IN OCTOBER we reported a harrowing story after a survey by Citizen Advice Wokingham, in collaboration with Age UK Berkshire, Wokingham United Charities and the Cowshed, revealed the devastating impact of the cost of living crisis in Wokingham.
One reply read: “Often the children eat pasta only and I scrape the plates down and eat the remains.”
Of the more than 600 replies, many residents were already struggling with more fearing how they would manage through the winter.
Jake Morrison, chief executive at Citizens Advice Wokingham, said: “What we don’t know is what we don’t see and that is the purpose of the survey.
Mr Morrison has worked at Citizens Advice for four years but hasn’t witnessed this level of demand for support.
One person described the rising cost of living as “catastrophic” with many saying they are having to choose between heating and eating.
“In a place like Wokingham borough, these are not things we would expect to hear every day,” said Mr Morrison.
“Never in the four years that I’ve been here have I heard such a volume of stories of real hardship that people are living in and experiencing.”
Of the responses to the survey, 93.4% were worried by energy costs with 78.8% anxious about the price of food.
Petrol and diesel was also high on the list of concerns, along with rising mortgage rates.
Parking prices continued to be at the forefront of discussions at Wokingham Borough Council meetings.
A Conservative petition to reverse the rise in charges received more than 4,000 signatures.
The council decided increases were still necessary but chose to split the borough into two zones with the increases outside of Wokingham town centre not as large.
There will also be an increase to the charging hours when the changes come into force in January.
Cllr Paul Fishwick, executive member for active travel, transport and highways, said the fees had to increase as income was between £600,000 and £800,000 below forecast, with usage below pre-pandemic levels.
“Taking funding from the reserves, like the previous administration did, is not an option open to us, as the reserves are now low,” he said.
The increase of charging times was because “a Sunday and a bank holiday is similar to a normal shopping day”.
He felt: “The introduction of charges on these days is likely to cause a greater turnover in car parking, bringing in additional footfall with more people spending money in our town centres.
“That will be a boost to the local economy rather than long stays taking up spaces.”
It wouldn’t be a Wokingham review of the year if there weren’t concerns over development in the borough, an issue which has plagued residents and councillors of all political backgrounds in recent years.
Hall Farm’s place in the forthcoming local plan update – where homes will be built in Wokingham borough up to 2036 – continued to see residents raise questions.
The new administration, in charge of the council since May, said it had been working on revisions following consultation earlier this year.
Cllr Lindsay Ferris, the executive member for planning and the local plan, said the council was looking carefully at its options to ensure the local plan would pass public examination and he couldn’t pre-determine the process
A week later, scores of demonstrators took to the University of Reading to voice concerns over its plans to sell the 580 hectares of agricultural land.
Members of Save Our Loddon Valley Environment (SOLVE) Hall Farm were campaigning against the plans, which could see the development of 4,500 houses in Arborfield.
Frustrations could also be heard in Shinfield following a new traffic calming measure on the Reading Road.
Motorists described the new give way sign as ‘ridiculous’ and ‘dangerous’.
The sign was installed to reduce speeds, with vehicles heading towards Arborfield required to yield to oncoming traffic.
However, drivers cited limited visibility due to the sign’s location on a bend.
Shinfield resident, Rob Boreham-Fish, said: “Why would anybody think it was a good idea to spend thousands of pounds sticking a signpost literally in the middle of the road on bends, forcing you into oncoming traffic?
“At night, there are no lights, just reflective bollards. These installations need removing as soon as possible before the council has a fatality on their hands.”
Cllr Fishwick responded by confirming the sign had complied with road safety checks but insisted an independent party would visit during the day and at night and suggest improvements if needed.
It’s an industry secret that many parents have super powers, and Justin Malin of Twyford is no different as he beat all the odds to complete 52 marathons in 52 weeks.
Justin was left with a broken breastbone (sternum), whiplash injuries and bruising in a car smash just 36 hours before he was due to make his last run in late September.
Despite his aches and pains he still turned out that day to thank his supporters at Stanlake Meadow, Twyford and tell them the run was postponed.
Then, amazingly, just 12 days after the crash, he went off to finish his challenge.
“When I finished the 26.2 miles I put out the news and had so many congratulations. The support from everyone has been fantastic,” he said.
Justin raised more than £6,000 for Make-A-Wish. The total will be doubled by his employer Volante in London.
He wasn’t the only Twyford resident getting their running shoes on as the village’s fun run celebrated its 10th anniversary.
More than 300 people took part in The Twyford Together charity 5k and fun run at the Piggott School.
The bragging rights were awarded to Longfield Road, Jarvis Drive and Kibblewhite Crescent who won the fastest street competition.
Wokingham town was also celebrating after scooping top honours in the Thames and Chiltern In Bloom awards.
The green-fingered efforts of residents and businesses saw it receive a gold award in the large town category. And several projects such as the Langborough Wildlife Garden were singled out by judges for being outstanding.
Wokingham was the regional winner for Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire in the awards, which are part of the Royal Horticultural Society’s Britain in Bloom contest.
The awards didn’t stop there. Several of the projects that made up the Wokingham in Bloom entry received awards of their own with high praise from the judges.
Nearly 4,000 people came together to celebrate the Hindu festivals Diwali and Dussehra in Sonning.
The first Reading Dussehra Diwali Festival took place at Reading Cricket Club on Saturday, October 15, to mark Diwali, the festival of light, and Dussehra, the festival of good over evil.
Attendees were entertained by more than 40 artists throughout the afternoon including singers, dancers, Dhol drummers and a performance of a traditional Ramayan drama.
The focal point of the celebration was the effigy burning of demon king Raavan, an age-old tradition during Dussehra.
Ritesh Nigam, part of the organising team alongside Aradhana Singh, said: “It was a stunning afternoon and the burning of the effigy was spectacular.
“There were plenty of families bringing their children to see it and some that had travelled from far away.
“We would like it to happen again next year.”
In our last October edition, we produced a special report analysing where the council was proposing cuts to services.
At a meeting on Wednesday, October 27, councillors explored a number of ways the council could claw back a £4 million shortfall.
The alternative, dipping into the reserves, could see Wokingham placed in special measures in the same way as councils such as Slough are now run by the government
Among the options explored was night time dimming of street lights, reduced grass cutting, changes to waste collections and reducing the number of play areas.
None of the proposals are set in stone, but the financial position of the council, described as “perilous” by Graham Ebers, deputy chief executive and director of resources and assets, is the main priority for council staff.
