Growing pains and how to tackle them

WOKINGHAM is growing. With the addition of thousands of new homes, the borough’s population is blossoming.

It’s easy to notice – not least with the traffic problems that make driving anywhere a pain, and forcing residents to set off a good half-an-hour before they used to in a bid to press through the slowmoving traffic.

There are other concerns too.

The residents of Winnersh are not the only ones to have noticed an increase in the rat population. And they’re not the only ones to link it to construction work going on near to them.

The suggestion that residents should be prepared to kill trapped rats with a blow to the head is not a nice one – there has to be a better way.

And we’ve also focused this week on the problems facing youngsters in the new Arborfield Green development.

Understandably, especially with the gorgeous weather we’ve had this week, they want their play park finished so they can play in it.

It is frustrating for them to have to wait, but kudos to Crest for being willing to finish it sooner rather than later.

Of course, regeneration concerns rumble on. The growing pains that we all face, regardless of which part of the borough we’re in, will continue for a while yet.

Progress is being made and every day, we’re a day to having our Forth Rail Bridge painted. And then we’ll have to start all over again…