WINTER EDITION HOLYBROOK DECEMBER 2006 Inside this issue: Parish Plan Projects 1 .A MESSAGE FROM P A R I S H P L A N UNDERWOOD Underwood Road 1 THE CHAIRMAN PROJECTS ROAD ACTION Action Group GROUP (URAG) The past few months have been very busy for councillors and Following the publication of the Neighbourhood Action 2 the parish office staff as we Parish Plan, an Underwood Road Group have spent many hours dealing Action Group (URAG) has been with the Kennet Valley Park Several projects are established, comprising councillors development proposals, as well now under way, not and parishioners, to consult with as dealing with ordinary council least the Holybrook the community and lend weight to Neighbourhood 2 West Berkshire Council’s efforts to business and matters arising Festival to be held 2nd force the owners of the Wardens from the Parish Plan. At the June 2007. This is a Underwood Road precinct to time of writing we anticipate a real opportunity for redevelop the site. meeting of the West Berkshire Council’s Eastern Area Planning community groups and Linear Park 2 Committee on 15 November organisations to get At a meeting in September the to discuss the Prudential’s involved, raise funds group drew up a ‘wish list’ and proposals. Local councils and and get recognised! plans for further consultation, groups are united in opposition and by the time this newsletter and we hope the result of West is published it will have met Road Safety 3 Berkshire’s meeting will be on again. Please look at the Tick Tock Toy Library We do need a large the council website by the time council website for further Women’s Institute this newsletter appears. number of volunteers information. If anyone is to make these projects interested in joining please We apologise to the half of contact the Chairman Steven View from West 4 the parish which did not a success so please contact David or White on 0118 901 1798 Berkshire Council receive the autumn news- Beansheaf Drop-In letter, caused by problems Rachel at the parish with Royal Mail, and hope office for further The Chief Executive of West this distribution will go details. A little help Berkshire Council, Nick Carter, has Holybrook Parish without a hitch. makes an enormous informed Holybrook parish council that pre planning application We are still looking for people Office, Beansheaf difference to you and discussions are still going on with interested in taking part in the Centre, Charrington your community. the landowners, and the estimate Holybrook Festival next June as was that a planning application Road, Calcot, Reading we wish to make it a really big would be submitted in early RG31 7AW. parish event. Please contact November. A Compulsory the parish office if you are Purchase Order (CPO) is also Clerk to the Council: interested. under consideration and the District Mr David Baldock, We are pleased to welcome Council’s Executive would probably be considering such a move at a Assistant Clerk: Glenn Dennis, Steven Mrs Rachel Buckingham. White and Iain Pate as new meeting in November. councillors. There are still Open to the public two vacancies if anyone is Monday to Friday interested. 9am—2pm. Tel: May I close by wishing each and 0118 945 4339 — every one of you a very happy 24 hour answerphone. Christmas and a happy, peaceful New Year. Email: holybrook [email protected] www.holybrookparish Bernard Gilbert council.co.uk NEIGHBOURHOOD ACTION GROUP TILEHURST AND PANGBOURNE the Calcot Centre where the top four • Tilehurst (Cornwell Centre) : Youth NEIGHBOURHOOD ACTION GROUP problems were identified as Speeding in Royal problems and ball-bearing guns in Avenue; street lights out in Curtis Road; (NAG) Sheraton Drive, to incorporate anti- anti-social behaviour at the Royal Avenue shops; and fly tipping on the Royal Avenue social behaviour and drug use. Neighbourhood Action Groups have been set estate. Paul Buckley said the Wardens had up throughout the Thames Valley as reported the street lights in Curtis Road in partnerships between the police and local May but had been told it was an Electricity • Holybrook : Anti-social behaviour, communities to identify and tackle problems Board problem. Jean Gardner stated that this criminal damage, graffiti and stone- within parishes. The problems have been was on a ‘Safe route to school’ but was now throwing. identified through Parish Consultation dark in Curtis Road. Alex O’Connor agreed to meetings, three of which have been held so far take up the issue with West Berkshire Council. in the Tilehurst and Holybrook parishes. The Holybrook meeting was attended by 90 • Tilehurst (Calcot Centre) : Speeding At the NAG meeting on 19 October Sgt. Barry people. The top four problems were identified in Royal Avenue, to incorporate late Walker of Thames Valley Police issued the as anti-social behaviour/criminal damage/stone night car racing on the A4 and anti- results of the issues raised at the three throwing and graffiti, especially in the Burbidge social behaviour. Consultation Meetings held so far. Road/Bayford Drive/Narromine Drive areas; damage to the Kennet Valley church building; 50 people had attended the event at the the use of the bus lane by cars; and lack of Action on all these problems will be reported Cornwell Centre in Tilehurst, with the four top problems being identified as Youths and feedback from the police and council. back to the next NAG meeting in November. ball-bearing guns; anti-social behaviour in Sgt. Walker suggested that a total of three Overdown and Fairford Roads and adjacent problems – one from each meeting – should be alleys; drug use and dealing in alleyways; tackled initially, and the following were agreed:- anti-social use of motor cycles. Only 12 parishioners had attended the event at NEIGHBOURHOOD WARDENS If you have any problems you would like us to help sort out please don’t hesitate to contact us. You can reach us by phone, fax or text on: 0118 945 5286 We won’t always be in the office so please leave a message and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can or you can email us with your enquiry at [email protected] Please also be aware that salesmen are calling in the area trying to persuade residents to change their gas or electricity supplier to their Company. They are asking to look at a utility bill. This is a way that they can obtain the Account Number and details of your current supplier. You may then find that without your knowledge, your gas or electricity has been changed to the new Company. Do not show salesmen any utility bill. LINEAR PARK On 21 October we had a scrub 25th of November starting at 10am at Berkshire Council and other agencies. If clearance from the flood storage the Beansheaf Community Centre and you are interested in joining the balancing ponds in the Linear Park. two activities during that week. committee or in joining the Friends of Water voles inhabit the ditches that Linear Park please contact the flow adjacent to the balancing ponds and Bird Boxes - With the help of local Holybrook Parish Office and they will reducing the scrub increases the people we placed over 20 bird boxes in forward your details to us. Our cur- habitat available for this declining the Linear Park last year. These will rent secretary has left the area and mammal. For all of the volunteers who need to be cleared in the next several work commitments are affecting a helped with the clearance, thank months in anticipation of new nest for number of our committee members. you very much for all your hard work. next spring. A date for this activity will be organised and we will keep you National Tree week was from 25 informed. November through 2nd December. The Friends of Linear Park have The current committee members of received a small grant from the Friends of Linear Park are in need of National Tree Council for funding to more committee members. We meet plant trees in 3 areas of the Linear Park. about once a month, many of us We had a week of activities as there regularly walk in the park, help to pick were many trees to be planted in these up litter, monitor the local water vole locations. The dates were Saturday the population and liaise between West Page 3 ROAD SAFETY IS AN is significant. At 35 mph a car will A 2 NIGHT FUN-NIGHT FOR ISSUE FOR EVERYONE still be doing close to 20 mph at THE CALCOT AND TILEHURST the point where it would have KIDS ‘Road Safety Counts in West stopped had the driver had been Berkshire’ is a slogan that we travelling at 30 mph. As a result of Monday 30th October at the Cornwell hope all those who live or work in the exceeding the speed limit a growing Centre and Tuesday 31st October at District, or who travel though it will number of people have been invited by the Beansheaf Community Centre. recognise and support. West Berk- the police to attend a ‘Speed They had 2TenFM Black Thunders shire Council seeks to provide advice Awareness’ course. Most will talk attending, Body Popping lessons, MC on staying safe – from the very young- positively about what they learnt on the Battles, Jamaican Jerk Chicken, est, through the advice on child seats course and of the importance of sticking Chocolate Fountains with Fruit Sticks, and pedestrian skills, to the very oldest, to the speed limit. Your Parish Council X-Factor Machine, dance and song through advice on the failing senses is asking for your support so that the competitions, prizes etc.