Week of action at Wensley Road estate marks the beginning of improvements to come

A week of action held by Reading Borough Council at Wensley Road Estate has begun a concerted effort by the council to help enhance the estate for residents.

From Monday 7th to Sunday 13th December, teams from across the Council’s housing, cleaning, parks and waste departments were on site daily at the estate to enhance the environment residents are living in.

The week long efforts of council staff and contractors made a big difference to the appearance of the Coley estate, and put in place great improvements to hygiene and facilities in the area which the Council will look to build on. This included a daily presence of pest control to find and remove the rats which have been reported as an ongoing problem for residents recently, and waste and recycling bins being emptied daily.

Additional activity to support this included the daily jet washing of bin stores and all bins being swapped out and cleaned to improve the waste hygiene in the area and help deter rats in future. Residents were even offered the free removal by Reading Borough Council of any bulky waste that they wanted to dispose of during the week.

Housing officers were on hand throughout the week to chat with residents and find out what mattered to them the most in improving the conditions they live in. Feedback forms and an online survey for residents will also help to shape future Council initiatives and plans, to make the area better for everyone and somewhere residents are proud to call home.

The Week of Action was the beginning of a concerted effort to improve the area, with longer term plans which will begin next year including the construction of new housing stock and improvements to existing housing to give those in the area additional opportunities, along with improved parking facilities. The general recreational facilities and appearance of the estate is also set to be greatly improved with the creation of new play areas and landscaped gardens.

Reading Borough Council’s Lead Member for Housing, John Ennis, said: “We are really pleased to have been able to spend a week making a real difference to the look, feel and environmental elements at the Wensley Road Estate. This push to improve conditions came about due to dialogue with residents, and by canvassing opinions throughout the week we hope to be able to work with residents more closely in the future. With Council investment planned in Coley including exciting enhancements such as gardens, play areas and new housing options, we aim to ensure the estate is somewhere residents are proud to call home”.