community yearbook 2018

MARCH

W:286.501mm H:0.353mm ISSUEDATE_ID 2_7 Newbury Weekly News

Thursday, 25 January, 2018

Huge rise in council tax

year is the £200,000 reduc- tion to the drainage main- tenance budget. Lib Dem leader Lee Dillon declared that the budget “painted a fairly bleak picture of the financial pressures we are under” . He added:“These cuts are seeing us go backwards, not forwards.” Acting council leader Graham Jones said local government was facing a “perfect storm”, with Government grants being cut while demand for services continued to rise. He said:“It gives me no great pleasure to propose the [council tax] increase, but I do it in the knowl- edge it is the right thing to do.”

IT WAS announced that council tax would rise by almost five per cent from April, following West Berkshire Coun- cil’s approval of its budget for 2017/18. Parking charges would also increase in council- run car parks in Newbury, Thatcham, Pangbourne and Theale. The council needed to save £8m in the next financial year after having its Government funding slashed from £33m in 2011 to £3.7m in 2017/18. The majority of the £8m would be found through the council tax rise, park - ing charge increase and internal redundancies within the council.

Trainer Nicky Henderson with My Tent Or Yours

and

Bartholomew Manor Oldest building ages 40 years

Double delight NICKY Henderson could hardly have asked for a better start to his Cheltenham Festival week than his two winners on the opening day. Altior’s odds-on triumph in the Racing Post Arkle Novices’ Chase was followed by Buveur D’Air’s win in the Stan James Champion Hurdle. It was the trainer’ s sixth win in the race, taking Henderson’ s festival tally to a record 57 with the prospect of more to come. And there was even the bonus of old favourite My Tent or Yours coming home second behind the Noel Fehily-ridden Buv eur D’Air to leave the trainer bubbling, but still considerate of his second-placed horse. “Noel has given him a beautiful ride. Well done him,” said Henderson. “You feel sorry for My Tent Or Yours . W e have won the Champion Hurdle, but that is now three Champion Hurdles he has been second in as well as a Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.” Second for Ladies NEWBURY LADIES secured runners-up spot in South East West One of the Women’s Championship with a 27-14 win over Windsor at Monks Lane. The result also served as a morale booster for Newbury ahead of their Berkshire Cup show- down with the same opponents on April 9. Peace And Co at his yard in Lambourn

However, funding to some vital public services will be either reduced or axed entirely. Funding to West Berk- shire Citizens Advice was due to be slashed by £30,000 – half the £60,000 originally proposed. Among the most contro - versial of the cuts this Lib Dem leader Lee Dillon

Bartholomew Manor was the prop- erty of Sandleford Priory, which closed in the 15th century and passed into the ownership of St George’s Chapel, Windsor. The discovery advances the date of the earliest identified building in Newbury by 40 years. The previous earliest known date was 1476, assigned by tree-ring dating in 2013 to 17-18 West Mills.

NEWBURY’s oldest building has been traced back to the medieval period and pre-dates existing records by 40 years. Tree-ring dating has traced Bartholomew Manor and the adjoining Manor Cottage, which were constructed at the same time, to around 1436, placing them within the reign of King Henry VI. During the medieval period, Tutti tragedy HUNGERFORD mourned the loss of veteran Tutti Day ‘Orangeman’ Paul Lewington. Mr Lewington died suddenly on Tuesday, February 28, just two months before he would have fulfilled his Hocktide duties for 2017, as in years gone by. He was aged 52. His duty as Orangeman was one of bodyguard to the Tuttimen while they visited the commoners to collect their ‘head pennies’ on Tutti Day. Constable of the Town and Manor of Hungerford, Ellie Dickins said: “He was always smartly dressed and carried out his duty with professional dignity as well as a sense of fun.”

Digging up the past ANCIENT woodland near Silchester was excavated in order to reveal its prehistoric past. A series of six or more previously unknown prehistoric monuments were discovered by University of Reading archaeologists in Pamber Forest, using aerial survey techniques. Partial outlines of the monuments were found through the examination of enhanced LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) images, by aerial interpreter Krysia Truscoe. Research manager Dr Catherine Barnett said excavation and analysis of the forest sites were essential in gain- ing an understanding of the nature of prehistoric homes, farms, mortuary sites and routeways.

Cycle path OK FUNDING for a new £5.7m cycle path linking Newbury to Windsor was confirmed. West Berkshire Council would be investing a £100,000 grant from the Department for Transport into the scheme, while three quarters of the cost would be picked up by the Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership. The route follows the A4/A329 cor idor between Newbury and Ascot and aims to improve cycling connectivity between Berkshire’s leisure, residen- tial, commercial and employment centres. It will also act as a link to attractions in the area, serving popular visitor desti- nations such as Legoland and Windsor Great Park.

‘Orangeman’ Paul Lewington