Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some questions we are regularly asked by residents.
General
- For Parish Council owned land (Stanlake Meadow, King George V Recreation Ground and the Burial Ground), please email [email protected]
- For non-Parish Council owned land, you can report it to Wokingham Borough Council here (Trees, hedges and grass cutting (wokingham.gov.uk)).
Missed waste collections can be reported to Wokingham Borough Council here (Report missed collection (wokingham.gov.uk)).
Fly-tipping can be reported to Wokingham Borough Council here (Street cleaning and litter bins (wokingham.gov.uk)).
- Cycling maps can be found here (Cycle Maps (myjourneywokingham.com)).
- Walking maps can be found here (Walking Maps – Twyford Together).
Parking issues can be reported to Wokingham Borough Councils Parking Services Team by emailing [email protected]
Further information can be found here (EV Charging Point Information Article | Wokingham).
This can be reported to Wokingham Borough Council here (Report a problem with roads and streets (wokingham.gov.uk)).
- To become a member of the Twyford Adopt-A-Street Volunteers Team, please email [email protected]
- To become a gardening volunteer, get involved in Twyford in Bloom, become a Friend of Stanlake or a Wildflower Waterer, please email [email protected] for more information.
You can find out more about Twyford Parish Council’s Climate Change Plan here (Climate Change Plan 2020 (twyfordparishcouncil.gov.uk)).
You can find out about air quality in Twyford here (Air Quality Monitoring – PPP (publicprotectionpartnership.org.uk))
You can find out more about Twyford Parish Council’s Strategic Action Plan here (Strategic Action Plan (twyfordparishcouncil.gov.uk)).
Council Elections
Candidates standing to be a Parish Councillor must be:
- British or a citizen of the Commonwealth. You may also be eligible as a citizen of the European Union, however the criteria has changed now that the UK has left the European Union. Please check on the gov.uk website for advice about EU citizens’ voting and candidacy rights in local elections.
- At least 18 years old.
- Registered to vote in the area or have lived, worked, or owned property there for at least 12 months before an election.
You can’t be a Councillor if you:
- Work for the council you want to be a councillor for, you can work for another local authority as long as you are not in a politically restricted post.
- Are the subject of a bankruptcy restrictions order or interim order.
- Have been sentenced to prison for three months or more (including suspended sentences) during the five years before election day.
- Have been convicted of a corrupt or illegal practice by an election court.
- Are subject to any relevant notification requirements, or a relevant order, in respect of a sexual offence.
Please read the full eligibility criteria from the Electoral Commission. If you are in any doubt about whether you are eligible to stand as a Councillor, you should contact the Electoral Services or Democratic Services team at Wokingham Borough Council or the Electoral Commission for advice.
Elections are held every four years.
Twyford has two wards, north and south. The north ward has 13 seats, and the south ward has 2 seats, making a total of 15 seats for the Twyford Parish.
According to the 2021 Census data, Twyford has a population of approximately 6,116 residents.
A person is entitled to vote in Parish Council elections if they are on the electoral register held by Wokingham Borough Council and with an address in Twyford Parish.
Councillor
Details of your Parish Councillors can be found here (Meet your Twyford Parish Council Councillors).
Council Meetings
Twyford Parish Council meet throughout the year, normally, but not always, on a Tuesday. Details of our forthcoming meetings can be found here (Twyford Parish Council Meetings & Annual Parish Meeting).
Our meetings normally take place in the Twyford Room at Loddon Hall and begin at 7.45pm. To find out details of our meetings, click here (Twyford Parish Council Meetings & Annual Parish Meeting).
Yes. All meetings are public. To find out details of our meetings, click here (Twyford Parish Council Meetings & Annual Parish Meeting).
Yes. At the start of the meeting there is a ‘Public Questions’ segment. If you have a specific matter that you wish to raise with the council, you can inform the chairman before the meeting commences, or by writing to the clerk/deputy clerk and the chairman will set time aside for you to speak.
The minutes are kept indefinitely. Once approved and signed as a correct and proper record they are acceptable as evidence in a court of law. Minutes dating back to 2016 are available here (Twyford Parish Council Meetings & Annual Parish Meeting), older minutes are available to be viewed at the Berkshire Records Office.
Finance
The parish council can raise a precept which is collected by Wokingham Borough Council as part of the council tax and paid in two instalments. It is used to fund the administration of the council and provide local services and facilities. Funds can also be raised from income on the rental of council property and from grants.
Details of the Parish Council’s budget and precept can be found here (Twyford Parish Council Finance and Reports) with further details if needed being available from the Clerk.
Twyford Parish Council will consider applications for grants or loans from non profit- making voluntary organisations, charitable bodies or other bodies (but not individuals) providing a public service other than for gain, which will directly benefit the parish of Twyford and its residents. Priority will be given to smaller and more local organisations. More information is available here (Grants and Loans for Twyford Parish Council).
Planning Matters
As a statutory consultee, the Parish Council comments on applications for planning consent within the Parish of Twyford and whilst the observations of the Parish Council are always taken into consideration, it is Wokingham Borough Council as the Local Planning Authority that decides on planning applications.
All Wokingham Borough Council planning applications can be found on their website (Wokingham Borough Council Online Planning).
All planning applications received by Wokingham Borough Council and subsequently passed to the Parish Council that falls within the Parish of Twyford will be included within the next Planning & Amenities meeting. The meeting agendas can be found on the Parish Council noticeboard on Apsley House (side of Rural Pie) and on the website. During the meeting the Committee will decide whether to make a comment, which may be an objection or support, and if commenting will then provide its view and any relevant local information for consideration by Wokingham Borough Council.
If you wish to comment on a planning application, this should be done through Wokingham Borough Council. Details on this can be found here (Wokingham Borough Council Online Planning).
Details of the Twyford Neighbourhood Plan can be found here (Twyford Neighbourhood Plan (twyfordparishcouncil.gov.uk)).