Berkshire Live, Reading (2025)

13/10/2025

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13/10/2025

West Berkshire’s council leader is throwing himself to the wolves next week as he hosts a live online question and answer session with residents.

Jeff Brook’s ‘Ask the Leader‘ event will be streamed live across YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn.

But he is unlikley to get any budding Jeremy Paxmans throwing a googly at him as all the questions have to be submitted in advance.

West Berkshire Council provides hundreds of services used by residents every day as well as delivering infrastructure such as new school buildings, road projects and public spaces.

It’s all delivered through an annual £250m budget – and led by the leader and the executive members.

With important issues facing the council including a proposal to be part of a new Ridgeway Council and the funding challenges facing local authorities this, says Mr Brooks, is ‘your chance to ask questions about the work your council is doing for you.’

Questions can be submitted to the leader in advance by email to [email protected] and should be received by 4pm on Tuesday, October 21.

There will also be an opportunity to ask questions during the event using the comment feature on your preferred platform.

“As leader it’s important to me to be talking with local people – whether that be an impromptu conversation in the street, a formal question at council or by going online to answer your questions,” says Mr Brooks.

“This is another way for you to ask something about your local council – whether it’s about the services we provide, the decisions we make or what it’s like to work at the council or be a councillor. It should be a very good event and I hope many of you will be able to join me for it.”

The event begins at 6pm on Wednesday, October 22 and will last for up to an hour.

✍Original copy via Local Democracy Service by Niki Hinman

13/10/2025

A clash over extra bedrooms being added to homes at a woodland site near Bracknell has finally been resolved.

The Evergreens is a development of 68 homes at Beaufort Park, situated between Bracknell and Crowthorne.

The development by Taylor Wimpey replaced the office building on site, which lay dormant for its lifetime before being demolished.

Homes started to be completed in 2023, with people moving in after that point.

However, had built several homes with extra bedrooms.

That included 14 homes that Taylor Wimpey built with four bedrooms, adding a bed to three-bedroom properties approved by Bracknell Forest Council’s planning committee in November 2021.

Those purchasers who already live in The Evergreens have been unable to legally remortgage their homes because the existing floor plans do not align with those on their initial mortgage agreements.

It has also meant 14 more parking spaces have been added to the development, with seven of these being created on the access road to The Evergreens.

These adjustments were discussed at a meeting of the council’s planning committee on Thursday, October 9.

Councillor Dorothy Hayes MBE (Conservatives, Winkfield & Warfield East) argued that homeowners had been put in a poor situation by being unable to remortgage.

She said: “It’s appalling to think that these buildings were allowed to get developed and sold in such a way and I hope it doesn’t happen again. ”

The changes were initially discussed at the council’s planning committee last month, where an arrangement of 10 new spaces and a car club space was put forward.

However, this suggestion proved unpopular with The Evergreens residents, so Taylor Wimpey adjusted the parking arrangement plans to contain all 14 of the parking spaces required by the council’s policies.

Cllr Sheila Collings (Green, Binfield North & Warfield West) said: “I understand it is a matter for the applicant and the residents to resolve.

“I hope it goes well because clearly there are some spaces which are further away from the properties than others. So I hope that can be resolved to everybody’s satisfaction.”

Cllr Mary Temperton (Labour, Great Hollands) suggested that councillors should monitor homes when they are put up for sale to ensure they have the correct number of bedrooms in line with approved plans.

She said: “We’re going to have to look at it, because it was 37 houses in this case, which was not an accident, but we also need to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

Cllr Tina McKenzie-Boyle (Labour, Crowthorne) argued ‘a triumvirate’ of the council officers, councillors and the developers themselves should monitor and make sure to ensure homes are built as approved or updated in time.

The adjustments were approved with nine councillors voting in favour and one abstention.

You can view the approved application by typing reference 25/00479/FUL into the council’s planning portal.

✍Original copy via Local Democracy Service by James Aldridge

13/10/2025

Today's weather forecast for Berkshire

12/10/2025

A clash over extra bedrooms being added to homes at a woodland site near Bracknell has finally been resolved.

The Evergreens is a development of 68 homes at Beaufort Park, situated between Bracknell and Crowthorne.

The development by Taylor Wimpey replaced the office building on site, which lay dormant for its lifetime before being demolished.

Homes started to be completed in 2023, with people moving in after that point.

However, had built several homes with extra bedrooms.

That included 14 homes that Taylor Wimpey built with four bedrooms, adding a bed to three-bedroom properties approved by Bracknell Forest Council’s planning committee in November 2021.

Those purchasers who already live in The Evergreens have been unable to legally remortgage their homes because the existing floor plans do not align with those on their initial mortgage agreements.

It has also meant 14 more parking spaces have been added to the development, with seven of these being created on the access road to The Evergreens.

These adjustments were discussed at a meeting of the council’s planning committee on Thursday, October 9.

Councillor Dorothy Hayes MBE (Conservatives, Winkfield & Warfield East) argued that homeowners had been put in a poor situation by being unable to remortgage.

She said: “It’s appalling to think that these buildings were allowed to get developed and sold in such a way and I hope it doesn’t happen again. ”

The changes were initially discussed at the council’s planning committee last month, where an arrangement of 10 new spaces and a car club space was put forward.

However, this suggestion proved unpopular with The Evergreens residents, so Taylor Wimpey adjusted the parking arrangement plans to contain all 14 of the parking spaces required by the council’s policies.

Cllr Sheila Collings (Green, Binfield North & Warfield West) said: “I understand it is a matter for the applicant and the residents to resolve.

“I hope it goes well because clearly there are some spaces which are further away from the properties than others. So I hope that can be resolved to everybody’s satisfaction.”

Cllr Mary Temperton (Labour, Great Hollands) suggested that councillors should monitor homes when they are put up for sale to ensure they have the correct number of bedrooms in line with approved plans.

She said: “We’re going to have to look at it, because it was 37 houses in this case, which was not an accident, but we also need to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

Cllr Tina McKenzie-Boyle (Labour, Crowthorne) argued ‘a triumvirate’ of the council officers, councillors and the developers themselves should monitor and make sure to ensure homes are built as approved or updated in time.

The adjustments were approved with nine councillors voting in favour and one abstention.

✍Original copy via Local Democracy Service by James Aldridge
📸 A GGI of the streetscene for The Evergreens at Beaufort Park on the outskirts of Bracknell. (Credit: Boyer Planning via LDRS)

11/10/2025

The MPs in Reading have welcomed news of a £9.5 million investment from the government to help break down barriers to people working.

The unemployment rate in Reading was 3.5 per cent in December 2023, with 5,000 people claiming unemployment-related benefits in March 2024.

The government has recently unveiled its Connect to Work programme, which is designed to help people back into work, with Berkshire being announced as one of nine areas in England to benefit from the £167 million investment in the scheme.

Almost 2,350 sick or disabled people in Berkshire will receive employment support, as the government has allocated £9.5 million to support them.

The scheme will deliver localised, tailored support to people who are sick, disabled or face complex barriers to work.

It provides intensive, personalised help including individual coaching from employment specialists, job matching services, and ongoing support for both participants and employers to ensure sustainable employment outcomes.

Support can include embedding work advisers in GP surgeries, putting on workshops to improve people’s confidence, or helping people with affordable childcare.

Olivia Bailey, Labour MP for Reading West and Mid Berkshire, said: “This area is a great place to live and work, but far too many of my constituents who want to work face barriers when looking for a job.

“This Labour government is going to change that, and this funding will transform the lives of many local people by providing them with the tailored support they need.

“We’re delivering on our promise to help people in areas like Reading West and Mid Berkshire secure good jobs, so that our communities and local economy thrive.”

Yuan Yang, Labour MP for Earley and Woodley, said: “Since the pandemic, our economy has struggled with high levels of inactivity, and I’m very glad to welcome this Labour government’s Connect to Work programme, which will help remove so many of the barriers to work that prevent people achieving their potential.”

Matt Rodda, Labour MP for Reading Central, added: “This important initiative will help more local people get back into work and benefit from the economic growth of the Reading area. The initiative should also help local business who are looking for staff.”

Finally, Pat McFadden, the Work and Pensions Secretary, said: “Writing off people with long-term health conditions or disabilities fails them and fails our economy.

“We are giving people a hand up, not a handout, realising their potential and providing them with the skills to succeed as part of our Plan for Change.

“Thanks to local areas hitting the ground running, it is already delivering results – proving that when we invest in people and communities, everyone wins.”

Connect to Work is voluntary. To access support, sick and disabled people and those facing complex barriers to work can self-refer or they can be referred through various routes including healthcare professionals, local authorities, and voluntary sector partners.

Mr McFadden is the Labour MP for Wolverhampton South East.

✍Original copy via Local Democracy Service by James Aldridge

10/10/2025

More cloud around tomorrow ☁

10/10/2025

The biggest telecoms company in Britain is set to replace phone boxes with new ‘street hubs’ throughout Reading.

BT maintains a number of phone boxes from the 1990s to allow people to make on the go calls.

But now these boxes are becoming dated, with the telecoms company applying to replace them with ‘Street Hubs’ at four locations.

BT has applied for the street hubs on the pavements outside Great Brighams Mead in Vastern Road, in Church Street, Caversham, the Shell fuel station at the Norcot junction, and outside a row of shops in Shinfield Road.

All four are grey coloured phone boxes, with Street Hubs providing calls, Wi-Fi and advertising.

A BT spokesperson explained: “Street Hubs are designed to provide a wide range of benefits to local communities, including free ultra-fast Wi-Fi, phone calls, rapid device charging, real-time public information and a dedicated 999 calling button for emergencies.

“We remain committed to working collaboratively with local authorities to ensure that the payphone estate is upgraded to meet current requirements and reflect the needs of the community.”

The Street Hubs may have mini mobile masts added to them to help further boost 4G and 5G installed in the future.

The hub also provides street-level advertising for businesses, with a potential for five per cent of the screen time to be provided to Reading Borough Council.

BT has submitted plans for the Street Hubs to the council.

For each of the places BT requires planning permission and advertising consent for the screen. You can see the applications below:

Great Brighams Mead – PL/25/1351 and PL/25/1356

29 Church Street, Caversham – PL/25/1352 and PL/25/1357

Shell Norcot – PL/25/1353 and PL/25/1358

239 Shinfield Road – PL/25/1354 and PL/25/1359

✍Original copy via Local Democracy Service by James Aldridge

10/10/2025

Attempts at ‘improving’ the Newbury town centre pedestrianisation scheme get put to West Berkshire Council next week (Thursday).

A motion put by independent councillor Adrian Abbs suggests a one-way system to allow traffic to enter Bartholomew Street in a single south-to-north direction through Northbrook Street, with return access facilitated through Park Way.

“This flow maintains a controlled environment while improving connectivity and reducing congestion on feeder roads,” Mr Abbs has suggested.

“If for some reason it in not possible to use Park Way and Wharf Road as the north to south route then the A339 can be designated as the route from north to south in the town.”

He has also put forward free short-stay parking bays – limited to 15 to 30 minutes – along designated sections of Bartholomew Street and Northbrook Street.

Members of the public have previsouly lobbied the council’s top table wondering why the local authority had gone ahead with the move despite almost 60 per cent of respondents to a survey about it saying they didn’t want it.

They oppose the extension of pedestrian hours in the town centre to 10am to 11pm from the previous 10am to 5pm.

Another, less specific, but on theme motion has also been put – this time from Conservative group leader Ross Mackinnon – who wants the council to “consider that in the event a decision is made contrary to the majority of residents’ opinions expressed via a public consultation, then a statement should be published on the council’s public website no more than 14 days after the making of the decision, written by the chairman of council in respect of a council decision, or the leader of the council in respect of an executive decision, or the relevant individual executive member in respect of an individual executive member decision, clearly informing residents that a decision has been made contrary to the majority of residents’ opinions expressed via a public consultation, and explaining the decision-maker’s rationale for making that decision not in accordance with that majority of residents’ opinions”.

The council maintains that there was enough support to conduct the trial and that there is plenty of ‘overarching evidence’ it improves the vitality of the area.

At the previous full council meeting, council leader Jeff Brooks (Lib Dem, Thatcham West) said: “I have already said if it was palpably not working then we will stop the trial.”

The motions will be discussed at full council next Thursday.

✍Original copy via Local Democracy Service by Niki Hinman

10/10/2025

Projects and services which support the life that matters to residents have been highlighted in the Care Quality Commission’s assessment of Reading Borough Council’s Adult Social Care service.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) assessment on how well the Council is meeting its responsibilities to ensure people have access to adult social care and support under the Care Act (2014), is requires improvement.

This assessment was carried out between July 2024 and December 2024.

The assessment and report identified areas of innovation and strength which benefit residents.

They included:

The Council constantly seeks to improve its Adult Social Care services to ensure residents are safe and supported to be as independent as possible in their own homes.?

The Council’s improvement plan, which was created before the assessment, reflects the recommendations made by CQC.

Since the assessment concluded in December 2024, the improvement plan has already delivered significant progress. This includes people getting a Care Act assessment visit in 31 days whereas previously it was 48 days, and safeguarding enquiries are completed on average 30 days quicker than before the assessment.

The Council has also improved services for unpaid carers in the borough, recognising the crucial role they play in the care system and the impact caring may have on their own wellbeing.

The service has also increased the number of short-term and Occupational Therapy assessments carried out-which will support people to live independently and prevent escalating needs in line with the demands of the service.

Whilst the overall rating aligns with the self-assessment the Council is required to carry out, the Council believes the scores do not reflect the many strengths identified by CQC during their assessment.

The assessment process has been extremely protracted and onerous. The CQC has admitted making errors in the report after being challenged on its accuracy, and the whole process has also taken far longer than expected. With the results of the assessment only now being published many of the findings are no longer representative of the service.

The Council will continue to engage with CQC to address this.

Cllr Paul Gittings, Lead Councillor for Adult Social Care, said: “I remain incredibly proud of the care and support delivered by the Council’s Adult Social Care staff.

“I am pleased to see that the CQC has picked up our commitment to improvement and innovation alongside strong partnerships and co-production with our communities that will ensure we remain responsive and forward-thinking.

“Our service knows its strengths and areas for development very well and has been consistently delivering improvements for residents of Reading such as the delivery of an All-Age Carers Strategy 2024–2027 and our internationally recognised Technology Enabled Care offer.

“However, we believe the report does not accurately evidence the excellent work we do in Reading or provide an accurate description of improvements which have already been made.

“The people in our Adult Social Care service work extremely hard and take pride in the work in supporting the life that matters to our residents.”

The Council continues to be committed to delivering high quality and timely Adult Social Care services that keep people safe and support choice, independence, and wellbeing.

The Council is confident in its ability to improve which can already be evidenced in national data provided to the Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework since the 2022/23 financial year. It shows the Council is now fifth in the country for social care-related quality of life, jumping up 46 places. It is also twelfth in the country for providing easy to find information about support compared to the previous position of 104.?

There is information and advice on the Council’s website about Adult Social Care for residents, their families and friends Adult Social Care and Public Health - Reading Borough Council.

10/10/2025

A new bakery and deli is set to be opened by an already successful business in a busy area of East Reading.

The team behind Cafe Yolk is preparing to open a new deli eatery serving ‘amazing sandwiches’ and more in the weeks to come.

The business successfully expanded to open a takeaway bakery at Cemetery Junction in May.

Now the company is gearing up to open the Donnington Deli, a mere stone’s throw away from its flagship cafe and brunch spot.

The site, at the corner of Erleigh Road and Donnington Road, was previously home to Donnington Cars, an independent car trader which closed earlier this year.

Alexandra Mangat, who runs Cafe Yolk with her husband Sunny, acquired the building this Spring.

A post on Instagram states: “Before it became Donnington Deli, this spot was home to Donnington Cars – a well-loved local garage that kept the community on the move.

“From routine MOTs to helping neighbours find their next car, the team here built a reputation for being reliable, friendly, and at the heart of village life.

“When the wrenches were finally put down and the shutters closed, the space began a new chapter.

“Today, instead of the smell of oil and engines, you’re welcomed with the aroma of fresh bread, amazing sandwiches, and the same sense of community spirit that’s always lived within these walls.

“From cars to a deli, this building has always been and always is about bringing people together.”

Videos posted show the painting and fit-out for the deli progressing.

The building is not ready yet, as no branding or customer seating has been provided inside when the Local Democracy Reporting Service passed at 8.30am on Thursday, October 9.

Another post on Instagram states: “When creating Donnington Deli, we wanted to preserve the history and character of Donnington Cars, which had been such a familiar name in the community.

“The space has been designed to reflect that story, blending old and new,

While celebrating the site’s past.

“A key part of this was embracing the iconic racing green – a colour long associated with British motoring – and carrying it through into the décor. It’s a subtle nod to the building’s heritage, a way of honouring where it all began, while offering a fresh, welcoming space for today.”

The team hopes to open Donnington Deli in the Autumn.

Mrs Mangat won permission for the conversion of the building, 37 Erleigh Road, from a car sales business into general business use on Monday, June 2.

At the time of the submission of the plan, an agent from Tony Thorpe Associates suggested that the former car forecourt could be used as an outdoor dining area.

✍Original copy via Local Democracy Service by James Aldridge

10/10/2025

An appeal has been lodged against West Berkshire Council blocking the development of 167 flats in Newbury – because of parking issues.

The plans to build at Sterling Gardens on Hectors Way have been granted, but the developers want to remove the parking condition applied by West Berkshire planners.

This has been refused, as the council says it will result in the loss of the nine replacement car parking spaces previously approved.

This, it says, will result in an increased over subscription of parking permits in Newbury E1 (East Zone) where there are already more permits than available car parking spaces.

The increased lack of available parking spaces could result in on-street car-parking in other areas adversely affecting road safety and the flow of traffic, it says.

The development, known as Sterling Gardens, transformed the former Sterling Cables industrial site. It included demolishing the old tower and constructing 167 apartments.

The new link road, Hector’s Way, was built to improve traffic flow by connecting Kings Road and Hambridge Road.

Since the build of the Stirling Gardens estate and the new link road, parking has been reduced and problematic to Kings Road residents.

Before the main application went through more than a dozen people objected, saying the proposed application is ‘inadequate as it is not addressing the core issues and needs for the area and its residents’.

Parking was the main bone of contention.

✍Original copy via Local Democracy Service by Niki Hinman

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