Berkshire News

A plan to convert an abandoned village school into homes could still go ahead, despite it being rejected over road safety concerns.

Reading will win out from a government review into spending on local councils, with the borough council set to benefit from a £42.

Police have been cracking down on anti-social behaviour and nuisance e-bike riding in Woodley town centre, but worries from residents remain.

A former senior councillor in Reading has quit Labour to join the Green Party.

Work is progressing on a new road that will serve more than 1,000 new homes in Wokingham.

Permission has been given to convert offices in Newbury’s Bartholomew Street into 18 flats.

The Government planning inspectorate has requested additional information from the developer behind an asphalt plant near Membury services.

A decision is due on improvements to the cemetery where thousands of people have their final resting place in Reading.

Police officers have targeted criminals, worked with partner agencies and enforced home closures to tackle crime at an estate in Wokingham.

A huge pile of rubbish has been dumped outside a store and former pub in West Reading.

Councillors in Bracknell have decided to privately sell an asset that it owns outside of the town.

Another illegal Gypsy Traveller site is being constructed in West Berkshire – this time near Pangbourne.

The potential for Reading to expand into its suburbs to create a larger council has been debated.

Health chiefs in West Berkshire have launched a survey to assess experiences of health care services in the district.

Progress is being made on plans for a new sixth form centre at a secondary school in Wokingham.

Buildings that have until recently served as an office complex in Reading town centre are now set to be turned into flats.

A huge office building in the heart of Bracknell is set to be converted into dozens of flats.

Councillors in Reading have clashed over the closure of the council’s housing company, which has been disbanded.

More than 100 people from the Reading area took part in a meditation event held simultaneously across the world.

A handful of big players are in charge of the majority of new housing developments in Bracknell, as progress is being made on a series of projects.

More than 1,000 apartments could be built in Reading in the coming years as a series of huge projects might be decided this year.

Parking rules for new housing, flats and developments in Bracknell are set to be overhauled for the first time in a decade.

A plan to replace a defunct club along one of the busiest roads in Reading with 30 flats and a shop has been refused.

The redevelopment of an industrial estate that is home to a brewery in Reading has been rejected as the site could be repurposed for housing in the future.

The German supermarket giants are clashing over a plan to turn a defunct DIY store into an Aldi in Bracknell.

A public consultation is to be held to lower the speed limit to 20mph on many of the residential roads and cul de sacs within Hermitage, Bucklebury and Cold Ash.

A disabled man has accused Reading council of ‘cutting off’ his support payments.

A plan to add a family home to a semi-detached house in a residential street in North Ascot has been defeated.

Plans that will transform the skyline in Reading with more than 1,000 flats have been given the go-ahead this year.

A successful American burger chain is due to open ‘very soon’ as construction of its new restaurant nears completion.

The town centre in Woodley is set to receive fresh attention, with a focus on improving the experience for shoppers.

It has been a bumper year in Reading for venue and restaurant openings, with two new bowling alleys and arcades and eateries serving a range of cuisines.

Councillors have clashed over rules on a ‘non-political’ Facebook group with more than 26,000 members.

Millions of pounds are spent each year in Wokingham looking after people when they retire and disabled people.

Thames Valley Police says it will be nearly £9m worse off than anticipated following the Government police funding settlement.

An appeal has been lodged against the refusal of West Berkshire Council to grant planning permission for storage containers in Midgham.

A bid to sell alcohol at a Brazilian café in Reading has been granted despite concerns over disturbance and parking problems.

West Berkshire Council has ruled out shifting staff on to a four-day week, after the local government secretary Steve Reed has written to all council leaders in England warning them not to introduce it.

West Berkshire Council has obtained an interim injunction from the High Court in relation to the unauthorised traveller site south of Reading Road (near the AWE site in Aldermaston).

The amount Reading council spends on mayoral events and services has been revealed, with tens of thousands of pounds being spent each year.

A boss at  Bracknell Forest Council has admitted to failures and lessons learned as nearly £8,000 has been paid to people who have made complaints.

A couple have suffered a nightmare experience waiting for hospital patient transport that never turned up.

West Berkshire’s council leader has blasted the MP for half the district after she said the Government funding review is a good thing.

An office building at a business park on the outskirts of Reading is set to be transformed to create nearly 100 apartments.

A pub in Bracknell is losing customers due to neighbours being moved to replace flat blocks that were built out of crumbling concrete.

A showdown is set for an exciting gold rush-style adventure zone at a golf course, with a complaint being made about its theme.

A woman has expressed anger over her claim that ‘antisemitic’ leaflets were being handed out in Reading town centre.

An independent report commissioned by West Berkshire Council into its own financial problems has come back with some damning insights into how the local authority is run.

It’s a sign of the times.

An independent girls’ school in Reading has celebrated the 250th anniversary of the birth of the legendary poet and writer Jane Austen.

Improvements to affordable homes and service upgrades are among the priorities in Bracknell Forest Council’s budget.

A plan to use a car park in Bracknell as a driving school for motorbikes has been withdrawn after being hit with objections.

Hundreds of households in narrow streets in Wokingham, Woodley and Earley are finally due to have their blue bags replaced with wheelie bins.

A government agency is helping councils in Berkshire to provide more affordable and social housing.

A pub along one of the busiest roads in Reading has received protected status after a failed attempt to convert it into a Greggs bakery.

A defunct food court is set to be replaced with a new convenience store in Reading town centre, despite concerns being raised about street drinking and safety.

A school has converted space previously used as a disabled charity centre into a place to teach special needs children.

Huge amounts of data has been collected about residents in West Berkshire over the last 15 years.

Three by-elections for the local councils in Earley and Shinfield have been decided.

West Berkshire Council says the change to three weekly black bin collections is already making a “positive difference”.

A bungalow is set to be demolished and replaced with nine new homes at a housing estate in Reading.

A road closure in Reading will continue for months longer than expected for water network repair works.

A chicken restaurant in Reading will be opening up to provide free meals for the needy on Christmas Day.

Demolition is taking place on a large four-storey office building in Bracknell to make way for a new industrial warehouse.

Speculation is taking place over the choice of site to replace a hospital that was built out of crumbling concrete.

Changes have been made at the site of nearly 350 flats in Bracknell as the development nears completion.

An old aircraft factory where warplanes were built during the Battle of Britain has been completely demolished to make way for new industrial buildings.

West Berkshire residents have some of the best teeth in the country according to new figures.

One of Berkshire’s top wine producers is hoping to set up a wine tasting centre in Burghfield.

West Berkshire Council says it is gathering evidence to prosecute those behind the illegal development of land near to AWE in Aldermaston.

West Berkshire planners have added a clause to stop a land owner in Tidmarsh from ever being able to use a new barn as a home.

Plans are afoot to elect children and young people to West Berkshire Council.

Around 11,000 residents in West Berkshire could be missing out on unclaimed benefits.

Dementia diagnosis wait times are increasing in West Berkshire.

Planning permission is being sought for the retrospective change of use of former agricultural land to the stationing of 182 storage units (144 metal containers) on a site to the west of James Farm in Grazeley Green.

Stray dog kennelling services in West Berkshire are in crisis.

Progress is being made on a project to create new homes at a ‘backland’ site in Bracknell.

A huge plan to replace a retail park near Reading town centre with hundreds of flats has effectively expired.

The Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Ed Davey, has condemned the Government for their “continuous neglect” of Berkshire’s farmers during a visit to Newbury today (Friday 5 December), calling on Labour MPs to “finally do the right thing” and vote down Family Farm Tax plans in the upcoming Finance Bill.

Around a fifth of flood defences in West Berkshire are sub standard according to figures from the Environment Agency.

Tribute has been paid to a respectful and kind councillor in Bracknell who had decades of public service under his belt.

A primary school in Caversham has won permission to expand to teach more children following a successful appeal to the government.

A sushi takeaway in Reading town centre has applied to conduct late-night deliveries.

Councillors have clashed over whether there should be an elected mayor for the Thames Valley, covering Berkshire, Oxfordshire and possibly Swindon.

Around 200 trees will be chopped down by the council in West Berkshire in the coming months.

Residents in Purley on Thames say they want to stay in West Berkshire in the latest parish survey resisting Reading Borough Council’s expansion plans into eastern parts of the district.

Speed bumps and a 20mph limit will be coming to a much-travelled route in Reading in the coming weeks.

A landmark decision on a project that would turn The Oracle in Reading into a place to live for the first time has been delayed.

Adult ADHD referrals have been stopped by the Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (BHFT).

Labour’s Reading West and Mid Berkshire MP Olivia Bailey is on a list of MPs who did not vote on the Government’s plan to tax inherited farmland from April next year.

An expert in advice and benefits claims has laid out the rules for claimants travelling abroad after a mum from Bracknell had her child benefit wrongly cut.

A student and former general election candidate from Reading spoke at the very first Your Party conference.

Progress continues to be made on a development that saw a Reading ‘institution’ store knocked down to make way for 60 homes.

Neighbour opinions are divided over the transformational project that could turn The Oracle in Reading into a place to live for the first time.

A coffee chain with 95 locations is gearing up to take over a closed cafe near hundreds of homes and a train station in Reading.

Neighbours support a walk-in health service in Reading town centre following the closure of the urgent care centre in one of the town’s main malls.

A plan to demolish a car servicing station and replace it with a fuel storage facility between two villages in Berkshire has faced objections over flooding and road safety.

Increased charges for leisure facilities are on the table in West Berkshire.

Fears have been raised over whether Crowthorne can have Christmas lights going forward, as funding has dried up for safety testing.

A decision has been made on a controversial plan for an Aldi between Reading and Wokingham.

West Berkshire’s persistent absence rates from school are higher than Reading’s.

A decision is due on a project that will transform the premium shopping centre and dining destination in Reading for good.

The North Wessex Downs National Landscape (NWDNL) has launched a new five-year Management Plan – with a commitment to protecting the countryside from development.

A red-light camera has been installed at a pedestrian crossing on the A4 in Calcot.

A garage could be demolished and replaced with a mobile home for staff at a hotel in Bracknell.

A project to demolish a busy buffet restaurant in Reading town centre to replace it with more than 100 apartments has cleared a crucial hurdle.

A bid for a Korean barbecue restaurant in Reading town centre to become a late-night bar has been decided.

A petition was put to West Berkshire Council calling for pension investments supporting the Israeli military to be stopped.

One hundred and forty six people have signed a petition calling for the council to bring in weight restrictions on Bury Road in West Ilsley.

The new arrangements for parking in Wokingham have been given the go-ahead, as the rules will be policed by a team of enforcers.

Thames Water has been blasted as ‘charlatans’ by a pensioner from Reading whose bill has more than doubled to £1,200 per year.

Reading Borough Council has spent more than £80,000 on travel expenses for councillors and its staff, a freedom of information request has revealed.

Reading Council’s proposal to take Tilehurst from West Berkshire was formally submitted to Government today (Nov 27).

The Government says it will fund the full cost of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision from within central government departmental spending from 2028/29.

Councillors in Bracknell have clashed over a Labour councillor keeping her senior position.

The shopping destination that transformed Bracknell town centre has been purchased for around £150 million.

The owners of a cocktail bar and restaurant in Crowthorne have found out whether they can keep it open later.

A mum from Bracknell has been paid back after her child benefit was cut by the government following a trip to Morocco with her son.

Newbury MP Lee Dillon has condemned the Budget announcement confirming that the Government will keep the controversial family farm tax in place, despite warnings of its devastating impact on rural communities.

Plans for a new car wash building on the ground used for an existing hand-car wash business behind the High Street in Theale have been submitted.

Another big tree is about to get chopped down in Newbury.

The council is going to spend around £50,000 reducing speed limits on Newtown Road in Newbury.

The conversion of a former pub and hotel into new flats heading out of Reading has been rejected.

Fears raised over parking fee hikes and charges at free car parks in Woodley and the neighbouring towns and villages.

A town centre pub in Reading has come under new ownership and has turned into an Irish-themed bar.

Bracknell is set to keep a partnership running that is in charge of upholding trading standards, tackling flytipping, managing alcohol licenses and more.

A new American fast food chicken restaurant in Reading could keep on selling food and drinks until 5am in the near future.

A young family is in despair over mould, water leaks causing damage and a bug infestation at their social home in Shinfield.

Domestic related crimes have risen by 13 per cent over the last 12 months to August in West Berkshire.

Reading Borough Council is ‘trashing the environment’ by falling behind on its climate action goals, according to the Green Party.

A plan to add flats on top of a converted office block in Wokingham town centre has been decided.

Cash-strapped West Berkshire Council is steadying itself for the Government’s fair funding review, due in the next few weeks, which could see wealthier authorities take a hit.

A very Green Party thing has been put to West Berkshire Council.

The new live music venue in Bracknell has officially opened.

tA neighbour is suffering from roots coming up from their toilet due to a tree endangering the flats where they live in Reading.

A Dad from Bracknell has complained about overcrowded and has reacted with frustration as his partner’s dad’s council home has gone up for auction.

The company that manages The Oracle in Reading has gained full control of the shopping centre, as a glimpse of the future has been teased.

Parking charge increases for more polluting cars have officially been approved in Reading.

The Prime Minister has visited a primary school in Caversham to promote the Labour government’s policy of introducing free breakfast clubs.

The Prime Minister and the education secretary have acknowledged the scandal of a woman who smuggled drugs into prison being allowed to teach children.

NOTE:  this is a longer read, and looks at reasons for developers excusing themselves from building affordable homes with plans by the council to relax rules.

The results of the latest West Berkshire Youth Survey are out.

Dozens of objections have gone in about a plan to put 16 houses on a field in Great Shefford.

A woman who has mobility problems has been left in a desperate situation after she had the car she uses to get about taken from her.

The population of Wokingham and the surrounding areas will pass 200,000 in 10 years, it has been predicted.

A plan to convert a riverside pub in Reading into flats has been put on hold.

West Berkshire Council is set to borrow another £50m next year.

Residents in the suburbs of Reading have called for better bus services in the area, particularly to the Royal Berkshire Hospital.

Reading council has responded to news that revealed dozens of homeless households from Oxford have been moved into the town.

An extension to transform a bungalow into a four-bedroom house in Crowthorne has been refused.

Bracknell is set to grow by thousands of residents in the next 10 years, according to official data.

The fate of a plan to build dozens of homes near a huge supermarket visited by thousands of people in Bracknell has been decided.

A bid for Berkshire to be united with Oxfordshire and possibly Swindon under a new mayor is due to be submitted later this month.

A consultation has been launched into expanding SEND provision at two schools in Tilehurst.

Leaders from across the Thames Valley, including West Berkshire, are progressing plans to pursue a mayoral strategic authority (MSA) for the region.

A homeowner has found out whether he can make extensions to his house after his neighbour complained about previous works and cooking smells.

Parcel lockers near a supermarket and a busy shopping area of Bracknell could be removed after a bid to keep them was soundly rejected.

The price of leisure centre membership in Woodley could soon be increased.

The demolition of a huge office building for an American computer business in Bracknell has been given the go-ahead.

A clash is set over a resident’s plan to improve their home as a neighbour has complained about ‘cooking odours’ coming from the property and previous works.

A plan to bring a Reading town centre pub that has been vacant for years back to life has been approved.

A petition has been launched by residents worried about an unauthorised development in woodland near Tadley and opposite AWE to construct multiple static homes.

New Road in Greenham will now be closed for a further four months – prompting outcry from locals.

Councillors have been briefed on a potential change to bus routes to provide services between Woodley and Twyford.

A cafe in Reading has changed hands, with the new owner hoping to add a bar to sell alcoholic drinks to customers.

The MP for Bracknell has welcomed a government-commissioned independent review into teaching and assessments.

A verdict is due on a controversial plan to add 10 new homes to converted offices in Wokingham.

A project of 10 new homes in a village between Bracknell and Ascot has been completed.

Reading has been snubbed by Theale in the land grab attempt to bring it, and four other villages in West Berkshire, under its wing.

A convenience store in Whitley has applied to sell alcohol as late as midnight.

Independent consultants are being hired by West Berkshire Council – to help them save money commissioning care packages.

Leading councillors in Bracknell have agreed a £2.

A closed food court is set to be taken over by a new restaurant in Reading town centre.

Digital parking permits for people visiting family and friends will be rolled out across Reading within days.

The name of a pub in Reading town centre will change as part of a £200,000 upgrade project.

A clampdown on driving speeds is due to take place in Wokingham and its surrounding towns and villages that could see speed limits reduced to 20mph.

Armed forces families in 156 military homes around Burghfield will see a major boost from the Government.

Designs for a huge new community containing more than 600 apartments in South Reading have been given the go-ahead.

More parking restrictions are coming in across the towns and villages of West Berkshire.

Huge plans for the next phase of a major development near Reading Station are set to be revealed, which will see flats, shops and cafés added to the town.

An Asian fusion eatery has taken over an Italian restaurant unit in Reading town centre that has been vacant for years.

The former offices of a leading computer company in Bracknell are set to be demolished to make way for new commercial buildings.

A massive plan for 2,800 homes between Reading and Wokingham has been submitted.

Two blocks of flats that have replaced a pub in Reading appear to have been left dormant for years on end.

It’s going to cost around £30m to create a new council area, which would see West Berkshire tack itself on to parts Oxfordshire.

A grandmother who has been taking her family bowling for years has expressed dismay at the closure of the only bowling alley in Bracknell.

The company that manages rubbish and recycling in Reading, Wokingham and Bracknell has launched a survey into the future of the services it provides.

A quirky shopping arcade in Reading town centre will be getting a fresh new look for the first time in years.

The conversion of a grand office building in Bracknell into more than 30 flats has been rejected, years after previous plans were approved.

Confusion has been raised over a new retirement home in Shinfield that has been built but left vacant for more than two years.

A plan for dozens of new homes next to a Tesco Superstore in Bracknell is due to be decided.

A bus lane fine has been cancelled, with an apology issued after a couple received two penalties for a single rule breach in Reading.

A huge document outlining the state of West Berkshire’s public rights of way has been published.

West Berkshire has been confirmed as one of the least deprived areas in the country.

A ‘Diwalloween’ fusion event to mark two autumn festivals has been celebrated in Reading.

The council has refused to comment after parking chaos outside a country park, as people almost missed a funeral due to traffic delays.

Millions of pounds could be spent by the council on acquiring homes for families in Bracknell.

A plan for West Berkshire to merge with councils in Oxfordshire -reuniting towns that used to be in the Royal County – is set to be put forward.

The Government may have to give West Berkshire Council more cash to stop it going bankrupt.

A showdown is set over a change that has been made at a supermarket used by thousands of people in Bracknell.