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ARCHIVE
LOCAL
NEWS - March 2007
BERKSHIRE-WIDE
New Magazine
for Gap-Year Students
A Reading-based magazine Working Abroad has been launched for students who
are considering gap years. Working Abroad will be issued twice a year, and
gives students a real picture of working overseas. The magazine will be distributed
to colleges and universities nationwide.
Managing director, Angie Beckett,
spotted a gap in the market. She said:
"The reason for launching
the magazine is to satisfy a massive need. There
are websites but they aren't able to cope with the
demand. People need information and this is about
the reality.
"Young people who are not
entirely sure about a career, can find skills they
didn't know they had, by working abroad.
"This is about the reality.
Working abroad is fantastic but they need to be aware
of the ups and downs."
Eventually, the magazine should
be distributed to 500 college and university shops.
Source: icberkshire website, 15th March 2007
Rail services
set to improve
MPs from Berkshire have met with Secretary of State for Transport, Douglas
Alexander, to discuss rail services and to put together a recovery plan. There
has been controversy about changes to the timetable introduced in December.
As a result of discussions with Theresa May (Maidenhead), Adam Afriyie (Windsor)
and Fiona Mactaggart (Slough), and other MPs, a recovery plan has been agreed
with First Great Western and Network Rail, and a modified timetable will be
introduced from May 2007.
Source: icberkshire website, 7th March 2007
Business
Confidence high in the Thames Valley
The quarterly ICAEW/Orange UK Business Confidence Monitor (BCM) has shown that
many Thames Valley companies are aiming to increase their workforces over the
next year. The South East is more optimistic than other parts of the country
about business prospects, especially its IT and communications businesses.
However, salaries should not
rise too far as many workers will come from overseas.
Finance professionals and senior managers in companies
believe that the average total salary will increase
by less than in the previous year.
The BCM index, which ranges from
-100 to +100, shows a two point rise in confidence
in the South East.
Finance professionals and senior
managers of businesses expect workforces to expand
faster over the next 12 months than previously but
they are confident the average total salary will
increase by less than it did in the past year.
Fay Deakin, South East Regional
Director for the ICAEW (Institute of Chartered Accountants
in England & Wales) said: "This optimism
is driven by the rapidly expanding pool of labour
available to the South East's businesses.
"Migration into this country
means that wage pressures are kept subdued."
Source: icberkshire website, 8th March 2007
Berkshire
Business Show moves to new date in July
In order to allow more stands to exhibit at the Berkshire Business Show, it
has moved to a new date of July 11th and 12th.
Newbury College and Newbury Business
News have teamed together to launch this first Berkshire
Business Show. The event will be held at Newbury
College’s Monks Lane campus, giving businesses
the opportunity to promote products and services
to other organisations. West Berkshire Business Club
is also sponsoring free seminars throughout the show.
For more details, contact Chula Bishop on 01635 845298
for an information pack or email c-bishop@newbury-college.ac.uk
Source: Newbury College website, 16th March 2007
Competition
seeks South East's Most Enterprising Place
In February the regional heat of Enterprising Britain 2007 was launched for
the South East. The national competition aims to recognise and reward enterprise
activity. Regionally, SEEDA is looking for the town, city or place in the region
most clearly demonstrating the South East’s entrepreneurship. The winner
of the regional heat will be entered in the national finals.
Enterprising Britain 2007 is
run by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)
in partnership with the Regional Development Agencies
(RDAs) and Devolved Administrations and aims to identify “enterprise
champions” - places that have created jobs,
brought communities together, and made a real difference
to local businesses and local people. The closing
date for regional applications is 11th May 2007.
The regional winner will be announced on Friday 18th
May.
Flagship
Status for Berkshire Organisations Supporting Women's
Enterprise
In February, Berkshire-based organisations and others in the South East were
awarded national 'Flagship' status at the Prowess Annual International Conference.
The Prowess Flagship is a quality
standard for supporting women in enterprise through
business support or a network, and is already held
by Slough Enterprise Gateway and Faringdon Enterprise
Gateway. The latest organisations from the South
East to be recognised are:, Reading Enterprise Gateway,
Slough Businesswomen's Network Group, Newhaven Enterprise
Gateway and South East Women's Wisdom.
Chief Executive of the South
East England Development Agency (SEEDA), Pam Alexander,
and Co-Chair of the Government's new Women's Enterprise
Task Force, said: "The new Regional Economic
Strategy (RES) for the South East aims to create
an additional 10,000 new businesses run by women
by 2010. We are therefore delighted that organisations
from the South East have been recognised nationally
for their support of women in business".
Source: SEEDA website, 9th February 2007
Berkshire
one-stop sexual health shop opens
A new unit for sexual health and family planning has opened in Berkshire. The
Florey Unit will operate from a purpose-built site in Craven Road, Reading,
and will offer sexual health screening, treatment and contraceptive services.
Source: BBC online, 19th February 2007
Vodafone
welcomed to India
Vodafone’s recent £5.7bn move to take control of Hutchinson Essar
has been welcomed as showing the potential for growth in India’s mobile
phone market. Hutchison Essar is India's fourth largest mobile phone network.
Since European markets are now
saturated, Vodafone is looking to expand in developing
economies. The company believes that India is the
fastest growing mobile market in the world and has
about 6.5 million new subscribers each month.
Source: BBC online, 12/02/07
Key workers’ housing
complete
21 new affordable homes have been completed on Kennet Street. The homes were
built as part of a deal between Thames Valley Housing (TVH), Reading Borough
Council and Crest Nicolson Ltd. The development was partly funding by around £600,000
from the Housing Corporation. Under the New Build Homebuy scheme, buyers can
purchase a percentage of the property and then pay a reduced rent on the outstanding
portion. They can then buy further percentages until they own the property
outright.
Source: icberkshire website, 15th March 2007
Prudential
jobs under threat
Prudential has raised its cost-cutting target in the UK to £195m, a move
which will affect around 3,000 of its employees. Savings will come from internal
cost savings, offshoring and outsourcing jobs. There are 1900 people working
in Reading as part of the Pru’s life and pensions business.
"We are looking at the work
of 3,000 people and the importance of the work of
those 3,000 people we have yet to determine," said
Nick Prettejohn, chief executive of Prudential UK.
"Whether our cost savings
come from more offshoring or more outsourcing we
have yet to determine."
The company recently released
annual results that were better than expected, with
pre-tax operating profits up 15% to £1.98bn.
Source: BBC online, 15th March 2007
Council
tax rises by 3.5%
Reading Councillors voted to accept a 3.5% increase in council tax this week,
while planning to reduce staff numbers by 195, based on ‘natural wastage’.
The Thames Valley Police Authority’s council tax charge has risen by
4.99%.
The new budget includes an additional £305,000
for older people’s services and £575,000
in other parts of community care. The council also
intends to invest in housing stock and the new PFI
waste scheme and to fund community safety programmes.
The 2007-08 budget is £111.5million
and capital spending this year will total £56million.
Source: icberkshire website, 1st March 2007
Take-up
of office space in Reading rises to five-year high
Property consultants Hicks Baker have published research showing that the demand
for office space in Reading rose to a five year high in 2006.
The report shows deals over 5,000
sq ft. 300,315 sq ft was taken in Reading in 2006,
the highest figure since 2001. The larger deals last
year included Verizon (formerly WorldCom) which took
58,000 sq ft off the market late last year and Symantec
in Green Park.
Source: icberkshire website, 22nd February 2007
Reading’s
Buses go Green
Reading Buses intend to test an ethanol bus this summer on its number 17 route.
If the pilot is successful then the fleet may move to ethanol fuel by the next
year, reducing Reading’s carbon footprint by having the UK’s greenest
buses.
Transport for London is also
testing a similar vehicle in the near future. Ethanol-powered
buses are used in Sweden. Stockholm's 300 buses have
shown a reduction of 15,000 tonnes of CO2 a year.
The company has already taken
steps to reduce its carbon footprint with 20 bio-diesel
buses on order.
Source: icberkshire website, 15th February 2007
Respite
beds reduced for Mental Health sufferers
Yew Tree Lodge, which provides the only respite beds for mental health sufferers
in the Reading area, has lost its funding from Berkshire West Primary Care
Trust. Users of the lodge believe it will mean that those with mental health
problems will be left to struggle alone.
The PCT say they are working
with Care UK, which runs Yew Tree, on plans to give
residents more independence.
Source: icberkshire website, 15 February 2007
Bracknell
Forest Council tax to rise by 4.9 per cent
Bracknell Forest councillors have approved the 2007/08 budget. The council
has agreed a 4.9% rise in the council tax and a 5% rent increase for council
tenants.
Cllr Paul Bettison, Leader of Bracknell Forest Borough Council, said that this
year's budget was difficult to manage due to a poor financial settlement from
the government and restrictions on how much they can raise council tax.
The increase means the borough
council will charge £964.89 council tax for
an average band D property - still below last year's
national average of £1,252. The council will
still have one of the lowest council tax rates in
England, even with the planned 4.9% rise.
The budget includes cuts of £1.6
million from schools and social services in the coming
financial year.
Source: icberkshire website, 14th March 2007
Tenants
vote on council housing
Tenants of Bracknell Forest’s council houses are to vote on shifting
the council’s housing stock to a housing association. The borough council
believes it can no longer afford to manage its council housing and reach the
Government’s Decent Homes standard by 2010. The ballot papers are now
out, and only time will tell what the future holds for Bracknell Forest’s
council housing.
Source: icberkshire website, 14th March 2007
Work on
the Rowans Children’s Centre begins
Planning permission for The Rowans Children’s Centre in Bracknell was
granted in February and work has already begun. The centre is based at the
Foxhill Primary School site in Easthampstead, and will serve children aged
up to five from Easthampstead, Wildridings, Crown Wood, Harmans Water, Forest
Park and Martin's Heron. The centre will house an early years and childcare
team, a family outreach worker and local health visitors, as well as having
facilities for school nurses. There will be clinics held by speech and language
therapists and also a hall for training courses and group work, a drop-in family
room and a training kitchen.
It is the first of the six children’s
centres planned across the borough. Each centre will
combine services for children under one roof. The
Rowans should open in September.
Source: icberkshire website, 13th March 2007
New Homes
for Bracknell
Plans to build 730 houses, sports facilities, new walkways, cycle paths and
a community centre at the Parks development in Harmans Water are set to become
a reality. Work began on the estate of the former RAF Staff College last year,
and houses are expected to be ready from summer 2007.
The houses will be eco-friendly,
including energy-saving efficiencies, such as recycled
timbers in the kitchens, low energy lamps and an
option for solar panels. There will also be rainwater
butts which can be used for watering gardens and
communal areas.
£2m
grants to development projects and voluntary organisations
Wokingham District Council has agreed more than £2 million in grants
for voluntary organisations and economic development projects for 2007/08.
£320,000 will be available
for community and voluntary groups, and more than £60,000
for economic development projects such as the Wokingham
Town Centre Steering Committee and Wokingham Job
Support.
Charity organisations receiving
funding include St John's Ambulance, Wokingham Dyslexia
Support, Berkshire MS Therapy Centre and Wokingham
Crossroads, which provides respite care for carers.
Grants have also been given to Wokingham District
Sports Council, Wokingham and District Mencap, as
well as groups such as the Indian Community Association,
Wokingham Access and Resource Counselling and the
Mobile Information Centre.
Source: icberkshire website, 13th March 2007
Second
consultation about the future of Ryeish Green school
There will be a second consultation about the future of Ryeish Green School
starting on March 26th. The troubled school continues to fight for its future – but
headteacher Jenny Garner was angry that she first heard about the consultation
from a parent. She was officially informed by email a few days later.
Ryeish Green was recently told
that the council will not support its bid for specialist
humanities status or to become an independent trust.
Mrs Garner said: "We appeal
to the council to listen and to work with us to enable
Ryeish Green to become one of Wokingham's most popular
and successful schools serving its local community."
Source: icberkshire website, 15th March 2007
Council
Tax set to rise by 3.2%
Wokingham District councillors have agreed an increase of 3.2% to the council
tax for the coming year. The increase brings the annual tax bill for a Band
D property for 2007/08 to an average of £1,307.73. The increase is the
second lowest council tax increase in Berkshire.
Source: Get Wokingham website, 28th February 2007
Elderly
and Disabled to be needs tested
Wokingham District Council has agreed that only those with ‘critical’ needs
will still have care workers visiting them at home. The move means that almost
3,000 disabled, elderly and learning disabled people in the district will be
reassessed for home care.
In future, people with ‘substantial’ and ‘moderate’ needs
will have to rely on care from voluntary organizations.
The council says it has been
forced to make the decision due to an increase in
the ageing population and the number of people with
complex medical issues.
Source: Get Wokingham website, 28th February 2007
Keep Hatch
Primary School officially opened
In February, new facilities at Keep Hatch Primary school were officially opened. £2.5
million has been spent to bring all facilities under one roof in a two storey
building with an ICT suite, sports hall and new classrooms. The former junior
school has also got a refurbished music room, food technology room, kiln room
and library. 229 pupils now attend the school, nearly double the number before
the development.
Source: icberkshire website, 13th February 2007
Wokingham
District becomes a Borough
In February Wokingham District Council was approved to become a borough council.
District councillors voted for the change in September 2006. There was a celebration
of the council’s new status at the mayor’s Spring Civic Reception
on 9th March.
The change means the council
will now be headed by a mayor instead of a chairman,
and that it now has the same status as other Berkshire
unitary authorities.
Source: icberkshire website, 1st February 2007
West Berkshire
awarded 'good' grade by Adult Learning Inspectorate
The Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI) has awarded West Berkshire Council a ‘good’ grade
for its adult learning programmes. The inspectors visited 10 learning centres
and spoke to tutors, learners, managers, partners and external agencies.
The report found that:
The overall effectiveness
of the provision is good, specifically leadership
and management and arrangements for quality improvement
There is successful
use of community learning projects to recruit
and develop learners who are new to adult learning
The Council has a
'very clearly focused strategic direction for
adult and community learning'
There is good support
for the professional development of the Council’s
employees
Partnership working
to tackle social inclusion is good
Learners on the community
learning programmes develop their confidence
and skills well
The report also raised some
challenges including the continuation and extension
of partnership working and recording learners’ achievements.
To see the report, visit http://www.ali.gov.uk and
search for Reports under West Berkshire January 2007.
Source: West Berkshire Council Website, 9th March 2007
Council
Office comes to Calcot Sainsbury’s
West Berkshire Council has opened an office in the Calcot branch of Sainsbury’s.
The office will be open 8.30am to 6pm on weekdays and 8.30am to 1pm on Saturday.
The office will give information about planning services, housing benefit,
travel tokens and community care and services for young people. The supermarket
has waived rent for the premises. The council hopes that the new office will
be more accessible to the public.
Source: Newbury Today website, 14th March 2007
Crime
on the increase in West Berkshire
In 2006/07, crime in West Berkshire rose by more than 20% according to the
British Crime Survey figures. Common assault (not including domestic violence)
went up 154% from 150 incidents to 381 incidents, while domestic violence figures
were up 182% from 81 incidents to 229 incidents. Criminal damage increased
by almost 30%, and bicycle thefts rose 37.26%. An increase in the reporting
of incidents played a part in the figures.
Source: Newbury Today website, 7th March 2007
Newbury
firm joins Sunday Times’ list of best companies
Orthopaedic technology firm Stryker has been voted the 44th best medium-sized
company to work for in the UK in the Sunday Times’ top 100. The company
received the award in Battersea Park, London on March 1st.
Managing Director Peter Bradley
said: “Being nominated within the top 100 companies
is a huge achievement in itself but coming in the
top 50 is a wonderful accolade.
“It is testimony to the
dedication of every single person who works at Stryker
that we have achieved this outstanding commendation
and national recognition.”
To get on the list, employees
rate the company they work for and then the Sunday
Times evaluates responses relating to the company’s
leadership style, reward and recognition scheme,
work-life balance, opportunities for professional
and personal growth, contribution to society and
the overall working environment.
Source: Newbury Today website, 6th March 2007
Council
objects to Post Office closures
West Berkshire Council has responded to a Government consultation about the
future of the Post Office by stating that closures will affect elderly people
and those with out transport the most. It says the report “fails completely
to recognise the disproportionate impact closure will have on both the elderly
and those without their own transport who happen to live in these areas”.
“Village stores/Post Offices
are the heart and soul of rural communities, they
provide meeting opportunities, sources of local information
and it is often the post office manager who is the
first person to raise concern if some elderly person
has not made their regular visit.”
West Berkshire Council proposes
that Post Offices should take on more Government
services to make them financially viable.
Source: Newbury Today, 5th March 2007
Council
Tax to rise by 2.8%
West Berkshire Council has agreed a rise in Council tax of 2.8%, which is a
record low for the district. The overall budget of £185m was passed in
early March. For the new budget, the council has set aside an additional £600,000
for services for elderly people, to cope with an 8.5% increase in over-85s
living in the district.
Source: Newbury Today website, 2nd March 2007
Vodafone
welcomed to India
Vodafone’s recent £5.7bn move to take control of Hutchinson Essar
has been welcomed as showing the potential for growth in India’s mobile
phone market. Hutchison Essar is India's fourth largest mobile phone network.
Since European markets are now
saturated, Vodafone is looking to expand in developing
economies. The company believes that India is the
fastest growing mobile market in the world and has
about 6.5 million new subscribers each month.
Source: BBC online, 12/02/07
Councillors
call on East Berkshire College to reconsider plans
to close campus
Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Council have asked East Berkshire College to
reconsider its plans to close its Maidenhead campus in July 2007.
The college plans to move courses
to its campuses in Langley and Windsor, and language
courses to Desborough School in Maidenhead. The Berkshire
College of Agriculture has agreed to take over the
courses for students with learning difficulties and
other venues in the town are being considered to
continue the health and social care courses.
Principal Jean Robertson said: "We
have worked hard to ensure that most of the courses
remain in Maidenhead."
Source: icberkshire website, 2nd March 2007
Chamber
of commerce elects new president
Kuldeep Ahir has been elected president of Maidenhead and District Chamber
of Commerce. At 36, he is one of the youngest chamber presidents for a while.
He was formerly deputy president, and now replaces Andrew Jenner.
Mr Ahir said: "The chamber's
vision is to make Maidenhead and District a better
place for shopping, leisure and business.
"We are currently putting
together a strategy plan for the next year, but one
of the main areas of focus will be improving the
shopping experience and attracting more specialist
shops to Maidenhead.
"We also want to improve
facilities and make the town centre a better place
for local residents and families."
Source: icberkshire website, 2nd March 2007
Supermarkets
going for growth
Sainsbury’s and Waitrose are both developing their stores in Maidenhead.
Sainsbury’s opened its new 55,000 sq. ft. store in mid-March. It has
cost £90m to develop and includes a public piazza and café.
Meanwhile the Waitrose store
will increase in size from 14,000 sq. ft. to 25,000
sq. ft. and will open on June 16. The scheme will
also offer 14 residential units - due to be completed
in July - and there will be 15 residential parking
spaces.
Source: icberkshire website, 1st March 2007
Affordable
housing scheme set to go ahead
Planning permission has been granted to demolish the old East Berkshire College
on Claremont Road in Windsor and to build affordable housing on the site. The
developers, Linden Homes Ltd, need to sign a legal agreement before the houses
can be built.
Source: icberkshire website, 2nd March 2007
Steep
rise in house prices
Average house prices in Windsor and Maidenhead and Slough are now well above
the national average of £201,090. According to figures from the Halifax,
the average house price in Slough is £232,642; in Windsor is £366,522;
and in Maidenhead is £341,024. According to the Halifax house prices
in the South East rose by 8.8% during 2005/06. However, in East Berkshire house
prices have risen more steeply than the average for the region: Slough's prices
have risen 10%; Windsor's, 11%, and Maidenhead's 18%.
Source: icberkshire website, 16th February 2007
Windsor’s
new hotel and superstore coming soon
A new Travelodge Hotel and Waitrose store are being developed on the old Waitrose
site in King Edward Court. The supermarket was demolished to make way for the
hotel, new shops and a new Waitrose. The new Waitrose store is due to open
in July 2007.
Source: icberkshire website, 16th February 2007
New home
for elderly being built
The old 26-bed Warden’s Lodge in Windsor was demolished and work to replace
it with a 62-bed facility has begun and should be completed early next year.
The Royal Borough of Windsor
and Maidenhead is now seeking a care provider to
staff and run the premises.
Source: BBC online, 19th February 2007
Steep
rise in house prices
Average house prices in Windsor and Maidenhead and Slough are now well above
the national average of £201,090. According to figures from the Halifax,
the average house price in Slough is £232,642; in Windsor is £366,522;
and in Maidenhead is £341,024. According to the Halifax house prices
in the South East rose by 8.8% during 2005/06. However, in East Berkshire house
prices have risen more steeply than the average for the region: Slough's prices
have risen 10%; Windsor's, 11%, and Maidenhead's 18%.
Source: icberkshire website, 16th February 2007
Penn Wood
School is transformed
Penn Wood, formerly William Penn, has been transformed from a 1930s school
house to a school for the 21st century, with courtyards, bridges and state-of-the-art
teaching technology. The school is the first to benefit from Slough Borough
Council’s £44m Private Finance Initiative project to rebuild three
schools.
Source: thisisslough website, 2nd March 2007
Council
appoints new chief executive
Ruth Bagley has been appointed as Slough Borough Council’s new chief
executive. She will join the council in June. She is moving from South Hams
District Council in Devon, where she has been chief executive since 2000. South
Hams is rated as an excellent council and has beacon status for housing and
tourism. Before her time at South Hams, Ms Bagley worked for North Dorset District
Council, Shropshire County Council and Gwent County Council.
Source: Slough Borough Council website, 7th March 2007
Council
tax to increase by 4.99%
Slough councillors have debated a council tax increase of 4.99%. Tax for an
average band D house will rise from £975.70 in 2006/7 to £1,024.41
in 2007/8. Including costs for police and fire authority, tax for a property
in band D will be £1,213.60. According to the council the rise is needed
due to a shortfall in funding because the Government is using ‘flawed’ population
statistics.
Source: icberkshire website, 21st February 2007
Teenage
pregnancies fall by 40% in Slough
Teenage pregnancies have dropped by nearly 40%, which is the fourth biggest
drop seen by local authorities nationally. This exceeds the Government target
of a 30% reduction.
Janet Tomlinson, director of education and children's services, said: "We
are very proud to have the fourth largest decrease in teenage pregnancies in
England.
"The reduction in conception
rates between 1998 and 2005 is a testament to the
commitment and dedication of all the agencies in
Slough which have worked hard to ensure that our
young people have joined-up, accessible services,
and are equipped with knowledge and aspirations to
make positive health choices."
The health improvement team seeks
to support young people in Slough, working with other
organisations such as the primary care trust, Connexions,
voluntary sector and schools to ensure that the town's
young people are able to make positive choices about
their health.
Source: icberkshire website, 28th February 2007
