News

Nominations Now Open!

Hungerford Town Council is inviting nominations for the Freedom of the Town Award 2026.

This prestigious award celebrates individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the community through dedication, service, and positive impact.

Deadline: 24 July 2026
Nomination forms available at the Council office (Library building) or online
Winners announced: September 2026

Know someone who truly makes a difference in Hungerford? Nominate them today and help recognise their commitment to our town.

Hungerford in Britain in Bloom 2026 — Get Involved!

Hungerford Town Council is proud to be taking part in Britain in Bloom 2026, following our Silver award in our first ever entry.

We’re calling on local volunteers and sponsors to help make Hungerford look its very best. Whether you enjoy gardening, have creative ideas, or want to support the town through sponsorship, there’s a role for everyone.

Volunteer, sponsor, or support our green spaces and help Hungerford shine on the national stage.

Together, let’s make Hungerford bloom.

Get Involved Today

Let us know how you’d like to help:

Email: admin@hungerford-tc.gov.uk

Visit: Hungerford Town Council Office (inside the Library)

Call: 01488 686195

Links for the latest editions of Penny Post's coverage for Hungerford Town Council Click Here

Hungerford in Bloom 2026 - Officially Launched!

Hungerford Town Council (HTC) is delighted to announce that Hungerford in Bloom 2026 is now officially open for entries!

Once again, we look forward to seeing the town come alive with colourful floral displays created by our wonderful community. From gardens and courtyards to school grounds, containers, pubs, and commercial premises, every entry helps showcase Hungerford at its very best.

Whether you’ve taken part before or are joining us for the first time, we warmly encourage you to get involved this year.

Entry forms for 2026 are now available and include full details of categories and judging criteria.
Entry deadline: 4pm on Friday, 26 June
Judging date: Saturday, 11 July

Both PDF and Word versions of the entry form are available, complete and return whichever format suits you best.

If you have any questions, please contact the HTC office at 01488 686195 or email admin@hungerford-tc.gov.uk.

We can’t wait to see your floral creations and celebrate another beautiful summer in Hungerford!

Hungerford Town Council’s Annual Grant Scheme 2026/2027 is Now Open!

Hungerford Town Council is delighted to announce that applications are welcome for the 2026–2027 Annual Grant Scheme. Grants are typically allocated in May/June, and the deadline for submitting applications is Friday, 3^rd April 2026.

As in previous years, all applications should be made through The Good Exchange at www.thegoodexchange.com. We encourage you to apply via this platform to benefit from potential match funding and to allow other funders using The Good Exchange to support your project.

Please ensure you review our grant policy before submitting your application. It is available here: Policies - Hungerford Town Council

If you already have an active application on The Good Exchange, please let me know your project reference number so I can access the relevant details.

If you are not using The Good Exchange, please let me know and I will send you an application form.

Please note that we cannot guarantee funding will remain available later in the year, so we strongly encourage you to apply before the deadline.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Deputy Clerk on 01488 686195.

Silver Award for Hungerford in Britain in Bloom! 

We’re thrilled to announce that Hungerford has won Silver in the Small-Town category of Britain in Bloom! 

This fantastic achievement reflects the dedication of our residents, volunteers, community groups, Hungerford Town Council and Town and Manor— all working together to make our town a beautiful place to live, work, and visit.

The judges were wowed by our stunning green spaces:
• Riverside meadows
• Historic landscapes
• Hungerford Common & The Marsh
• Canals, rivers, parks & community allotments

Special thanks to our community groups including Smarten Up Hungerford, Hungerford Allotment Association (HAHA), St Lawrence’s Church volunteers, Town & Manor, local businesses, and individuals who support the town and to all those who lovingly maintain these spaces for everyone to enjoy.

This award celebrates community spirit, collaboration, and the natural beauty of Hungerford. Let’s keep showing the country what makes our town truly remarkable!

Introducing Ridgeway Council - part of a two unitary council option for Oxfordshire and West Berkshire - West Berkshire Council

A proposal for two new unitary Councils - Oxford and Shires, and Ridgeway - West Berkshire Council

Click here for the full results of the Informal Housing Consultation

The Neighbourhood Plan is making progress. We have a draft text of the Plan and the detailed evaluations of the housing allocations completed.

The Plan covers the whole parish for the period 2024 to 2041 and will be used to plan for Hungerford’s future and determine planning applications alongside the West Berkshire Local Plan.

The Plan Vision

Hungerford sits at the heart of the North Wessex Downs AONB and is treasured for being an historic market town set within beautiful and accessible countryside and waterways.

The residents of Hungerford seek to work together to embrace constructive change that ensures a vibrant, robust and sustainable economy that will enhance their prosperity and provide an affordable and nurturing environment for current and future generations.

This should be achieved whilst conserving Hungerford’s natural and manmade heritage and enhancing its strong sense of being a caring community and a fulfilling place to live.

There are chapters in the Plan under the following headings:

• Housing
• Employment and economy
• Getting about
• Leisure, Wellbeing, Public Safety and Learning
• Our heritage
• Climate change and biodiversity

In each of these there are aims, objectives and proposals.

Housing Site Allocation

The Neighbourhood Plan has to allocate sites to deliver a minimum of 55 dwellings to comply with the West Berkshire Emerging Local Plan. If it doesn’t, then the Emerging Local Plan will do this and the community will have less say over which sites are chosen.

After careful and detailed evaluation of many sites around the town several sites were identified that represented sustainable and deliverable options.

Informal consultations to obtain residents views and comments took place in The Corn Exchange building on:

· Wednesday November 1^st at the Town Hall 2pm to 4pm and 7pm to 9pm

· Saturday November 4^th at the Magistrates Room 10am to Midday

Alternatively residents could respond via the online consultation. Housing Feedback Form. The closing date for comments was by 4pm on Monday 13th November 2023.

For the background please refer to the attached Informal Sites Consultation document below for details of preferred housing sites and options. Also below is the Draft Site Assessment report which explains how the sites have been selected. 

UPDATE: We have now analysed the results and a report of the informal housing consultation is attached.

Way Forward

The main next stages for the Plan are:

• Complete the Draft Plan
• Send this to West Berkshire Council for comments
• Formal six week consultation, early 2024
• Public examination, mid 2024
• Public referendum on the Plan, autumn 2024