The Wokingham Conservative Party is standing a full slate of candidates and zeroing in on housing, highways and 20mph zones ahead of the borough elections on Thursday, May 7 2026.
Top local issues include the proposed Loddon Garden Village at Hall Farm and targeted 20mph limits - the Tories back zones near schools but say they must not be applied across every built-up area. They also want to protect highways spending; leader Pauline Jorgensen has posted a video claiming there has been reduced investment in Wokingham's roads since the Lib Dems took control of the council.
Tories are contesting every seat, with several sitting councillors standing again. Peter Harper (Finchampstead) is back - known for probing the 'memorial cross' junction, long seen as an accident black-spot.
A friendly rivalry has grown between Mr Harper and Lib Dem executive member for Highways and active transport Adrian Betteridge. Harper's humour and comic timing often lightens council debates, especially on issues like parking at Twyford Station.
Other incumbents standing again include Yusra Salman (Bulmershe and Coronation), Vishal Srinivasan (Shinfield) and Seona Turtle (Wokingham Without).
Some councillors are standing down, such as George Evans in Barkham and Arborfield and Stuart Munro in Spencers Wood and Swallowfield. They are being replaced by new candidates Sebastian Graabek and Anthony Pollock.
Fresh faces include Woodley Town Councillor David Bragg in Loddon and planning expert Nick Kilby in Hillside; Kilby brings professional experience to debates around Hall Farm.
There is also a father-and-son pairing: Bjorn and Sebastian Graabek are standing in Evendons and Barkham and Arborfield respectively. Graabek senior is also standing for Wokingham Town Council in Evendons West, alongside Stephen Clubley in Norreys East and James Westhorpe.
Key battlegrounds to watch: Thames, where Conservative Leon Cook aims to unseat Lib Dem executive member Katrin Harding; Norreys, where Phil Cunnington could challenge Labour's Nagi Nagella; and Loddon, where David Bragg faces Labour's Rona Noble for the seat formerly held by Alex Freeney.
Ted O'Neill, Local Democracy Reporter
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