Priority Area: 4. A prosperous and resilient West Berkshire

4.A. Proactively engage with, attract and support businesses in West Berkshire to grow and thrive

4.1. Routes to employment are enhanced, including through lifelong learning, apprenticeships and further education

• 4.1.1. Work with local education providers, the Local Enterprise Partnership and Chambers of  Commerce to create work clubs and programmes to gain skills while in work
• 4.1.2. Launch a mentoring programme for children with local businesses

4.2. Businesses continue to invest in West Berkshire to remain competitive through a mixed economy  

• 4.2.1. Attract businesses to move to West Berkshire, and encourage and support new businesses to start up

4.3. Continued support for rural-based jobs by working with our existing rural clusters and supporting  the environment around centres of excellence

• 4.3.1. Hold an annual Rural Business Forum, to enable better support for farmers, land owners and rural businesses
• 4.3.2. Regular meetings and working with our existing rural clusters (viticulture, horse racing,   technology, traditional farming, etc) and supporting the environment around centres of excellence

4.4. Landowners supported to develop (landed) Estate Plans that deliver clear community benefits in  terms of employment and environmental and biodiversity gains, as well as affordable housing for their key workers
Pilot first Estate Plan in 2025, and aim for at least one per year from 2026 onwards

4.5. Better engage with local businesses and help  make West Berkshire more attractive for businesses to create more jobs for residents

• 4.5.1. Hold an annual Business Conference with local businesses

4.6. Local economic growth supported by infrastructure developments

4.B. Regeneration of Bond Riverside and build a new community sports stadium

4.7. The Bond Riverside regeneration programme is progressed

• 4.7.1. Bond Riverside regeneration programme review completed by early 2024
• 4.7.2. Work with local businesses, leaseholders, developers and Newbury Town Council, to start the regeneration of Bond Riverside in 2025 and make it an attractive place for businesses and their employees

4.C. Continue to invest in key infrastructure and public transport

4.9. Our primary, secondary and local road networks are maintained in a good state of repair

• 4.9.1. Potholes strategy and plan ready in 2024. This will then be incorporated into the updated Highway Asset Management Plan in 2025

4.10. Increase resilience to climate change by expanding flood prevention and minimising impacts of droughts

4.11. Better travel options available to our residents, including in rural areas

• 4.11.1. Work with transport providers and local businesses to develop a Public Transport Plan in 2024, which will investigate more evening bus   services. This will feed into the updated Local Transport Plan in 2025

4.D. Ensure new housing developments come with suitable infrastructure and enhanced amenities

4.12. Local plan revised to make sure that major new housing developments come with suitable infrastructure and enhanced amenities to properly  support them

The Priority 4 visual strategy

To view the Priority 4 strategy in full, please download our accessible PDF file.

West Berkshire Council Strategy - Priority 4 [205KB]

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