The old Theale Primary School on Church Street A former primary school in Theale could become a special education needs and disabilities (SEND) school, West Berkshire Council (WBC) has revealed.
WBC announced the plans on Friday, which follows on from a six-week consultation last year asking for views from residents. The council is planning to create a new specialist secondary school for up to 42 learners aged 11 to 18 years with complex social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs, who may also have a diagnosis of autism. WBC says it has searched across the West Berkshire district and identified the old Theale Primary School building, on Church Street, as the most viable option.
However, the ombudsman found there was no fault with the council s actions and it acted appropriately .
What happened? West Berkshire Council sent social workers to visit her home in February 2019 and drew up a Child Protection Plan because her daughter was not attending school regularly. The social workers were concerned the girl was becoming isolated and saw that she was spending a lot of time in bed and reluctant to engage with them. When a GP signed the girl off school permanently because she was suffering with anxiety, she began receiving 90-minute tuition sessions three days a week. Council workers held discussions with educational and medical professionals, to figure out how they could reduce her anxiety and get her back to the classroom.
Pincents Hill in Tilehurst A long-awaited decision on plans for 265 new homes in Tilehurst has been delayed again. U+I Pincents Lane Ltd’s plans to build on green space just off Pincents Lane have proved to be extremely controversial, as more than 2,100 objections have been lodged since 2019. Earlier this year, West Berkshire Council said its Eastern Area Planning Committee was due to make a decision “at the end of March or beginning of April”. But the developer then requested more time, so it could consider responses to a consultation on several amendments. A council spokeswoman said: “The agent has indicated they are very likely to request a further extension of time, hence why at this time no date is set for the application to go to committee, but it seems that it won’t be in May.
The site in Sandleford Park, near Newbury, that has been earmarked for 1,000 new homes Up to 1,000 homes could be built near Newbury if developers win a planning appeal in May. Bloor Homes and Sandleford Homes Partnership want to build the homes, a new primary school and a local centre on Sandleford Park – but their planning application was rejected in October 2020. They were also planning to build an 80-unit care facility, create a new country park and provide land for the Park House Academy School expansion. The developers have lodged an appeal and the Planning Inspectorate will decide whether the planning application should be approved at an inquiry on May 5.
ReadiBus says it will stop providing a dial-a-ride bus service in Newbury and the surrounding areas on April 16 The Conservatives who run West Berkshire Council have defended their decision to cut funding for a charity that provides elderly and disabled people with transport. ReadiBus stopped providing a dial-a-ride bus service in Newbury and the surrounding areas on April 16, claiming it was “no longer viable”. The Conservative-run council says community transport funding has not actually been cut since 2019, but ReadiBus is now receiving a smaller share “because they are delivering less passenger journeys relative to other providers”. According to the Tories, ReadiBus only provided around 2,000 journeys during the last year due to the lockdowns – around 10,000 fewer than the previous year.