February

FEBRUARY opened with WBC publishing a map of eight major improvements to the local road network around the borough.

Six years after it had decided to install sprinklers in new school buildings, WBC showed that it hadn’t followed its own decision, nor had it learned much from the 2017 Grenfell tragedy as the new Maths block at Emmbrook school opened – minus the sprinklers but with the cladding.

Losing one planning appeal a month could be problematic, but we managed to lose two appeals in February alone, with more to follow.

Encouraging news that recycling was being extended took a bit of a knock as a procurement cock-up meant that this year’s blue bags wouldn’t have any handles.

With the number of sites being proposed for new housing soaring past 200, the Local Plan update continued and a new pressure group called CPRW (Campaign to Protect Rural Wokingham) was created.

However, by year’s end it was looking more like the Campaign to Protect Ruscombe and Wargrave (both in Mrs May’s green belt).

Regeneration blunders continued as WBC went and chopped down the trees on

Elms Field – permitting itself to do things that it hasn’t given developers permission for.