Berkshire News

A councillor who has got national attention for appearing on TV has clarified his membership of Reform UK in an ongoing clash with the Liberal Democrats.

The government’s health and safety agency has issued new guidelines after the dramatic Station Hill fire in Reading that saw a worker rescued by a crane operator.

The new look for a Thai eatery that took over from a BBQ restaurant in Reading has been approved.

The government planning inspector will now decide if a century old pine tree in Tilehurst should get chopped down.

Berkshire councils have joined forces to assess and attempt to meet the housing needs of people across the county.

West Berkshire Council is being consulted on a planning application which has been submitted to build a controversial solar farm on more than 2,000 acres (809 hectares) of countryside in Wiltshire.

Residential roads in Reading are set to get restrictions to stop drivers from parking near junctions and potentially cause a hazard.

A long-serving councillor remains committed to his duties to represent residents as he prepares to move to Chichester.

Reading council has refunded drivers a total of £68,000 for wrongfully issuing driving fines.

West Berkshire is a dog warden short, and is trying to recruit a new one.

A controversial plan at a woodland site near Bracknell that has been ‘deforested’ according to a neighbour is set to be decided.

Eighteen objections have been lodged with West Berkshire Council over plans to put four houses on a former play area in Tilehurst.

Plans for more parking at West Berkshire Community Hospital have been put forward.

A plan to get 49 homes built near a church and sports clubs in a rural area of Berkshire has been rejected by a government-appointed planning inspector.

A consultation is taking place on the expansion of Heathrow Airport, just 20 miles from Bracknell.

The MP for Wokingham has secured a new role as a Liberal Democrat party whip in Parliament.

Figures released by trading standards and fraud investigators in West Berkshire, Bracknell Forest and Wokingham reveal that residents have been ripped off by more than a third of a million pounds.

Bracknell Labour is ‘saddened and disappointed’ that two of its sitting councillors have quit the party.

A decision is due on a plan for John Lewis to build more than 150 apartments in Reading town centre as the company enters the housing market.

The MP for Bracknell has spoken about a patriotic vision for national renewal at the Labour Party conference.

The government is considering plans to weaken a law protecting England’s national parks.

Child poverty in West Berkshire is on the increase – despite the district coming out in recent statistics as one of the wealthiest areas of the country.

There are, according to West Berkshire’s public health officials, no invasive mosquitos on the M4 corridor.

Plans for a new Community Hub in Thatcham are taking shape, with work now underway to explore what the space could look like and how it will serve the town’s growing population.

Reading council is set to join forces with Oxford to punish parking rule breaches as its current enforcement contractor wants to pull out.

Children’s services in Reading have officially been brought back under the control of the council.

A plan has been submitted to give a fresh new look to a shopping arcade in Reading town centre.

A prominent councillor has admitted that he is a member of Reform UK during a heated debate about permanently flying the Union flag.

Bracknell Forest Council has responded to a call for it to scrap its net-zero climate change policies to save costs.

Two Bracknell councillors have quit Labour, accusing the party of abandoning its principles and beliefs.

The main court in Reading is set for upgrades and improvements in the near future.

A new escape room is coming to Reading town centre as preparation works have been given the go-ahead.

An official portrait of King Charles III has finally been installed at the council meeting chamber in Reading.

The number of children being born in West Berkshire is falling.

A clash between residents and the company that built their homes at a site on the outskirts of Bracknell is set for a resolution.

A road will remain closed for weeks while work is conducted on the gas network in a village between Reading and Wokingham.

A possible delay to a path to residency for Honger Kongers who have fled to the UK has been slammed.

A plan that would see more than 200 homes built on the outskirts of Bracknell has faced organised opposition from neighbours.

The organisers of a winter light trail coming to Reading town centre soon are gearing up for the event to take place.

Two bungalows in Ascot are set to be demolished and replaced with new houses.

Tribute has been paid to a “smart, formidable” founding member of the Bracknell Labour Party.

A council which has a hotel that is being used to house asylum seekers has been pressed to condemn racist rhetoric.

A gym and restaurant are set to be added to a large office building in Bracknell.

A digital advertising screen is set to be installed on the side of a former pub in a busy area of Reading.

A push to permanently fly the flag of Great Britain in Sandhurst has been rejected.

Progress is being made on a years-long project for an American burger chain to open its first drive-thru restaurant in the area.

West Berkshire is one of the least deprived areas in England according to official figures.

Plans to replace Faraday Road’s grass pitch with an all weather one get lodged this week – and the council has decided to borrow £1.

A new pharmacy is needed in Calcot, after the area was deemed to be one of the more deprived areas of the district resulting in an inequality gap in life expectancy.

West Berkshire Council has U turned on plans to close adult care resource centres to save money.

Planning permission has been granted for the major extension and redevelopment of New Aquitaine House in Theale, paving the way for a major logistics company to establish a new headquarters at the site.

A landlady has defended her pub over complaints from a neighbour about smashed glass, noise disturbance and damage to his car.

A neighbour has called for a crackdown on obstructive pavement parking off one of the busiest roads in Reading.

Children in West Berkshire are getting fatter.

The future of the partnership that is delivering more than 200 homes in Bracknell has been agreed upon.

Bracknell councillors are calling for community cohesion following the ‘raise the flags’ activism that took place over the summer.

Rubbish has been left festering, attracting pests at a block of flats in Reading for weeks after a failed bin collection.

Bracknell Forest Council is reviewing its budget situation as it faces a multi-million pound budget shortfall in the coming years.

The demolition of the huge office complex that used to be the offices of Berkshire County Council is progressing.

A call has been made to introduce more 20mph speed limits after fatal and serious injuries on the roads in Reading.

A project to convert a benefits office near Reading town centre has been given the go-ahead.

The Israel/Palestine conflict makes it on to West Berkshire Council’s executive committee agenda tomorrow (Thursday) with an allegation that its pension fund supports the Israeli military.

The population of West Berkshire is older than the South East average.

A government minister has driven a nail into the coffin for a project to build nearly 150 homes in a commuter village south of Reading.

A village shop in Berkshire is back open after being closed for months on end.

Pro-Palestine activists have grilled Bracknell council over its pensions fund being used to ‘support genocide’.

Plans are moving forward to replace a garage with a new home in a village between Bracknell and Ascot.

A disabled man has said “enough is enough” over the poor behaviour of his neighbours in council housing in Reading.

A years-long campaign for safety measures at a ‘dangerous junction’ in Caversham used by thousands each day is facing more delays.

Liberal Democrat MPs who represent tens of thousands of people across Berkshire were seen waving Great British flags in a viral photo.

The visit of the President of the USA Donald Trump, was met with protests in Windsor, Berkshire, last week.

A huge project for more than 340 homes has been given the go-ahead south of Wokingham.

A huge office building is set to be converted into a science laboratory in Bracknell as works have been given the go-ahead.

Fears for the safety of schoolchildren, and a history of flooding and sewage problems have the village of Great Shefford flexing its muscles to prevent a development of 16 new homes.

An upcoming Mediterranean restaurant in Bracknell has been blocked from opening at later hours.

The report on a feasibility study and outline business case regarding putting a 3G pitch to replace the grass pitch at Faraday Road is out.

Neighbours and a housebuilding company are clashing over irregularities and parking at their homes on the outskirts of Bracknell.

Nearly 150 children are in care in the Wokingham area because they are unable to live with their own family for more than 24 hours.

Robopets are being trialled in West Berkshire to help people in care feel less lonely.

A council tenant is in an ongoing clash for improvements to his living conditions.

A decision has been made to clear the way for the major redevelopment of Broad Street Mall where more than 640 apartments will be built.

Two houses that developers have wanted to demolish for years are now finally set to be replaced with new homes for families in Sandhurst.

A new curry restaurant has celebrated a successful opening in Reading.

The huge Unite the Kingdom rally in London led by Tommy Robinson has received mixed reactions from people in the area.

It is all change on the black bin collection front from next Monday (September 22) in West Berkshire.

A homeowner in Caversham has won their fight with the council to keep on using an outbuilding as a beauty treatment room.

Children committing violent crime in West Berkshire has increased by a third.

Newbury’s Waitrose is getting a refit.

A councillor in Woodley has quit the Labour Party over claims it is failing to condemn ‘genocide’ and ‘mass killing of children’ in Gaza.

A fresh plan for a new self-built home on a long vacant site in the university area of Reading has been given the go-ahead.

Concerns have been raised about dangerous parking and heavy traffic in the hopes of making school journeys safer for pupils in Crowthorne.

The first joint festival of inclusivity, featuring sports for people of all ages and abilities, has been celebrated in Reading.

A decision has been made on the expansion of the drive-thru at the McDonald’s restaurant in Bracknell.

Plans for another large solar farm near Grazeley are looming.

People in Reading generally support a new team being given the power to crack down on littering and fly-tipping as they begin work this week.

Thames Valley’s police boss has hit back at Green Party leader Zack Polanski after he said some people in poverty may have no option but to shoplift.

A councillor has spoken with frustration over a debate about free speech in Bracknell that occurred on the day that American activist Charlie Kirk was killed.

A huge golf club near Ascot could be creating an American gold rush-themed adventure course in the near future.

A councillor has criticised a police boss after he urged the public to do more to stop shoplifting, warning it could put people at risk.

Delivery robots have been spotted travelling along pavements in Reading, marking a first for the area.

Changes are coming to a chain bakery that serves workers at one of Bracknell’s business parks.

A councillor in Bracknell has claimed freedom of speech is ‘under attack’ in a debate over the right to expression and democracy.

A contentious project for an annexe has reluctantly been given the go-ahead despite fears it could be turned into a new home.

A plan to convert offices near Reading town centre into a court has been given the go-ahead.

Land in Wokingham could be sold off for millions of pounds to provide new affordable homes and a vital cash boost.

The Reform UK party in Bracknell has mourned the loss of American conservative activist Charlie Kirk who was killed yesterday.

A new team of enforcers has been assembled to crack down on littering and flytipping in Reading.

A neighbour in Bracknell has blasted the loud noise coming from a music event to celebrate the anniversary of The Lexicon.

A decision is due on whether the car park at one of the biggest shopping centres in Reading will be sold off to its owner and developer.

A burger joint and dessert parlour in Reading has been allowed to stay open later during the weekend.

Progress is being made on the construction of a new fashion store that is set to open at a busy retail park in Reading before Christmas.

A search is on for a manager to run a post office in Caversham following a recent closure.

The financial position of Bracknell Forest Council is stable with an underspend despite pressures on caring for adults and children.

A secondary school on the outskirts of Reading that was rated ‘Inadequate’ has been taken over by a new educational trust.

A letter has been sent to all councillors in Berkshire pushing for a public sector pensions scheme to ‘divest’ from Israel.

A clash is looming over plans for the McDonald’s drive-thru restaurant in Bracknell, as council officers have opposed changes.

The status of a hotel along a major road on the outskirts of Reading has been clarified ahead of its eventual demolition.

A new Mediterranean restaurant is gearing up to open at a shopping area for neighbours in Bracknell.

Alarm has been expressed by neighbours and councillors alike over the flying of flags and graffiti as part of ‘Operation Raise the Colours’ in Reading.

Wranglings over the new Old Town proposal for the replacement of the Kennet Shopping centre have started – with Thames Valley Police and the council housing team objecting to the scheme.

West Berkshire Council has sent in the cavalry to rescue Hermitage Parish Council after more than half of its members resigned.

Progress is being made to transform a closed pub in a pretty village in Berkshire into a wine bar, B&B and shop.

Changes have been made to ease alcohol sales at a fuel station along a busy road in Wokingham.

The name of an upcoming care home that replaces a Catholic church in Bracknell has been selected.

A veteran landlord has slammed one of the biggest brewery companies in the country for selling one of its pubs in Reading to be converted into a Greggs.

A query over whether planning permission should have been sought to use a hotel in Bracknell to house families from Afghanistan has been cleared up.

Issues have been found with driving and parking restrictions that have been imposed throughout Reading.

A request by neighbours for a pedestrian crossing along one of the busier roads in Reading is set to be explored.

A councillor has made a call for Bracknell Forest Council to commit to protecting free speech in the wake of questions over immigration policies.

The incorporation of more than 1,500 upcoming homes south of Wokingham has been welcomed amid a clash over which area new residents will belong to.

UK local authorities are looking at people’s social media accounts as part of their intelligence gathering and investigation tactics.

West Berkshire Council is leading a charm offensive – to tell people in the east of the district why it is better to stay with them than to join up with Reading.

Work is taking place to remove St George’s crosses that have been painted onto speed bumps and road markings in Reading.

A plan to convert a prominent office building in Reading town centre into dozens of flats has been rejected over flooding concerns.

A neighbour is pushing for safety measures to be introduced at a crash-prone junction where a cyclist was recently hit and remains in a critical condition.

The new ‘Old Town’ version for the Kennet Centre redevelopment in Newbury has just been listed for discussion with West Berkshire Council planners.

A German supermarket giant is due to take over from a home-ware store that closed earlier this year in Bracknell.

A huge project to replace a former Ministry of Justice building in Reading town centre with more than 260 flats has cleared a crucial hurdle.

A water company in Reading is being pushed to give out more compensation to people who lost water for hours during major outages.

A plan for an annexe that was rejected over concerns it could be turned into a new home in Woodley could still be approved.

Work on introducing doorstep glass recycling and determining the future of getting about in Bracknell are among the key projects the council has been doing over the last few months.

A music venue in Bracknell has had to permanently close down after a decade as the space it occupied in the town centre is due to be demolished.

A school in Bracknell that has been closed for three years is set to be redeveloped to provide a place to teach pupils with special educational needs.

HERMITAGE Parish Council has had a coup.

Bracknell Forest Council has clarified why it is calling a hotel used to house Afghans as ‘transitional accommodation’ and why it is wrong to call the people staying there asylum seekers.

The main court for the whole of Berkshire is due to undergo a major project to make better use of its space.

No action has been taken on the possibility of evicting asylum seekers staying at hotels in Reading.

A hub for people to store their bikes securely in Reading town centre has been scrapped in favour of other cycle security projects across the town.

Progress is being made on a project to redevelop a closed school in Bracknell to teach children with disabilities.

Street art honouring the woman who was a ground-breaking computer programmer has been removed alongside England flag graffiti in Reading.

The MP for Wokingham has come out in support of his party leader, Sir Ed Davey, who plans to boycott next month’s state banquet for Donald Trump at Windsor Castle.

Plans for 20mph speed limits in Wokingham have been blasted as ‘ill-conceived’.

Changes have been made to a plan for dozens of new homes on the northern outskirts of Reading that has been hit with objections.

A vital respite care service for disabled people could move into a new community centre in Wokingham.

Newbury Town Council has welcomed the rejection of the Kennet Shopping centre appeal.

The Bishop of Oxford has said Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is ‘deeply disturbing’ for seeking to play on the fear of the stranger to ‘stoke division for political advantage’.

A plan for a cafe chain to take over an upcoming drive-thru takeaway has apparently been put on hold near one of the busiest roundabouts in Reading.

England flags have been painted on roundabouts in West Berkshire.

Hundreds of saplings which sprang up through pavements and drains in Stroud Green in Newbury have been chopped down.

A neighbour has expressed frustration over ‘never being consulted’ on changes to a home and a hotel in a suburban village north of Bracknell.

The rules about flying the England and Union flags and using spray paint have been clarified as flags and graffiti have spread across Berkshire.

A huge office building in Reading town centre is set to be converted into more than 100 flats.

One of the nation’s most loved coffee chains is set to open a new cafe in Reading town centre.

A games room for a house in Bracknell has been narrowly approved despite concerns it could be rented out as a separate home instead.

Road signs have been hit with red England flag graffiti in Reading at night as part of Operation Raise the Colours.

Wokingham Borough Council is at risk of ‘underperforming’ if a rule about planning appeal decisions is changed by the government.

A huge development of more than 700 homes and a primary school has finally been completed north of Bracknell.

A neighbour has expressed her frustration over poor parking along a road near homes and businesses in Bracknell.