Woodley Town Council is proud to announce the official opening of two exciting community projects – the Coronation Orchard Garden and the Woodley History Wall – both of which celebrate heritage, community, and sustainability.

At an official opening ceremony on Monday 15 April, hosted by Woodley Town Mayor, Cllr Juliet Anderson, the two new developments were unveiled. 

Coronation Orchard Garden

The newly planted Coronation Orchard Garden is a thoughtfully designed green space created to commemorate the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III. Situated within an existing area of Woodford Park, the garden has been transformed into a peaceful, welcoming retreat for the community to enjoy year-round.

The orchard is fully accessible and features edible herb gardens and fruit trees, which will be available for the public to pick from as they grow and mature. This project reflects both a celebration of the King Charles III, the community, and a commitment to environmental regeneration and wellbeing.

History Wall

In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Woodley Town Council, a brand-new History Wall has been installed in the Oakwood Centre, offering a fascinating journey through Woodley’s rich and evolving history. From its early days as a “clearing in the woods” – the origin of the town’s name – to the vibrant, thriving community we know today, the History Wall presents key milestones in both Woodley and the Town Council’s development.

The Council extends sincere thanks to the u3a Woodley team for their dedicated research in gathering historical facts and to local artist Francesca Lane, whose hand-drawn illustrations bring the story of Woodley to life, making the History Wall not only educational but also a striking piece of public art.

Ceremony

The unveiling of both the Coronation Orchard Garden and the History Wall was well-attended by a host of local dignitaries and community representatives. Guests included Woodley & Earley MP Yuan Yang, past and present Woodley Town Councillors, and Woodley Town Crier Tony Roper. Also in attendance were representatives from community groups who regularly work in partnership with the Council, including Woodley Carnival, Friends of Woodford Park, Woodley Bowling Club, and WASP (Woodley Adopt A Street Project). 

The u3a Woodley team were also in attendance alongside artist Francesca Lane. 

The u3a team were delighted to see their research brought to life, while Francesca was overjoyed to finally see her illustrations creating the story of Woodley. 

During the unveiling, Woodley Town Mayor, Councillor Juliet Anderson, addressed attendees and expressed her enthusiasm for the lasting impact both projects will have on the local community, stating:

“I’m very much looking forward to seeing the people of Woodley enjoy the Coronation Orchard Garden as a place of enjoyment and sustainability, and to see residents and visitors alike explore the History Wall and discover the story of our wonderful town. My sincere thanks go to the Town Council team, the u3a Woodley group, and Francesca Lane for their dedication, creativity, and collaboration in bringing these projects to life.”

Residents are encouraged to visit both the Coronation Orchard Garden and the History Wall, and to learn more about Woodley’s history by visiting the Council’s History Page.

Wokingham Borough Council is aiming to improve the borough’s routes to make walking and cycling the natural choice for local journeys – and parts of longer ones where possible.

Increasing cycling and walking can help tackle some of society’s most challenging issues – improving air quality, combating climate change, improving people’s health and wellbeing, addressing inequality and tackling congestion on roads. 

With the increasing cost of fuel, walking and cycling is likely to become a more attractive option so the Council wants to make sure it is providing facilities that are safe, comfortable and inclusive for everyone.

Funding from Department for Transport

As part of the Government’s Active Travel Fund tranches 2 and 3, the Council has secured funding to improve the cycling and walking connection between Woodley town centre and the Reading borough boundary at Palmer Park.

This is one of the key routes which have been identified in its emerging Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan, a borough-wide strategic document.

This will be funded by the Department for Transport via Active Travel England.

Woodley to Reading link

The link between Woodley and Reading will create a safe, inclusive and direct access to Woodley town centre while connecting it to several schools and leisure facilities.

This will be completed in phases, connecting the precinct to Palmer Park via Woodlands Avenue, Church Road, Palmerstone Road and Culver Lane.

Wokingham Borough Council is planning for work to start at Palmer Park and progress towards Woodley. Take a look at the detailed plans and a summary of the route.

The Council is still finalising parts of the plans with Reading Borough Council, as the route connects into its area, and will update once these details are confirmed.

The Council has consulted residents several times and removed less popular aspects of the original proposals, like making part of Woodlands Avenue one-way.

Changes for the final designs include:

• Widening the road on Woodlands Avenue, between Howth Drive and Crockhamwell Road, to 5.5m
• Keeping the Woodlands Avenue laybys next to the park and green space
• The shared use path on Woodlands Avenue, between the leisure centre and Church Road, will not change as residents told us it works well
• Shared use under the railway bridge to Palmer Park entrance on Culver Lane

You can read more about it on the Council’s Engage Platform.

We have partnered with The Feed Ducks Initiative to install a Solar Powered Duck Feed Dispenser at Woodford Park Lake

A duck feed dispenser is now available at Woodford Park Lake. It is located at the beginning of the boardwalk.

The feeder takes contactless payments (no cash) and costs £1 per use. No cash is ever taken or stored. Feed dispenses into the tray that the user can then scoop out. This reduces littering or wasting containers and bags that are often not recyclable. It is operational from 7am to 10pm each day.

Healthy feed

It dispenses small quantities of healthy seed (60 grams per use) that is suitable for the diet of ducks and other wildfowl, reducing the amount of foreign feed such as bread, which can make them unwell as it does not contain the right nutrition or calories they need to grow and keep warm. Unlike bread and other food brought from home which often sinks to the bottom of the lake, the healthy seed floats. This also gives the waterfowl enough time to eat it.

Promoting healthy ecosystems

The set amount of dispensed feed controls the amount that is fed to the ducks and wildfowl. Excess rotting food can lead to silt build-up in the ecosystem, pollutes waterways, and increases algae growth, which can attract vermin and create prime conditions for disease outbreaks that can threaten biodiversity and wildfowl.

A sustainable feeder

The sustainable solar powered feeder is in line with our climate commitment, as each one is made from recycled plastics, equivalent to 20,000 plastic bottles. The feeder also reduces plastic litter waste because the feed is dispensed to hand. 

Investing in the park

It has been provided for free and is fully maintained by The Feed Ducks Initiative. Ten percent of the proceeds will be donated back to us to invest in our parks and green spaces.

If there are any issues with the feeder, please let us know.

Switch to renewable energy to help address climate emergency

An initiative that aims to help residents to move to renewable energy and save money on their energy bills is returning following a successful start last year.

Big Community Switch, run by iChoosr in association with Wokingham Borough Council, helps residents switch energy suppliers and move to a renewable electricity tariff. It uses the bargaining power of a large group to help secure lower prices, with all of the energy companies involved offering renewable electricity. 

Registration is open from Monday 17 February and closes Thursday 1 May. To register and learn more, visit the ​​Wokingham Borough page on the Big Community Switch website. 

Have your say on Wokingham Borough Council’s Nature Recovery Strategy

Please share your views on Wokingham Borough Council’s strategy, which will set out the actions to protect biodiversity in local areas, reduce the impact of climate change and boost the benefits of local nature.

The Council is working with its partners across Berkshire, and the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead is leading the project.

Berkshire has a beautifully diverse landscape and feedback from residents, landowners and communities will help to create the right strategy to assist nature recovery across our county.

Taking the survey

Leave your comments and add your pins to the Local Habitat Map for Berkshire by Monday 24 March. You can access the Survey HERE.

Wokingham Borough Council would like to hear how you access and use pharmacy services in Wokingham borough to help it develop services in the future. 

Your views will help inform its Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA), which will look at health needs in the borough, the level and accessibility of pharmacy services, and how these will be maintained and developed in the future.

Your experiences & views

The questionnaire should take no longer than five minutes to complete. The information you provide is confidential. Please be honest with your answers so the Council can accurately assess areas where pharmacies are already fulfilling your needs well and areas that need improvement.

WBC has asked Soar Beyond Limited to help it with this process and provide expertise on the assessment.

Tell the Council what you think by completing the online survey.