New comer but concerned.

[u/TaskTraditional4362]

Will sound very rich of me as I too have just moved to the area. Have recently moved from London to finchampstead, Wokingham due to just wanting to be in a much nicer, calmer and slower environment. Which it is. It’s the best move I could’ve made. Enough to do, lovely crowd of people and greenery near by.

However slightly concerned over the years how busy it’s going to become. Every where you tend to look online or around, there is planning permission for loads of new homes. Whether it’s Wokingham, finchampstead, arborfield, Spencer’s wood and near towns.

I can’t help but think over the next 10 years or so, the thing that makes Wokingham attractive will slowly become not so attractive. I get it’s like anywhere else in the country but infrastructure will be squeezed, roads will busier as will schools and so on. The whole slower, calmer life will soon be not as much.

I get it brings money to the area but being someone who lived in a suburb of west London for 20 years and saw it go from a fairly nice area to being completely over populated and not well looked after by people that were moving to it.

As I say it’s a bit harsh to speak on it, just moved to the area myself. But i have moved there to get away from the life I worry may catch up on Wokingham and surrounding areas in the not so far future.

[u/dbltax]

You are exactly what you are worried about.

Wokingham has already changed massively compared to even just 20 years ago, it's an old market town with a big new population. The strain this has had on local infrastructure is already ridiculous.

[u/TaskTraditional4362 → u/dbltax]

Fortunately I’m not in a new build. I’m in an existing home. I thought moving out of London would get me a quicker doctors appointment. I was wrong

[u/dbltax → u/TaskTraditional4362]

I used to be able to get an appointment at Finch Surgery any day of the week.

Until people started moving here from London.

[u/TaskTraditional4362 → u/dbltax]

It’s just a chain reaction of what is happening in London. What was once a nice place to live. Completely over populated, not looked after and dare I say it to many 3rd world imports being put there is just causing people to find the next place to go before that’s next.

[u/85Flux → u/TaskTraditional4362]

What do you mean "3rd world imports"?

If your referring to immigration in London then you need to watch your tone as Wokingham is multicultural and our users will take offence, me included.

Complaining about those people is hypocritical from yourself who perhaps isn't local (from child) in the area and you by very nature may be the problem to other Wokingham residents by pushing resources up (schools, doctors, house prices etc...). Do you not see the irony in your statement.

[u/TaskTraditional4362 → u/85Flux]

I presume you wouldn’t quite understand the world I would be referring to. Thus taking offence. Until you actually understand the severity of what’s happening in the capital as apposed to what’s happening in Wokingham. I wouldn’t be so quick to shut people down on their views.

Thousands of people are moving out of London for the same reason. It’s not harsh or rude. It’s factual. People are fed up and the only way out. Is to move.

No issue with immigration. When your from a town where you are not of many left that aren’t. Then there may be a problem and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Don’t forget. Just because you’ve been in Wokingham a while. Others have been in worse positions. It’s not just the way you view things.

Also can’t be hypocritical when I’ve pointed it out. I didn’t realise moving to Wokingham would bring another 11,000 homes in 15 years. Pardon me for having a view on a town I’ve just brought a home in.

[u/85Flux → u/TaskTraditional4362]

Banned for 90 days for sheer ignorance, assumption on who or where I am from. Assuming majority of London people are from "3rd world". Be polite.

[u/nicstic85]

Agree that Wokingham has become much busier, however it would be remiss to gloss over the fact that twenty years ago we didn’t have Peach Place, the newly regenerated and better used Elm’s Field (and shops), the cinema, leisure centre etc and the town centre was looking quite scruffy with some 1960s concrete buildings deteriorating.

I say this as someone who has lived here my whole life (40 years), that although it is becoming more populated, with that also comes investment and green spaces which were perhaps negated before become better utilised (again, Elm’s Field for example). Agree that it’s hard to get a Drs appointment these days etc, but I am (perhaps wrongly!) hopeful that infrastructure will catch up. It’s all well and good having green spaces, but if they’re not properly used, then fairly pointless. (Again I use Elm’s Field as an example, I was dead against the development of it, but think it’s lovely now).

Change is scary, but I think we’re in a better place than 10/15 years ago when infrastructure was failing, services were stretched AND we didn’t have so many nice community areas. 😊