New Bus timetable - now operating in and outside term time

July 2022 Timetable

West Berkshire Countryside Society Upstream Magazine 

Summer Edition

West Berkshire Council & Downland Ward Updates from Councillor Clive Hooker

July 2022

Downland Practice Update - The Parish Council has been asked to share the update from Dr James Cave 5th November 2021

The Practice and the Pandemic 

Settlement Boundary Review 

As part of the Local Plan 2037 Review West Berkshire Council is reviewing all parish settlement boundaries. In an initial consultation the Parish Council have been asked to review the proposed minor changes to the Leckhampstead Settlement Boundaries. These along with the Emerging Draft Local Plan 2037 will then go on to full public consultation in the summer of 2021. The Parish Council has been asked to provide any feedback on the proposed boundaries by the 21st April 2021.

Leckhampstead Proposed Settlement Boundary - Guidance Notes

Increasing Plastic Recycling for West Berkshire

West Berkshire Council Press release 25th March 2021

West Berkshire Council, in partnership with its waste contractor Veolia, are trialling four new recycling banks to increase collection of plastic waste. The banks will be for the collection of plastic pots, tubs and trays and will be available to use from Monday 29 March 2021.

Residents will be able to recycle a wider range of plastics in the new recycling banks including: yoghurt pots, margarine/butter tubs, biscuit trays, chocolate/sweet tubs, ice cream tubs, fruit punnets, meat trays and cosmetic pots.

Cllr Steve Ardagh-Walter, Executive Member for Environment at West Berkshire Council said: "It is important we reduce our plastic waste and choose alternative products where possible. I am delighted we are able to improve our recycling facilities in West Berkshire and provide new recycling banks for plastic pots, tubs and trays. There's an increasingly strong desire from the public to recycle more plastic waste types and I hope the new banks will help residents to reduce the amount of plastics they put into their black bin.”

Sara Perry, General Manager at Veolia, added: “Veolia are pleased to work with the Council to expand plastic recycling options within West Berkshire. The new banks will be rolled out on a trial basis to allow monitoring of plastics collected and we are testing the markets to find out how much we are able to place within it.”

The new plastic recycling banks will be tested at the following locations:

• Padworth and Newbury Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs). Residents will need to book an appointment online as usual before visiting the sites and carry their HWRC permit.

• Station Road car park in Hungerford

• Kingsland Centre car park in Thatcham.

Please make sure your plastics pots, tubs and trays are clean and all lids/films are removed before recycling. Unfortunately, we cannot accept black plastic trays, plastic film, wrapping or plastic bags. To check what you can recycle and for more information on recycling plastics visit: https://info.westberks.gov.uk/waste.

Currently West Berkshire residents are able to recycle plastic bottles in their green bags at the kerbside, as the materials used in making plastic bottles are easily recycled in UK markets. The plastic recycling banks will initially be installed on a trial basis to help the Council assess how well the public engage with this scheme and to look into the continued availability of markets for these materials going forward.

New HWRC Live Webcams

Alongside this positive development, the Council is also pleased to announce that residents can view the recycling centres through our new live site webcams. These webcams will give residents the opportunity to have a look at real-time site conditions before they set off on their visits. View them online: https://info.westberks.gov.uk/recyclingcentres.