This project is financed by the LSC, SEEDA and the European Social Fund
ARCHIVE
LOCAL
NEWS - July 2007
BERKSHIRE-WIDE
First Great
Western’s
Poor Standards Leads to Fall in Ticket Prices
A recent passenger survey cited by TravelWatch showed
that customer satisfaction with the service FGW provides
has fallen by 13% in a year. The survey of 25,000 rail
users by Passenger Focus, stated that in the past year
the company’s ratings had fallen in 29 of 30 categories.
This has led to passenger transport watchdog, London
TravelWatch, suggesting that First Great Western (FGW)
should have its franchise ended.
In a statement, FGW Managing Director, Ms Forster commented: "The
Department for Transport reviews our performance every
four weeks and we are not in breach of franchise conditions;
however, we are aware that our performance has been poor
and we have already apologised for this. We are working
hard to improve our service.”
FGW has now announced a fall
in ticket prices on commuter routes to London, from
West of Reading. Fares will be
cut from Panbourne, Goring & Streatley and Tilehurst.
Fares from these stations are now in line with those
from Reading to Paddington: standard and first day return
tickets, Travelcards and season tickets included. London
Travelcard prices will be £33.30 for a peak day
card, £63 for a first peak day, £91.80 for
a seven-day Travelcard, and for first-class £169.80.
Passengers are now able to make use of their railcard
to get discounts on advance-purchase 'Firstminutefares'.
Rail users could save up to a third off trips, and FGW
has also increased the number of availability of cheap
rate, advance purchase tickets from around 90,000 to
154,000 monthly.
Source: icberkshire website, 17th May 2007Newbury Today
website, 27th June 2007,
Mentoring Scheme Hits Berkshire
Berkshire has seen the take-off of a pilot mentoring
scheme to help female managers from small firms in
improving their role in the workplace. SEWomen, a scheme
funded by the South East England Development Agency
(SEEDA) and implemented by Business link will be available
between now and March 2008, all for free.
The project aims to identify obstacles women face in
career progression and aid them into moving into more
senior positions. Funding is available for 125 places
across the South East, female managers working for privately
funded SMEs based in the Berkshire area are eligible.
All mentoring sessions are confidential. 63 hours of
support, training and coaching are available. Around
60 mentors are needed across Berkshire, they can be of
either sex, who have worked in senior positions for privately-funded
local SMEs with leadership experience. The project is
also starting to seek female managers who could benefit
from the mentoring support.
A Puzzling
Business Plan From ‘Galileo’ Takes
the Title
Youngsters from across Berkshire took to the stage at
The University of Reading to compete for the title the
county's top Young Enterprise company.
The eight companies represented were put through from
local area finals. After an exhibition each company gave
a presentation explaining their work.
Herschel Grammar School from Slough produced the winning
team, Galileo, who produced a small matrix puzzle. The
team sold 25 puzzles on the evening of the competition.
Acorn Photography from Bearwood College was runner up.
Berkshire’s Young Enterprise manager, Jan Thompson,
said that the team’s achievements and raised standards
were made all the more remarkable as the introduction
of AS levels has reduced the time available for year
12 students to participate in this type of extra-curricula
activity.
Source: icberkshire website, 1st June 2007
Most Enterprising Place in the South East
Creative Academy of Slough has been named the most enterprising
place in the South East, at the regional heat of Enterprising
Britain 2007. After being selected by the South East
England Development Agency (SEEDA), the
Academy will now go through to the national finals. The
Creative Academy of Slough is a network of creative agencies
and businesses who work together to provide training,
employment and learning prospects in cultural industries.
Enterprising Britain is run by the Department for Trade
and Industry’s (now the Department for Business,
Enterprise and Regulatory Reform) Small Business Service
in partnership with the Regional Development Agencies
and Devolved Administrations. The nationwide competition
aims to reward and celebrate entrepreneurial successes.
Later in the year the UK winner will go on to represent
the country at the European Enterprise Awards.
Source: SEEDA website, 22nd May 2007
2012 Games South East Offer From Olympic Gold Medallist
Olympic Triple Jump Gold Medallist Jonathan Edwards was
recently involved in setting out a vision for the 2012
Games in the South East, which gives every young person,
business and community the opportunity to gain a positive
legacy from the Games. Ascot Racecourse was used to
showcase the opportunities which will become available
across the region for businesses, running up to the
Games. The South East Offer has set out the actions
to help the region achieve its aims. Building on the
region’s strengths, will hopefully increase participation
in the Games, and give 2.5 million young people from
the South East a chance to ‘compete, create and
collaborate’.
The South East Partnership for the 2012 Games, a consortium
of key regional partners and stakeholders led by the
South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) developed
the Offer. Tessa Jowell, Olympics Minister, believes “The
London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games have the
power to boost business investment, skills, employment,
sport, culture, transport and tourism in every region
of the UK. The key is to put plans in place now, so I'm
very pleased to see the South East Partnership for the
2012 Games seize this opportunity to deliver a lasting
legacy for the communities of this region."
Source: SEEDA website, 9th May 2007
New Unit Joined by Climate Change Authority
Professor Nigel Arnell, currently head of geography at
Southampton University, is to take up position as Director
of the Reading University's newly formed Walker Institute
for Climate System Research. He will take up his new
post in August. Arnell has been involved in climate
change research for nearly 20 years. He is a lead author
in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessments
and also contributed to the recent Stern Review of
the Economics of Climate Change.
Source: icberkshire website, 14th June 2007
Cuts in Funding Lead to Fears of Equality Council Closure
In a recent meeting of the Ethnic Minorities Forum the
Reading Council for Racial Equality (RCRE) presented
a three year business plan, but went on to suggest
that it could be their last. Reading Borough Council,
the RCRE’s main backer, wishes to reduce its
financial stake in an attempt to increase other contributors
input, whilst the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE),
is being merged into the new Commission for Equality
and Human Rights (CEHR) from October.
RCRE director Rajinder Sohpal
believes funding from local authorities is already
being cut from their local
race equality bodies in the belief that funding from
the CRE will cease with the merger, leaving them in the
forefront. The RCRE says it needs £298,921 from
the borough council this financial year, rising to £326,639
in 2010-11. However the council has offered £130,000
this year, falling to £100,000 in 2010-11.
Source: icberkshire website, 14th June 2007
Stadium Revamp Given Go-ahead
The Madejski stadium is to increase its capacity to 38,000,
when 12,400 seats are added in work due to begin next
summer. Borough councillors recently gave approval
for the phased expansion. Permission was granted with
the condition that a ‘green’ travel plan
will be put into place before the east stand (the first
wave of expansion) opens. Increased bus services will
prevent fans clogging roads in south Reading, in response
to concerns expressed by Shinfield parish council,
who believe that more fans could lead to blocked driveways
and pavements in the Three Mile Cross area.
Source: icberkshire website, 29th May 2007
Peacock Lane Sees More Homes Granted
Developers have been given the go-ahead from Bracknell
Forest Borough Council to build 42 more homes on Peacock
Lane. The planning permission for more flats on the
site came with conditions that developers Redrow Homes
and Persimmon Homes provide a temporary open space
on Jennett's Park until a country park is created close
to the new homes. Any development within a 5km radius
of a special protection area (SPA) has to provide open
green spaces to protect habitats. The planning committee
unanimously voted for the extra 42 homes to be built
on the site at a meeting on Thursday, May 31.
Source: icberkshire website, 12th June 2007
Bracknell Sees Closure of Family Newsagent
One of Bracknell's oldest and best-loved shops is to
close its doors for the last time on Saturday 21st
July, after more than 60 years. The town centre newsagent
JW Smith will close as a result of a decline in customers,
causing a fall in income.
Since Joe Smith opened the shop in the 1940s, four generations
of the family have worked there, and it has been the
stronghold of Bracknell community life over that time.
JW Smith, originally stood in the High Street, before
moving to its current location in Charles Square in the
1970s. The newsagent was more than just a shop and in
1958 the first copies of the Bracknell News were written
there.
Other Bracknell shops are also struggling for business.
The Golden Plaice chip shop in Broadway closed recently,
after 25 years of trading.
Source: icberkshire website, 31st May 2007
Ascot Sees House Values 'Rocket'
House prices in Ascot are rising so dramatically, it
has now become one of the most difficult areas in the
UK to get on the property ladder. Figures released
by Halifax bank suggest that Ascot has become one of
the 10 least affordable towns in the UK for key workers
such as firefighters, police, teachers and nurses.
Average house prices are up to £469,037, which
is a 79% increase since 2002. Bracknell’s prices
have gone up 33% in the last four years. Future expected
redevelopment in the town centre will only push these
prices even higher.
Source: icberkshire website, 29th May 2007
Top School Needs Bringing Into the Twenty First Century
Staff and parents at the Holt, a top Wokingham school,
say that it is suffering from cramped and crumbling
buildings, which are not fit for today’s education.
As part of a new campaign, parents are being encouraged
to write to Wokingham Borough Council, to ask why this
has been allowed to happen, and what is to be done about
it. The school’s website includes photos of problems
within the buildings, including leaking roofs, braces
to prevent roofs collapsing, as well as rotting window
frames and cracked walls. Suzanne Richards, Headteacher
at The Holt, is aware that other schools in the area
are in need of investment and they are all ‘playing
catch-up’, but she feels that the Holt needs action
now.
Source: Get Wokingham website, 20th June 2007
The Future of Learning for Wokingham Pupils is Online
Wokingham Borough Council has approved the plans for
local schoolchildren to have their own online ‘learning
space’. The UniServity learning platform which
provides online facilities for teachers and pupils
will allow them to share, store and manage their work.
Students will have an individual log-in, which will enable
them to access data, host and manage the school website,
as well as instant messaging and discussion forums. Work
can be stored online, allowing parents and teachers to
view it. The changes here come as a result of recommendations
from the Department for Education and Skills (now the
Department for Children, Schools and Families) that local
authorities need a single learning platform for pupils.
Source: icberkshire website, 19th June 2007
The Battle to Save Ryeish Continues
Wokingham Borough Council’s decision-making executive
announced at a meeting at the end of May that Ryeish
Green secondary school in Spencers Wood will be closed
by 2010. The campaign to save the school has been backed
by CfBT Education Trust, which wants to help the school
to win Trust Status. CfBT staff have met with teachers
and pupils ahead of drafting a business plan to run the
school independently. Trust Status would see the school
able to control its own admissions, staffing and assets.
Source: Get Wokingham website, 13th June 2007; BBC online,
8th June 2007
‘Shock’ Over
Mini-Town on Outskirts of Wokingham
Plans for a 250-acre ‘mini-town’ on a brownfield
site the outskirts of Wokingham, have been unveiled by
the owner of the Crowthorne Business Estate off Old Wokingham
Road, which includes the Transport Research Laboratory
(TRL) buildings. They hope to build housing, community
facilities and maintain some business use on the site.
Transformation of the 270-acre Peacock Farm, also on
the border of Wokingham and Bracknell, into a 1,500 home
housing development is currently taking place.
Source: Get Wokingham website, 23rd May 2007
Town Centre Face-Lift Postponed Until 2008
Wokingham town centre has had its multi-million pound
revamp postponed until next year. The announcement
by Rock Investment Group, who are in charge of the
development around Peach Street leaves traders seeing
that they have an uncertain future.
Source: Get Wokingham website, 16th May 2007
West Berks Residents Among Most Active in Country
A new health study shows people in West Berkshire are
the fourth most active in the country and also have
a higher than average life expectancy. Those living
in West Berkshire can expect to live longer than the
England average, but differences in the area do occur
across income groups. General health in the area is
also good. Residents have the fourth highest national
rating for the amount of exercise taken, however 1
in 5 people are estimated to smoke, and 1 in 4 are
estimated as obese.
The West Berkshire Primary Care Trust (PCT) is not prepared
to sit on its laurels, and aims to reduce health inequalities
that persist, and have drawn up specific targets to help
reduce the gap. Local initiatives will, among other things,
help people give up smoking and support mothers wishing
to breastfeed.
Source: Newbury Today website, 22nd June 2007
Newbury, The Height of Fashion
New ladies’ fashion shops and restaurants open
across Newbury. The Mistral clothes store chain, which
targets women from their mid twenties upwards and has
19 stores throughout the UK, recently opened on Bartholomew
Street. Plans for a further ladies fashion shop in the
market place to open in September have been revealed
at a Newbury Retail Association meeting. Last month a
Subway fast food restaurant also opened in the Kennet
Shopping Centre. Planning permission for a large new
bar and restaurant has been granted. The student focused
Varsity bar will open in August, with loyalty cards and
special offers on the agenda.
Source: Newbury Today website, 18th June 2007
Thatcham Shopping Centre Revamp Finally Approved
Kingsland Shopping Centre in Thatcham has been granted
permission for redevelopment. Three years after the
saga first began, the Eastern Planning Committee voted
in favour of the development, which will see a larger
Waitrose food store built, 13 new retail units and
refurbishment and extension elsewhere. Basement car
parking for 229 cars and accommodation will also be
included. Following a number of complaints from local
councillors and residents, the HGV access for the new
Waitrose store was changed, which now wins the support
of the town council.
Source: Newbury Today website, 14th June 2007
£32m
Redevelopment Set for St Bartholomews
Plans for the multi-million pound redevelopment on the
Luker site have been unveiled, and will see a new grass-
roofed set of buildings constructed. Mace Plus Ltd
have been appointed as the contractors for the Newbury
school rebuild. The company which is based in London
will work alongside school managers and the council
to progress the scheme. Scott Brownrigg the architects
will develop the project with Mace Plus.
Source: Newbury Today website, 13th June 2007
Free Advice
for Town’s
Entrepreneurs
A local business advisor is offering Newbury entrepreneurs
free advice sessions. Michael Thorpe from Business
Link is running the clinic every Thursday until October.
The sessions are taking place at West Berkshire Council
Offices between 9.30am and 2pm. Mr Thorpe said: “We
know that the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well
in Berkshire and Business Link has a wealth of information
available to support that.”
Source: Newbury Today website, 1st June 2007
Vodafone Outlines Future Plans and Announces Drop in
Pre-Tax Profits
Shaw based telecommunications firm Vodafone has announced
a slight fall in its full-year profits. Pre-tax profits
for the Shaw-based telecommunications firm fell by 0.5%,
from £8.79 billion to £8.75 billion. Vodafone
has said it ‘met and exceeded’ its financial
expectations for the year. Revenue for the year increased
from £29.35 billion to £31.10 billion.
Reports in the national press
that some Vodafone staff would be ‘invited’ to
move to new offices in Hungary led to moves to calm
fears of a staff exodus.
The company is set to base a service centre over in Hungary,
enabling staff in the UK to focus on business analysis
and strategy. Mark Street, a spokesman for Vodafone commented
the development would not have any significant impact
on Newbury HQ.
Source: Newbury Today website, 29th May 2007, Newbury
Today website, 20th May 2007
‘Invisible’ Carers Who Don’t
Claim Their Benefits
Across the Royal Borough, thousands of carers are not
claiming support and benefits which they are entitled
to. June saw national charities unite for Carers Week,
where raising the profile of such ‘hidden’ carers
became a top priority. Across the borough, trips to Pizza
Hut, workshops, and free health checks were some of the
activities which took place for the benefit of carers.
The Royal Borough had 11,502 official carers in 2001,
of which 331 were under 18. This figure may well be and
underestimate as many do not claim benefits they are
entitled to. Karen Mustard, carers services manager at
the Princess Royal Trust Carers' Service said there could
be as many as 2,000 or 3,000 carers who are not getting
any help. See the Support Services pages of this bulletin
for more information on help available for carers in
Berkshire.
Source: icberkshire website, 15th June 2007
Foster Care Shortage for Pre-School Children
It has been claimed that Windsor and Maidenhead borough
is experiencing such a shortage of foster carers that
children are being placed in homes irrespective of
their suitability. The fostering process which has
a highly demanding application process and low wages
is not being seen as an attractive prospect for many.
Such disappointing factors have led to severe shortages
of foster parents across the Royal borough. The assistant
team manager of the Fostering, Adoption and Respite
Services, Marian Smalley says that the increase in
demand is compromising placement choice; children are
being placed in any home that is available irrelevant
of how suitable the home is for that child.
Source: icberkshire website, 11th May 2007
Prince Philip Trust Fund Benefits Locals
The Prince Philip Trust Fund which makes regular grants
to borough-based organisations has recently given more
than £30,000 to good causes across Windsor and
Maidenhead. Recent grants include £1,000 to The
Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme Outdoor Education Project,
to support a visit made by eight young Duke of Edinburgh
Gold Award participants to Sweden. The Rivertime Boat
Trust was granted £1,000 to help commission a
boat for use on the Thames by disabled people, and
Windsor Fringe Festival also benefited to the tune
of £1,000 towards its drama writing competition
this year.
The remainder of the money was awarded to a number of
groups and individuals, including Maidenhead Operatic
Society, Norden Farm Centre for the Arts and Holyport
Cricket Club.
Source: icberkshire website, 11th May 2007
Controversial Precinct Remains Car Free
Despite recent calls for it to be re-opened to traffic,
the pedestrian precinct on St Luke’s Road, Old
Windsor is here to stay. Prince Philip opened the £112,000
precinct earlier this year, but it has led to concerns
that the removal of cars is having a detrimental impact
upon trade along the road.
Submissions from Windsor District Chamber of Commerce
to Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Council's director
of community services, David Oram, have called for the
precinct to be reopened to traffic. owever the Old Windsor
Community Partnership which came up with the pedestrianisation
scheme states that there is no plan to reintroduce cars
to the pedestrian precinct.
Source: icberkshire website, 1st June 2007-06-06
Administration
for ‘House
on the Bridge’
It has been revealed that The House on the Bridge,
Windsor’s
famous restaurant, has run up debts of tens of thousands
of pounds and has subsequently gone into administration.
The landmark restaurant which overlooks the Thames at
Windsor Bridge in Eton has been unable to pay its creditors
and suppliers.
Accountant Baker Tilly took over the restaurant in May,
from the Stanton family, who had run the restaurant for
40 years. By law companies must submit their accounts
to Companies House, the official government register
of UK companies, every year. Yet The House on the Bridge
has not provided account details since December 2004
according to the regulator’s web-site.
Source: icberkshire website, 25th May 2007
‘Baby Debut’ for
Start-Up Stars Award
Taplow company Baby Debut has secured a place in the
2007 HSBC Start-Up Stars Awards. The company set up
15 months ago by Steve and Maddy Harbour allows parents-to-be
to view their unborn child on a large screen. Proud
parents-to-be are able to watch their baby in intense
detail through 3D images and even 4D 'movies' making
use of the highly sophisticated ultrasound equipment.
The Harbours hope to make images even more accessible
in the future, by using broadband links.
The national contest is now
in its seventh year, and aims to select the most promising
new businesses in the
UK and to recognise the entrepreneurs behind them. 20
companies, including Baby Debut have secured a place
in the regional finals of the 2007 Start-Up Stars Awards.
10 companies will then be out through to the national
competition in London, where the winning business will
take home £25,000.
Source: icberkshire website, 21st June 2007
Talented Students Take Home Awards
Windsor Arts Centre in St Leonard's Road recently hosted
an arts bursary awards evening, which saw talented
young people from across the Royal Borough perform.
Art, dance and music talent was recognised, and the
borough council’s lead member for leisure and
culture, Councillor Jesse Gray handed out bursaries.
The 11 young recipients will use their bursaries to
aid careers in piano, photography, ballet and sculpture.
In October a sports awards evening is being planned by
Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Council's sports development.
Source: icberkshire website, 21st June 2007
University Campus Makes Way for New Homes
Thames Valley University (TVU) is to sell off its Slough
Campus to make way for a development of 1,200 homes
by Berkeley Homes. A spokesperson for the University
suggests that TVU is to create a new teaching and accommodation
block that will exist alongside the Berkeley homes
development. Certain faculties are to be relocated
to the Ealing and Reading campuses, whilst there has
been no decision made on the future of the nursing
school.
The first phase of development could begin in December
2009, if it is approved by the Slough Borough Council
planning committee. The development is being welcomed
by Council leader Richard Stokes, as he suggests it will
help to solve the housing shortage in Slough.
Source: icberkshire website, 1st June 2007
Woman Named
as Slough’s
Citizen of the Year
Slough Council's Citizen of the Year title has been awarded
to Sue Clifford, a nationally recognised expert on
raising neglected or abused children. The award sponsored
by Slough Rotary selected the 48 year old who began
adopting in 1991 and now has a family of eight. Sue
often receives calls from all over the country to consult
her on Attachment Disorder, something she has acquired
first hand knowledge of. Attachment Disorder is when
a child has a sort of physical and mental shutdown
to prevent them feeling pain, heat or cold. Many of
her children are from abusive, neglected or traumatic
backgrounds and suffer from the disorder.
Aik-Saath groups charity worker, Shazab Rafiq (18), became
the Young Citizen of the Year. Aik-Saath exists to promote
peaceful conflict resolution. Set up in the 1990s in
Slough it helps to resolve violence between young Muslims
and Sikhs.
Source: icberkshire website, 25th May 2007
More Slough Students Head to Uni
Over the past five years, the number of students from
Slough heading off to university has increased by 35%,
overtaking the national average by more than a third,
states the Department for Education and Skills (now
Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills).
The South East average is 16% growth and nationally,
18%.
2006 saw 700 youngsters from Slough head off into higher
education, a figure the council believes results from
the town’s schools providing excellent education
standards for children and encouragement for them to
aspire to getting the top jobs in the town. Slough was
also the tenth-best local authority in the country for
GCSE results in 2006.
Source: icberkshire website, 25th May 2007
Slough Migrant Statistics Condemned by Council
Slough’s fight to get the Government to amend its
methods of calculating migrant numbers has now been joined
by leaders from several London boroughs. A joint letter
has been sent to the Government expressing concern over
the Office of National Statistics (ONS) population estimations.
The letter stated that a new method used for calculating
migrant numbers is producing ‘perverse results’.
The ONS have acknowledged the methods are weak.
In April figures suggested that London's migrant population
is 60,000 fewer than was previously thought. However
council leaders there say this is not a true representation,
and the ONS needs to do more than use GP registration
lists, and monitor air traffic at Heathrow and Gatwick
airport.
Slough has seen 12,000 Polish migrants move to the town
since EU expansion in 2004. Yet the ONS claims the population
of Slough has fallen in the last three years.
Source: icberkshire website, 18th May 2007
Most Enterprising Place in the South East
Creative Academy of Slough has been named the most enterprising
place in the South East, at the regional heat of Enterprising
Britain 2007. After being selected by the South East
England Development Agency (SEEDA), the
Academy will now go through to the national finals. The
Creative Academy of Slough is a network of creative agencies
and businesses who work together to provide training,
employment and learning prospects in cultural industries.
Enterprising Britain is run by the Department for Trade
and Industry’s (now the Department for Business,
Enterprise and Regulatory Reform) Small Business Service
in partnership with the Regional Development Agencies
and Devolved Administrations. The nationwide competition
aims to reward and celebrate entrepreneurial successes.
Later in the year the UK winner will go on to represent
the country at the European Enterprise Awards.
Source: SEEDA website, 22nd May 2007
