Thousands of people in Wokingham and the Reading suburbs live in private rental accommodation. These changes affect approximately 10,000 people in private rental properties in the town, Woodley and Earley, and places like Shinfield and Arborfield, where the rental sector is growing. These were council leader Stephen Conway (Liberal Democrats, Twyford, Ruscombe & Hurst), David Hare (Liberal Democrats, Hawkedon), executive councillor for adult services, health and wellbeing, and Lou Timlin, executive councillor for public protection. Welcoming the measures, cllr Timlin (Liberal Democrats, Evendons) explained: “I had to declare an interest as I rent a property in Wokingham Borough. Executive councillors unanimously agreed to update the council's private housing enforcement and civil penalty policies at the meeting on July 30.