Community Yearbook

MAY

11 Thursday, 21 January, 2021

Newbury Weekly News

Blaze wrecks homes

Extra year for mayor

Sewage project is thrown out COUNCILLORS threw out a project aimed at preventing treated sewage leaching into the highly-protected River Lambourn. Members of West Berkshire Council’s western area planning committee rejected an application, drawn up as a compromise solution and supported by local residents. A previous meeting of the same residential use at nearby Elton Farm, using drainage fields. Residents and environmentalists warned this would allow harmful phosphates to leach into the river. Residents negotiated with the developers, who offered to switch to the more costly, mains treatment option– with the committee voted to grant permission to the Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire, James Puxley, for the conversion of four agricultural buildings to NEWBURY mayor Elizabeth O’Keeffe was elected to serve a second term. In normal circumstances, the deputy mayor would take over from the mayor once his or her term has come to an end. However, the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdown restrictions prevented Ms O’Keeffe from being able to carry out her civic duties for the ceremony – held every May to welcome the new mayor into office – had to be cancelled. As a result, Newbury Town Council, along with local authorities up and down the country– including Thatcham past couple of months. Also, the mayor-making

TWO properties were destroyed by fire in Woolton Hill. Nearby residents were evacuated from their homes as 40 firefighters worked through the night to bring the blaze under control. A number of manhole covers were blown into the air by the force of a huge explosion, which is believed to have been caused when oil from a nearby storage tank entered the water drains and ignited. There were also fears that oil escaped into the watercourse at The Chase nature reserve – the 143 acres of woodland close to where the fire broke out – and as a result dog walkers were urged to stay away. Nobody was hurt in the incident, but the homes were completely gutted. Crews from Newbury and Hampshire attended the PATIENTS rallied round after dwindling personal protective equipment threatened the safety of staff at their GP surgery. The senior partner at Kintbury & Woolton Hill Government of“failing to protect us with adequate PPE” during the coronavirus crisis. She said: “The Government promised a special service for general practice to order PPE as all our normal ways of purchasing this have dried up. “Thank goodness our community have helped to Surgery, Dr Heather Howells, accused the

Herring steps down IAN Herring said Hungerford Town will always hold a‘special place’ in his heart as he stepped down as manager. The announcement came after almost three seasons in charge at Bulpit Lane– and a week after it was revealed that the remaining games in the National League South would be cancelled, due to the coronavirus outbreak. Herring said:“The chairman [Patrick Chambers] verbally said that he wanted me to stay on and mentioned budgets, but that was before the coronavirus pandemic. “I had a long-term plan about how to unify the club, but unfortunately the chairman didn ’t agree with it and there were no negotiations, so I felt I couldn’t work in the environment and it was best for everyone if I was to step down.”

and Hungerford – kept their mayors on for a second term. Ms O’Keeffe said: “The deputy mayor is also elected, and it is normal that they would become mayor the next year. Because we stopped things back in March I doubt anything much is going to start this side of Christmas.”

fire, which broke out at Woolton Lodge Gardens. Woolton Hill resident Fiona Bennett said:“We were walking the dogs when we saw these enormous clouds of black smoke. “We decided to walk home as there were so many

people milling around and as we were walking away we heard the most mighty explosion.” At the height of the blaze, there were 10 fire engines from Berkshire, Kingsclere, Whitchurch, Andover, Sutton Scotney, Winchester and Tadley in attendance.

Patients rally round to help surgery

... and Danny steps up

DANNY Robinson took over at Hungerford Town – bringing an end to his five-year reign at neighbours Thatcham Town. Hungerford are two divisions above Thatcham and having the opportunity to manage at a higher level

proviso that they could cover their costs by building two extra homes, one on a greenfield site. Around 100 residents and campaigners urged planners to agree, but a planning of icer Ward member James Cole (Con, Hungerford and Kintbury) told the meeting that when the committee approved the original application, “phosphates was simply not an issue brought before us”. recommended the new application be refused.

is what made Robinson apply for the job. “It’s something you just can ’t turn down because it’s National League South football,” he said. “I am 34 years old– would an opportunity like this come around again? I don ’t know. “I could have stayed at Thatcham because I was very comfortable, but I wanted to test myself under different circumstances.

nurses and team safe. “People have collected scrubs from others or made them on their sewing machines at home, as well as drawstring bags for us to wash them in– it’s been truly remarkable.”

keep us all safe. We’re so very grateful.” Dr Howells said:“When we were unable to source surgical scrubs, a plea was put out and we have been gifted a large number of scrubs to keep our doctors,