Fresh produce ready to be donated to local food banks

Woodley Town Council works with local charity Launchpad to provide fresh produce for locals affected by homelessness

Woodley Town Council, in association with the Reading Road Tenant’s Association, has allocated three community plots at its Reading Road Allotment site for local charity Launchpad to engagecorporate volunteers to grow crops to supply fresh garden produce to disadvantaged and vulnerable families via foodbanks, soup kitchens and community fridges.

Launchpad, a Reading-based homelessness prevention charity, workswith teams of regular corporate volunteers to create and nurture these working allotments to cultivate, make good and grow fresh produce seasonally and once picked, washed and packed, to make it available to the local community in need.

The plots

The designated plots were originally overgrown and a lot of work has gone into cultivating them from both Launchpad volunteers and Reading Road tenant volunteers.

Carolyn Davies, a Committee Member of the Reading Road Tenant’s Association, is delighted that the plots have been so well cultivated and able to produce fresh produce in a relatively short space of time.

“I would just like to say how proud I am of what we have achieved in a relatively short time on the Launchpad plots. It doesn’t seem that long ago when we started on the mammoth task of clearing an overgrown area, and we warned Launchpad not to expect anything this year because the ground was so poor!”

In addition to the Launchpad volunteers, many tenants have volunteered to provide expertise to assist on the volunteering days, filling in the gaps between sessions, watering in the evenings, providing tools, seeds, plants and seedlings and more.

Donations

Many local companies have also donated several items to get the project up and running. These include: Hammerson, which donated money for the poly tunnel, Balfour Beatty which provided a container for storage and University College of Estate Management which donated money that will be used to fit out the container and Shinfield Parish Council which provided a water tank.

Donations have also been received following a plea on Woodley focused group pages on Facebook, including tables and chairs, donations of money to buy seeds and compost and two wheelbarrows and watering cans.

The project has been so successful that it was able to deliver fresh produce to Reading FoodBank Readifood and 2kg of broad beans to Sadaka, another local food charity based in Reading, which provides free meals every Saturday.

During the first delivery to Readifood, threepeople were able to take bags of courgettes, onions, kale, borlotto and French beans, resulting in plot to customer in less than two hours.

The Reading Road Tenants Association is looking for more volunteers to help run the project, including some expertise knowledge to supervise tending and cultivating the crops. Please contact  readingrdallotments@hotmail.co.uk for more information.

Food donations at Readifood

 

 

Wokingham Borough Council ahead of schedule with the Lower Earley Way road restructure

 

Wokingham Borough Council has announced another step forward in its fight against congestion as phase two of the Lower Earley Way Dualling, Major Highways Project, is expected to finish two months ahead of schedule.

 

Phase two of the project, which involves widening the northbound carriageway, was originally due to be complete in November but is now on track to be completed before the end of the summer holidays. Phase three, which was scheduled to start in November, will now begin on 2 September.

The scheme

The Lower Earley Way Dualling scheme, which is part of the Council’s £124million Major Highways Project, widens the road to provide two lanes in each direction, between the Loddon Roundabout near Showcase Cinema and the new junction with the Winnersh Relief Road. 

The project is intended to accommodate additional traffic which is expected following the completion of phase two of the Winnersh Relief Road (WRR).

“We are very pleased that this Major Highways Project is progressing ahead of schedule. The Lower Earley Way Dualling scheme—the whole project–is due to be completed in February 2020 but we are hopeful, given our current status, that we will be able to finish before this date,” said Cllr Pauline Jorgensen, executive member for highways and transport. “We would like to thank our residents and local businesses for their patience while these vital works are taking place to help us reduce congestion.”

The next phase of the project beginning in September will see the team finish the diversion of a gas main under the road in its new location before final resurfacing works later in Autumn. The works will involve the installation of narrow lanes on both the northbound and southbound carriageways which will require barriers to be in place.

To allow these works to be carried out safely, overnight road closures will be in place along Lower Earley Way between the Showcase roundabout and the junction with Winnersh Relief Road 8.30pm to 6am from Monday 2 September for up to 6 nights.

Minor delays can be expected during peak periods and road users are encouraged to use alternative routes.

Additional information

·         Cyclists will have access to a cycle path which will be signposted. There will also be a marshal to guide cyclists

·         Further overnight works, mainly for resurfacing and road marking, are planned for late October. Traffic will be diverted down Winnersh Relief Road and Reading Road.

·         Information on public transport and other alternatives can be found on Wokingham Borough Council’s My Journey web-page: https://www.myjourneywokingham.com/discover-wokingham/lower-earley-way-dualling/

·         Lower Earley Way Dualling is a section of the Winnersh Relief Road scheme being delivered for Wokingham Borough Council by Balfour Beatty through the SCAPE Framework. As well as improving reliability for drivers on this busy stretch of road, the additional capacity this scheme provides will support the Council in meeting its targets towards economic growth.

·         To see the full list of phases and for further information on this scheme visit: https://www.wokingham.gov.uk/roadworks-and-outdoor-maintenance/major-new-roads/winnersh-relief-road/lower-earley-way-dualling/

 For further information please contact Cllr Pauline Jorgensen at pauline.jorgensen@wokingham.gov.uk

Further information regarding the Lower Earley Way Dualling Major Highways Project can be found by visiting the council website

Woodford Park Leisure Centre are recruiting for a part-time receptionist for a Monday evening shift.

Please click HERE for more information and to apply.

Wokingham Borough Council has replaced the majority of its car parking payment machines in council-run car parks across its borough

The digital screens on the parking devices allow customers to make a pre-authorised payment with a new ‘check in/check out’ system, where they only pay for the time stayed. All visitors have to do is input their vehicle registration, tap or insert their card and then are free to shop or go for a bite to eat.

When they return they tap or insert the same payment card to check out. This method means visitors can avoid the worry of a ticket expiring or change their plans to stay in a location with ease. The system automatically checks out all vehicles when the payment window for the relevant car park closes.

The digital displays have step-by-step instructions for each method of payment. More traditional payments by coin or card will also be possible. Whatever payment method is chosen, visitors have to put in their registration on arrival.

Ringo App

Customers can also pay for their parking via the Ringo app until September 2020, at which point an alternative phone payment system will be introduced via the new machines. The old payment machines have been replaced as they were more than a decade old and were becoming more costly to repair as parts had become obsolete.

The rollout of the new machines began in April when Cockpit Path car park in Wokingham town centre was the first to have them installed. The project covers council car parks across Wokingham, Woodley, Earley, Wargrave, Twyford and Winnersh as well as five solar-powered machines being installed at Dinton Pastures.

As part of the rollout, there has been a change to the payment process at the Carnival multi-storey car park. The automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) system has been removed, as have the entry barriers. Local authorities are not allowed to use ANPR camera systems for enforcement of parking restrictions.

Pay On Entry

Visitors need to be aware they will now have to pay on entry, rather than on exit. As the new system involves inputting vehicle registration, no ticket needs to be displayed as all details will be checked electronically. This is even the case when selecting the pay and display option. Only Winnersh Park and Ride is yet to have its new machines put in, with completion there expected before the end of summer.

“These new machines have proved very popular at Cockpit Path car park, so it is great they have been rolled out across the borough,” said executive member for highways and transport, Cllr Pauline Jorgensen. “I would like to thank residents for their patience while there were a few teething problems after the initial installation in some locations. But the variety of payment options available means users can now be more flexible when they go out and enjoy their leisure time by visiting one of our towns or villages.

“The innovative ‘check in, check out’ payment system provides an improved service as it means visitors only pay for the exact amount of time they are actually using the car park. They will no longer have to play it safe by overpaying as the new technology works for them to ensure they pay the lowest amount possible.”

Don’t forget Woodley Town Council’s Community Picnic is on this Sunday – 11th August 11.00-15.00 – at Woodley’s Memorial Ground!

Make sure to be there early to claim your FREE picnic – only 100 available!

There will be lots of FREE entertainment and is the perfect opportunity to relax in the sunshine with friends and family. We look forward to seeing you there!

Basil & Crew Farm Animals

Berkshire Reptile Encounters

Circus Allstars

Jadoos Jingles

Brown Bag Cafe

A recent project by the Woodley & District U3A (University of the Third Age) exploring the history of Woodley town centre and its shops is now available to view at the Oakwood Centre

The project, in conjunction with the Wokingham U3A, the Reading U3A and partnered with Woodley Town Council, Woodley Library, the Museum of Berkshire Aviation, Reading Borough Libraries and the Berkshire Record Office, explores the history of Woodley’s shops, dating the first shop to circa 1854.

According to the 1847 Kelly’s Directory of Berkshire, Woodley was described as “a scattered village and consists principally of farm houses”. By 1854, there were three shopkeepers in the village, while the first actual shop on Crockhamwell Road was Bertie and Beatrice Ambrose’s Fish & Chip shop in 1939.

Interestingly, the first shopping centre in Woodley was on Headley Road and the first stage of the Crockhamwell Road shopping precinct was not developed until 1965.

Further interesting facts and photos are displayed along the corridor towards the Woodley Town Council offices in the Oakwood Centre.

Interested persons have a right to inspect the accounting records of the Council each year.

Click the links below to view the notice and information relating to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2019:

Notice of public rights and publication of unaudited Annual Governance and Accountability Return

Local Authority Accounts: A summary of your rights