Six school sites in Newbury are to offer parenting classes, childcare facilities, and allow non-pupils to use their sports and arts facilities.

West Berkshire Council is expected to hand out £200,000 to Trinity, Park House, Speenhamland, Falkland, Greenham Court, and Victoria Park nursery, so they can extend school facilities to the wider community. The council cabinet meets on Thursday to approve the allocation, but each school will be allowed to tailor its programme to local needs.

School’s out

Education chiefs are expected to bring in a six term year from September. West Berkshire Council wants to shorten terms to stop parents taking their children on holidays during term time. The new year runs from September 5 to June 20, with 61 days holiday.

Chinese whispers

As revealed on the town’s favourite website last week, Cantonese restaurateurs Chen Zhang and Ning An are taking over the old Sunflower clothes shop in Cheap Street, with the hope of setting up a new Chinese restaurant to give the nearby Laurel some competition.

Sunflower closed late last year, after the owner blamed the Vision for Newbury of ruining the town’s shopping scene. But the restaurant will have to persuade planners to allow a change of use. However, Gordons Bar next door managed a similar feat, despite earlier misgivings when Wetherspoons attempted to open a pub there.

Recycling rules

Wimpey Homes is trying to fill up Newbury’s newest housing estate before complying with all its planning obligations. West Berkshire Council told the housebuilder to install recycling facilities on the new 58-home Inglewood estate in Enborne Road before moving people in. However, people are already moving in, and Wimpey has applied to have the condition relaxed.