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Bracknell News •

Bracknell nursery for 75 toddlers says parking won't be a problem

Busy Bees is opening a new facility at Ashlyn House on Terrace Road North, at the site of a former vets.

As previously reported, a complaint was lodged with Bracknell Forest Council over “noise and disruption”, claiming the site should be ‘monitored’.

Now the firm has spoken out, saying its nursery will provide a “safe and nurturing environent” for up to 75 local children.

In a statement to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Sarah O’Connor, the director of the new Busy Bees centr...
Bracknell News •

24 roads set for full resurfacing this year including pothole repairs

Full resurfacing has been announced for 24 roads across Wokingham Borough, including some major roads like the A33 and the A329M but also one very humble country lane.

Roads will be rebuilt from scratch everywhere from Finchampstead Village to central Wokingham and from the boundary with Bracknell to the boundary with Reading.

Some roads, like Barkham Road, might desperately need resurfacing, but won’t be treated this year, because a utility company is planning major works, like the inst...
Bracknell News •

A Bracknell taxi driver was facing accusations six months before he committed rape

Diwan Khan, whose mother Naheed Ejaz served as Bracknell's mayor, was convicted of rape in February alongside Ejaz, who was found guilty of perverting the course of justice. Both are due to be sentenced at Winchester Crown Court on April 30.

Internal council documents, obtained by the Bracknell News, show senior officials had reclaimed the then 39-year-old's taxi licence as far back as January 2024 - six months before the rape offence was committed.

Kevin Gibbs, executive director of Bra...
Bracknell News •

Bracknell Tories walk out of council meeting at the beginning of new leader’s speech

Labour’s Helen Purnell was confirmed as leader without a vote, having been the only nominee. Already serving as deputy leader, she had secured backing from her group earlier in the week after prioritising the protection of women and girls.

Council leader prioritises protecting women and girls

The extraordinary meeting had a single item of business: electing the new leader. Mayor Janet Cochrane made clear proceedings would be tightly controlled, stating: “Only the business specified in th...
Bracknell News •

Bracknell ski slope set for new future making renewable energy

Many Berkshire residents were disappointed when the ski slope and skating rink closed removing one of Bracknell’s most iconic leisure facilities.

Now the space where people once skied is set to become a small-scale solar farm.

At a meeting of Binfield planning committee on March 24, 2026, the plan was greeted with guarded enthusiasm.

Cllr Hilary Doyle said:  “It’s exciting.  I can’t see anything wrong with it, because they’re putting additional trees up.”

Bracknell Ski Slope (Ima...
Slough Observer •

Young dancer says goodbye to mum after battling to bring body back from Tunisia

A Catholic mass was held on March 19 at Holy Family Church in Langley for Marion Lamb, who died aged 56 on January 5 in Tunisia following an infection.

Her daughter – the talented salsa dancer Abra Tounani who lives in Reading - organised the service after raising funds to return her mother’s body to the UK.

Slough: Fundraiser after mum's death on holiday in Tunisia

She brought beautiful flowers to the Slough church and led tributes as chief mourner but broke down in tears while acco...
Bracknell News •

Taxi driver and mayor's son was investigated by police before he committed child rape

Diwan Khan has recently been convicted of raping a 15 year old after feeding her vodka and ecstasy and his mother Naheed Ejaz of perverting the course of justice and the pair are expected to be sentenced on April 30.

Naheed Ejaz served as the mayor of Bracknell from May 2023 and her son as the mayor's consort, although he stepped back from the role in early 2024 and his mother stopped attending mayoral functions at the same time.

Leaders have agreed it is a ‘difficult moment’ for the Bor...
Bracknell News •

Detective takes over at Bracknell Forest Council and launches high-stakes probe

In her first act as Bracknell leader, police detective turned council chief Helen Purnell has launched an probe into the council’s activities at the time.

Bracknell’s interim leader is fiercely determined to expose the council processes that allowed a now convicted rapist to drive taxis and attend ceremonies as the Mayor’s consort.

Bracknell’s new leader makes protection of women and girls her priority

Cllr Purnell wrote to the authority’s chief executive requesting detailed answers...
Reading Chronicle •

Ukrainian refugees in Reading sing haunting melody in Forbury Gardens

In the presence of the mayor of Reading Dr Alice Mpofu-Coles, the Reading MP Matt Rodda and Clive Jones the MP for Wokingham, they sang ‘Hollyhocks’ by lyricist Bohdan Hura and composer Volodymyr Ivasyuk as their beautiful voices were interrupted by police sirens from Forbury Road.

It came at the end of a march along Broad Street to Forbury Gardens to commemorate 4 years of the Ukrainian conflict: Local people and refugees march through Reading in support of Ukraine

Volodymyr Ivasyuk wro...
Reading Chronicle •

Ukranian politician praises 'extraordinary' Reading in Forbury Gardens

Reading is a favourite venue for visiting Ukrainians because of the community here, the Ukrainian cultural centre with its cafe, lively bar, children's activities and library.

Sporting Zelensky-style short-cropped hair, and a bomber jacket, Vasyl Bohdanovych  Markevych had travelled to the UK for ten days to visit his family in London and joined the marchers in Reading accompanied by a conspicuous security detail.

Brits and Ukrainians march in solidarity across Reading

Mr Markevych w...
Reading Chronicle •

Local people and refugees march through Reading in support of Ukraine

Marchers were young and old, from all across Ukraine and across Britain too to mark four years since Vladimir Putin first invaded the country on February 24, 2022.

The event was organised by the Ukrainian Community Centre in Sidmouth Street, Reading, where refugees gather to paint traditional easter eggs, borrow Ukrainian books from the library, eat Ukrainian food and go absolutely bonkers during the Eurovision Song Contest - Ukrainians adore Eurovision.

Senior Ukrainian politician prais...
Bracknell News •

Police close road due to crash at 'accident blackspot' junction

A head on collision occurred between an elderly woman and a teenager at the corner of Jubillee Road, The Ridges and Rectory Hill Finchampstead.  A third vehicle is believed to be involved.

The junction was for 100 years the site of the Finchampstead War Memorial.

It is understood that Macy Fox, aged 19, was driving a white Seat Ibiza car and an elderly woman was driving a blue Mercedes.

An Audi TT Sports Car was still littering the traffic island from a previous accident a week earli...
Bracknell News •

'Lifeline' buses to get axed as vulnerable residents lose out on transport

As vulnerable residents in Sandhurst, Crowthorne and Warfield prepared to lose access to four ‘lifeline’ routes, stranded passengers were pointed to charity minibuses instead.

At Bracknell’s annual budget meeting on Wednesday, February 25, the authority gave four services with few riders the chop.

Cllr Guy Gillbe (Easthampstead & Wildridings) acknowledged the impact that the cuts would have on people who relied on the 151/151A, the 299 and the 598.

In one week in November, only 305 t...
Slough Observer •

The most affordable salsa dancing school in Berkshire

At only £8, a whole evening of dance costs less than a hamburger, whilst most dance schools charge at least £10 per lesson and often £15.

Every Wednesday evening something warm and wonderful happens at the centre of Windsor.

Only 500 metres from the Castle, the chunky concrete architecture of Alma Road isn't the most elegant or historical part of the Royal Borough. 

Salsa Autentica (Image: NQ)

However, the concrete walls of the most horrifying building in the street, quite the op...
Bracknell News •

Lively and bubbling community under threat from new boundaries

Wokingham Without is a bubbling community, centred at Pinewood Leisure Centre, which has an open family atmosphere.

Pinewood has a community cafe, full of families, grannies and young children, a miniature railway, a tug-o-war team, a gymnastics club, line dancing, burlesque dancing, a custom-built scalextric-style ‘raceway’, fantastic birds of prey and a parrot called ‘Charlie’.

But a conflict between neighbouring authorities has put that community under threat, and might see it broken...
Ted O'Neill •

Huge solar farm will surround beautiful Barkham Church, offsetting 1% of Wokingham's power needs.

Report for NCTJ project.

Wokingham Borough Council wants to build a solar farm, and 57% of local residents who responded to a public consultation in Barkham were in favour of this very conspicuous initiative.

Councillor Andy Croy, however, feels that we will only tackle the climate emergency by taking motor vehicles off our roads.

See https://
planning.wokingham.gov.uk/FastWebPL/welcome.asp - planning application number 211081
Bracknell News •

Bracknell's leader makes her first speech

Former police officer and mum, cllr Helen Purnell has lived in Bracknell for 40 years and has already made her mark.

Purnell:  ‘Thankyou for the trust you have placed in me!’

First cllr Purnell pledged to focus the priorities of the council on the safety of women and girls, and on Tuesday, she joined new Cabinet Member for Children’s Services Megan Wright and MP Peter Swallow to meet Education minister Josh McAlister to get a date for a new SEND school in Bracknell Forest to be built....

Regime Change at Boston Borough Council

Breaking Local Government stories ahead of time

The ruling party group in one local authority was left hunting for a leak after I phoned their new leader and deputy leader asking for a comment on their selection before the selection meeting had broken up even though they had taken a solumn oath not to talk to any dastardly journos.

Little did they realise that their comrade in the House of Commons has me on speeddial and the news was live on Nottinghamshire live by 08.40 the next morning.

https://www.nottinghampost.com...

Audio and Video

Ted O'Neill •

Huge solar farm will surround beautiful Barkham Church, offsetting 1% of Wokingham's power needs.

Report for NCTJ project.

Wokingham Borough Council wants to build a solar farm, and 57% of local residents who responded to a public consultation in Barkham were in favour of this very conspicuous initiative.

Councillor Andy Croy, however, feels that we will only tackle the climate emergency by taking motor vehicles off our roads.

See https://
planning.wokingham.gov.uk/FastWebPL/welcome.asp - planning application number 211081

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