The Wokingham Borough Strategic Partnership - WBSP - brings together public, private, voluntary and community stakeholders to work together more effectively for the Borough of Wokingham. The Partnership is committed to improving the quality of life of everyone who lives, works or visit Wokingham Borough and identifying opportunities for joint working, including funding, to maximise available resources for the benefit of our local community. 

 

 

Wokingham Borough has a population of over 152,000, and is characterised by modern businesses providing excellent employment opportunities for a skilled and articulate population. 

 

The population is young compared with other Berkshire boroughs but is ageing and the percentage of people over retirement age will grow substantially over the next decade. The borough is, on average, prosperous and is ranked as the third least deprived local authority area in England and Wales. This does not mean that everyone enjoys a high standard of living and there are pockets of relative social deprivation. 

 

 

In the 1980s, the growth of the population was rapid, being second in the country only to Milton Keynes. However, this rapid rate of population growth was not matched by the necessary investment in infrastructure such as roads, public transport, community facilities etc, which has had important ongoing implications for the quality of life of residents of the borough.

 

There are three main conurbations within the Borough: Wokingham, Earley and Woodley. There are other well populated areas along the urban corridors of the borough and market towns and villages in semi rural areas, close to or within attractive countryside. When people come to live in the Wokingham borough it is generally for a long time.

 

The geographic character of the borough plus the benefits of good shopping and leisure opportunities, transport links, employment opportunities and schools are the major factors which attract people to the borough. Local factors such as high-cost housing and the nature of work opportunities available have important social implications.

 

 

Wokingham Borough is at the heart of a thriving Thames Valley economy, dominated by the I.T. service, communications and pharmaceuticals sectors. It is the home of a number of major international companies.  The main attractions for business include excellent communications links to London, Heathrow and through the motorway network to Europe and other parts of the UK, the clustering of firms offering similar goods and services and the availability of a supply of skilled workers. Some firms are experiencing skills and labour shortages and with the prospect of up to another 10,000 jobs being created in the area over the next 10 years. This is a major challenge. There has been some down-sizing and redundancies for major UK corporations and multi-nationals based in the borough.

 

Interactive maps of the Wokingham Borough are available for people to download and view online. These maps show residents local points of interest such as local schools, public rights of way and recycling banks, as well as an address search for residences within the Borough. 

 

Contact us through our Partnership coordinator, Sue Roberts, Local Strategy Partnership Manager, Wokingham Borough Council. Telephone: 0118 974 6016 Email: sue.roberts@wokingham.gov.uk