Welcome to Brightwalton News

The Brightwalton Quizmasters invite you to challenge your general knowledge in a
​wide-ranging, fun quiz.
Friday, 24 January 2020
7.00pm arrive for a 7.30pm start at Brightwalton Village Hall
Come as a team of eight, or come along and make up a team
Everyone welcome       Prizes for the winners
 
Bring your own picnic supper
Tickets: £10 per person which includes a welcome drink
 
This event is held in aid of the Aspire project, which is working to develop the church building for greater and more varied use by the community
 
RSVP Please reserve your place by replying to [email protected]

On a cold winters evening in December, a handful of hardy souls gathered at the village hall for an evening of carol singing around the village.

Judith Orpen led the band of enthusiastic singers to Butts Furlong, Dunmore Meadow and along Ash Close to Saxon Acre and then ending up for some much-needed refreshment at the Halls Craggs, who go kindly and generously hosted us for some mulled wine and mince pies.

Thanks to everyone’s generosity, we raised over £120 on the night, split between the Two Saints Homeless Charity in Newbury and the Brightwalton Aspire Project (this portion will be match funded thanks to the generous matching grant from Greenham Trust).
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Our thanks to everyone that came and took part as well as everyone who kindly made such a generous donation.

West Berkshire Council Press Release - 17th December 2019
​Residents urged to have say on ‘transformational’ 30 year transport strategy
​People and businesses in West Berkshire are being urged to have their say on a proposed thirty-year transport strategy for the South East which aims to improve journeys, boost the economy and protect the environment.
The strategy outlines how, with the right investment in our region’s transport network, the South East's economy will more than double by 2050 to between £450bn and £500bn per year – creating an additional 500,000 jobs, boosting quality of life and access to opportunities for all and helping cut the South East’s carbon emissions to net-zero.
It has been produced by Transport for the South East, a unique partnership bringing together local authorities, business leaders and transport organisations to speak with one voice on our region’s transport priorities.
A major focus of the strategy is reducing the region’s reliance on private cars to reduce congestion, cut carbon emissions and improve air quality. Today, cars account for 70% of all journeys in the South East compared to just 4% by rail and 5% by bus. It also highlights how better transport links can support economic growth around our key international gateways, such as Port of Southampton, which are vital to the local, regional and national economy.
To do this, the strategy sets out a thirty-year framework to guide decisions about where, when and how money is invested in the South East’s transport network, along with a range of schemes and initiatives to make sustainable travel easier and more attractive to people and businesses. These could include better and faster rail journeys, improved links to ports and airports, a real-terms freeze on rail fares, cheaper off-peak fares and extra funding to protect and enhance vital bus services.
Richard Somner, West Berkshire’s Executive Member for Highways and Transport said: I’m pleased that this strategy has been created with sustainability at its heart. By putting both people and the planet to the fore and prioritising public transport, we can vastly increase the chances of reducing congestion, cutting emissions and boosting our air quality. I urge everyone to take a look and have their say on this forward thinking strategy.”
Charles Eales, Co-Chairman of the Berkshire Strategic Transport Forum added, “This draft strategy advocates a vision for the South East’s transport system that creates great places – a sustainable, inclusive and accessible transport system which promotes prosperity, health and fairness for residents and commuters. This links closely to the themes outlined in our emerging Local Industrial Strategy and our current call for infrastructure bids.”
The draft transport strategy identifies priorities for future investment by looking at the challenges people and businesses will face in moving around the region and the opportunities these present to support sustainable economic growth.
These include a range specific schemes as well as wider policies and initiatives. For example, the strategy argues for greater use of new and emerging technology such as connected autonomous vehicles (CAVs) to boost connectivity. It makes the case for policy changes to enable more joined up planning, particularly between transport and housing, to help reduce the need to travel and build more sustainable communities. And the strategy also recognises that tough decisions will need to be made about how, not if, we manage demand on the busiest parts of our transport networks.
The final transport strategy is due for publication in April 2020, with a strategic investment plan planned for publication in 2021. This will provide a prioritised, costed and deliverable list of schemes, initiatives and policies to start turning the South East’s vision into reality.
 Have your say
To read the draft transport strategy and take part in the consultation, go to tfse.org.uk/transport-strategy. The deadline for responses is Friday, 10 January 2020.

It is worth noting that West Berkshire Council has this year published a ‘Second Consolidated Definitive Map and Statement’ of public rights of way. This supercedes the ‘First Consolidated Definitive Map and Statement’ that was published in the year 2000.
 
The Definitive Map and Statement are the legal paper record of recognized public rights of way. The new version incorporates all legal changes to the public rights of way record that took place between the year 2000 and 2019.
 
In practice, West Berkshire Council has kept an electronic record of public rights of way available online for many years 
(https://gis1.westberks.gov.uk/ApplicationTemplates/OnlineMap/?vln=PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY). This online map is, in effect, a working copy of the Definitive Map & Statement information that is continually updated with all public rights of way diversions, extinguishments, creations and modifications. It will continue to be available online, and will be updated with all legal changes as they occur. It is the simplest way of viewing the current record of public rights of way.
                                                     
The new version of the paper Definitive Map & Statement does not alter what public rights of way do, or do not, exist, or which public rights of way are, or are not, legally recorded. It is a means of ensuring that the legal paper record reflects all the changes that took place between 2000 and 2019, and is shown on an up-to-date map background.
 
For further information, please see the West Berkshire Council Definitive Map webpage: https://info.westberks.gov.uk/article/28884

The winter edition of the West Berkshire Countryside Society Upstream magazine is available to download here. This edition includes articles on veteran trees, volunteering and the walking programme.