Cold Ash Parish Council

14/10/2026

🚧 WEST BERKSHIRE COUNCIL ROAD CLOSURE – COLLAROY ROAD, COLD ASH 🚧

Please be aware that Collaroy Road will be closed 24 hours a day from 27 to 31 October 2026, between The Ridge and Cold Ash Footpath 21.

💧 Reason: New water connection
🔧 Works by: Thames Water / Network Plus Services Ltd
🏠 Residential access: Yes
🚑 Blue light access: Yes
☎️ Contact: 01787 237509

For details and the diversion route, please visit:

13/10/2026

Hermitage Road, Cold Ash: Why the Chicanes Still Matter

Recent social media posts have highlighted growing frustration with the chicanes on Hermitage Road. Their purpose, however, is not always fully understood.

Around 30 years ago, Cold Ash was badly affected by heavy vehicles travelling between the industrial units in Thatcham and the M4/A34 junction. For residents on Cold Ash Hill, the impact was severe: some reported that their homes shook as lorries passed.

One incident remains particularly vivid. A young child was cycling on the pavement when the downdraught from a passing lorry pulled both the child and the bicycle into the road. Thankfully, no vehicle was following. Had there been one, the consequences could have been horrific.

In response, the Parish Council and local residents worked with the police, the then Newbury District Council and the local MP to find a solution. The police advised that a weight restriction on its own would be difficult to enforce effectively.

The solution was therefore designed both to deter larger vehicles and to reinforce a weight limit on the road. At the time, a series of five double chicanes along Hermitage Road was considered the most effective option.

That is necessarily a shortened version of events: developing and introducing the scheme required considerable time and effort from everyone involved. Once the chicanes were in place, it became clear that the double arrangement was not working as intended, so all but one were reduced to single chicanes. The double chicane near Downe House was retained because it also provided a safer crossing point for pupils moving between the school and its playing fields. The school had contributed towards its construction.

I appreciate that the chicanes can be frustrating for drivers, but their main purpose is not simply to slow traffic. They remain a vital part of the measures that keep heavy vehicles out of the village. At the time, the scheme was an innovative response to a serious local problem. It is also worth noting that the present 30 mph speed limit was introduced only in 1999.

I hope this background helps explain why the chicanes were installed and why they continue to matter. Although I do not live on this section of Hermitage Road, I would not want to see heavy vehicles returning to the village.

Councillor Heather Codling

15/09/2026

🚗 There's Still Time to Have Your Say! 🚗

Have you completed Cold Ash Parish Council's Road Safety & Selective 20mph Speed Limits Survey yet? If not, there's still time!

The survey remains open until 30 September 2026.

We're keen to hear residents' views on:
✅ Proposed 20mph speed limits outside local schools
✅ Other locations where a selective 20mph limit could improve safety
✅ Road safety concerns within the parish

Your feedback will help inform the Parish Council's future discussions and representations to West Berkshire Council.

Every response counts, so please take a few minutes to share your views before the closing date.

🕒 Survey closes on 30 September 2026.
Thank you for helping us make Cold Ash a safer place for everyone. 🚸🚶‍♀️🚴‍♂️

07/09/2026

🎪 Who else enjoyed the Cold Ash Fete on the Recreation Ground on Saturday?

We certainly did, and what a fantastic job the Fete Committee did! A huge thank you to everyone involved for organising such a wonderful community event. It was great to see so many people enjoying the day.

While we have your attention, we have two important requests for your help:

🪨 1. Help us improve the Recreation Ground

It's been another tough summer for our flora and fauna, and some of you may have noticed the increasing amount of flint appearing on the Recreation Ground, particularly across the western half where some areas now look almost gravelled.

With a significant amount of volunteer effort, we're hoping to hand-pick as much of the visible flint as possible before an autumn and winter maintenance programme begins.

Can you spare an hour or two this Sunday morning to help? Every bucket of flint collected will make a difference. If you can join us, please bring gloves and a bucket if you have them.

💚 Every volunteer and every bucket counts.

🚗 2. Have your say on traffic and road safety

Our Traffic & Road Safety Survey is still open, and we'd love to hear from even more residents. We have already exceeded the number of responses collected by West Berkshire Council earlier this year, but the more feedback we receive, the stronger the evidence base we can build.

The survey takes an average of 10 minutes to complete and contains just 10 questions.

Please take a few moments to share your views and help shape future discussions on road safety in Cold Ash.

👉 Complete the survey here: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/iszy8YVBd5

Thank you for your support, and once again, congratulations to the Fete Committee on another successful Cold Ash Fete! 🎉

07/09/2026

01/09/2026

🚧 West Berkshire Council Road Closure Notice – Fishers Lane, Cold Ash 🚧

Please be aware that Fishers Lane will be closed on Wednesday 9 September 2026 from 9:00am to 4:30pm to allow urgent tree works to be carried out.

📍 Closure location: From the junction with Hermitage Road to the junction with B4009 Long Lane.

✅ Residential access will be maintained where possible.
✅ Blue light/emergency vehicle access will be available.

The works are being undertaken by Connick Tree Care on behalf of West Berkshire Council.

For more information and diversion details, please visit:
🔗

20/08/2026

**Further Update: SGN have advised that due to further delays on a separate programme, these works will not begin until 24th September 2026. New end date of works will be 24th November 2026.**

Further WBC Update: Southern Gas Network have advised that due to further delays on a separate programme, these works will not begin until 21st September. The new end date of works will be 20th November.

WBC update: the below works has been rescheduled to 7th September – 6th November 2026 due to delays in the program.
Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.

🚦 Planned Temporary Traffic Lights on Cold Ash Hill 🚦

West Berkshire Council (WBC) has advised that temporary traffic lights will be in place on Cold Ash Hill from 31 August to 30 October 2026 while Southern Gas Networks undertakes gas main connection and service works.

📍 Location: From outside Ayando to outside Wakefield
⏰ Duration: 24 hours a day, from 31 August to 30 October 2026

WBC appreciates that a two-month period of traffic management will be concerning for residents and road users. However, due to the nature and extent of the works, this duration is required to complete the project safely and efficiently.

To help reduce disruption:

✅ The working area will be restricted to a maximum length of 100 metres at any one time.
✅ Temporary traffic signals will be manually controlled during peak periods between 07:30–09:00 and 15:30–19:00, Monday to Friday, to help maintain traffic flow and minimise congestion.
✅ As the works progress, the traffic management will be reduced from multi-way signals to two-way signals where possible.

WBC will continue to monitor the works and liaise with the contractor to keep disruption to a minimum wherever possible.

For further information, please contact Southern Gas Networks on 0800 912 1700 or visit

18/08/2026

17/08/2026

📚Did you know that Thatcham Library is now open for longer on Saturdays?

📣At the Cold Ash Annual Parish Meeting in March this year, residents told us that we should continue to help support the local library service and that we should do that by helping extend the opening hours on Saturdays. We're really pleased to say that is now happening ✅👏

A reminder that Thatcham Library will now be open for an additional hour on Saturdays, from 9.30am-1.00pm. This exciting development has been made possible thanks to the generous support of Cold Ash Parish Council, which has provided financial backing for the increase in hours.

Whether you’d like to borrow a book, these extended hours mean more opportunities to explore and benefit from the library’s offerings. Families can also take this chance to discover our children’s section or join in on some of the weekly activities.

We’re delighted to make visiting the library even more convenient for our community and hope to see you soon.

13/08/2026

🚗 Cold Ash Parish Council Residents' Survey: Road Safety & Selective 20mph Speed Limits 🚗

Earlier this year, West Berkshire Council consulted on introducing a blanket 20mph speed limit across Cold Ash Parish. While 89 residents responded and the overall feedback was predominantly against the proposal, Cold Ash Parish Council would like to better understand whether there is support for targeted 20mph speed limits in specific locations where road safety may be a concern.

The Parish Council has already adopted a position supporting a 20mph limit on roads immediately outside Cold Ash Primary School and St Mark's School. This survey seeks residents' views on that proposal and invites suggestions for any other locations within the parish where a selective 20mph limit could improve safety.

📝 Your feedback will help inform the Parish Council's future discussions and representations to West Berkshire Council.

📢 A separate survey on traffic flow, congestion and the impact of future development within the parish will follow.

⏳ The survey is open until 30 September 2026.

Please take a few minutes to share your views by completing the survey here: