This
project is financed by the LSC, SEEDA and
the European Social Fund
LOCAL
NEWS
BERKSHIRE-WIDE
Berkshire Business Link Pilot Rolled Out Across South
East
Berkshire Business Link has just completed a trial of
events about Starting Your Own Business which has now
been taken up across the South East. The pilot scheme
of modular three hour workshops about business start
up ran from April to June of this year. Interested individuals
can attend up to four workshops that run in the mornings,
afternoons, evenings or weekends.
The workshop programme is intended to be flexible, so
that people in employment can attend at times convenient
to themselves. Follow-up support for those who choose
to start their own business will then be available over
the first few years. There are also courses specifically
for women and some for social enterprises. In Berkshire,
the courses have been in Reading, Newbury, Slough and
Crowthorne. During the pilot, around 100 people attended
the workshops with customer satisfaction measured at
90%.
For further information about the workshops, call 0845
600 9 006.
Source: icberkshire website, 1st August 2007
Reading Station Given £425
Million Development Boost
In its Rail White Paper, the Government has pledged to
invest £425 million in a programme to develop Reading
station, which is a key transport hub in the South East.
The planned improvements to Reading Station include
implementing radio-based signalling, major infrastructure
developments for a new generation of high speed trains
and for a new strategic freight network. There are also
plans to lengthen passenger trains and increase the frequency
of services. Click
here to go
through to our website for further details.
Source: SEEDA website, 24th July 2007
Big Lottery Fund Grant for Deprived Minority Groups
The most socially and economically deprived groups in
the South East are to benefit from the Big Lottery
Fund’s ‘well being programme’. £5.6
million is to be put into addressing health inequalities
across the region, by promoting healthy eating, physical
activity and improving mental health. In West Berkshire,
the money will go towards improving conditions for
gypsies and travellers. Schools will also benefit from
new gym equipment and healthy eating programmes. The
scheme known as ‘Chances 4 Change’ is expected
to benefit 100,000 people, giving them the opportunity
to develop healthier lifestyles.
The ‘well being programme’ is
to be managed by a core group consisting of the Arts
Council England,
South East, Sport England, the Regional Public Health
Group and the Care Services Improvement Partnership.
Source: Newbury Today website, 20th July 2007
First Great Western; Most Overcrowded Service in the
South
Train operator First Great Western has been defending
its service to local commuters, after the release of
government statistics showing Bedwyn to London Paddington
stations to be the most overcrowded in the South.
Department of Transport figures suggest the 6.35am service
from Bedwyn carries on average 771 passengers, when it
is meant for 497. First Great Western states these statistics
are out of date, and they actually made numerous improvements
in December 2006.
The train company recently installed extra carriages
on certain early morning services, to help meet demands.
Yet many commuters say they are still facing crowded
conditions, and regular delays. Commuter groups are lobbying
for an improved service.
Source: Newbury Today, 12th July 2007
Polish Speakers Needed for 999 Calls
Polish speaking workers are being recruited by the emergency
services, in an attempt to calm calls made by Polish
residents. With the number of Polish migrants continuing
to rise, so too are the number of incomprehensible
calls made to 999 by Poles struggling with English.
Whilst Thames Valley Police says no lives have been
endangered, they believe recruiting Polish speakers
will ease pressure.
Non-emergency and 999 calls
made in Reading are put through to enquiry centres
in Kidlington and Windsor,
where at present there is a dedicated phone line where
operators answer in migrants’ first language. Poles
who wish to apply for a post must hold four GCSE’s
or equivalent, basic keyboard skills, and the ability
to work at any time of day.
Source: icberkshire website, 19th July 2007
Scientists Search for Solution to Farmyard Flatulence
Scientists at the University of Reading’s agriculture
department believe they have come up with a solution
to the problems associated with flatulence from cattle
and sheep. The methane emissions from herds of cattle
are believed to be far more harmful than carbon dioxide
when it comes to global warming.
The average cow can produce up to 500 litres of methane
a day; a major concern for environmental pollution. Research
is currently being carried out in Gloucestershire as
part of the Healthyhay project, involving researchers
from 10 countries, including the University of Reading
team.
The team from the University
of Reading is making use of Sainfoin; an ancient herb.
Sainfoin was used across
Europe for grazing cattle before the use of man-made
fertilisers and synthetic vets’ drugs became common.
The herb which can be used for cattle, sheep and horses,
can significantly cut animals’ toxic gas output.
Research also suggests tannins found in Sainfoin have
good anti- parasitic properties. The university’s
studies have been commended by the National Farmers’ Union,
who believe such research into reducing one of Britain’s
biggest polluters is highly beneficial.
Source: icberkshire website, 19th July 2007
Construction Workers Not Taking up Grants
In Reading just one-fifth of construction firms are using
the grants available to them which could boost their
employees’ skills. Just 78 of the 374 construction
employers in Reading made use of grants available to
them last year according to industry body ConstructionSkills. £250,000
has been handed out locally, but £140 million
is available nationally from 1 August, for firms to
develop their workforces.
Anne MacDonald the Grant product
manager says advisers are on hand to help explain the
grants and get more firms
to take them. Following government announcements earlier
this year that it wants more youngsters to stay in education
and training until 18, employers are able to claim £9,000
over 3 years for taking on apprentices. 88,000 new construction
workers are needed nationally every year for the next
four year, in an industry which has a current annual
turn over of £203 billion. Employees are able to
get training in computer skills, accountancy and administration
as well as actual construction skills.
Source: icberkshire website, 19th July 2007
Berkshire Business Link Pilot Rolled Out Across South
East
Berkshire Business Link has just completed a trial of
events about Starting Your Own Business which has now
been taken up across the South East. The pilot scheme
of modular three hour workshops about business start
up ran from April to June of this year. Interested individuals
can attend up to four workshops that run in the mornings,
afternoons, evenings or weekends.
The workshop programme is intended to be flexible, so
that people in employment can attend at times convenient
to themselves. Follow-up support for those who choose
to start their own business will then be available over
the first few years. There are also courses specifically
for women and some for social enterprises. In Berkshire,
the courses have been in Reading, Newbury, Slough and
Crowthorne. During the pilot, around 100 people attended
the workshops with customer satisfaction measured at
90%.
For further information about the workshops, call 0845
600 9 006.
Source: icberkshire website, 1st August 2007
Auto Trader Announces Redundancies
Staff at Auto Trader magazine have been advised of a
mass company reshuffle, which will lead to the axing
of up to 200 jobs by this September.
Plans have been put in place
to move the private sales department, trade sales and
production at Auto Trader
House, Danehill, Lower Earley, up to Scotland. Spokeswoman
Karen Hughes for the Trader Media suggests most staff
will be kept on, but roles will change. According to
Ms Hughes, the re- shuffle “is part of a wider
restructuring of the company in response to the rapid
shift of its consumer business to the internet”.
Auto Trader magazine was founded in Reading by John
Madejski some 30 years ago, and the proposals demonstrate
the scaling back of such a link. Published in 13 regions
across the UK, Auto Trader has a current annual print
run of 22 million copies.
Source: icberkshire website, 12th July 2007
Work Begins on State-of-art Business School
A new state-of-art business school at the University
of Reading is underway, which will aid entrepreneurship
and make graduates more employable according to the
university.
The school, which is due to
open in 2009, will include a café, a resource centre, research areas, IT
rooms, lecture theatre and teaching areas. All elements
of the business school will be brought together, with
the development incorporating an extension to the ICMA
(International Capital Market Association) Centre. It
is hoped that the new facilities will help build the
department’s reputation, as well as improve links
with local firms.
The development is being funded by the university, private
investment and the Higher Education Funding Council for
England.
Source: icberkshire website, 5th July 2007
Insufficient Funding for Young Offender Courses
Young offenders at Reading Prison may have courses stopped
due to a lack of funding. The courses which are run
by Reading Enterprise Gateway show young offenders
how to go into business so they can stay out of crime.
Initially courses in fitting kitchens are given, but
materials for the course are in short supply, and there
is a lack of money to finance a course tutor. Marcus
Gale, officer instructor at Reading Prison, said he
has been trying to expand the courses to other prisons,
but funding dried up in March.
Job prospects for offenders
are low as many employers reject applicants with a
criminal record. Statistics
from the ONS showed the average cost to the treasury
of one youth offender is £250,000, while a business
start up course costs £1,200 for 10 offenders,
according to Gateway director Shemila Tharani. However
Business Link says it does not help fund such courses,
as they are not for mainstream clients.
Source: icberkshire website, 1st July 2007
Reading Station Given £425
Million Development Boost
In its Rail White Paper, the Government has pledged to
invest £425 million in a programme to develop Reading
station, which is a key transport hub in the South East.
The planned improvements to Reading Station include
implementing radio-based signalling, major infrastructure
developments for a new generation of high speed trains
and for a new strategic freight network. There are also
plans to lengthen passenger trains and increase the frequency
of services. Click
here to go
through to our website for further details.
Source: SEEDA website, 24th July 2007
Reading Tops Economic Table
Reading has topped a table of the 56 largest towns and
cities in the UK, based on employment, population,
growth and skills. Also in the top 5 were Bristol,
Cambridge, Southampton and York, whilst Birmingham,
Liverpool, Middlesbrough, Newcastle and Sunderland
were at the bottom. Reading Chamber of Commerce policy
executive Claire Prosser believes Reading is now a ‘mini-
London’.
Many business leaders, councillors
and residents came to the town’s defence in April after a survey by
the Reader’s Digest named it the worst place in
Britain to bring up a family. Director for Centre for
Cities, Dermot Finch feels Reading will need to maintain
its competitive edge in coming years, as it faces challenges
of congestion, house price inflation and skills shortages.
Mr Finch went on to say "I believe Reading's success
lies in its excellent transport links, including the
opening soon of a new junction of the M4 to cope with
extra traffic, and the development of the southern gateway
into Reading".
Source: icberkshire website, 17th July 2007
Factory Worker Jobs Could Go
A factory in Reading making Branston Pickle and Oxo stock
cubes could lay off more than a hundred workers as
it proposes its closure. Premier Foods, one of Britain’s
largest food producers will close 6 factories nationwide
by October 2008, and RHM Food Service factory in Whitley
is amongst them. Premier Foods bought out the factory,
which manufactured products such as Mr Kipling, in
March.
A company spokeswoman has stated workers may be relocated.
Certain product manufacture will move to Knighton in
Staffordshire and Ashford in Kent. Premier Foods employs
around 20,000 nationwide, in 60 locations, and is accountable
for many brands, including Hovis, Bisto, Lloyd Grossman
sauces and Sharwoods Asian foods. However after buying
out the RHM business, further factory closures could
occur in Bristol, Ledbury in Herefordshire, Droylsden
and Wythenshawe in Manchester and Middlewich in Cheshire
leading to 1,000 job cuts nationwide, as the company
is eager to reduce its overlapping sites.
Source: icberkshire website, 5th July 2007
Business Park Plans Revealed
An application for planning permission has been approved
by Sunninghill and Ascot Parish Council for developers
to build a business centre on the site of a former
pet food factory on Lyndhurst Road in South Ascot.
The current plans by Planning Perspectives are for
warehouse and office space on the site. The units will
be between 600 and 20,000 sq. ft., with access from
Lyndhurst Road. Planning permission is now being sought
from the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Council.
Source: icberkshire website, 25th July 2007
Bracknell’s
a Hit With First Time Buyers
First time buyers are onto a winner with Bracknell
properties, a recent survey suggests. For prospective
first time
buyers, Halifax Bank has placed Bracknell 13th in the
UK’s best place to live survey; even with its
high house prices. Factors such as the environment,
education and employment were researched to determine
the standard of living residents could expect. Compared
to the rest of the country, Bracknell scored highly,
as did Basingstoke, Aylesbury and Stowmarket.
Earlier this year Halifax Bank
revealed Bracknell’s
house prices had risen 33 per cent in four years, now
costing an average of £234,000, and with planned
redevelopment in the town centre, this may well rise.
House prices in nearby Wokingham are now £319,927
on average. For key workers such as firemen, teachers
and nurses, Ascot has recently been named one of the
least affordable towns in the UK. Average property prices
in Ascot stand at £469,037, up 79 per cent since
2002.
Source: icberkshire website, 19th July 2007
Campaigners Fight Plans for More Houses
Developer Taylor Wimpey has submitted an application
for an extra 420 homes to be built on the site of the
former RAF staff college, additional to the 730 given
planning permission in 2003. Campaigners have already
vowed to fight the plans.
Andrew MacKay, Bracknell MP hopes much of the development
will be used for the community, and reluctantly accepted
some houses had to be built. A spokeswoman for Taylor
Wimpey has said that the revised scheme would increase
the percentage of affordable housing from 20 per cent
to 38 per cent, and would include more accommodation
for key workers.
Source: icberkshire website, 19th July 2007
Bracknell Schoolboy Heads to Young Engineer Finals
Josh Simpson, 16 from Ranelagh School won the South East
heat of a young engineer competition, at Surrey University
on 28th June. Josh’s racing timer, an electric
hand-held device allowing judges to store competitors'
finishing times at the click of a button, won him the
place. The prize of £200 will be shared between
Ranelagh Drive School and Josh, who also received a
Rex Garrord Trophy.
The competition final takes
place in September at the Old Royal Navy College, Greenwich.
Top prize at the final
is £2,000, a trip to America to take part in the
2008 Intel-sponsored International Science and Engineering
Fair, as well as the opportunity to have their invention
developed commercially.
Source: icberkshire website, 12th July 2007
Pupils’ Culinary
Delights Impress Judges
Pupils at Garth Hill College transformed into chefs
for the day, for a recent Junior Masterchef competition.
Whilst Year 7 pupils from the school planned, cooked
and served up their choice of dishes to other pupils
from Years 7- 10; pupils in Years 8 and 9 served up
a main course and dessert. Professional chefs James
Hedges and Carl Bennett were on hand to judge the pupils’ efforts,
and were both impressed by the standards.
After-school cookery lessons are available at the school,
to help pupils gain confidence and experience in the
kitchen. Garth Hill plans to enter a cooking competition
in September, which is to be judged by James Martin,
presenter of Saturday Kitchen.
Source: icberkshire website, 12th July 2007
Transformation for Winnersh Triangle
A scheme costing millions of pounds will commence in
October to transform the 25 year old Winnersh Triangle
business park. Over the next 10 to 15 years the 80
acre park is to be transformed in stages from 1.4 million
sq ft of largely warehouse and industrial buildings
into 2 million sq ft of mostly offices. The first phase
will see 325,000 sq ft of offices, a 150 bedroom four-star
hotel, retail and café units, a 'piazza style'
town square, landscaping and a new pedestrian bridge
to link the new area to the train station. It is expected
when the development is complete, it could house 10,000
to 20,000 employees. Currently an estimated 3,000 people
work there. Buildings in the first phase are to be
built on a podium, to provide underground parking facilities.
The development director for owners Segro has highlighted
transport as a major benefit for Winnersh Triangle.
To make way for the first demolition,
Agilent Technologies are to move across the park, and
Harris Corporation are
to take up office space in phase one. Both tenants are
to increase their ratio of office space over warehouse
space in line with the park's new emphasis. Completion
of the hotel and retail and café units, as well
as 160,000 sq ft of offices is due early 2009 and by
2011 the remaining 165,000 sq ft of offices for phase
one will be completed.
Source: icberkshire website, 19th July 2007
Waitrose Volunteers Provide School with New Play Facilities
Wokingham School Keephatch Primary has seen its garden
being given a make over, thanks to a joint initiative
with Waitrose supermarket. As part of Wokingham Borough
Council’s Better Places to Play Project, the
Ashridge Road school has been provided with a range
of new play facilities. The play area was tidied up
by staff from the head office of Waitrose in Bracknell.
Waitrose has also provided the school with a bench
made from recycled plastic bags, perfect for story
time sessions. Plants and gardening materials were
also provided by the supermarket giant, to help the
children study butterflies and bees. The project is
a part of Waitrose’s Time Bank Scheme, where
a team of volunteers gets involved in projects in the
local community. Employees from the Wokingham branch
contacted the Borough Council to see if there was anything
suitable for them to get involved in.
Source: icberkshire website, 24th July 2007
Battle Over Plans For New Homes
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has recently unveiled plans
for 250,000 new homes by 2020, news which has been
described as a “real threat” to Wokingham.
The plans for extra homes would take the total to be
built by 2020 nationwide to three million. According
to leader of Wokingham Borough Council, Councillor
Frank Browne, the council is prepared to take legal
action in a bid to prevent Wokingham being inundated
with excessive new housing.
Source: Get Wokingham website, 18th July 2007
Wokingham Charity From Mayor
Councillor Annette Drake, the Borough’s new mayor
is behind a new charity for Wokingham’s disabled
children. ‘Building for the Future’ will
provide a desperately needed lifeline for hundreds of
children with disabilities, and their families. Fundraising
for a unique custom-built centre has already begun -
Councillor Drake has so far raised £2,000 for the
cause. At present the charity is in the process of being
officially registered. Five existing charities have been
brought together to create ‘Building for the Future’,
which all currently provide support, respite and activities
for families across the borough who have children with
a disability.
Source: icberkshire website, 19th July 2007
Parents Head Back to School for IT Lessons
A primary school in Wokingham has invited parents back
into the classroom for lessons on keeping children
safe while surfing the internet. Parents at St Crispin’s
School on London Road are becoming involved in the
Digital Parents Scheme, to find out what their children
are getting up to online. News of the scheme comes
after shocking statistics about children’s internet
usage. Digital Parents, founded by Toby Treacher from
dt3, a technology specialist, aims to educate parents
about protecting their child’s safety on the
internet and educate them about social networking sites
such as MySpace, that allow users to chat online and
post images.
The scheme was introduced after
parents made enquiries to dt3 about setting up parental
controls on their home
computers. Digital Parents began in March, and has impressed
users so far. St Crispin’s headteacher Alex Biddle
is aware networking sites have their benefits, “But
parents and schools share a responsibility to help keep
children safe online."
Source: Get Wokingham website, 4th July 2007
Troubled School Receives Glowing Report
After a shining report from educational charity CfBT,
troubled school Ryeish Green is on the road to recovery.
CfBT’s Director of Education Tony McAleavy told
parents, staff and pupils at the school’s recent
prize-giving that lots could be done for the school.
Wokingham Borough Council were
presented with the results and findings on the school
by CfBT at the end of July.
Mr McAleavy said he was “amazed and impressed” with
how the school’s staff and pupils had coped with
such a challenging year. Ryeish Green headteacher Jenny
Garner is optimistic of the school’s future, providing
the council accepts the CfBT’s case.
Source: icberkshire website, 19th July 2007
Berkshire Business Link Pilot Rolled Out Across South
East
Berkshire Business Link has just completed a trial of
events about Starting Your Own Business which has now
been taken up across the South East. The pilot scheme
of modular three hour workshops about business start
up ran from April to June of this year. Interested individuals
can attend up to four workshops that run in the mornings,
afternoons, evenings or weekends.
The workshop programme is intended to be flexible, so
that people in employment can attend at times convenient
to themselves. Follow-up support for those who choose
to start their own business will then be available over
the first few years. There are also courses specifically
for women and some for social enterprises. In Berkshire,
the courses have been in Reading, Newbury, Slough and
Crowthorne. During the pilot, around 100 people attended
the workshops with customer satisfaction measured at
90%.
For further information about the workshops, call 0845
600 9 006.
Source: icberkshire website, 1st August 2007
Flood Clean up Operation Underway
Workmen have descended upon homes that were flooded in
Thatcham, to assess damage to property. In the Loundyes
Close area, over 50 houses had been submerged under
three feet of water, and are now being inspected by
electricians and plumbers. 200 properties will be inspected
in total. Industrial cleaners have been drafted in
to help with the clean up operation in the homes of
the vulnerable, to stop disease spreading. So far no
structural damage has been uncovered stated Steve Murphy,
spokesman for Sovereign Housing Association.
Hotels, friends and families are still providing accommodation
for elderly residents from sheltered flats at Gilbert
Court. In and amongst the chaos, local Conservative MEPs
have applied to the European Commission for emergency
funding, which would help those areas damaged by the
flooding. An emergency debate on the floods will take
place at the next meeting of the European Parliament.
Source: Newbury Today website, 24th July 2007
Pupils Write
of Their ‘Inspiration’
“My Inspiration” was the chosen topic for a recent
piece of work conducted by pupils at Thatcham’s
Kennet School. Year 9 pupils who took part in the journalism
competition were asked to produce a piece of written
or video journalism, stories talked of real life heroes,
professional footballers and inspirational relatives.
Entries were judged by staff from the Newbury Weekly
News, who looked at originality, accuracy and writing
style.
Three chosen winners received
certificates, and the opportunity to have their work
published on the newburytoday
website. Rebecca Pritchard won the judges over with her
depiction of a hostage situation at her previous school
in Trinidad. In second place was Ben Moss with his piece
on footballer Steven Gerrard, and Selina Friday scooped
third prize for her thought-provoking piece which looked
at one of the UK’s first black female judges, Constance
Briscoe.
Source: Newbury Today, 19th July 2007
Further Disruption to Postal Service
Strike action by the Postal Service continues to affect
the UK. Rolling strikes occurred between July 25 and
August 8, as unions and management continued to differ
over a pay deal. The strikes are affecting mail centres
and cash handling; creating a knock on effect for various
services and disruption to collection and deliveries
will occur. The strikes initially announced by the
Communication Worker’s Union are over a 2.5%
pay deal and the proposed loss of 40,000 jobs.
Throughout the strikes Newbury's Cheap Street sorting
office has remained open, but delivery vans have remained
in the car park. Services are remaining unaffected in
most rural and outlying post offices. Union secretary
for the South West Kevin Beazer says turn out in the
latest strikes has increased from 95% to 98%. However
the Royal Mail is disputing these figures claiming nationally
between five to over 60% of staff turned up for work
during the strike.
Source: Newbury Today, 18th July 2007
Keep Kids Busy Over the Summer Break
Newbury Tourist Information Centre is handing out ‘Summer
Action Packs’ for children, full of local attraction
information as well as a list of ‘101 Things to
Do in West Berkshire this Summer’. For children
who complete 10 or more of the activities, certificates
will be handed out by the centre. Prizes are also up
for grabs in the activity packs, with tickets for a Kennet
Horse Boat family canal trip, a meal for four at the
Newbury Manor Hotel and an invitation for two to Newbury
Races.
Packs are available now at Newbury Tourist Information
Centre, call 01635 30267 or visit http://www.visitwestberkshire.org.uk
Source: Newbury Today, 14th July 2007
Berkshire Business Show to Continue
After the success of the first Berkshire Business Show
at Newbury College in July, dates have already been
set for next year’s show. 32 businesses took
part in this year’s show including hotels, solicitors,
shops and estate agents. Next year’s show will
be held on 16th and 17th July at the college’s
Monks Lane campus. For exhibitor information packs,
visit http://www.berkshirebusinessshow.co.uk/exhibit_2008.htm
Source: Newbury Today, 11th July 2007
Disability-Friendly Buses for Newbury
Ten new disability-friendly buses have hit the streets
of Newbury. The re-furbished four year old vehicles
feature wheelchair spaces and super-low floors, as
well as air conditioning, quality seating and easy
to clean surfaces.
The buses are painted in Newbury buses’ updated
green and silver colours. £1 million was invested
in the new buses, which have replaced the 15 year old
high floor, side entrance, single-deck buses that were
in use.
Source: Newbury Today, 10th July 2007
East Berkshire College Plans to Redevelop Langley Campus
East Berkshire College is planning to improve its Langley
Campus, adding state-of-the-art buildings and facilities.
Preliminary plans were displayed at the college on
25th and 26th July. The development should start towards
the end of 2008 and be completed by 2012.
Source: East Berkshire College website, 24th July 2007
Handmade Cakes Rise In Maidenhead
The Handmade Cake Company based in Maidenhead is hoping
to relocate to a former factory, due to expansion.
The cake producer hopes to move from St Mark's Road,
to the former Avery Dennison Factory in Gardner Road.
The Royal Borough has been sent an application to convert
the factory, which has been vacant for about two years,
into a bakery and offices for the business.
The company which currently employs around 100 people
is moving to expand. The Handmade Cake Company distributes
its products across Britain, Northern Ireland and now
Europe. Whilst there are minimal external modifications
needed for the premises, a number of changes will be
required internally to make the factory suitable for
food production. A decision by the Royal Borough on the
application will hopefully be made by August 28.
Source: icberkshire website, 20th July 2007
New Fashion Stores for Maidenhead
In a reported £85 million deal, Irish Life Assurances
Plc recently bought Maidenhead’s Nicholsons Centre,
and is now seeking stores to fill the 10,000 square feet
of space available at the centre. As indicated by agents
Morgan Williams, big names are being sought to fill the
units, with a clear emphasis on fashion stores. Whilst
specific store names were not provided, discussions are
apparently underway with potential new clients. The space
will probably be let as two or three units, although
it could be let as five.
Across town, Sainsbury’s
is considering a move to the southern rotunda premises
at the piazza development
near to their huge new 'flagship' store, which opened
earlier this year.
The town is also set to be ‘jazzed up’ by
monthly events and Andrew Jenner, from Maidenhead and
District Chamber of Commerce has suggested big band performances,
craft fairs and markets as possible future attractions.
Councillor David Burbage, Royal Borough leader, lead
member for Maidenhead and chairman of the Town Partnership,
said plans for the town would continue to develop with
the ongoing fruition of the 2026 Plan which looks at
the future of the town.
Source: icberkshire website, 20th July 2007
Vocational Courses Scrapped
Students at the Maidenhead campus of East Berkshire College
waved farewell for the final time at the end of term.
Many vocational courses teaching traditional skills
such as dressmaking are being scrapped.
Whilst the college states that many of the courses have
been moved to suitable venues, students hoping to study
dress and tailoring, dressmaking, soft furnishing and
upholstery have been left disappointed. Discontinued
courses are all one year courses, so no-one will be let
down mid-course.
Closure of the college was announced last year, and
has led to some redundancies, but wherever possible,
staff have been relocated. Over the summer months, staff
will be working at the college to ensure a smooth transfer
of equipment and resources to other venues in and around
Maidenhead or to the colleges other campuses, before
the new term starts.
Source: icberkshire website, 13th July 2007
Windsor’s
Park and Ride Plans
In a bid to ease extensive problems over parking in
Windsor, the Royal Borough administration had planned
for a
vast new park and ride scheme. However a recent change
in administration from Lib Dem to Conservative has
put those plans back. £7 million had been made
available to the council for the scheme by the Government
agency SEEDA (South East England Development Agency).
A potential site for the proposed 6,000 space car park
is South Field, an area of open land bounded by Eton
Wick Road, Windsor Eton Relief Road and the Windsor
to Slough railway line.
Source: icberkshire website, 20th July 2007
Pupils Make the News
Ascot-based Charters School recently held their annual ‘Handling
the News’ day, with classrooms transformed into
a bustling newsroom. Year 10 pupils took the role of
journalists for the day, working in groups to produce
pages 1 and 2 of a real newspaper. The day aimed to teach
pupils about communication, team working and decision-making,
among other skills. Each group had an editor in charge
of their team, communication staff who monitored e-mails
and broke stories to the journalists, who wrote up the
stories. Picture editors matched images to stories, and
page designers worked to fit everything together.
The event came after pupils had been studying the media
industry in their English lessons, and on the day were
joined by professional journalists from the Express,
the BBC, and The Sun, who gave tips and advice to pupils.
Prizes were awarded for 'best broadsheet', 'best tabloid',
'best local', 'best headline', 'most professional layout',
'best lead article', and 'best teamwork'.
Source: icberkshire website, 20th July 2007
Breakfast Club Goes Down a Treat
Desborough School has been recognised for its successful
breakfast club, by being awarded a certificate of congratulations
from Maidenhead MP Theresa May. Whilst school officials
say it is hard keeping pupils away from buying fizzy
drinks and unhealthy foods, the breakfast club is ensuring
they get a healthy start to the day. Since April breakfast
has been served at the school from 8am, for the 1,100
students aged between 11 and 18. The school’s
extended services coordinator Candice Carpenter launched
the club, with guidance from learning charity ContinYou
and funding from Kellogg’s.
Ms Carpenter believes staff,
parents and pupils are content, knowing they are starting
the school day on
a full stomach. Concerns were arising that coming to
school having had no breakfast was affecting the children’s
learning. Sixth formers help out with the serving up
of breakfast, where dishes range from £1.50 to £2
a day. Statistics from Kellogg’s suggest one in
every six pupils in the UK goes to school having eaten
no food.
Source: icberkshire website, 6th July 2007
Fears of Hospital Closure
Heatherwood Hospital ponders its future, as trust members
met last month to announce plans for the closure of
all beds in temporary wards. Fears are now mounting
among councillors that such cutbacks would leave the
hospital unable to cope in the case of a major emergency.
First to close will be the stroke ward; patients will
be transferred to the cardiac ward. According to board
members the beds are no longer needed as minor procedures
are dealt with by GPs. In the case of a major emergency,
Evelyn Barker, Director of Clinical Services says plans
are in place and up to 100 beds can be released with
little notice. Fears are now mounting that this is just
another step closer to closing the hospital altogether,
as only last year the minor injuries unit at Heatherwood
was axed.
Source: icberkshire website, 13th July 2007
Big Plans for Caleys Store
A year after the shock closure of Windsor store Caleys,
plans have been submitted for a 129 bed hotel, three
new shops, and basement parking. The planning application
comes after months of intense negotiations between
site owners Windsor and Maidenhead Council and the
national conservation group English heritage over the
listed building’s future. Until last year, John
Lewis held the store, but was forced to close due to
a terminal decline in sales.
Establishing plans for the building has been tricky,
as it operates over 27 levels, in a mixture of original
and partly added sections. Demolition of certain parts
was discussed. However the plan now is to create a lower
ground shopping area, a basement car park, and the hotel
which will occupy most of the ground floor, and bedrooms
in the upper floors. It has not yet been stated which
hotel chain will take the site, although the architects
DLG have said a number of parties have shown interest
so far.
Source: icberkshire website, 6th July 2007
Windsor Wheel Returns for Second Season
After the success of the Royal Windsor Wheel last summer,
it has returned to Alexandra Gardens for a second season.
The 55m high attraction was launched last year by the
Liberal Democrat mayor, since then a change of administration
has taken place, so new Conservative mayor Leo Walters
was on hand this time around. Mr Walters was joined
by new Tory lead members for transport and leisure
councillors Jesse Grey and Colin Rayner to open the
summer attraction.
Until September 30 people will
be able to take a 20 minute ride in the wheel’s
40 observation pods, which each hold six people. High
up in the Windsor sky,
views can be enjoyed of the Castle and Great Park.
Source: icberkshire website, 5th July 2007
East Berkshire College Plans to Redevelop Langley Campus
East Berkshire College is planning to improve its Langley
Campus, adding state-of-the-art buildings and facilities.
Preliminary plans were displayed at the college on
25th and 26th July. The development should start towards
the end of 2008 and be completed by 2012.
Source: East Berkshire College website, 24th July 2007
Migrants Sleep in Garden Sheds
A recent Panorama programme has investigated claims that
while Government figures show Slough’s population
as shrinking it is in fact growing. The programme found
that hundreds of migrants were living in garden sheds
in Slough. The programme also claimed that one in ten
people living in Slough are unaccounted for. To house
the influx of migrants, people in Slough have begun
setting up homes in their back gardens, including sheds
with a bed or mattress in them.
Richard Stokes, leader of Slough Council, said: "It
is now clear to everyone that the Government has lost
count of the number of people living in our town and
this is having a direct consequence in terms of the money
that we, as a council, receive to provide to residents."
He added: "Slough estimates that the town has so
far lost at least £5m in essential funding because
of flawed population statistics that (wrongly) show that
Slough's population is falling.
"If not corrected, we estimate that at least £15
million will be lost by the time of the next census in
2011."
Source: icberkshire website, 26th July 2007
Berkshire Business Link Pilot Rolled Out Across South
East
Berkshire Business Link has just completed a trial of
events about Starting Your Own Business which has now
been taken up across the South East. The pilot scheme
of modular three hour workshops about business start
up ran from April to June of this year. Interested individuals
can attend up to four workshops that run in the mornings,
afternoons, evenings or weekends.
The workshop programme is intended to be flexible, so
that people in employment can attend at times convenient
to themselves. Follow-up support for those who choose
to start their own business will then be available over
the first few years. There are also courses specifically
for women and some for social enterprises. In Berkshire,
the courses have been in Reading, Newbury, Slough and
Crowthorne. During the pilot, around 100 people attended
the workshops with customer satisfaction measured at
90%.
For further information about the workshops, call 0845
600 9 006.
Source: icberkshire website, 1st August 2007
Arts Academy Up For Award
The Afterhours Arts Academy in Slough, which provides
opportunities for disadvantaged 16-25 year olds to
learn new skills in the creative sector, has been nominated
for a prestigious award.
The academy, based at Slough
Borough Council's Young People’s Centre, has been nominated for a National
Lottery Award in the ‘Best Arts Project’ category.
Courses at the centre are mostly accredited and offer
opportunities for students to showcase their learning
and skills. Students frequently return to school or university,
whilst others become tutors at the academy or take up
jobs in creative industries.
Ten finalists for the award
were selected from 640 entrants and competition for
the academy includes the Tate Modern.
Public voting decides the final three, and if they win,
a film will be made about the academy which will appear
on the BBC. Prize money at that stage stands at £2000.
Source: Slough Borough Council website, 18th July 2007
Sensory Sensation for Breakaway Centre
Thanks to the money-raising efforts of children and staff
at Slough Borough Council’s Breakaway Centre,
a dull TV room has been transformed into a sensory
spectacular.
Fundraising for the residential
home began last Christmas, with a raffle, and since
then £2000 has been raised
to purchase new sensory equipment. The money has gone
towards bubble tubes, fibre optics, bean bags, a projector
and CD player, and to complete the look, a glittering
mirror ball takes centre stage in the room.
The room is designed so as to create a calming and relaxing
environment for children at the home, which offers residential
respite care for children aged six to eighteen with learning
and behavioural difficulties.
Source: Slough Borough Council website, 16th July 2007
Let’s
Get Walking
A local school has gained the 2007 Horlicks ‘walk
to school’ trophy, during the national event held
in May. Pupils, parents and staff at Godolphin Infant
school have been ditching their cars in favour of a more
environmentally friendly stroll to school.
After 80% of the school walked
to and from school, Godolphin Infants has been awarded
a special trophy as well as £150
worth of book tokens. The competition has been a huge
success according to Slough Borough Council, especially
as it coincided with the Town Hall’s ‘cleaner,
safer and greener campaign’.
Source: icberkshire website, 12th July 2007
