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Issue 14 edition 2 - Autumn 2025
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Burghfield, Mortimer, Beech Hill & Wokefield |
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1: Plans for 350 Homes In Mortimer West End |
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Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council (BDBC) is preparing a new Local Plan to decide where in Hampshire it needs new housing, employment land and infrastructure for the next 15–20 years.
The housing number comes from a Government formula based on population growth and affordability. It may be adjusted for what’s realistically deliverable, depending on land availability, infrastructure and environmental limits.
Local and Neighbourhood Plans form the legal basis for future planning decisions. West Berkshire adopted its new Plan in June 2024, running to 2041.
Following a “call for sites” earlier this year, BDBC identified land at West End Farm, Mortimer West End, for 350 homes. The site was reviewed with others at this meeting in September – see page 119 here for details.
Although the site lies entirely in Hampshire, the scale would dwarf the existing hamlet of Mortimer West End and effectively extend Mortimer, adding pressure on services and facilities without contributing to their expansion.
The first formal opportunity to comment on the draft Local Plan will be the “Regulation 18” consultation, expected in November 2025. That’s when West Berkshire Council and the public can give feedback, though informal comments can be sent now. I’ve already written to Cllr Andy Konieczko, BDBC Portfolio Holder for Strategic Planning & Infrastructure, and CEO Russell O’Keefe — and also to local MPs Olivia Bailey and Luke Murphy and WBC’s Leader and Chief Executive — pointing out that the proposal:
• Would effectively extend Mortimer and transform the rural hamlet;
• Contradicts Basingstoke & Deane’s own spatial strategy by promoting a site far from a town and without public transport;
• Conflicts with the Government’s requirement for “policy alignment”;
• Would increase pressure on West Berkshire facilities (doctors, schools, dentists etc.) while potentially contributing nothing towards them;
• Would mean loss of agricultural land.
I hope Basingstoke & Deane will re-think this proposal — it feels in the wrong place: far from Basingstoke, lacking transport links, and without plans to support local services in West Berkshire. I’ve asked both councils and our MPs to press for joined-up planning, not piecemeal sprawl.
For the latest news and how to comment or object:
- See the dedicated Mortimer West End page.
- Sign the petition
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2:Black Bin Collection Change |
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Changes to Black Bin Collection
The Council has introduced a three-weekly black-bin cycle to encourage recycling — particularly food waste — and cut total waste. West Berkshire is among the top 10% of councils for waste produced per person. Other areas that made this change have seen recycling rise and total waste fall. If successful, it will save on disposal and landfill-tax costs — around £150k* per year. (*see link point 9) |
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Mobile Bin-Day Reminders
Mobile bin-day reminders – You should have received a printed collection calendar, but you can also check or download it HERE. Council FAQs are HERE and mine HERE. I’ve created mobile phone reminders (Apple and Android) that pop up the evening before collection and update automatically for Christmas changes. You can unsubscribe any time. Please choose the right calendar for your area – this ward uses Calendars 1, 4 and 5 – full instructions are on my web page HERE and in the guide below. |
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3: 20mph Speed Limit - St Mary's School, Mortimer |
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Background
The Council pledged to introduce “20 mph where residents want it.” My recent speeding survey drew over 350 responses — most agreed there’s a speed problem on one or more streets. You can still add your views here.
My initial focus is Lower Street, Mortimer, outside St Mary’s School. The governors support a speed reduction to cut injury risk — better to be proactive than hope nothing happens. One resident commented, “all urban roads where anyone walks would benefit from 20 mph – it’s the norm in France.”
Below are the results of my survey on The (lower) Street. Mortimer. |
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Next Steps
If you agree we need a drop-off and pick-up 20 mph limit, please sign this petition (even if you filled the survey). A good take-up will help me take it to the Speed Limit Review Task Group. Printable petition forms are here. If you’re against the proposal, please let me know directly. |
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4: Windmill Court Mortimer |
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The New Premises...on a snowy day |
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Construction of the Windmill Court replacement (24 homes, six for over-55s) is due to start later this month. Four former residents have confirmed interest in returning. I’m working with Cllr Gaines and Housing Head Nick Caprara to confirm letting arrangements. Homes will first be offered via the Council’s letting system to applicants with a Burghfield & Mortimer connection, then more widely across the district. On re-lets, the provider may offer up to 25% outside West Berkshire.
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Now – Shelters: The Council offered free bus shelters to parishes. Agreed locations include Burghfield (The Cunning Man, Golf Course, The Close, Elm Drive, Amners Farm Road) and Mortimer (College Piece, Glenapp Grange, Stephens Road). |
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One of the shelter designs |
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Soon – Signage & Markings: Bus-stop improvements on the No. 2/2A route are planned for late this year, adding “No stopping except buses” signs and fresh road markings while keeping driveways accessible. |
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The White Lettering Is On Google Maps. The Bus Stop Is Marked In..Hang On. Grey. |
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Future – Bus to Mortimer Station & St Mary’s: Over 350 people responded to my survey on extending the No. 2/2A route. The Council’s study found two possible turn-around points, but costs and potential losses led to exploring an on-demand option via the Community Connect scheme. Mortimer is a candidate for this service, awaiting Government funding approval. |
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There's People in Burghfield Who'd Kill For These Lines |
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Yellow lines and joint sealing on Victoria Road, Mortimer, were completed this summer during evening hours to minimise disruption. Sealing should prevent further deterioration; a full resurface was deemed unnecessary and costly. I’ll flag future roadworks on my Facebook page HERE.
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Fly Tippers Beware
Our Waste team has agreed to deploy CCTV to deter fly tipping in Beech Hill. We await details of when it will be installed. (no, the camera's not been nicked). |
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Ditch Clearance
The parish council reports that their writing to landowners asking them to clear ditches to ensure the Highway drains properly, is bearing fruit. The templates that Beech Hill uses for this are available to other parish councils too. A spokesperson apparently said they weren't going to "die in a ditch about it" (but I might want to). |
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8: Waking Up To Wokefield Woes |
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Goring Lane Speed Limit:
Probably for more years than there's been talk of a car park for St Mary's School, Mortimer, or a footpath to Burghfield, there have been calls to cut the speed limit on Goring Lane, in Grazeley Green, for the sake of its residents and road users. There have been many accidents, hospitalisations and even fatalities there.
The parish petition for a 40 mph limit in Grazeley Green, which I tabled on their behalf, to council HERE, fell just short of the 50-signature threshold for referral to the speed review task group. If you support it, please sign the petition below. |
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Goring Lane, Grazeley Green |
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Walking Rural Roads Safely:
The parish council highlighted the risks of walking along roads with no pavements or bus service. I’m working with officers to support Wokefield Parish Council’s initiative to create safe refuges for pedestrians, in line with the Council’s “active travel” policy.
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Home Page
To receive future newsletters by email, simply sign up at the foot of THIS HOMEPAGE. You can unsubscribe at any time. The homepage shows previous editions, FAQs and useful web links. |
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Raise issues with us at our monthly drop-ins/'surgeries' each first Saturday (excluding November 2025)
- Nick is at The Baobab, West End Road, Mortimer from 10.00-11.00
- Vic is at Burghfield Library in School Lane, from 10.00-11.30.
Ask either of us about anything across the "patch". |
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Henning Wehn (L) Nick (R) |
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My newsletter aims to be apolitical and opinion-free as far as possible. This section is where I might be more opinionated. Feel free to skip over this bit if it's not your thing or it gets tedious.... |
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Ali's Recycling For The Community |
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🗑️ Waste, Recycling and Bins
Fact-check: Bin petitions and consultations
Thanks if you gave your views on the black-bin collection changes through the recent petition, shared mainly on social media and presented to Council on 16 October. Most signatories opposed the move to three-weekly black bin collections, felt the Waste Strategy consultation wasn’t clear or representative, and supported the petition organiser's idea to revert to fortnightly collection pending exploring a joint arrangement with South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse. It isn’t clear to me what that would involve beyond a likely greater saving in disposal and landfill-tax through a combined council. It may be he thinks Oxfordshire's collection arrangements are better - but we don't know that their actual recycling level because they role is only to collect the recycling, not process it - more on this in my FAQs HERE.
I think the petition shows that people care deeply about the issue, but because it was apparently online only (with a fairly strongly worded introduction), it can’t, I think, be deemed a verified picture of overall public opinion. The Council’s own 2024 Waste Strategy consultation attracted over 5,000 responses — a good level of engagement — but, as with most online surveys, it too wasn’t statistically representative. An earlier 2018/19 garden-waste consultation also showed strong opposition to charging for green-bin collections, though again only among those who took part.
In both exercises the feedback informed discussion but wasn’t the sole basis for decisions. For the black-bin changes specifically, 71% of respondents disagreed that three-weekly collections would improve recycling or reduce waste, while 52% said they could manage the change if given the right support (around a quarter said it might still be challenging at times).
I’ve spoken to residents on both sides — some welcoming the push to recycle more, others, particularly families or those with pets, find it difficult. I’ve also heard questions about access to larger bins. While I’m assured applications are handled fairly, I’ll be asking colleagues to consider publishing anonymised figures showing how many larger-bin requests we’ve received and approved, so everyone can see how the support arrangements are working in practice.
My take on the reasons for the black-bin change is explained in more detail here. To help residents manage the new collection cycle, I’ve also created a mobile-phone reminder, aimed at this ward but available to anyone on request.
♻️ Containers
Many consultation respondents said the number and type of recycling containers are inconvenient — not only their design but finding space to store them all. Some would prefer a single wheelie bin for all recycling, as used in Oxford or Basingstoke. Whilst that would simplify storage it's likely to reduce the level of recycling output. Any change may be costly, and probably won't happen for a couple of years.
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I mentioned Garth Hall once, I think I got away with it
Whilst talk of re-opening Garth Club in Mortimer, has gone on for less time that the Goring Lane speeding and the other two tales we covered earlier, it's been a while. Nearly 15 years. Why put heavy tiles on the roof anyway? It became a point of principle/bee in the bonnet for me, with my wife's invaluable advice, to try to sort this matter out, in line with the founder Miss Capron's wish, and the small matter of charity law. An authoritative source tells me that "significant progress has been made by the proposed new trustee which they will share shortly". I'll keep the Cava in the cupboard for now. |
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The Baobab (& Radio Caroline) Continues
We may soon bid adieu or au revoir to Gavin and Rachel at the Baobab and welcome Clare. One thing I won't forget in a hurry, apart from the warm welcome, sage advice over the years and plain speaking, is that they are Radio Caroline listeners. Which should be no surprise because many people are. But it was a delight to talk about it a lot. Caroline is the one former pirate station that continued against the odds, "as a point of principle and to play great music". I recently joined its monthly Caroline North broadcast from its boat, Ross Revenge, on the River Blackwater. More HERE, Gavin and Rachel got a mention HERE and my radio show is HERE and HERE. |
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I Am Your Automatic Companion
No self-respecting council newsletter can end without a pet story. The council is trialling "android" pets (not sure if this means robotic, that they run on Android or both) for the lonely, those with learning difficulties or living with dementia. I can't say where they're on trial or confirm whether this cat is called Robbie. |
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