey (August 2025) – deadline 21 September.
Review of the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) in Thatcham Town Centre (August 2025) – deadline 29 September.
Extension of pedestrianisation hours for Newbury Town Centre from 10am-5pm to 10am-11pm trial – deadline 19 Nov.
Springfield Primary School – School Streets Scheme – deadline 2 December.

Parish and town councils also run consultations from time to time: see the appropriate website/s below under Council contacts.

• News from other areas

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

Thursday 28 August 2025

Our usual round-up of Hungerford area news includes Penny Post Hungerford, free trees and an eco-centre in Kintbury – plus a produce show, bikeability, deer rutting, the Resource Centre, excellent bowling figures books and policing. See also below for community notices and news from your local council.

Upcoming Hungerford events include Race Night & Novelty Dog Show. See below for details, plus regular events and group activities.

• Penny Post Hungerford

Our regular monthly newsletter covering life in the town will be published on Tuesday 2 September. If there’s anything you’d like to have included in this, please contact penny@pennypost.org.uk as soon as possible.

• Cricket news

Congratulations to Hungerford-raised England cricketer Lauren Bell who returned outstanding bowling figures of four wickets for just six runs in her twenty balls in the final round of matches in The Hundred for The Southern Braves. Her team won all their matches, something that’s never happened before, and she’s the leading wicket-taker in the competition.

Sadly, the Braves didnlt manage to take home the trophy, losing to the Northern Superchargers by seven in the final at Lord’s on 31 August. None the less, she retained her position at the top of the bowling rankings and featured in every BBC pundits team of the tournament.

• An eco centre for Kintbury

Plans for the “Erection of Eco Centre building, with associated wildlife garden, car parking and solar array” (ref 24/01662/FUL) were approved by West Berkshire Council earlier this year. You can see more on the plans by clicking here and quoting the above reference number. As is common, the decision notice included a list of conditions (16 in all), some of which needed to be satisfied before work can start. I understand from the owners that these have now been fulfilled and approved, and construction is expected to begin in the autumn and take about a year to complete.

The end result will be a building of about 200 square metres, which will act as a learning centre and a base for school visits and special interest groups, be they interested in nature study, biodiversity, birds or rare butterflies. The building will sit in several acres of wildflower meadow, which is being actively managed to increase its biodiversity.

Pre-arranged visits will include walks through of the nearby woods (also owned by the applicants), which have been carefully thinned to increase the amount of sunlight reaching the ground, increasing the variety of plants (and therefore animals) that live there. The owners have also removed areas of rhododendron (an invasive species that is serious threat to native woodland) which once proliferated.

This is an issue for many such sites: if humans have introduced particular plants or animals then active intervention is often needed to ensure that a balance is maintained. Tree felling under licence is therefore sometimes required, as is also the case if trees become infected with, for example, ash dieback.

It sounds like an interesting project and we’ll look forward to bringing you further news of it. It’s one of several in the area – others are being developed in Hungerford and Newbury to name but two – which aim to restore unused land to a condition where it can make a positive contribution to local bio-diversity. As mentioned above, simply leaving it to its own devices will not always accomplish this: nature sometimes needs a helping hand.

• Free trees

Since Greenham Trust’s 25th anniversary in 2022, it has donated nearly nine thousand trees to over a hundred different charitable organisations in the district and has pledged to continue to give away trees and hedging for years to come.

The tree-planting season is between October and March so Greenham is now inviting applications for trees to be delivered in November and December 2025.

The deadline for ordering these is Monday 8 September. To be eligible for free trees, you must be a school, council, charity or community organisation within the trust’s area of operation (West Berkshire and north Hampshire). Schools and community groups are recommended the smaller trees/hedging (60 to 80cms) and with the larger ones (over 90cm) being more suitable for parish councils, depending on the amount of land available. For more information, and how to apply, click here.

• Other news

• A great day was had by all last Saturday at the third Hungerford Produce, Flower & Handicraft Show in the Town Hall as reported by Town & Manor with over 350 visitors from far and wide.

• More Bank Holiday revelry was enjoyed at Hungerford Club’s Beer Festival in The Croft.

• Last chance to book a two day Bikeability Summer Holiday Course (Level 1 & 2) for children aged 10 to 17 at Hungerford Leisure Centre on 1 and 2 September. See here for details and to book.

• Thames Valley Police advise the public that it is deer rutting season for the next couple of months, so drivers should be extra vigilant when driving in rural areas, to avoid hitting a deer on the road. For more details click here.

• We’re now into the last few days of West Berkshire Council’s consultation into residents’ levels of satisfaction about local bus services including punctuality, frequency, value for money and waiting environments. Have your say here by 11.59pm on Sunday 31 August.

• No firm decision has been taken by West Berkshire Council on the future of the Resource Centres in Hungerford, Newbury and Calcot. which “provide care and support during the day for disabled, vulnerable and older people.” It’s expected that a decision will be made at the Executive meeting of WBC on 25 September.

• Quick reminder about Newbury Velo Cycling Club’s friendly Introduction to Group Cycling event on Sunday 31 August starting at 1.30pm from the Honesty Cafe at Crown & Garter, Inkpen, and cycling for around 90 mins along the quiet lanes around Inkpen. All you need is a bike in good working order and helmet. You’ll be in safe hands, led by experienced riders. For more details and to join the group cycle ride, email women@newburyvelo.cc.

• Have your say about crime in the Thames Valley by completing this anonymous crime survey here and help shape the future of policing in your community.

• A reminder that Hungerford Town run a women’s walking football session every Wednesday from 7 to 8pm at John O’Gaunt School. The emphasis is very much on having a bit of fun alongside some exercise. Age, ability and previous footballing experience don’t matter. Contact martin.brailli@btinternet.com for more details.

• See this web page for more information on the local TVP Police team in the Hungerford area.

• Latest local newsletters

• Inkpen and Combe Bulletin.
• Froxfield News.

• Have your say on:

Consultations being run by West Berkshire Council:

West Berkshire Bus Service Survey 2025 – deadline 31 August.
Proposed Traffic Regulation Orders for Shaw, Donnington, Greenham & Sulhamstead – deadline 3 September.
SENDIASS Parent/Carer Feedback Survey (August 2025) – deadline 21 September.
Review of the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) in Thatcham Town Centre (August 2025) – deadline 29 September.
Extension of pedestrianisation hours for Newbury Town Centre from 10am-5pm to 10am-11pm trial – deadline 19 Nov.
Springfield Primary School – School Streets Scheme – deadline 2 December.

Parish and town councils also run consultations from time to time: see the appropriate website/s below under Council contacts.

• News from other areas

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

Thursday 21 August 2025

Our usual round-up of Hungerford area news includes no decision yet regarding the Resource Centre, the NDP seemingly in calm waters, height restrictions at a Kintbury car park and a last call for bus-service feedback – plus vandalism, plants, VJ Day, the Foodbank, summer fun, walking football, tennis and theatre. See also below for community notices and news from your local council.

Upcoming Hungerford events include Produce & Handicraft Show and Wetland Tour. See below for details, plus regular events and group activities.

• The Resource Centre

Contrary to what you might have read elsewhere, no firm decision has been taken by West Berkshire Council on the future of the Resource Centres in Hungerford, Newbury and Calcot. which “provide care and support during the day for disabled, vulnerable and older people.”

The budget consultation last year proposed that these services be outsourced. This was brought to February’s WBC budget meeting without most of the necessary work having been done about finding and costing replacement services. I compared this to a dish which had been prepared in advance and served up at a feast without anyone remembering to put it in the oven.

This confusion having been made clear at the meeting, WBC’s Leader Jeff Brooks announced that, unless the savings could be realised and the same level of service provided, the closures would’t go ahead.

Since then, work has been conducted by WBC. This has included looking at possible alternative providers and getting information about the experience of individual users. It seems that tweaking the way the charges (which are capped by law) operate and exploring other uses to which the buildings could be put to at other times are both possible options.

Portfolio holder Partick Clark re-confirmed to me this week that “no changes will be made until we are entirely confident that we have found a solution that works for everyone. Hopefully we can reach that conclusion in the next month.” This is set to be discussed and/or announced at the Executive meeting on 25 September. I understand that a petition to retain the Centres under their current management will also be presented at this meeting.

Last week, the Mayor Helen Simpson and Hungerford Councillor David Reeves visited the town’s Resource Centre. “The work they do there is amazing,” they told me.”The Centre provides invaluable support to a wide range of vulnerable people, some with severe disabilities, or dementia. There is definitely a need for what it provides.”

The Centre’s Manager Zoe Williams confirmed that the visit had been a “happy occasion” and the residents were delighted to meet the visitors. “We are always looking for new ways to involve the community,” she added. “We would love to hear from anyone wanting to know more about the activities we provide or to find out how they can apply to be a volunteer – get in touch with us on 01488 682601.” She also stressed that the Hungerford Centre currently has spaces available every day.

No one seems to think that the services these three centres provide are not needed: the question is rather how and by whom these will provided. Hopefully Patrick Clark’s prediction that 25 September will see a resolution to this will prove correct. The uncertainty will by then have been going on for over seven months.

• The neighbourhood development plan

As we reported in June, the final public consultation on this has now closed. The project is now at its examination stage with the plan and the recent comments being reviewed by a Planning Inspector. A fact-checking report has been provided to the Town Council which is being responded to. There is no evidence of any major problems and, to date, the Inspector has not felt it necessary to have any public sessions as part of the examination. Everything thus seems to be proceeding very smoothly.

Once the final report has been received, hopefully in the next few weeks, all that remains aside from some formal rubber-stamping is a referendum of all the voters in the parish. The date of this (which might be this year) will be given wide publicity once it’s confirmed. This is being organised by West Berkshire Council, not Hungerford Town Council.

Assuming the vote is in favour adoption, as almost are, the plan will then be regarded as “made”, as the saying goes. It will then be folded into WBC’s local plan and become as much a part of it as if WBC had written it itself.

The plan contains site allocations, with which no everyone agrees (as is ever the case). However, given the governments house-building ambitions it’s fanciful to think that these allocations will disappear by not approving the plan. What may be lost, however, will be the numerous other policies and protections which the NDP steering group has created over the last seven and a half years. These have been created in close consultation with local residents. An NDP is about a great deal more than site allocations and gives the community a genuine say in how the future development in the town is conducted.

• Height restrictions in Kintbury

We’ve been contacted by a member of a local angling club who’s pointed out that the Canal and River Trust’s car park now has a height restriction which means that larger vehicles can’t use it. I contacted the C&RT’s press department and very promptly received the following response:

“There has always been a height barrier in place, but it wasn’t used previously. Now it is, for a couple of reasons.

“The car park has been used and has been advertised a lot online incorrectly as a place for camper vans to visit. The barrier will now mean camper vans are unable to get past the barrier to allow the car park to be available to visitors to the canal in cars who visit to walk along the towpath and will make for a better experience for them.

“The other reason is that it has been the site of one of the Trust’s biggest fly tipping locations. It’s hoped the barrier will cut down on the amount of people fly tipping in the car park and save a lot of money for the Canal & River Trust, especially as we’re a charity.”

It would therefore seem that these new arrangements (which always technically prevailed) will be permanent.

As for the question as to where people with taller vehicles can now park, I can’t offer any immediate suggestions. I understand that both the Dundas Arms and the station car parks now have parking restrictions and these are in any case designed for those using those facilities. I’m afraid the best advice I can offer is that if you want to use the C&RT car park, don’t bring a van.

• On the buses

We’re now into the final week or so of West Berkshire Council’s consultation into residents’ levels of satisfaction about local bus services including punctuality, frequency, value for money and waiting environments. Have your say here by 11.59pm on Sunday 31 August.

The Council’s Bus Service Improvement Plan and Enhanced Partnership with local bus operators were introduced a few years ago as part of a government initiative. £2.6m has been received from Whitehall: part of the deal is that users be asked what they think of the bus service and its improvement. This is your chance to contribute to the discussion.

• Other news

• Hungerford Town Council is looking for any information regarding vandalism at the play park in Smitham Bridge. Football posts were moved, nets taken (since found), but thanks are extended to residents and contractors alike who have helped to reassemble the mess.

• There is still time to plan your entries for this year’s Produce, Flower & Handicraft Show at Hungerford Town Hall this Saturday 23 August. Show off your own and your family’s skills, not just in the vegetable and fruit section but photography, flowers and flower arranging, cookery, handicrafts, children’s classes and much more. See here for all the class details.

• Thanks to Lee Sainsbury for his photos of Hungerford’s VJ Day 80 ceremony at the War Memorial on 15 August. Lee reports that ‘during the ceremony, Lin Crossan of the Women’s Section of the Hungerford RBL Club and Lt Col Myles Cook RM – Chairman of Hungerford RBL unveiled a commemorative bench, which was formally accepted by Hungerford Town Mayor, Councillor Helen Simpson.’

• The outdoor showing of Pride and Prejudice was a huge success last week, so much so that plans are being hatched for more outdoor theatre for 2026. Keep an eye out later this year for news on A Christmas Carol coming to Hungerford in mid-December.

• For latest news from Kintbury Tennis Club and their upcoming tennis camp 26 to 28 August, visit their facebook group here.

• Newbury Velo Cycling Club is hosting a friendly Introduction to Group Cycling event on Sunday 31 August starting at 1.30pm from the Honesty Cafe at Crown & Garter, Inkpen, and cycling for around 90 mins along the quiet lanes around Inkpen. All you need is a bike in good working order and helmet. You’ll be in safe hands, led by experienced riders. For more details and to join the group cycle ride, email women@newburyvelo.cc.

• August is National Picnic Month, so why not take a trip onto Hungerford Common with friends or family and enjoy some food al fresco in a wonderful environment. However, please avoid taking barbecues, which are a fire hazard.

• Town & Manor of Hungerford is keen to remind people of what’s on at Hungerford Town Hall in August 2025 from markets and pop-ups to live shows and community support. Click here for full details.

• Have your say about crime in the Thames Valley by completing this anonymous crime survey here and help shape the future of policing in your community.

• Please remember that Foodbank is open at H ungerford Methodist Church every Wednesday 1 to 3pm all through the summer holidays. And if you need help, call 0808 208 2138 to speak to a Citizens Advice adviser. This is a freephone number but you may have to wait for the call to be answered as they talk to each caller for as long as needed.

• For more fun in Hungerford Library this summer see West Berks Libraries’ August newsletter for details and scroll down to find the section you’re interested in. See also the section at the top of this column

• Hungerford Leisure Centre offers lots of summer fun for families with inflatable fun in the swimming pool 2 to 3pm every Wednesday during the summer holidays. Plus Active Antz bouncy castle sessions every Wednesday and Thursday from 9.30 to 11am throughout the summer bookable via the Everyone Active app, online, or by calling 01488 683 303. Everyone is Family sessions just £2 per person for Family Swimming on Wednesdays at 4.30pm and Fridays at 4pm and Family Rackets on Saturdays and Sundays at 10am. Bikeability Summer Holiday Courses for children aged 10 to 17 on 6 and 7 August (Level 2), 27 August (morning and afternoon) (Level 1 and 2) and 1 and 2 September (Level 2).

• See this web page for more information on the local TVP Police team in the Hungerford area.

• The Royal Berkshire Fire & Rescue Service is offering a Free Safe & Well Visit to a whole host of individuals, see here. To see if you qualify call Freephone 0800 5876679 or email SafeandWell@rbfrs.co.uk

• Reminder to be aware of ticks, especially if you walk in long grass where they live, and how to protect yourself from the risk of Lyme Disease.

• And if you can make a small donation to Hungerford Town Council’s Hungerford in Bloom fundraising campaign towards improving the horticultural beauty of the town, it will be matched by Greenham Trust.

• Are you interested in a part-time job that is vital to the community? If you live or work within a six minute drive of Hungerford Fire Station you can apply to become a (paid) On-Call Firefighter. Currently, On-Call Firefighters are being sought for Hungerford and Lambourn. Full training is provided for this essential role which pays c £500 per month. For pay scales and how to apply, read more.

• Latest local newsletters

• Inkpen and Combe Bulletin.
• Froxfield News.

• Have your say on:

Consultations being run by West Berkshire Council:

West Berkshire Bus Service Survey 2025 – deadline 31 August.
Proposed Traffic Regulation Orders for Shaw, Donnington, Greenham & Sulhamstead – deadline 3 September.
SENDIASS Parent/Carer Feedback Survey (August 2025) – deadline 21 September.
Review of the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) in Thatcham Town Centre (August 2025) – deadline 29 September.
Extension of pedestrianisation hours for Newbury Town Centre from 10am-5pm to 10am-11pm trial – deadline 19 Nov.
Springfield Primary School – School Streets Scheme – deadline 2 December.

Parish and town councils also run consultations from time to time: see the appropriate website/s below under Council contacts.

• News from other areas

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

Thursday 14 August 2025

Our usual round-up of Hungerford area news includes summer in the library, a new tenant at a town-centre pub and an ash tree lives on in a way – plus picnics, Town Hall events, policing, .garden waste, summer fun, football and handicrafts. See also below for community notices and news from your local council.

Upcoming Hungerford events include Italian Storytime at the library and Produce & Handicraft Show. See below for details, plus regular events and group activities.

• Summer in the library

It’s hard to imagine that the existence of Hungerford Library was ever under threat. It is such a valued asset to the town for example offering lots of free fun for all ages this summer. There’s a special Italian Storytime in Giardino this Friday 15 August 2.30-5pm. Suggested donation £1. And there’s still time to join the Summer Reading Challenge (separate challenges for pre-school, primary age and 12+ including adults), pick up a quiz and find the teddy bears hiding in the library.

The usual regular groups for adults and children are also continuing over the holidays as follows:

Bookgroup – Friday 15 August 5.30 to 6.30pm.
Art for adults – every Tues 2 to 4pm.
Rhymetime for pre-school children and their grown-ups – every Wednesday 10am and 11am (older siblings welcome).
Craft & Chat for adults – every Friday 10am to noon.

For more details please contact the library on hungerfordlibrary@westberks.gov.uk or 01488 682660.

• A new tenant at the John O’Gaunt pub

Contrary to what you might have read elsewhere, this pub has not been sold and remains the property of the Town and Manor. What has changed, however, is the tenant and licensee, long-time pint-puller (and brewer) Mark Genders recently having been replaced by Rahul Sood. Regular users will so far have seen no immediate changes and most of the previous team are still in place.

If people have any suggestions as to any changes that the new tenant may wish to consider, drop in and let the staff know.

• HEAT’s heat-pump tour

John Downe from Hungerford Environmental Action Team (HEAT) recently organised a tour of the town with the aim of introducing local residents to real-life case studies of working heat pumps.

“On a very pleasant sunny evening,” he reported, “HEAT transported eleven pre-booked interested local people in an all-electric minibus around a selection of the heat pumps that are installed in Hungerford.”

You can read the full report – including the generally positive impressions that the visitors came away with – by clicking here.

• Not quite ashes to ashes

Ash dieback is, as the RHS website explains, “a serious disease of ash trees, caused by a fungus now called Hymenoscyphus fraxineus. The fungus was described as a new fungal species in 2006 as the cause of ash (Fraxinus excelsior) mortality in European countries during the previous ten years.” For local landowners who’re aware of their responsibilities, this has resulted not only in the need to fell the affected trees but also considerable costs, particularly if the wood needs to removed from the site.

One local landowner that’s vividly aware not only of the problem but also its duties under the law is the Town and Manor of Hungerford. A much-loved ash tree on Freeman’s Marsh recently had to be cut down for this reason.

We caught up with Kate Edwards, one of the Trustees of the Town and Manor, who explained the charity’s responsibilities in this matter, why this felling was necessary and similar felling projects that the charity has had to undertake in previous years. Encouragingly, she also reveals that the tree will, even after death, help to nurture new life on the site. You can read the full article here.

• Other news

• Have your say about crime in the Thames Valley by completing this anonymous crime survey here and help shape the future of policing in your community.

• West Berkshire Libraries invite you to download the new Planet Library App to encourage your children to stay engaged with the wonderful world of books and reading, by perusing, reserving and renewing book loans.

• Please remember that Foodbank is open at H ungerford Methodist Church every Wednesday 1 – 3pm – all through the summer holidays. And if you need help, call 0808 208 2138 to speak to a Citizens Advice adviser. This is a freephone number but you may have to wait for the call to be answered as they talk to each caller for as long as needed.

• A reminder from West Berkshire Council that garden-waste subscriptions 2025/26 are now open. To sign up click here or call 01635 503828.

• Hungerford Leisure Centre offers lots of summer fun for families with inflatable fun in the swimming pool 2 – 3pm every Wednesday during the summer holidays. Plus Active Antz bouncy castle sessions every Wednesday and Thursday from 9.30 to 11am throughout the summer bookable via the Everyone Active app, online, or by calling 01488 683 303. Everyone is Family sessions just £2 per person for Family Swimming on Wednesdays at 4.30pm and Fridays at 4pm and Family Rackets on Saturdays and Sundays at 10am. Bikeability Summer Holiday Courses for children aged 10 to 17 on 6 and 7 August (Level 2), 27 August (morning and afternoon) (Level 1 and 2) and 1 and 2 September (Level 2).

• Are you planning your entries for this year’s Produce, Flower & Handicraft Show at Hungerford Town Hall on Saturday 23 August? This will be the third show run by Hungerford Allotment Holder’s Association (HAHA) and offers many opportunities for you to show off your own and your family’s skills, not just in the vegetable and fruit section but photography, flowers and flower arranging, cookery, handicrafts, children’s classes and much more. See here for all the class details.

• See this web page for more information on the local TVP Police team in the Hungerford area.

• Shalbourne Community Growers welcome a few more volunteers to help with the amazing market garden that provides veg boxes to the local community. No previous experience is required and the sessions are very therapeutic and sociable. They are normally on Wednesday mornings and evenings, Thursday afternoons and Saturday mornings. For more details please contact Polly on 07989 480089.

• Reminder to be aware of ticks, especially if you walk in long grass where they live, and how to protect yourself from the risk of Lyme Disease.

• Latest local newsletters

• Inkpen and Combe Bulletin.
• Froxfield News.

• Have your say on:

Consultations being run by West Berkshire Council:

West Berkshire Bus Service Survey 2025 – deadline 31 August.
Extension of pedestrianisation hours for Newbury Town Centre from 10am-5pm to 10am-11pm trial – deadline 19 Nov.
Springfield Primary School – School Streets Scheme – deadline 2 December.

Parish and town councils also run consultations from time to time: see the appropriate website/s below under Council contacts.

News from other areas

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

Thursday 7 August 2025

Our usual round-up of Hungerford area news includes progress (rather than more delay) at Hungerford’s wetlands project and a look at our recent Penny Post Hungerford e-newsletter – plus an ash tree, fun events, visitors from Ghama, a therapy dog, produce shows and ticks. See also below for community notices and news from your local council.

Upcoming Hungerford events include ABBA Tribute Show and Hungerford Food & Artisan Market. See below for details, plus regular events and group activities.

• Wetlands progress

I was surprised to read an article in a local newspaper on the the subject of “red-tape delays” at the proposed Kennet Valley Wetlands Reserve in Hungerford. It’s true that this has taken some time to get through the system – the application (24/00764/OUTMAJ) was validated in April 2024 – but in June a major obstacle was removed.

This was the Environment Agency’s refusal to accept that the project was a “water-compatible development”, as defined by the National Planning Policy Framework. The applicants maintained that it was and pointed to several similar examples elsewhere to which the EA had offered no objection.

For whatever reason – perhaps because, having made this claim, the organisation could see no way of retracting it without admitting an error – the EA agreed that if West Berkshire Council could confirm that the project ticked this box then that would do. This assurance was duly received and, on 5 June, the EA confirmed that it “will no longer pursue [its] objection 1 on development and flood zone incompatibility.”

The article therefore describes a situation which prevailed up until two months ago but which no longer does.

The worst is therefore over. Still to be dealt with are the still potentially time-consuming, though far more usual, formalities such as agreeing the various planning conditions. These can cover matters ranging from the exact building materials used to the permitted hours of work. Now this fundamental problem has been removed, however, matters should move forward fairly quickly (by the standards of the planning system, at any rate). Nor do objections from residents seem to be an issue, with all but one comment on the website being in support.

So, assuming it’s approved, what will the result be? The project’s website says it “will be an area of 16 hectares (40 acres) of restored and redeveloped ancient water meadow, situated next to the River Kennet…an ambitious wetland regeneration project for the immediate benefit of the local area and visitors, with a lasting legacy benefitting the health and wellbeing of locals, visitors and the wider environment for generations to come.”

Hopefully, we won’t have to wait too much longer for this.

• Penny Post Hungerford

Our August newsletter was published this week and you can click here to read it if you missed it. Items covered include…

Our usual summary of the work of Hungerford Town Council, including its comments on the Aldi application.
News and offers from many of the town’s retailers.
Congratulations to Inklings in the High Street which has won a national award.
The latest monthly diary from the Head of John O’Gaunt School.
The winners of our recent prize quizzes.
News from many of the town’s voluntary, faith and community groups.
Special offers.
Local events and activities.
Summer activities for children.
Property and jobs.
…and some wise words from Marilyn Monroe.

If there’s anything you’d like to contribute to the September issue, please email penny@pennypost.org.uk by the end of this month.

• Other news

• It is with the greatest sadness that Town & Manor of Hungerford had to fell the much-loved ash tree at the Whirly Pool. The tree has lost much foliage as a result of ash dieback in the last year and given its public location, felling was the safest, although saddest option.

• Fun events in town this weekend include the ABBA Tribute Show on Saturday 9 August in Hungerford Town Hall and Hungerford Food & Artisan Market on Sunday 10 August in the Croft Field with news stalls including plants, woodwork, bakery and up-cycled gifts plus all your usual favourites and a butterfly colouring competition and the Big Butterfly Count.

• St Lawrence’s Church in Hungerford is delighted to welcome representatives from The Kings Village charity in north Ghana this Sunday 10 August. They will be speaking as part of the 10am service and then joining the BBQ in the vicarage garden where they will be happy to have further conversations and answer questions. All are welcome at the BBQ which is in aid of a children and youth worker at St Lawrence’s Church. Tickets cost £10 and are available from Henry Jefferies at henry@hamblinmeadow.co.uk or 01488 685035.

• Town & Manor of Hungerford are keen to remind people of what’s on at Hungerford Town Hall in August 2025 from markets and pop-ups to live shows and community support. Click here for full details.

• This Saturday 9 August, why not take your little one down to Hungerford Library , so that they can read to therapy dog Ruby. Ruby is a great listener and always keen to hear a new tale.

• For more fun in Hungerford Library this summer – see West Berks Libraries’ August newsletter for details and scroll down to find the section you’re interested in.

• A reminder from West Berkshire Council that Garden Waste Subscriptions 2025/26 are now open. To sign up click here or call 01635 503828.

• How well do you know the North Wessex Downs (NWD)? While there are many iconic features across our local landscape, there are plenty more hidden gems, local history and quirky tales off the beaten track. The latest Summer newsletter from NWD Landscape Trust features its collection of ‘Postcard’ sites that offer breathtaking views, fascinating stories, and little-known facts about the NWD, with a prize to be won if you visit a Postcard and take a selfie.

• See this web page for more information on the local TVP Police team in the Hungerford area.

• Reminder to be aware of ticks, especially if you walk in long grass where they live, and how to protect yourself from the risk of Lyme Disease.

• Latest local newsletters

• Inkpen and Combe Bulletin.
• Froxfield News.

• Have your say on:

Consultations being run by West Berkshire Council:

West Berkshire Bus Service Survey 2025 – deadline 31 August.
Extension of pedestrianisation hours for Newbury Town Centre from 10am-5pm to 10am-11pm trial – deadline 19 Nov.
Springfield Primary School – School Streets Scheme – deadline 2 December.

Parish and town councils also run consultations from time to time: see the appropriate website/s below under Council contacts.

News from other areas

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

Thursday 31 July 2025

Our usual round-up of Hungerford area news includes a forthcoming newsletter, clearing the ground and what the Town Council can (and can’t) do about speeding – plus wetlands progress, the local landscape, gas-mains repairs, masques, markets, football and Aldi. See also below for community notices and news from your local council.

Upcoming Hungerford events include family fun at the library and ABBA Tribute Show. See below for details, plus regular events and group activities.

• What’s the council doing about it?

Followers of a local FB page may have noticed some comments about speeding in Hungerford. The author asks what the Town Council (HTC) is doing about this, the implication being nothing.

It’s worth pointing out, again, that towns and parishes have no responsibility for enacting or enforcing traffic regulations. They can’t set speed limits, introduce traffic-calming measures, put up or take down signs or arrest motorists.

The same goes for a lot of other things: they can’t close leisure centres, shops or pubs, cause them to stay open, change recycling arrangements or make planning decisions.

What they can do, however, is lobby WBC, the police or whoever is responsible for these matters. They can also gather local opinion, mobilise local reaction, convene meetings and act as formal consultees (for example on planning matters).

The recent history of HTC’s work is full of examples of just this kind of involvement. Over the last eight or so years we’ve been covering these regularly. I would say there have been at least a hundred such matters during this period, some of which have (through no fault of HTC) rumbled on in various forms for years. Speeding/road safety is one of these.

Just restricting ourselves to these matters, HTC’s recent involvement on this has included: helping to get the speed limts reduced on the Common and in Sanham Green; regularly drawing WBC’s attention to specific issues and incidents; investigating setting up a Speedwatch group; installing and operating SIDs; and looking carefully at any planning applications (such as the current Aldi one) which might have implications for road safety.

If you have any comment about anything in the town tht you feel needs to be addressed, it might be worth checking with HTC before rushing into online comment to establish if HTC is aware of it, is responsible for it or is already dealing with it. Information on how to contact HTC can be found on its website.

As many residents will know, we also provide a detailed monthly summary of HTC’s work which is published on our website and which is always the main story on our monthly Penny Post Hungerford e-newsletter. To subscribe to this or other weekly newsletter, click here.

• Clearing the ground

Users of the London-bound platform at Hungerford station may have noticed some distinct improvements in the strip of land behind the platform. For years this has been an overgrown wasteland, probably low on bio-diversity but high on the variety of rubbish that it’s accumulated. After considerable pressing from Hungerford Town Council (yet another thing that can be added to the list referred to in the section above), Network Rail has sent some people down and tidied it up.

This is not a task that NR is going to repeat, however. Instead, it’s said that HTC can have access to it in order to maintain it in the future. Fortunately the town has a highly effective group (Smarten Up Hungerford) which can mobilise volunteers. It’s therefore expected that this site will be added to its list of places that need some TLC now and then. If more hands are required we’ll be giving this publicity.

Well done to HTC for pressing this matter and to NR for finally reacting. We can all do our bit by not using the land as the kind of waste-disposal site that it was for so many years allowed to become.

• Penny Post Hungerford

Our regular monthly newsletter covering life in the town will be published on Saturday 2 August. If there’s anything you’d like to have included in this, please contact penny@pennypost.org.uk as soon as possible.

• Other news

• The Town & Manor’s plans for the 40 acre Kennet Valley Wetland Reserve at Undy’s Meadow are making progress. If you haven’t had a tour of KVWR yet, there’s a great opportunity this summer as the T&M is hosting a series of tours on Thursday evenings. See details here on how to book. As part of the project, it’ also created two printable marshland bird-colouring posters – perfect for helping kids learn about the amazing wildlife that may soon call Hungerford’s new wetland home. Download and print these here.

• Quick reminder about ABBA Tribute Show on Saturday 9 August in Hungerford Town Hall. See here for details and booking. The event is being organised by Sylvi Giuliani, who used to run the Borough Arms.

• Hungerford Bookshop has announced their autumn events to look forward to but, knowing Emma, there will be even more to come…

• Hungerford Leisure Centre offers lots of summer fun for families with inflatable fun in the swimming pool 2 – 3pm every Wednesday during the summer holidays. Plus Active Antz bouncy castle sessions every Wednesday and Thursday from 9.30–11am throughout the summer bookable via the Everyone Active app, online, or by calling 01488 683303. Everyone is Family sessions just £2 per person for Family Swimming on Wednesdays at 4.30pm and Fridays at 4pm and Family Rackets on Saturdays and Sundays at 10am. Bikeability Summer Holiday Courses for children aged 10–17 on 6 & 7 August (Level 2), 27 August (morning & afternoon) (Level 1 & 2) and 1 & 2 September (Level 2).

• The gas-main repairs which were to have taken place in May, or June, or July will now be taking place in early January. This will cause some parking disruption on the High Street (and elsewhere in the town) for a few weeks but should only result in the market closing for one week. More information will be available closer to the time. It’s also likely that there’ll be a public information event in the town, probably in October.

• This year’s Boxford Masques, in its twenty-fifth year no less, is The Healing Tree, written and directed by Ade Morris. A story for our times, it looks well worth seeing between 30 July and 3 August. Book your tickets here: watermill.org.uk/events/the-healing-tree.

• Town & Manor of Hungerford has lots more to entice you to its Wednesday Markets this summer. Whether it’s supporting 10 year old Mariah with her fresh juice business (August 6, 13, 20, 27) or meeting the volunteers from the Kennet Valley Wetlands Trust for some nature-driven arts & crafts (August 6 and 27), there is even more to explore than usual.

• Are you between 13 and 17 years old and ready for an adventure? Why not join the Royal Berkshire Fire Cadets to gain life-saving skills, make new friends, and make a real difference in your community. New cadet units launch in September 2025 and the closest one is in Newbury. If you are interested register by email at firecadets@rbfrs.co.uk.

• As mentioned previously, Aldi has lodged an application for a supermarket on Charnham Street (A4) which will basically fill in most of the land between Charnham Lane and the A4. You can see the documents by clicking here and entering the reference 25/01203/FULMAJ. This section also explains how you can have your say. You can also see a recent update following a meeting between Aldi and Hungerford Town Council (HTC) by clicking here and scrolling down to the appropriate section: and also the minutes of the HTC planning committee meeting which will appear here soon (see last week’s section below for a summary of its conclusions).

• West Berkshire Foodbank runs six weekly foodbanks across West Berkshire providing baby formula vouchers, hosting Samaritan sessions for the vulnerable and much more. They also saved clients £313,000 plus last year thanks to their in-house Benefits & Welfare Advisor. You can also download their BanktheFood app to find out what donations are required next time you’re in the supermarket. They will also gladly take excess produce donations from local allotments and gardeners.

• Do you heat your home with oil? CCB (Connecting Communities in Berkshire) runs an Oil Club that helps households save money by bulk-buying heating oil. Right now, CCB is running a quick survey to better understand how people heat their homes and whether there’s interest in switching to greener alternatives in the future. Even if you’re happy sticking with oil, your views are really valuable. Please take this two-minute survey, which is completely anonymous. The results will help CCB shape future support and resources for oil-heated households.

• See this web page for more information on the local TVP Police team in the Hungerford area.

• Don’t forget that from Monday 22 September 2025, West Berkshire Council will be introducing three-weekly black bin collections to encourage more recycling. Collection calendars and information leaflets will be delivered to households between 25 August and 5 September. so keep an eye out.

• Hungerford Rugby Club is running free junior training sessions for boys aged 11 to 15 and girls from six to 16 on alternate Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings throughout July and August. Anyone can go along, whether they’re club members or not. The training will follow RFU protocols and involve general fitness and non-contact rugby and will be supervised by qualified coaches. For more information contact Helen Daunton on 07596 785084.

• Free holiday club in the mornings Monday 18 to Friday 22 August for all primary age children at St Lawrence’s Church in Hungerford. The theme is ’The Good News Detective Agency’ with arts, crafts and much more. For further information call Marcia on 01488 491743 or email curate@stlawrenceshungerford.org.uk.

• Reminder to be aware of ticks, especially if you walk in long grass where they live, and how to protect yourself from the risk of Lyme Disease.

• Latest local newsletters

• Inkpen and Combe Bulletin.
• Froxfield News.

• Have your say on:

Consultations being run by West Berkshire Council:

West Berkshire Bus Service Survey 2025 – deadline 31 August.
Extension of pedestrianisation hours for Newbury Town Centre from 10am-5pm to 10am-11pm trial – deadline 19 Nov.
Springfield Primary School – School Streets Scheme – deadline 2 December.

Parish and town councils also run consultations from time to time: see the appropriate website/s below under Council contacts.

News from other areas

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

Thursday 24 July 2025

Our usual round-up of Hungerford area news includes a solar-farm approval, police arrangements, the North Wessex Downs, gas-works in town in January and the Boxford Masques – plus the freedom of the town, a damp carnival, football, handicrafts, fire cadets, town twinning and Aldi. See also below for community notices and news from your local council.

Upcoming Hungerford events include Jumble Trail & Abba Tribute Show. See below for details, plus regular events and group activities.

• A solar farm in the park

To few people’s great surprise, the application for “the installation of 4,860 ground mounted photovoltaic panels, in an equine field, to provide power to the commercial buildings within the grounds and to export to the Local Grid” at Hungerford Park was passed unanimously at the Western Area Planning Committee meeting on 23 July. This was the first of three matters considered ad you can see the agenda (and a link to a video of the debate) by clicking here.

Hungerford Town Council (HTC), which opposed the plan, made a very good presentation. However, the members decided that, in view of the Council’s policies on the matter, the fairly low level of traffic it would cause and the secluded nature of the site, there were no grounds for refusing it.

The Town Council can comfort itself in the three ways. First, it could have done no more to make its case. Second, that there could have been far intrusive and disruptive applications that could have been approved here. Third, that at least permission has actually be applied for, and granted; something that has not always been the case with developments there. I’m sure that HTC will be doing its best to ensure that all the conditions are followed and correctly discharged.

• Police arrangements

We’ve covered several times the steadfast opposition of Hungerford Town Council (and others) to the changes to the policing arrangements for the Hungerford and Downlands area. A summary of these responses, and of the action it’s taken, can be seen here.

A review of these arrangements has been promised for October (six months after implementation). HTC and local residents have pointed out that it will be impossible to form any judgment on how these new arrangements have gone unless there’s a clear benchmark for what the various relevant statistics were before the changes were made. The Thames Valley Police have, I understand, promised to supply these to HTC in advance of the October meeting. This will also be an opportunity for the local force to explain what other measures its been taking in the area to reduce crime.

In the meantime, the best thing that local residents can do is to report all crimes and incidents. The official advice is that “anyone who needs to can contact the local neighbourhood team by email at HungerfordandDownlandsNHPT@thamesvalley.police.uk – but this email is not monitored 24/7, so please report crimes by visiting thamesvalley.police.uk or by calling 101. In an emergency or if there is a crime in progress, always call 999.”

• Local landscape

How well do you know the North Wessex Downs (NWD)? While there are many iconic features across our local landscape, there are plenty more hidden gems, local history and quirky tales off the beaten track. The latest Summer newsletter from NWD Landscape Trust features its collection of ‘Postcard’ sites that offer breathtaking views, fascinating stories, and little-known facts about the NWD, with a prize to be won if you visit a Postcard and take a selfie.

The newsletter also shares a peaceful walk in the Whitchurch area, how to apply for Sustainable Development Fund grants and an exciting spring bulb giveaway for local communities to plant in October. Latest trustee news thanks Peter Lemon for his five years’ service and welcomes Milly Carmichael. Student trustee Ari Robertshaw is graduating, leaving a vacancy for a new student trustee for 2025/26 aged 18 to 30 years with an interest in the environment, landscape, tourism, events, marketing, fundraising. The main commitment is quarterly meetings a year. To apply please send your CV to hello@nwdlt.org.uk

• High Street roadworks

The gas-main repairs which were to have taken place in May, or June, or July will now be taking place in early January. This will cause some parking disruption on the High Street (and elsewhere in the town) for a few weeks but should only result in the market closing for one week.

More information will be available closer to the time. It’s also likely that there’ll be a public information event in the town, probably in October.

• Masques magic

This year’s Boxford Masques, in its twenty-fifth year no less, is The Healing Tree, written and directed by Ade Morris. A story for our times, it looks well worth seeing between 30 July and 3 August.

In a mysterious clearing in the heart of a once vast forest stands an ancient tree, known to locals as The Healing Tree and reputed to have magic powers. But this remnant of old England is threatened by reckless development so an extraordinary cast of characters gather – pilgrims from fiction, drama, and from legend (alongside some haplessly theatrical locals) to resist the approaching chain-saws.

“Set under cover of a magical marquee canopy of trees as the sun sinks over the beautiful village of Boxford, this original new play explores lives lived or dreamt, folk memories, myths, and ancient forces. These combine movingly to save the woods, to discover the pilgrims’ own destinies, and, with the help of The Healing Tree, provide music, dance and laughter to begin new stories again.”

Book your tickets here: watermill.org.uk/events/the-healing-tree

• Other news

• Last chance to nominate anyone you know who has gone above and beyond in Hungerford for the Award of Freedom of the Town 2025. Hungerford Town Council is inviting nominations by Friday 25 July. Forms are available at the Council office in the Library or online here.

• Celebrations were enjoyed by many last Saturday at the Hungerford Carnival despite a few ferocious downpours. Hungerford Food Community went a bit bananas while highlighting the gross waste of this fruit in the UK every day while Town & Manor of Hungerford decided to celebrate the town’s Bovine friends, whom residents can enjoy as they roam across Hungerford Common and Hungerford RFC Juniors also braved the rain.

• Don’t forget the Jumble Trail this Saturday 26 July, starting at The Youth Centre on Priory Road. Pop in between 10 am and 1pm to grab a map and a cuppa and off you go.

• Also this Saturday, French Conversation 10.30am – 12pm at Hungerford Hub hosted by Hungerford Twinning Association. Entry is free and crossaints are on offer. (You may have seen the Twinners’ award-winning bicycle entry at the Carnival last Saturday).

• Town & Manor of Hungerford has lots more to entice you to its Wednesday Markets this summer. Whether it’s supporting 10 year old Mariah with her fresh juice business (July 30, August 6, 13, 20, 27), enjoying some air-dry clay painting with Donna (July 30), or meeting the volunteers from the Kennet Valley Wetlands Trust for some nature-driven arts & crafts (August 6 and 27), there is even more to explore than usual.

• Sylvi Giuliani, who used to run the Borough Arms, loved organising gigs there. Now she only has one pub ( The Green Dragon in Marlborough) she likes to organise occasional music events in various Hungerford venues. The next one is a fab ABBA Tribute Show on Saturday 9 August in Hungerford Town Hall. See here for details and booking.

• If you haven’t had a tour of the proposed Kennet Valley Wetlands Reserve yet, there’s a great opportunity this summer as they are hosting a series of tours on Thursday evenings. See details here on how to book.

• A reminder that Hungerford Town run a women’s walking football session every Wednesday from 7-8pm at John O’Gaunt School. The emphasis is very much on having a bit of fun alongside some exercise. Age, ability and previous footballing experience don’t matter. Contact martin.brailli@btinternet.com for more details.

• Hungerford Town Council is pleased to share the Summer Edition of the Time to Talk West Berkshire Newsletter. Time to Talk is a charity providing emotional and psychological support for young people aged 11–25 years and parents in West Berkshire. Please note that they are NOT an emergency service, but to access all they offer please click here.

• On 11 July, a ceremony at the Hub and Library in Hungerford celebrated the official opening of the building’s 36 solar panels. This is merely the latest in a long series of improvements since the Hub was transferred from West Berkshire Council to a local trust set up for the purpose, including installing LED lights in 2020, smart-zoned heating controls in 2021 and an air-source heat pump in 2022. See last week’s section below for more details.

• We were two of the party that recently had a wonderful four days in Hungerford’s twin town of Ligueil, south of Tours. Many thanks to all those who made the trip possible. You can read Brian’s recollections of the trip in his weekly column of 17 July. The twinning association runs free French conversation sessions at Hungerford Library between 10.30am and 12pm on the last Saturday of the month.

• How does Reading Council’s desire for a land grab of the eastern part of West Berkshire affect the proposals for a new combined unitary Ridgeway Council for West Berkshire, the Vale and South Oxfordshire Councils? In this separate article we take a look at why it might be important and what WBC thinks of it, as well as at the other decisions that have yet to be taken.

• See this web page for more information on the local TVP Police team in the Hungerford area.

• Berkshire Youth is calling on the local community to nominate outstanding young people, volunteers, youth workers and organisations as part of it’s 85th Anniversary Celebration Awards. The awards aim to recognise and honour those making a positive difference to the lives of children and young people across the county. Nominations close on Thursday 31 July, find out more here.

• £7,500 government grants are still available for heat pumps so Hungerford Environmental Action Team – HEAT have organised a guided tour of heat pumps in Hungerford on Wednesday 30 July, to provide insights and impartial advice to help you make a decision. Places on the tour are limited so please email heat_hungerford@yahoo.com to book or ask for more information.

• Reminder to be aware of ticks, especially if you walk in long grass where they live, and how to protect yourself from the risk of Lyme Disease.

• Latest local newsletters

• Inkpen and Combe Bulletin.
• Froxfield News.

• Have your say on:

Consultations being run by West Berkshire Council:

West Berkshire Bus Service Survey 2025 – deadline 31 August.
Extension of pedestrianisation hours for Newbury Town Centre from 10am-5pm to 10am-11pm trial – deadline 19 Nov.
Springfield Primary School – School Streets Scheme – deadline 2 December.

Parish and town councils also run consultations from time to time: see the appropriate website/s below under Council contacts.

News from other areas

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

Thursday 17 July 2025

Our usual round-up of Hungerford area news includes Hungerford TC’s views on the Aldi application, congratulations to the carbon-neutral hub, watching the situation at Chestnut Walk, a successful town-twinning trip, hosepipe bans and home-heating options – plus Freedom if the Town nominations, the Foodbank, a proposed land-grab by Reading, a road closure and a jumble trail. See also below for community notices and news from your local council.

Upcoming Hungerford events include Repair Cafe & Carnival Parade. See below for details, plus regular events and group activities.

• Aldi

You can also see a recent update following a meeting between Aldi and Hungerford Town Council (HTC) by clicking here and scrolling down to the appropriate section.

Even more recently than that, on 14 July, HTC’s Planning Committee considered the matter and was also given a presentation by Aldi’s representatives. After this and some questions and discussions, the Committee resolved to support the application, subject to resolving some highways concerns.

These included site access to the A4, aspects of the A4/B4192 roundabout, local delivery routes, on-street parking restrictions and the need for a pedestrian crossing on Charnham Street. There don’t appear to be any other aspects which cause HTC any particular concern.

The same could be said for the public at large. At the time of writing, there are 241 comments in favour of the plan and three against. The matter has been called in to planning committee by one of the ward members so that’s where it will be decided, probably in a couple of months. I’d imagine that the two issues that will be most closely discussed will be the above-mentioned highways matters and the arrangements during the actual construction.

The current plan is that the whole thing will be finished by the end of 2026. Supermarkets can move very quickly when they need to. How long WBC’s planning system will take to determine the matter is another thing entirely.

• The carbon-neutral Hub

On 11 July, a ceremony at the Hub and Library in Hungerford celebrated the official opening of the building’s 36 solar panels. This is merely the latest in a long series of improvements since the Hub was transferred from West Berkshire Council to a local trust set up for the purpose, including installing LED lights in 2020, smart-zoned heating controls in 2021 and an air-source heat pump in 2022.

This was, of course, all for a building which, despite having only fairly recently been built, was ear-marked for closure by WBC due to the funding crisis in the mid 2010s. Hungerford Town Council had other more imaginative ideas. Fortunately, its views prevailed.

The Hub and Library is now more than merely a library. It had to evolve into something more and has done so remarkably well. It receives well over 30,000 visits each year and hosts over twenty different groups, Town Council meetings and one-off community events.

Moreover it is, as a statement from the Hub explains, “a space of refuge, warmth, a place to seek advice, friendship, conversation and connection. It is open to everyone, regardless of age, race, disability or where you live. It’s an important community asset.”

Getting things this far has taken a lot of work by the Trustees and the staff of Hungerford Library and Community Trust, including Christine Hodgkin. For financial support, the Trustees would like to thank the Miss Lawrence Trust, West Berkshire Community Fund, Greenham Trust, Englefield Trust, Ambrose and Ann Applebe Trust, Rural England Prosperity Fund, HEAT and numerous individual donors. The expertise provided by John Downe and HEAT has also been invaluable throughout all these improvements.

“We’re proud to be the only public building in Hungerford, and perhaps in West Berkshire, that’s carbon net-zero,” the Hub’s Manager Andrea Hodgkin said. “The solar panels and the other improvements are making a big difference to the sustainability and the running costs. We want to be an exemplar to other community organisations across West Berkshire which want to accomplish the same goals.”

What next? Next on the list are batteries to harness excess energy for use later on, further reducing reliance on the grid. A decision will be made on this once data has been gathered and costs established. Watch this space…

• Chestnut Walk

Last week (see below) I offered a robust summary of the sorry history of this “project”, if such a term can be applied to something where so little has happened. A paper about the site’s future will be considered by WBC at the Full Council meeting on 17 July. We’ll have further information on what’s proposed and what, if anything, has been agreed as soon as we know more.

• Visiting Ligueil

We were two of the party that recently had a wonderful four days in Hungerford’s twin town south of Tours. Many thanks to all those who made the trip possible. You can read Brian’s recollections of the trip in his weekly column of 17 July.

• Hosepipe ban

After the driest spring in 132 years and demand for water increasing by 30% when temperatures rise above 25º it’s no surprise there’ll be a hosepipe ban across Berkshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire from 22 July. Anyone using a hosepipe to water the garden, wash the car or fill a paddling pool can be fined up to £1,000. See more details here.

The temporary restriction covers postcodes beginning with OX, GL, SN, RG4, RG8 and RG9. But even if you live outside those areas, please be mindful of how much water you use at home as our water supply is shared with local streams and rivers. ARK (Action for the River Kennet) reports that “our fragile chalk streams are drying up and water levels will continue to drop this summer. The shallow waters are significantly warmer than the usual chalk stream temperatures and this will be having a serious effect on the wildlife, particularly fish.”

With the recent dramatic increase in water bills, simple measures like taking shorter showers and turning the tap off when you clean your teeth will save you money too.

• Home-heating options

Do you heat your home with oil? CCB (Connecting Communities in Berkshire) runs an Oil Club that helps households save money by bulk-buying heating oil. Right now, CCB is running a quick survey to better understand how people heat their homes and whether there’s interest in switching to greener alternatives in the future.

Even if you’re happy sticking with oil, your views are really valuable. Please take this two-minute survey, which is completely anonymous. The results will help CCB shape future support and resources for oil-heated households.

• Other news

• If you know someone who has gone above and beyond in Hungerford, Hungerford Town Council is inviting nominations for the Award of Freedom of the Town 2025, to recognise them. Forms are available at the Council office in the Library or online here . The deadline is Friday 25 July.

• Don’t miss Hungerford Carnival Parade this Saturday 19 July . Parade will leave John O’Gaunt School at 5pm after the judging and crowning of King, Queen, Prince and Princess. Prizes for King, Queen, Prince, Princess, Best Float, Best walking group, Best decorated Bicycle. Email hungerfordcarnival00@gmail.com for any questions or queries. There will be free entertainment at the Hungerford Football Club to wrap up the festivities. See more details here.

• Kintbury Bridge Club meets every Thursday afternoon to play relaxed, social bridge, welcoming players of all abilities. The venue alternates between the Coronation Hall and Audley Inglewood. For more information, please contact Chris Doyle on 07738 756181 or at kintburybridgeclub@gmail.com.

• See this web page for more information on the local TVP Police team in the Hungerford area.

• Town & Manor of Hungerford want to highlight that the A4 will be closed until Saturday 19 July from 7pm to 5am from the Kintbury turning, to and from Hungerford. Inevitably this means that the Common will be far busier than usual, so please drive slowly and be mindful of the cattle that are often in the middle of the road.

• This year’s Hungerford Jumble Trail is going to be on Saturday 26 July starting with tea, coffee and bacon rolls at The Youth Centre on Priory Road. The organiser is Dion Fillingham from BB Vintage & Preloved Please contact him with any questions on 07923 952936.

• West Berkshire Council has teamed up with Warmer Homes to obtain funding for energy-saving grants to help the community reduce energy bills, cut carbon emissions and enhance home heating. The scheme is open to homeowners or private tenants only, housing association properties and council owned housing are not eligible. For further information or to register your interest click here.

• Hungerford fitness trainer Beejacks runs the Tombo Foundation charity that builds school facilities for children in Sierra Leone where he is from. To support this good cause please put their sponsored walk in your diary on Sunday 20 July.

• Latest news from HEAT (Hungerford Environmental Action Team) includes a guided tour of heat pumps in Hungerford on 30 July, plans for an EV event in the autumn and other inspiring eco events.

• Reminder to be aware of ticks, especially if you walk in long grass where they live, and how to protect yourself from the risk of Lyme Disease.

• To go on the waiting list at Hungerford Allotments apply by email here with your name, address and contact number in readiness for a plot becoming available.

• Latest local newsletters

• Inkpen and Combe Bulletin.
• Froxfield News.

• Have your say on:

Consultations being run by West Berkshire Council:

West Berkshire Bus Service Survey 2025 – deadline 31 August.
Extension of pedestrianisation hours for Newbury Town Centre from 10am-5pm to 10am-11pm trial – deadline 19 Nov.
Springfield Primary School – School Streets Scheme – deadline 2 December.

Parish and town councils also run consultations from time to time: see the appropriate website/s below under Council contacts.

News from other areas

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

Thursday 10 July 2025

Our usual round-up of Hungerford area news includes welcome progress at Chestnut Walk following eight wasted years, a look at our recent Penny Post Hungerford newsletter and an online greening event – plus competitions, a missing cow, a carnival, heat, grants and a memory choir. See also below for community notices and news from your local council.

Upcoming Hungerford events include Hungerford Food & Artisan Market, Chilton Foliat Summer Art Exhibition & Family Fun at Kintbury’s Centenary Celebration. See below for details, plus regular events and group activities.

• Chestnut Walk: eight wasted years

Chestnut Walk care home in Hungerford was closed in 2017. I was present at a meeting of Hungerford Town Council (HTC) at which a joint venture between Sovereign Housing and WBC was proudly announced by one of the then ward members (also a Sovereign employee) which would develop the site for much-needed social housing.

Anyone who’s been following this column at all since then will know that this hasn’t happened. The joint venture has turned out to be an expensive and embarrassing busted flush.

At various times, particularly in the early stages, HTC questioned whether the building as it stood could not be renovated for other purposes: was demolition and re-development the only option? HTC was, I understand, on each occasion told that the building was not of a suitable standard to be re-used.

This argument would have carried more weight had the planning application not been woefully unambitious as regards the sustainable features. These were amongst the aspects that WBC said the current building lacked. WBC had recently declared a climate emergency and this represented a wonderful (but badly missed) opportunity to lead from the front.

After a lot of pressure, a better plan was proposed. However, this proved hypothetical as nothing happened. Regular contact by Penny Post with the various participants in the wretched joint venture produced little more than statements in which each blamed the other for the delay.

By this time, Brexit, Covid, Truss and Putin had wreaked their collective havoc on supply chains, inflation and general decision-making. Still the building languished, being at one point subject to an arson attack. The site’s use as social housing seemed as far away as ever.

To their credit, the ward members past and present including James Cole and Claire Rowles (up to 2023), Denise Gaines (since 2023) and Dennis Benneyworth (both periods) did their best to keep the matter alive.

Denise Gaines’ appointment as Deputy Leader and Housing and Planning portfolio holder at WBC gave her a unique influence in the matter. As she will attest, few have been the months since the May 2023 election when we have not asked her what was happening.

Finally, some news has emerged. It seems that the pointless joint venture has been ditched – hopefully without any penalty needing to be paid by WBC to Sovereign – and WBC will be taking the site over on its own. An initial survey revealed some asbestos issues, which I believe have been addressed.

There then followed a structural survey – this was, remember, for a building which had previously been described as un-useable, which had been slated for demolition, and which had been unoccupied for eight years during which time someone had tried to burn it down. A hopeless wreck, surely?

Not a bit of it. The survey has shown that the structure is actually in pretty good condition. Renovation, rather than demolition, is thus an option. HTC had been right all along.

What an embarrassing and incompetent fiasco. It’s clear that a best-practice new building would have been ideal: however, failing that, re-purposing was possible and would have returned the place to some kind of public use. The joint venture has produced the worst possible option: money, time, effort, words and energy spent on creating absolutely nothing apart from ill-will and reputational damage.

I’ve been told that a paper about the site’s future will be considered by WBC at the Full Council meeting on 17 July. We’ll be following what’s eventually decided.

Wherever you are, if you hear about a joint venture for a similar project between a housing association and a local council, bear this sorry episode in mind and react accordingly. Let’s hope that something good can finally come from this debacle though – eight wasted years notwithstanding.

• Aldi

As mentioned previously, Aldi has lodged an application for a supermarket on Charnham Street (A4) which will basically fill in most of the land between Charnham Lane and the A4. You can see the documents by clicking here and entering the reference 25/01203/FULMAJ. This section also explains how you can have your say. Hungerford Town Council’s (HTC) Planning Committee considered the matter at its meeting on 9 June (you can click here to see the full report in the minutes).

You can also see a very recent update following a meeting between Aldi and Hungerford Town Council (HTC) by clicking here and scrolling down to the appropriate section.

• Penny Post Hungerford

The July edition of this was published earlier this week and you can read it here if you didn’t receive it. Items covered included the following:

The regular update on the work of Hungerford Town Council, including the results of a very recent meeting with Aldi about the plans for a supermarket.
A last chance to enter three prize quizzes to celebrate our hundredth edition of this newsletter in May.
News, updates and offers from many of the town’s retailers.
The monthly diary from the Head of John O’Gaunt School, which drills down into the government’s recent schools’ funding settlement.
News of a new stallholder at the Wednesday market over the summer.
A request to exercise particular caution when driving on the Common.
News from voluntary, faith and community groups.
Eco and wildlife news.
Blogs, articles, reviews and a Shakespeare parody.
Jobs and property.
…and some wise words from Muriel Spark.

If there’s anything you’d like to contribute to the August edition, please email penny@pennypost.org.uk before the end of this month.

• Greening via Teams

The following invitation to local groups and residents concerned about the environment has recently been issued by West Berkshire Council (WBC):

“As part of a six-month trial starting in July 2025, local community groups and individuals are invited to attend the West Berkshire Town and Parish Climate Forum. The forum, hosted by WBC, is an opportunity to hear updates from the Council on its work to tackle the Climate and Ecological Emergencies and for town and parish councils (and now a wider audience) to share ideas and hear from each other and guest speakers.

“The online meetings (via Teams) are an hour long (12.30 to 1.30 pm) and take place on a Wednesday, every four to six weeks. Our next meeting is on Wednesday 30 July 2025.

If you would like to be added to the distribution list for the meeting invites or have any questions, please email environment@westberks.gov.uk. We look forward to welcoming you to our discussions as we learn together and increase our climate action.”

• Other news

• A Yellow Heat Health Alert has been issued for the south east until Tuesday 15 July by the UKHSA and Met Office. This means hot weather could significantly impact health and care services. Please take action to stay safe and support those who are vulnerable. Those most at risk are those aged over 65, those with long-term health conditions, young children, and people living alone. Follow official heat safety advice via UKHSA here.

• This Saturday local families are invited to join in all the fun in Kintbury at the centenary celebrations of the Gladstone Recreation Ground. There’s lots of games, refreshments, dog show, tug of war and more – with live music and acts from 5pm.

• See this web page for more information on the local TVP Police team in the Hungerford area.

• A couple of weeks ago six cows went on walkabout from Eddington Marsh and the Town & Manor of Hungerford were joyful to re-locate five of them. One Belgian blue cow and is still in hiding however. So if anyone sees or hears of its whereabouts, please call 07768 255831.

• Last chance to enter our three competitions (with prizes from the Hungerford Bookshop, The Retreat, Amore, The Rose of Hungerford, The Tutti Pole and the Hungerford Leisure centre). The deadline is Sunday 14 July. Click here to enter.

• See here for latest news from independent shops and businesses in Hungerford includes well deserved award for Inklings Card & Gift Shop, summer menu at Amore Italian restaurant and advice for separated parents from Marlborough Law about putting children first this summer.

• Still time for local groups to plan their involvement in this year’s Hungerford Carnival Parade on Saturday 19 July to publicise their activities and join in the fun. See more details here. Meet at JOG school at 3pm for judging and crowning of King, Queen, Prince and Princess. Parade starts at 5pm. No fee, no theme, no hassle – just promote your group, charity, business or just celebrate yourselves. Prizes for King, Queen, Prince, Princess, Best Float, Best walking group, Best decorated Bicycle. Email hungerfordcarnival00@gmail.com for any questions or queries. There will be free entertainment at the Hungerford Football Club to wrap up the festivities.

• With every week that passes, more and more questions are being asked about the effect that local government re-organisations will have and how this will work. Given that nothing’s been decided, there are very few answers. A new combined unitary Ridgeway Council is the current favourite option for West Berkshire, the Vale and South Oxfordshore Councils. In this separate article we take a look at some of issues involved and the decisions that have yet to be made.

• Hungerford Memory Choir welcomes all to their next concert in St Lawrence’s Church on Wednesday 16 July at 3pm. Entry is free and donations gratefully received for Dementia UK. New members living with dementia and their carers are very welcome to join the choir as well.

• The merger between West Berkshire, the Vale and South Oxfordshire under the name of Ridgeway is the preferred marriage choice for these three councils: though not, it’s now clear, for Oxfordshire CC. In this separate and recently updated article, we look at the current options, the main issues involved and how you can have your say. A final submission needs to be made to Whitehall in November.

• This year’s Hungerford Jumble Trail is going to be on Saturday 26 July starting with tea, coffee and bacon rolls at The Youth Centre on Priory Road. The organiser Dion Fillingham from BB Vintage & Preloved invites any Hungerford residents and small businesses to have a clear out, make some extra cash and help be more sustainable for our planet. Please contact Dion on 07923 952936 by 12 July so he can add you to the trail map.

• Latest news from HEAT (Hungerford Environmental Action Team) includes a guided tour of heat pumps in Hungerford on 30 July, plans for an EV event in the autumn and other inspiring eco events.

• Reminder to be aware of ticks, especially if you walk in long grass where they live, and how to protect yourself from the risk of Lyme Disease.

• To go on the waiting list at Hungerford Allotments apply by email here with your name, address and contact number in readiness for a plot becoming available.

• Latest local newsletters

• Inkpen and Combe Bulletin.
• Froxfield News.

• Have your say on:

Consultations being run by West Berkshire Council:

Draft Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment Document 2025 – deadline 13 July.
A proposal for two new unitary Councils – Oxford and Shires, and Ridgeway – deadline 16 July.
West Berkshire Bus Service Survey 2025 – deadline 31 August.
Extension of pedestrianisation hours for Newbury Town Centre from 10am-5pm to 10am-11pm trial – deadline 19 Nov.
Springfield Primary School – School Streets Scheme – deadline 2 December.

Parish and town councils also run consultations from time to time: see the appropriate website/s below under Council contacts.

News from other areas

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

Thursday 3 July 2025

Our usual round-up of Hungerford area news includes the next Penny Post Hungerford newsletter, Ridgeway Council questions and a centenary in Kintbury – plus the carnival parade, three competitions, energy-saving grants, Aldi’s application, ice cream, rugby training, jumble and ticks. See also below for community notices and news from your local council.

Upcoming Hungerford events include Hungerford Jazz Picnic and Chilton Foliat Summer Art Exhibition. See below for details, plus regular events and group activities.

• Penny Post Hungerford

The next edition will be published on Tuesday 8 July. This will include the usual wide range of news, features and information, including an update on the work of Hungerford Town Council and a summary of its monthly full council meeting which will have been held the previous day.

The usual contributors have been contacted: but if there’s anything you’d like to see included, please email penny@pennypost.org.uk as soon as possible.

• Ridgeway Council

With every week that passes, more and more questions are being asked about the effect that local government re-organisations will have and how this will work. Given that nothing’s been decided, there are very few answers. In this separate article we take a look at some of issues that have recently come up, suggest a possible similarity with post-unification Berlin, consider the challenge of re-positioning officers and reflect that councils are damned if they do or if they don’t by considering the matter in detail at this stage.

Various consultation events are taking place on the Ridgeway proposal and we have links to these in the article.

• A centenary in Kintbury

Next Saturday 12 July sees a big celebration in Kintbury that welcomes everyone across the local area. The Gladstone Recreation Ground Centenary Event starts at noon with lots of activities, family fun, dog show and live music in the evening.

The ground was given to the trust 100 years ago to maintain and use to create sport and outdoor activities for all of the villagers to enjoy. These activities include Kintbury Rangers Football Club, the bowls club, tennis club, skate park and Kintbury Jubilee Centre which is also home to Kintbury Table Tennis Club.

The Gladstone Memorial Recreation Trust is responsible for the upkeep of the area around the clubs, the park, the car park and supporting the clubs. The money raised from the centenary event will go back into the upkeep of the clubs and the ground, to keep them open and running for future villagers to enjoy.

• Other news

• All local groups are encouraged to get involved in this year’s Hungerford Carnival Parade on Saturday 19 July to publicise their activities and join in the fun. There is also an opportunity for a music group or band to lead the parade so email Hungerfordcarnival00@gmail.com if you are interested. There will be free entertainment at the Hungerford Football Club to wrap up the festivities. See more details here.

• In recent months, Polly and Dan from Shalbourne Shop have been running The Plough at weekends to keep it viable until permanent landlords moved in. This is happening soon so this weekend is Polly and Dan’s last at The Plough, serving food from 5pm til 8.30pm with bar open until 11pm on Saturday and their last Sunday Roast between 12pm and 4pm on Sunday with bar open until 8pm.

• The deadline for our three competitions (with prizes from the Hungerford Bookshop, The Retreat, Amore, The Rose of Hungerford, The Tutti Pole and the Hungerford Leisure centre) has been extended until 14 July. Click here to enter.

• The Summer Reading Challenge starts this week, and to celebrate, Hungerford Library is holding a special storytime event this Friday 4 July from 2.30pm to 5pm, based on the classic story “Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book”. Contact the Library for more details 01488 682660 or email hungerfordlibrary@westberks.gov.uk.

• Come and visit one of Hungerford’s best kept secrets, the lovely gardens at 87 and 88 High Street Hungerford in aid of Noreen’s Kids charity which supports sick children in Roumania. The gardens are open from 10am to 5pm this Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 July. Entrance costs £3 and there is also an exhibition of local artists work and light refreshments.

• As mentioned previously, Aldi has lodged for a supermarket on Charnham Street (A4) which will basically fill in most of the land between Charnham Lane and the A4. You can see the documents by clicking here and entering the reference 25/01203/FULMAJ. This section also explains how you can have your say. Hungerford Town Council’s (HTC) Planning Committee considered the matter at its meeting on 9 June (you can click here to see the full report in the minutes).

• There has been a lot in the news about this issue since the government announced it wanted to make cuts to the benefits system to reduce the annual spend on the welfare system. The proposed cuts caused a lot of fear and uncertainty, eventually prompting a late-night U-turn by the PM. Diluted plans are now being laid before the Commons. But what do people who currently receive benefits think about the proposals? We asked three local residents for their views.

• During the latest spell of very hot weather, the cattle on Hungerford Common has been able to escape the intense heat by taking advantage of the dense canopy of welcome shade. A reassuring site for all locals.

• As mentioned last week, after about eight years of non-achievement by WBC and Sovereign Housing (now SNG), the project of redeveloping the former care home at Chestnut Walk in Hungerford has started to show signs of life. A structural survey has recently been conducted and, once the results are known, WBC will be announcing its next steps. We’ll continue to keep a close eye on this, as we have in the past.

• West Berkshire Council submitted its Bus Services Improvement Plan (BSIP) to the Department for Transport in October 2021 and received £2.6 million to make improvements to buses by March 2026. It established an Enhanced Partnership with local bus operators in April 2022 and received further funds in May 2023 and June 2025 to continue the work. To show the impacts the Enhanced Partnership is having on the local public bus service, WBC needs to measure customer satisfaction. The Council is therefore asking local residents to share their views by 31 August.

• In this summer sunshine Hungerford Youth and Community Centre will be selling ice creams every Thursday outside JOG/Youth club from 3.10pm for the remainder of the term. All donations will go towards activities during the youth club sessions. The more ice cream you eat, the more fun can be had.

• Hungerford Rugby Club would like to welcome all girls 6 to 16 years old to join free rugby sessions for girls. Click here for all dates and timings, starting in July.

• Latest news from HEAT (Hungerford Environmental Action Team) includes a guided tour of heat pumps in Hungerford on 30 July, plans for an EV event in the autumn and other inspiring eco events.

• Hungerford RFC is running their popular Girls Rugby summer sessions for the second year. Check out all the details here.

• Reminder to be aware of ticks, especially if you walk in long grass where they live, and how to protect yourself from the risk of Lyme Disease.

• To go on the waiting list at Hungerford Allotments apply by email here with your name, address and contact number in readiness for a plot becoming available.

• Latest local newsletters

• Inkpen and Combe Bulletin.
• Froxfield News.

• Have your say on:

Consultations being run by West Berkshire Council:

Draft Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment Document 2025 – deadline 13 July.
A proposal for two new unitary Councils – Oxford and Shires, and Ridgeway – deadline 16 July.
West Berkshire Bus Service Survey 2025 – deadline 31 August.
Springfield Primary School – School Streets Scheme – deadline 2 December.

Parish and town councils also run consultations from time to time: see the appropriate website/s below under Council contacts.

News from other areas

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