The annual Parish Council Newsletter will have been delivered to every household in Finchampstead, giving parishioners an overview of what the Parish Council has achieved over the year.  The Chairmen of the various committees wrote their reports, but it was Councillor Ian Milne who so ably put the Newsletter together, and he was warmly congratulated at the Parish Council meeting on 6 October.

Councillors were disappointed that there had been no response from Wokingham District Council on the longstanding issues of the Rides lease and Woodcray Manor Golf Course, but delighted to hear that the Container Library should be in place very soon, for two days each week.   Wokingham DC will be monitoring its use and may decide that a permanent building is justified.

The street map project is progressing well and we shall soon be looking for advertisers – get in touch with the Parish Council if you would like to advertise.

There was also good news on two long-standing planning matters.  Wokingham DC has refused planning permission for the building of seven flats on Finchampstead Road and also the re-development of Ardwell House on Ravenswood Avenue.  The Parish Council has always maintained that these developments were detrimental to the ambience of our Parish, and thanks must go, as ever, to Councillor Lauraine Newcombe for attending the Wokingham DC Development Control meeting and speaking against these proposals.

The post-box saga continues!  The Parish Council wrote to residents along Fleet Hill requesting their views on its closure/removal, and so far the results are about even.

Councillor Pam Hughes reported on a Wokingham DC “Campaign Against Waste” meeting .  Re-cycling is working well, but please read the leaflet about which plastics are acceptable.  Apparently, margarine pots are not,  and have to be removed by hand!

Other matters reported on included regular auctions at the Rides Community Centre, the need for new fencing for the play area in the Memorial Park and the setting-up of a meeting between horse riders and the local National Trust Committee.

This report is by its nature a brief resume of the main Parish Council meeting, but full minutes and agendas of all our meetings are available on this website.

Cllr Chris Driver

The date this page was last altered was March 11, 2007.

Copyright © 2003 Finchampstead Parish Council