Category: Wokingham and West Berkshire Issues

I am told the Consultation over the future of Wokingham Post Office is delayed until the new year. Only then will we be told what they have in mind and why they think an alternative will be better. I will study the proposals and put in a response to the Consultation when they get there.

On Friday I joined Councillors and local residents for a tree planting in land adjacent to the Fairground Car Park. This is part of the national forest scheme. I am grateful to the Councillors and John Bull who organised this and found a suitable place for the planting.

I went to the Carnival this afternoon, and joined the Mayor for carols and the ceremony of turning on the Christmas lights by the Town Hall. It was good to see the town busy for the event, and good that the rain stayed away during the crucial part of the proceedings. I would like to thank all involved in o0rganising it, and all who participated in the procession and wider events.

I met the new Chief Executive of Reading Buses today to discuss local services.

I asked him for more information on how they can assess demand and maximise fare paying passengers on local routes, discussing service frequency, bus itineraries and patterns of demand. I also pointed out some of the difficulties for buses and other road users where routed on narrow country roads.

He has promised to come back with more information about the current pattern and some ideas on how to improve.

Knowing of worries about the possible move of the Post Office counters service from the Broad Street premises to a local shop, I am chasing an answer from the Post Office on why they wish to do this and what level of service they think they could supply with such a change. There is understandable apprehension that service could be worse if they refuse to engage and provide us with the rationale.

I have received a letter from the train company saying that engineering works overran on the local network, preventing them from running a proper train service. This is unacceptable for people relying on the railway to get them to work on a Monday morning, and argues for more discipline needed on works specification and contract supervision. I will take this up with the railway.

I have been notified by Network Rail of their intention to impose a requirement that trains sound their horns at Smith’s level crossing to the south of Wokingham so they raise the speed of trains on that section of track.
I have replied that I think this is a very bad idea, as this track runs close to residential areas. They should keep the current speeds until such time as they have provided a quiet technological answer to running at faster speeds in safety.

I met representatives of the Wildlife Trust at Parliament yesterday. I said I was keen to see higher standards of animal welfare, to see more trees planted around the country and to seek a local plan for the future that decelerates the rate of housing development. We need to protect more of our countryside, and to keep wild areas where animals can find protected habitats.

Last Friday I was pleased to be able to plant three trees at Dinton Pastures. It was part of the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy, a network of forest initiatives nationwide and around the Commonwealth. The aim is to highlight the value of trees and forests and to plant some more. It was promoted by the Woodland Trust, Sainsburys and ITV. With the help of David Lee and two staff members from Dinton Pastures, I was given a site for the new trees to go. One of the great joys of our local environment are the areas of trees that survive from the forest origins of our landscape. I planted a birch, a rowan and a hazel.

I have lobbied with others for more money for our local social care services. The government announced extra money in the Budget and has now sent me the details of our local allocations.

West Berkshire will receive an extra £500,898 for winter pressures, and an extra £855,700 for adult and children care, making a total of £1,356,598.

Wokingham will receive £401,589 for winter pressures and £686,048 for adult and children care, making a total of £1,087,637