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Read Online the next Issue from 1st of December
West Berkshire Council to invest £43M over the next three years on schools and education services
West Berkshire Council plans to invest £43 million on new builds, expansion and improvement of schools as well as the refurbishment of education-related care facilities across the District in its Education Capital Programme for 2020-2023. This also includes provision for new equipment and services for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Recent major successes include the £8.8 million site purchase and new build of Theale Primary School, refurbishment of the Castle Gate respite care home in Newbury (£128k), Hungerford Primary School kitchen expansion (£417k) and extensive repairs carried out at Falkland Primary School, Newbury (£474k).
Projects scheduled for completion over the next six months include:
Highwood Copse, Newbury - new primary school (£7.7m)
Winchcombe Primary School, Newbury - increased accommodation to cater for a greater number of pupils (£341k)
• Trinity Secondary School, Newbury - extension to the main school building to provide a new science classroom and larger two storey extension at the front to provide further additional classrooms (£2.3m)
Additional projects scheduled for completion throughout 2021 - 2022 include:
Parsons Down Partnership, Thatcham - bringing the junior and infant schools together into the same building to rationalise accommodation in line with pupil demand and improve financial efficiency. The project also includes the renovation and expansion of outdoor play areas (£1.5m)
The Willink School, Burghfield - expansion project to increase the size of the sports changing rooms (completed), build a new English studies block with seven classrooms and associated facilities, and refurbish several other rooms (£2.9m)
Following a successful funding bid by West Berkshire Council, a separate project is under construction by the Department for Education to erect a new £14.8 million building for Little Heath Secondary School in Tilehurst. Works are currently scheduled for completion by early 2021.
Dominic Boeck, West Berkshire's Executive Member for Children, Young People and Education, said: "We are pleased to announce our spending plans, new builds and other works underway for schools and education services for the benefit of students, teachers and carers. Our education capital programme for 2020-2023 reflects the various and diverse needs across West Berkshire.
This includes creating more school spaces in certain areas and catering for pupils with special needs. "Although the onset of Covid-19 heavily impacted construction timetables over the past several months, we are now actively underway with progressing the rest of the projects scheduled for completion within the three year programme."
Agencies working together to tackle workplace Covid-19 outbreak
Agencies are working together to manage an outbreak of Covid-19 within a workplace in Newbury.
In recent days a number of police officers from Thames Valley Police have tested positive for Covid-19. Those officers and a number of other people they have been in close contact with are now self-isolating in line with national guidelines.
Agencies including West Berkshire Council and Public Health England are working with Thames Valley Police to ensure that appropriate steps are being taken to minimise the spread of the virus in line with our local outbreak control plan.
When positive tests were first reported Thames Valley Police acted quickly to take the necessary precautions and working with NHS Test and Trace and partners informing anyone who had been in close contact to begin self-isolating.
Matt Pearce, Head of Public Health for West Berkshire Council, said:
"Nationally there has been an increase in cases of Covid-19 and we are likely to see more local cases and outbreaks over the coming months. We will continue to work with our partners to ensure that the necessary is action to reduce the spread of the virus."
Local
Issues Consultation begins on West Berkshire's draft Housing Strategy 2020 - 2036
West Berkshire Council is inviting residents and stakeholders to provide their views on its draft Housing Strategy 2020-2036, which details how the council intends to support residents with access to good quality housing while preventing homelessness and rough sleeping.
The Housing Strategy sets out West Berkshire Council's strategic housing priorities and the range of actions that the Council intends to take in partnership with relevant partners and stakeholders. In addition, the draft strategy explains how a thriving housing market - within both the local and national context - can positively influence and support the delivery of the Council's vision through the following twin priorities:
Priority 1 - Enable every resident to have access to a home that meets their needs
Priority 2 - Reduce homelessness
The draft strategy looks at the demographics and anticipated demand for housing across the District for the future. Overall, the population is projected to grow by just under 5% by 2036. While West Berkshire has a relatively young population at present, the population is forecast to become older with household sizes reducing.
These factors will impact on the future requirements for the type and size of housing across the district and the need for appropriate affordable housing. Councillor Hilary Cole, Executive Member for Housing at West Berkshire Council, said:
"We are inviting residents and stakeholders to have their say on our draft Housing Strategy as the presence of a balanced housing market across West Berkshire is critical to ensuring that residents' health and well-being is safeguarded. We are particularly keen to hear from young people and key workers so we can ensure their housing aspirations are captured within the strategy. "The draft strategy details how we aim to provide a positive impact for an ageing population, plus opportunities for affordable housing for residents with disabilities and young people.
"We also want to provide housing solutions for the reduction of homelessness and for those requiring specialist accommodation. The draft strategy sets out how the delivery of suitable housing will therefore have a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of residents who are impacted by poor housing.
"The Housing Strategy is a key corporate strategy that sets out how the Council intends to influence and intervene within the local housing market for the benefit of residents and I would encourage as many people as possible to provide their views by completing the consultation survey."
To read the policy and have their say on the consultation survey, residents and stakeholders can visit the West Berkshire Council www.info.westberks. gov.uk/drafthousingstrategy
Those unable to participate online can request a hard copy by calling 01635 519530 and selecting option 1.
Building homes for the future
We need to build more houses for young people, make them the beautiful, and protect our local area and countryside at the same time.
Our current planning system is too slow. It takes an average of seven years to make a housing plan for an area and five years to get permission to build.
This is often followed by the slow delivery of homes as well as the roads, schools, hospitals and other community infrastructure needed to support them. We need a simpler and faster planning system.
The ‘Planning for the Future’ white paper sets out proposals for a more diverse and competitive housing industry, in which smaller builders can thrive alongside the big players and where planning permissions are swiftly turned into homes. This is out for consultation and I urge you to have your say www.gov.uk/government/ consultations/planning-for-the-future.
When I was housing minister I made clear my position that our Area of Outstanding Beauty should be protected, and that young people need good quality and affordable houses in which to live.
I still believe that that squaring this circle should be left to local people through the neighbourhood planning process, which has been used successfully across North West Hampshire. I will continue to champion the principle that planning should be done with and by local people.
