January 2024

Bohunt expansion

After years of gridlocked discussions, the Lib Dems have finally brought about an agreement between Wokingham Borough Council and the Bohunt Trust to expand the school, delivering extra year 7 places and the long-awaited sixth-form facility.

Inflation has almost doubled the cost of the Bohunt Sixth Form project, leading to delays. The previous administration had agreed a budget of £5,700,000 but the latest estimates are for a real total of £10,500,000! The Lib Dems are committed to delivering the Sixth Form but finding that extra money isn’t easy. Bohunt and Wokingham Borough Council have now both committed extra funding and are working together to find the best way forward, with a number of options being assessed. The complex work on to evaluate these should be completed this Autumn.  The school's latest intention is to open the sixth form in September 2025.

A good outcome for Rook's Nest Farm 

The location plan for the new schools at Rook’s Nest Farm has another unexpected upside in that even more of this valuable site will be made available for community use, in addition to the Covid Memorial Wood planned for the area of the farm adjacent to California Country Park. Ideas for this extra space include a further extension to the memorial wood, space for allotments, a community orchard, or some community sports space. A decision on these alternatives will be made once the layout for the school site has been finalised. Local councillor Ian Pittock says, “Two years ago, we were aghast at plans for 270 houses on the site. This is a much better outcome.”

Sainsbury’s on the way:

With planning consent granted for the district centre, Sainbury’s have now made a formal application for their new store at Arborfield Green. This great new shop should be open for business early in 2025 – making Arborfield a real community at last! 

November 2023

Edneys Hill successfully opposed

Your Lib Dem councillors led the way in opposing the unwanted speculative development plans at Edney’s Hill. You can never say ‘never’ with developers, but for now at least, the local green fields continue to be protected.

Barkham Lib Dems are delighted that the planning authority has refused permission to build 40 homes on the green space at Edneys
Hill. Councillor Ian Pittock says, “The community really pulled together in opposing this speculative application. We are mindful that the developer could try re-applying with an alternative scheme, but the principle that this is not a suitable development location has been decided by the council. “Your Lib Dem councillors will continue to support the community view.”

District Centre approved:

The Arborfield Green district centre has been gridlocked for years but the Lib Dems have managed to push the developer Crest Nicholson and Wokingham Borough Council into delivering long-overdue commitments to the community. Planning consent for the new District Centre was  given last October and work should start later this year.

When the Lib Dems took over at Wokingham Borough Council in May 2022, the whole project was stuck, and local people felt powerless and deserted. Newly-elected Lib Dem councillors in Finchampstead and Barkham have worked to get Arborfield back to the top of the council agenda by working hard with council officers to take a more robust approach and get the developer back on track.

After 18 months of hard work, building for the District Centre is now due to start early Spring 2024. This means that an application can come forward for the new supermarket, also expected to start building at the same time. With funding for the expansion of Bohunt school also agreed, things are finally looking up for people at Arborfield Green. Lib Dem parliamentary candidate for Wokingham, Clive Jones, says, “Of course there is still some way to go before community facilities at Arborfield are completed, and it’s all taken far too long. “But I am very pleased at how the Lib Dem team at Wokingham Borough Council have shaken things up and got things moving again after so many years of drift and delay.”