MAY 2024
Below are the minutes of the Annual General Meeting of the Emmbrook Residents Association held at the Emmbrook Village Hall in May 2024 including text of the report delivered by the committee at the meeting.
The full presentation slides, used in part during the committee’s report and shown in full afterwards, can be seen here.
Welcome – Pierre Featherbe
I would like to welcome and thank those attending our eighteenth AGM.
A bit of housekeeping. The toilets are left for ladies and right for gents. Should the fire alarm sound then please make your way outside to Corfield Green.
Attendance
6 ERA members and 6 ERA committee members attended the AGM.
7 apologies for absence were received.
Approval of our previous AGM report held on May 2023
The report, which had been made available on our web site, was proposed, seconded and approved.
This AGM report will be presented by the committee on the areas they cover.
Planning – Bob Millen.
Local Plan Update
In last year’s report we said that “progress has come to a virtual stop on the Plan
Update waiting for the Government to decide on the overarching principles that
would govern development”. Well, in December 2023 the government published
changes to the national planning policy. The Council is currently going through these
and putting together a revised time table. They now anticipate that the next stage of
engagement will take place this summer and will update the Local Development
Scheme in due course.
Planning Applications
Of the two applications we reported on last year the demolition and rebuild of Toutley
Depot seems to be progressing well, with the administration and welfare buildings
erected with their roof frames in position and ready for cladding.
However the same cannot be said of the application to build 130 dwellings and a
care home on land to the east of the Depot. Here the Council was granted outline
permission to build but the reserved matters application they subsequently submitted
in 2022 is shown as undecided. We now understand that the Council have decided
not to build the care home due to concerns over its financial viability. As a stop gap
solution they have instead bought an existing care home out of receivership fully
equipped and staffed. They are continuing with the 130 dwellings but are reviewing
how to proceed with an emphasis on the financial aspects. No doubt the recent drop
in house prices s having an impact here.
We have seen only one new application of any significance since our last meeting.
This is to build a two storey detached house on land to the side of No 64 Emmbrook
Road, which is owned by the owners of No 64. In order to make room for the
proposed building the side extension on No 64 will have to be demolished and its
side wall made good. The application was approved in November 2023 with
conditions mainly concerning vehicular access and drainage.
Old Forest Meadows
For some time now we have been badgering the Council to replace the information
board on the Forest Meadows as it is rather dilapidated. Also, as it was supplied by
Bovis for the Matthews Green Farm SANG, it does not include the park land
provided later from the building of the NDR. To add to the problems, it must have
been moved at some time, as the “you are here” information is wrong. We have been
told that providing a new board is planned for this year, so hopefully we will see
something soon.
WBC Consultations
This year we took part in two Council public consultations. The first was on street
cleaning, weed control and provision of public rubbish bins. The main driver behind
this is the Council’s desire to save money by reducing the provision of these
services.
The other consultation we responded to was the government funded proposal to
provide separate pedestrian and cycle ways on both sides of the Reading Road
between Sadlers Lane and Broad Street, along with other pedestrian/cyclist friendly
measures. The space for these would be provided by reducing the carriageway width
by a significant amount which would have a negative impact on traffic flows. As the
Council have not provided any data in support of the scheme such as budgetary
costs, existing and expected traffic volumes etc., it was not possible to submit an
informed view on the project.
Schools liaison – Chris Mallett
As many of you will know from our previous AGMs, we consider liaison with our local schools is an important part of what we do in the ERA. The three schools in the heart of Emmbrook, and more recently the new primary school (St Cecilia’s), are a key part of the Emmbrook community, bringing important benefits for many of our residents; and likewise have an obvious impact on residents as well.
Although this past year has been relatively quiet for activity with the schools, we continue to maintain close relationship with all the schools and will be considering opportunities with all schools going forward over the coming year.
More specifically, we hope the infant & junior school will continue to be involved with planting refreshes in Corfield Green. We are hoping to get something art-related off the ground with the secondary school, and as St Cecilia’s student numbers grow we aim to identify areas of cooperation with them as well.
Local issues – Pierre Featherbe
Items requesting ERA to assist the first being a request about the poor condition of the Emm Brook Meadows foot paths, following very heavy rain. We raised a Public Right of Way damage report. The reply was “… it is expected that they will be subject to poor conditions during the winter period..” Disappointing reply.
We then tried the Cleaner and Greener Team who we think are responsible for the maintenance of this area. They replied with
“We have inspected the reported defect and we have determined that in accordance with our Highway Maintenance Manual it does not require attention at the present time. However, the area is inspected regularly so should there be any significant deterioration then appropriate action will be taken at that time.” Another disappointing reply.
I have a question regarding the Emm Brook Meadows from one of our residents which I will read during Questions at the end of the presentations.
Another request was about the work City Fibre are carrying out in Emmbrook. After checking their web site and contacting councillors we complied some guidance for residents should they encounter problems and posted it on our web site.
This included how to raise concerns to WBC planning enforcement team and how City Fibre should behave when laying their fibre.
We observed that the notice board called “Go with the flow” in the Emmbrook three fields was in very poor condition and was about to collapse. We contacted Friends of the Emm Brook suggesting we get together with Mens Sheds to get it fixed. Friends of the Emm Brook took it on and it has now been repaired, quite some time ago. We are waiting for it to be refitted and have offered our help in doing so.
The history of Emmbrook – Peter Shilham
The last year has been quiet as regards new discoveries, punctuated by elation, exhilaration, and disappointment. The work is a process of plodding through material, untrammelled by flashes of inspiration.
I attended the Wokingham Heritage Day in the Town Hall when I sold a number of our Emmbrook History books – and two were stolen!
A past pupil of The Emmbrook School contacted me from Somerset telling me that there are now on-line aerial photographs of Wokingham taken by the USAF during the war: not complete coverage, but Emmbrook shows up well.
While further following the success of Emmbrook Cricket Club, it became apparent how lucky (and not for the first time) we have been not to lose the Village Hall. In 1932 the new Rector of St Paul’s (Rev. SERGEANT) suggested in his speech at the Mission Hall, on the occasion of the Cricket Club Social, that the Hall should be converted into a gymnasium.
An international connection was discovered when the local newspaper of 1950 offered up detail of the visitation of a past captain of the South African Test team, during which he presented a cricket bat to Emmbrook cricket team, to be awarded to the batsman with the best batting average for that season. I have found no further reference to it having been awarded and my approaches to the Emmbrook and Bearwood Cricket Club on the matter met with not even an acknowledgment in reply.
Post war house building in Wokingham was overseen by Alderman BARRETT, his building works (of FROUD & BARRETT) were situated on the Reading Road near to where the brook passes under the roadway and adjacent to the iron works that was there – he was concerned that the new properties should have reasonable sized back gardens. How different from today. Toutley Camp, vacated by the army after the war, was already being used in
Wokingham’s housing shortage. The story here was that in 1946 the Secretary of State for War told Parliament that it was needed for re-accommodation of military personnel! (in Nissen huts!). After three of the huts were taken over by squatters, the Town Council hurriedly arranged (at a day’s notice!) for work to be done to make the rest habitable.
Through the good offices of Peggy JOHNS, Chairman of the VHMC, and with permission of Philip MURPHIN, I have received a copy of a letter from him to her recounting the extraordinary coincidence of two recent Emmbrook residents having met at Sentosa, a small garrison at the bottom end of Singapore, where Ray EKE was stationed. One of his jobs was to collect supplies and post from an RAF base in Malaysia and he used to fly there in an Army Auster. When he got to that station, he was always met by an RAF Officer who wore a sarong from his waist down as unofficial uniform! On another occasion Richard DADD, was talking to Philip of his time in Malaysia and having weekly visits to his base from Singapore by an odd little man who flew up in an Army Auster. The odd little man was Major EKE, and the RAF Officer was Richard DADD. They had lived within a short walking distance from each other for years without knowing it. Richard had been Chairman of the VHC. Later Major EKE was involved with village hall matters when Peggy JOHNS had become Chairman. Ray EKE died last year, 2023, a few
months short of his 101 st birthday and Richard DADD died in 2015 aged 81.
Emmbrook has lost some notable people of late. Apart from Major EKE and Richard DADD, in 2021 we lost Paul GALLAGHER and Colin LIVINGSTON who had directly preceded him as Chairman of the ERA. Some years earlier we had lost John WOOD, a committee member of ERA. In the last twelve months there was Graham BEDWELL who was always ready to let me know of current matters in Emmbrook. Then within the last month there has been Pauline DIBB a staunch member of the West Forest Townswomen’s Guild. They meet in the Village Hall here. But a strong link with the past is now broken with the recent death of Edith NICOL, a member of the KNAPP family. She and her late husband gave me so much help through the years with the history of Emmbrook. One could say that the KNAPPs were prolific in Emmbrook. They provided a family cricket team which challenged, and beat, a village team, on two occasions! When the WBC came asking for suggestions for street names, my offering of one commemorating the KNAPPS was rejected for reasons which I am only too happy to relate. So here is another failure.
1950 Aug 11 Wokingham Times
After the Emmbrook CC v. Dog & Duck XI cricket match on Sunday both teams were entertained to tea by the licensee of the Dog & Duck Mr EH Foreman and his wife.
Mr H Wade (who captained the South African team when they last visited this country some years ago) is to present the Emmbrook CC with a cricket bat which will be awarded to the batsman with the best average for the present season. Mr Wade, who has been staying with Mr Herd, of Toutley Hall, a vice-president of the club, watched the match on Saturday with the Feltham Railway XI
Policing – Richard Dairy
I think you all know that Wokingham is a low crime area and we are fortunate to live in Emmbrook which I think is considered to be a very low crime area. Thames Valley Police (TVP) regularly publish crime statistics for the entire area policed by them. By going onto the TVP website you can find monthly statistics for Emmbrook and compare them to other areas.
Consequently, it’s only occasionally that the ERA has dealings with the Police.
The latest statistics available are for March 2024. I track the data for Emmbrook and record them in a simple chart. The charts for 2023 and 2024 are on the screen.
I’m pleased to report that here hasn’t been any need to submit reports to the Police since the last AGM. In previous years the ERA submitted reports on behalf of residents relating to discarded drug paraphernalia, suspicious cold-callers and anti-social behaviour.
The ERA website features a policing page with sections on:
> Thames Valley Police
> Neighbourhood policing
> Crime Statistics
> Have Your Say
> Reporting Crime or Problems
> Neighbourhood Watch
> Crimestoppers
> Victim Support
> Recent advice topics
> General advice topics.
Prior to 2023, Emmbrook and Woosehill had its own local neighbourhood policing team, but it’s now covered by the local neighbourhood policing team for Winnersh. The website includes ways to contact them, how to report crimes, suspicion behaviour or other matters.
The ERA website also has a link to the TVP website (https://emmbrook-residents.org/local-affairs/policing/).
This includes the StreetSafe service. StreetSafe is a police service which allows residents to report (anonymously if they wish) any place that makes them feel unsafe – for any reason.
We receive regular Neighbourhood Alerts from TVP and Action Fraud covering a range of topics – those we think contain information pertinent to Emmbrook are put on the website.
31 (as of 8.5.24) have been received since the last AGM, i.e. during 2023/24.
Subject matters included (but not limited to):
> vehicle security alerts and advice (including keyless)
> thefts of and from cars (including high value vehicles)
> burglaries
> E-scooters
> frauds and scams (inc. online chip & pin frauds and theft)
> TVP and National Highways joint operation
> appeals for witnesses
> security products survey
> rogue roofing and gutter cleaning traders
> cold callers and rogue doorstep traders
> keeping safe at Christmas
> Halloween and bonfire night
> TVP statistics
If you have a few spare minutes have look yourselves to see all that’s on the ERA website relating to policing.
ERA presence online – Chris Mallett
We continue to operate our online presence through a combination of our website and Facebook. We feel the two complement each other well. The website enables us to store and communicate relatively large amounts of information and provide relevant links to external information. Facebook is more about real-time communication, and also to point to signpost specific things on our website. We do recognise that not everyone uses Facebook, so we do endeavour to duplicate notices on the website, where appropriate.
Last year we reported a change of our website host to Godaddy, and we are pleased to report here that all is going well with them. The platform has been significantly more reliable than the previous host and is on the whole easier and cheaper to use. We have a further two years arrangement with them, and will review the situation at the end of that period.
We always welcome feedback on the content of our social media and website. What things you like or want more of? What additional topics you would like us to cover? And what aspects you feel are not needed or there could be less of? So please do let us know your thoughts, either at the end of this meeting or anytime afterwards using the email address on the website.
Treasurer’s Report- Membership and subscriptions – Andy Goffin
Income:
Subscription income was £702 (a decrease of £155 against the previous year).
Most of the fundraising income was the result of the successful ERA quiz last
Autumn, with the balance of £95 coming from sales of the Emmbrook history
books.
Expenditure:
As the ERA is in a healthy financial position, most of the profit from the quiz
(£660) was donated to the charity fund of the Wokingham Lions Club, one of
whose members was quizmaster for the evening.
Apart from quiz night costs, main items of expenditure were for village hall hire,
garden materials in relation to Corfield Green, and website costs.
Balance Sheet:
This shows that we have a balance in hand of £9,463 – an increase from last year
of £424. The ERA remains in a healthy financial position.
Membership:
Our current membership stands at 118 households, a net decrease of 16
compared to last year, out of approximately 800 houses in our area.
We are always looking to increase our membership, so please encourage your
friends and neighbours to join us if they’re not already members.
Thank you all for your support over the year.
Auditor:
Finally, I would like to express my thanks to Sylvia Geeves, who once again has
prepared and audited our accounts and has also kindly agreed to do it again next
year.
Election of Auditor for the 2024/2025 year – Andy Goffin
I’d now like to propose that Sylvia Geeves is elected to serve as the ERA auditor
for next year.
Proposed, seconded and approved.
Election of Committee Members – Pierre Featherbe
Six of the current committee have volunteered to stand for the forthcoming year and all have been proposed and seconded. As there have been no further nominations all have been approved.
The 2024/ 2025 Committee consists of the following members:
Pierre Featherbe
Andy Goffin
Chris Mallett
Richard Dairy
Peter Shilham
Robert Millen
Questions – Pierre Featherbe.
On behalf of the committee I thank you all for listening and I am happy to open the meeting up for any other business, questions or comments.
I have one comment from Kenneth Wright.
Please raise my concerns on access to the Emmbrook field area. This is my local walk. Entry to the park is either by one of two sets of steps or at the lower end of Toutley Road, which is extremely difficult even with a sighted helper.
I use a 4 wheel walker which works well over the main footpath. However, at the 2 original bridges, I have to lift the walker to get onto the bridge. This is a difficulty that will affect other disabled users and buggy pushers.
We badly need these green spaces and it is important that means of access and parking should be of high importance. ie easy access for all.
Speed of traffic on the section of the NDR by the entrance to the SANG is still considered to be too high despite the additions of 30mph roundels.
One member mentioned that drug dealing is prevalent in the Emmbrook Walk and the SANG. RD advised all to report any occurrences to the Police.
There was some confusion how the crime numbers are counted. This was due to the low numbers of drug dealing which a few residents say is a regular occurrence.
A resident reported that cars have driven round the pond (near the Dog and Duck) entering by the zebra crossing at the bottom of Toutley Rd. This is possible as there are no barriers. The resident has written to the council.
Emmbrook road under the bridge was considered to be very dangerous for cyclists.
An open question was asked to consider if the ERA should keep its current area or expand to cover JPRA and Emmbrook Place zones.
One resident expressed concern over the speed bumps adjacent to his house. He reports this causes plaster cracking when heavy vehicles cross at speed.
Close meeting – Pierre Featherbe.
This report will soon be made available on our web site.
On behalf of the ERA committee volunteers. We thank you.
I would like to formally close the meeting and invite you all to partake in some nibbles and drinks.