Brian Quinn

1 week ago | pennypost.org.uk | Brian Quinn

Our usual round-up of local news includes further engagement by Homes England at the Pirbright site and thoughts about the possible Ridgeway Council – plus water mains work in East Ilsley, summer reading, activities at the Downland Centre, local walks, meeting your MP and the local handebus.See also below for community notices and news from your local council. Upcoming Compton area events include Chieveley Village Fete and Compton’s Got Talent.

1 week ago | pennypost.org.uk | Brian Quinn

Sovereign Housing (or SNG as the housing association is now known) owns 5,866 properties in West Berkshire and about 84,000 nationwide. I was speaking to an SNG representative a couple of years ago and was proudly told that the company aimed to hit the 100,000 mark within the next few years. I asked whether, rather than empire building, it might be preferable for it better to maintain the properties it already has.

1 week ago | pennypost.org.uk | Brian Quinn

The current favoured option for the Vale, South Oxfordshire and West Berkshire councils is that they all form a menage à trois under the new married name of Ridgeway. Please see our separate article about Ridgeway here which includes a link to a statement by WBC on the matter and information about how you can contribute to the discussion. You can also take part in an engagement exercise (I’m not sure if it’s a formal consultation) on the subject.

1 week ago | pennypost.org.uk | Brian Quinn

Homes England continues its local engagement progress with regards to Pirbright site in Compton. This is a complicated, three-stage development and one we’ve been covering closely. Being quite a large scheme in quite a small community, it’s also inevitably going to lead to change. Some may welcome this, others not. The first stage involved demolition and de-contamination, the latter being no small matter given the site’s previous function.

1 week ago | pennypost.org.uk | Brian Quinn

The Merchant’s House in Marlborough is currently looking for a Chair of Trustees. This is because the current Chair, Alison Galvin Wright, recently announced her decision to step down in the next few months after many years of dedicated service. Alison has led the charity through an important period of development and community engagement, helping to preserve the House as a much-loved part of Marlborough’s heritage and culture. “The Merchant’s House has always been a labour of love,” she said.