Category: Wokingham and West Berkshire Issues

I have read a copy of the following petition ane been asked to help:

Berkshire CC installed our roundabouts instead of traffic signals in 1980 for sound technical and safety reasons, but Reading BC vandalised them against the new professional consensus. TRL said that ‘the accident record did not justify the removal of the roundabouts’ and also that ‘the new scheme encourages all road users to behave dangerously’. So we now have a polluted and unsafe environment, loss of trade locally, long-term maintenance costs and fuel inefficiency. The planned developments in WBC will add to the congestion that RBC has forced on us. Representatives of local businesses & Residents Associations demanded at the 20 April 2012 community meeting that Councillors rectify their error, act in the public interest and implement the Low-Cost option, i.e.: reinstate both our roundabouts, re-widen the carriageway & install safe pedestrian-controlled crossings. We fully endorse this demand and sign accordingly.

It is a good example of unpopular public spending. I have been to see the installation a few times and agree that it has made the traffic situation worse, with long queues, more pollution and more frustrated drivers at busy times of day. I am taking it up with the Council for my constituents adversely affected by it.

At the request of constituents I attended the British Heart presentation in the Parliament on Wednesday.

They set out their suport for the traffic light system of food warnings introduced by the government and food industry, as they wish to discourage excessive and unhealthy eating. They also would like to see more young people take up competitive sports and exercise.

I would welcome comments from constituents on how far government should go in trying to influence lifestyle and diet, and promoting exercise and sport. Is the government doing enough, or are there other things you want them to do?

On Saturday night I was impressed by the Wokingham Choral Society and Wokingham Choral Academy. Their performance of African Sanctus by David Fanshawe was electrifying.

The work is ambitious, seeking to unify Islamic calls to prayer, courtship dances, love songs, desert bells, rain songs, war dances and African lamentations with a modern western setting for the Christian mass.

The music produces a cauldron of religious fervours and a bubbling kettle of superstitions. Coming from the rhythms of Africa, it juxtaposes the simplicity of desert bells or Hadandua war drums with the traditional latin chants  of the mass. The music of Africa merges into the music of the west.

I kept thinking of Wokgham’s Unum e pluribus motto – one out of many. The work finds the underlying humanity and common feelings that unite such different traditions and different ways of viewing religion and the world. The main elements of the human condition, love and war, loss and joy, are summed up.

The high point is the singing of the Lords prayer in English after the noises of African happiness and fear, celebration and exhortation. The soloist, Jenny Stafford, sang it superbly, commanding the Great Hall of Reading with her clear high notes, reaching a crescendo of controlled voice power.

All were good on the night. The drummers were at the centre of the action, keeping continuity between the recordings of African music and the Fanshawe western score.They excelled themselves with the beats. The singers were wonderful, especially the choirs’ sopranos rendering war dance notes.

          I go out quite often to knock on doors and listen to opinions. I was out again this Saturday in Earley.

          Over the last three months most of the preoccupations raised with me have been local. Usually they are specific to the street or the immediate situaiton of the home in  the neighbourhood. Sometimes they are matters which the Council can tackle, sometimes they are matters relating to the relationships between neighbours that are not easily influenced by governemtn of any level. This Saturday the use of a road by Driving Schools was causing unhappiness by residents affected,  as the Driving Schools are using a road which people need  to drive along for reversing and U turn training. Other issues have included school catchments, road safety, congestion and journeys to work.  I have asked Councillors to deal with the issues that come up where they can have some impact.

           The main national issue raised directly with me has been the EU, with most wanting us to get on with negotiaiting a new relationship and disliking the current degreee of interference in our affairs by Brussels.

        Public Health England has recently published its list of English premature mortality figures by Council area.  Wokingham comes out best in the list, with 200 premature deaths per 100,000 people. West Berkshire is 12th with just under 216.  Manchester, at 15oth, has 455 deaths per 100,000.

       This is welcome news, as the Councils take  up their public health responsibilities. The government will continue to pursue policies to help bring down premature deaths, and will work in partnership with Councils wishing to make more progress in this important field. The main causes of premature death are cancer, stroke, lung disease and liver disease. Good diet, no cigarettes and a sensible approach to alcohol can help ward off these unwelcome causes of ill health.

   I was asked by Reading University to attend a meeting at Parliament with representatives of the Universities to discuss university funding.

    I heard presentations from Nicola Dandridge, Chief Executive of Universities UK, and from Professor Dame Julia Goodfellow, who chairs the UUK Spending Review Task Force. They both talked in general terms about  why universities need adequate funding.

   I explained that the immediate debate is about the amount of money universities should receive from the state in 2015-16, the subject of the present public spending review. I said I was happy to intervene in  this debate, but would need figures from them about how much they were seeking and why. They did not have any proposals at the meeting.

This week the Secretary of State announced money for two Wokingham road schemes to ease congestion and improve safety. The government is granting £2.65m for the Station link road in Wokingham, and £1.859 for the A329 Coppid Beech junction improvement.

Both these schemes have been chosen and promoted by Wokingham Borough Council. I wish them well in implementing schemes, and trust they will ensure they do add to our road capacity, improve flows, and help safety. I have encouraged the Secretary of State to assist in sorting out Wokingham’s transport problems and am pleased he has provided this financial assistance.

Today I gave evidence to Mr Patrick Whitehead, the Inspector appointed to report on Wokingham Borough Council’s Managing Development Delivery plan (MDD). It was the closing day of his public enquiry. Mr David Lee, Leader of the Council, also made a statement.

I explained the national and local background to the Council decision to concentrate required new housing on four major sites. I argued that the Council had identified areas for substantial development, in excess of need and of the preferences of many local residents. They had done so on the understanding that if they co-operated with government in assisting new home development, they would be free to protect all the other green gaps, spaces and fields in the Borough from more building. It also offered the best prosepct of maximising developer financial contributions for public facilities.

I reminded the Enquiry that government policy under Labiour had required a large expansion of housing. The Coalition wished to see faster economic growth. They wish building and construction to assist this, after a period of sharp contraction in these trades.They also wish to see more homes built, to tackle a housing shortfall and to help arrest further rises in prices which make homes less affordable for many.

In order to bring about the susbtantial developments proposed there will need to be major additions to infrastructure. Much of this will need to be privately financed. The strategy rests on new building being concentrated in time and place to maximise the Section 106 monies made available by developers for public infrastructure. Were the Planning Inspectorate to allow extra developemnt elsewhere it would dilute the development in the chosen areas, undermine local decision making, and weaken the flow of Section 106 money.

The area will need additional schools and school places, expanded health capacity, and a revamped road system. In particular it needs bridges over the railway lines which cut the Borough in half and causes substantial traffic congestion at level crossings.

I supported the Council in seeking more parking spaces, both close to people’s homes and near town centres. I pointed out that the government does not wish high levels of social or affordable housing to be requirements which delay construction of private sector homes. WEe need to be realistic about how much developers can contribute given the reduced volumes and lower margins since the Credit Crunch. I also proposed that more of the social housing component should be in the form of affordable homes to buy, or shared ownership or self build. Ownership is generally preferred to renting by most people. I also supported the Council’s wish to have sensibly sized properties for families to live in, with minimum standards for space.

Mr Redwood was invited to speak at a Conservative Future event, “Remembering and extending the legacy of Margaret Thatcher”. The event was held yesterday in the House of Commons.

 When I was out and about in Sindlesham today with the local  Borough Councillor several people raised the issue of parking/drop off to the school in the mornings and pick up in the afternoons. People are worried that parking on the road is potentially dangerous with the concern that children might run out between the cars and get caught by traffic attempting to get through.

I have asked Councillors to look into this matter to see if the Council as Highways and Education authority can come to a better answer.