Here are some of the things Wokingham Borough Council has done since local elections last May.

We have produced with our partners and residents a first draft of the Community Vision, which will shape the council’s strategy for the years ahead.

We have forged a new partnership with the University of Reading. This will help us our work on climate change, economic development, and employment, training and skills.

We have led the way in the formation of the Berkshire Prosperity Board – a partnership of Berkshire’s councils. This will enable us to bid for external funding for key infrastructure projects with greater chance of success and give us a stronger voice in national decision-making. 

To help reduce the pressure on adult social care and housing budgets, we are converting some of our own offices into accommodation for care leavers and those in danger of becoming homeless.

We have broadened and strengthened our partnerships with other organisations. In an era of limited budgets, it makes sense to pool expertise, knowledge, data and resources with others.

We have pursued a policy of investing now to save later. A good example is our purchase of a new care home, which increases provision in the borough and will help control future costs.

Another is our successful bid for funding to build two new special educational needs schools. This will help reduce the council’s home-to-school transport bill in years to come.

We are including new policies on environmental sustainability and energy conservation in our emerging plan for future development. This will also aim to protect many valued areas in our communities as green spaces and tracts of open countryside.

We have approved the planting of a Covid Memorial Wood in Barkham. And we have succeeded in securing a contract to connect our new Barkham Solar Farm to the grid in 2026. This will help to decarbonise the grid and produce a healthy income to spend on services.