Wokingham Borough Council will set its budget for 2025/26 in February next year, and is currently looking at how it can set a balanced budget, protect services, and invest in residents’ futures with input from residents in the form of questions proposed to the Council and a Survey.

Overview and Scrutiny Committees

With this in mind, the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committees (which are public meetings of elected councillors that residents are welcome to attend and ask questions of) will hold sessions to look in detail at the ideas we have so far and make recommendations on them.

As well as a chance at these sessions to look at the detailed proposals, the Council is seeking views on a few key questions that will help it plan for a secure financial future.

The Overview and Scrutiny meetings, at which detailed budget proposals will be discussed, are:

• Community and Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee: Tuesday October 29, 7pm
• Community and Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee: Tuesday November 12, 7pm
• Community and Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee: Tuesday December 17, 7pm
• Community and Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee: January 20, 2025, 7pm

Questions can be submitted in advance of these meetings via the Council’s website.

Residents Survey

In addition to the Overview and Scrutiny process, the Council is seeking views on how it can safeguard its financial future by asking residents to complete a Survey, giving their input on these issues, by 2nd December.

Take Survey

Wokingham Borough Council is preparing to publish its new Local Plan, which is a strategy document covering all aspects of how Wokingham Borough should grow and develop in the long term.

Before the Council submits the new Local Plan for examination, residents have the opportunity to comment on the plan’s soundness and legal compliance until Wednesday 13 November 2024.

It will then go forward for examination by an independent planning inspector, and we hope to adopt it as soon as possible after this.

Take the Survey

Wokingham Borough Council is asking young people to take a survey to help understand their experiences, wants and needs in the borough

Wokingham Borough Council is seeking views of 11- to 19-year-olds to understand how they feel about their life in the borough in a ‘Youth Future Focus’ survey jointly developed by the council, Berkshire Youth and the Children and Young People’s Partnership.

The survey covers a range of topics including wellbeing, safety, leisure, support networks and worries and concerns.

Information gained from the survey will feed into the Wokingham Youth Offer Needs Assessment that will identify the services that already exist for young people in the borough, and where there are any gaps. It is important to get direct feedback from young people so the council can understand what services and opportunities they would want to have access to.

This will then inform the Wokingham Youth Offer that will be published and kept up to date, to ensure all young people have one place that they can access information about services available for them in the borough.

Encourage your young people to take part

The survey is open to those aged 11 to 19, or 24 for those with special educational needs and disabilities, until 25 October.

Wokingham Borough Council is also working with local schools, local groups and alternative provisions to make sure that as many young people get the opportunity to have their voice heard as possible.

An in-person event will be taking place later this year. If you have a young person who would like to attend, have any questions about the project or survey or need an easy-read version, please email [email protected].

Take the Survey

Wokingham Borough residents have the opportunity to help shape a strategy that supports resident’s use of electric vehicles

Wokingham Borough Council has developed an Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Strategy that sets out the actions it needs to take to support the transition to EVs, ahead of the phase out dates of new petrol and diesel vehicles.

As well as public transport and active travel, EVs play an important role in reducing carbon dioxide emissions from transport, improving air quality and tackling climate change.

Wokingham Borough Council’s strategy seeks to complement the growth in private EV chargepoint provision and help to fill any gaps left by the private market. It will be instrumental in the Council getting funding from the government for new electric vehicle infrastructure.

This will build on the successes of securing grants such as the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS) and the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI), which support the rollout of residential chargepoints in areas with limited off-street parking.

The Council wants to support residents and businesses to make the switch to EVs by removing barriers where possible, which includes a good charging network.

Have your say

You can find a copy of the full strategy and a survey to complete on the Council’s Engage Platform, where you can also complete the survey.

Your feedback will help shape the proposals and ensure that the Council has a strategy that works for all communities.

Wokingham Borough residents have the opportunity to help shape a strategy that supports the area’s economic growth

Wokingham Borough Council is updating its Economic Development Strategy that sets out how it will keep improving the borough’s economic prosperity through to 2030.

The draft updated strategy is developed based on a thorough analysis of local economic performance data and insights from the council’s engagement with local business community and other stakeholders to understand business needs, economic issues and growth opportunities. 

Residents are encouraged to read the full draft strategy on the council’s Engage Wokingham website, and give their comments by Tuesday 8 October. 

Setting directions for future growth

Cllr Mark Ashwell, executive member for economic development, sport, leisure and the arts, said: “We’d like to thank our local businesses for sharing their views, which has been instrumental in shaping this round of consultation with residents.

“Our strategic location in the heart of Berkshire, together with excellent transport links to London and the wider South East, positions us well to attract inward investment. The recent completion of Shinfield Studio further fuels the growth of creative industry in the area. To elevate our economy to the next level, we must refresh our strategy and set clear directions for future growth.

“Residents will benefit from new employment, upskilling and training opportunities created from sustainable growth in our economy. It’s also vitally important that economic development is key to a quality, stable and healthy life for everyone.”

Four key economic pillars

The draft Economic Development Strategy outlines four key pillars supporting the borough’s economy – including economic and business landscape; people, work, skills and well-being; place, infrastructure and connectivity; and small towns and districts, local centres and shopping parades. 

Priorities are proposed under each pillar to highlight how the council will achieve the overall vision for our economy. 

The final Economic Development Strategy will go before the council’s decision-making executive by the end of this year. Following this, a detailed action plan to achieve these priorities will be developed. 

Crumbs at the Oakwood Centre is now open!

After many years, Brown Bag decided to leave the Oakwood Centre. Having worked with them for so long, it was sad to see them go, however, we are delighted to welcome, in their place, local cafe specialists Crumbs. 

Grand opening

The cafe opened on Saturday 7 September, with a promotional half price hot drink offer, which kept the crowds coming in. 

Woodley Town Mayor, Cllr Juliet Anderson, popped down to meet the new team and sample the delicious array of sumptuous cakes, freshly made-to-order food, ranges of hot and cold drinks, including cocktails and mocktails, as well as milkshakes and delectable items that cater for all food allergies.  

Opening times

Crumbs at the Oakwood Centre will be open daily:

Catering at the Oakwood Centre

As our new partner, Crumbs will continue to provide a bespoke and exclusive set of menus for Oakwood Centre clients and hirers, as well as providing catering for all events.

For more details, please contact [email protected].

Residents and businesses are encouraged to give their views on Twyford village centre, Wokingham and Woodley town centres

A new strategy is being drawn up by Wokingham Borough Council to support the town and village centres in Wokingham Borough, in the face of ongoing challenges from changing economic climate and shopping habits.

Your views matter

To help shape the new Town Centre Strategy, the council is seeking views on how Twyford village centre, Wokingham and Woodley town centres are being used, and how they perform as places to do business.  

The new strategy will understand the individual character and identity of each of these town and village centres, the challenges facing them as well as new opportunities ahead. It will also shed light on how UK’s changing economy and the way people shop is impacting the town centres in the borough.

Once complete and approved, an action plan will be developed to outline what the council will do to achieve the priorities and objectives set out in the strategy.

The strategy will also be reviewed and refreshed at least every five years to reflect the latest economic situations locally and nationally.

Complete the survey online

Two surveys, open until Friday 4 October for residents and business owners to complete, are available on the council’s Engage Wokingham website.