The Newbury branch of teenage advice quango Connexions has decided not to take up an offer to move to a new £1.5m multi-charity centre at New Greenham Park.

Connexions Berkshire was earmarked to relocate from Northbrook Street to the Slater Centre at the Greenham business park along with eight other charities, but has moved instead to offices at the Point, Park Way.

The government-funded service is charged with cutting teenage pregnancies, drug abuse, encouraging youths to carry on in education, and providing an outreach service for travellers.

Planning improvements

The time it takes to process planning applications in West Berkshire has improved dramatically since the Conservatives took control of the council in May. New council figures show that 82% of major applications were processed on time – up from 50% the previous quarter. Also, 82% of standard applications were within the eight week target, up from 67% in the three months to March. Overall, the Tories are trying to beat the 63% satisfaction rating achieved by the Liberal Democrats before they ceded control.

Panic at the pumps

Several Newbury garages are out of fuel today amid national panic at a fuel shortage. Last night, the Shell garage on Old Bath Road and the Texaco garage in London Road had both run dry, and heavy queues formed at all the local supermarket pumps and the Total garage in Andover Road.