Category: Wokingham and West Berkshire Issues

The decision of Highways England to alter the slip road access at the A329M and M4 junction has caused difficulties for those travelling on the A 329 M.
I have been seeking a remedy ever since I first saw the plans, which decided to halve the road capacity on the A 329 M for through traffic in order to relieve pressure and back up on the M 4.

I was told that traffic models showed one lane was sufficient for the A 329 M , and one dedicated lane for merging M 4 traffic would help the flow off the M 4. That did not seem likely to me. It hasn’t worked out like that.

They did agree to undertake a study to see why people have been unhappy about the results of their works. As I expected this study has concluded that there is increased congestion on the A329 M following the works on the junction. They then seek to blame driver behaviour and look for solutions that will guide or direct drivers to get it to work. The truth is driver behaviour has been affected by the changes made to the road layout. Drivers do cut across from the M4 slip onto the fast lane of the A 329 M which is the single through lane because they see they have to merge with other cars on the slip.Cars have to pull out of the slow lane into the fast lane on the A 329 M because their lane disappears altogether.This can cause difficulties.

There may be modest improvements to be had from clearer signs and road markings to control where cars can switch lanes, but the real need is for more capacity which I will continue to press for.

Published and promoted by Fraser Mc Farland on behalf of John Redwood both at 30 Rose Street Wokingham Rg 40 1 XU

I hear someone is saying on social media I was not involved in the Wokingham schools fairer funding campaign. As MP in the last two Parliaments I joined in the Parliamentary fairer funding campaign, lobbying Ministers in meetings and in debates and other exchanges. I was and am committed to the need for fairer funding and glad it is now government policy.

Published and promoted by Fraser Mc Farland on behalf of John Redwood, both at 30 Rose Street Wokingham RG 40 1XU

This meeting scheduled for this evening at the Forest School has been cancelled by the organisers following the tragic events in Manchester and the decision of the main parties to suspend election activity.

Published and promoted by Fraser Mc Farland on behalf of John Redwood, both at 30 Rose Street Wokingham RG40 1XU

Yesterday I visited Grazeley to talk to residents. Three main issues came up.

The first was future development. I explained that I have not offered support for a major new settlement adjacent to the village. The Council is currently consulting on this possibility. I have urged them to consider how much infrastructure this would require, where the money would come from to provide it and what impact it will have on the local area. The Council’s bargaining position on behalf of the local community is strongest before it offers planning permission.

I have also pointed out that there would need to be express guarantees of protection for other parts of the Borough if that is the idea, as under current planning rules seeking to place a lot of new homes in one place does not prevent developers getting permission on appeal to build elsewhere in the Borough as well. I will help them negotiate with government over where future development should go and how much we should provide, and will back a sensible plan.

The second was the speed of traffic on the local road through the village. This is a matter for the Council, but I will also take it up with Councillors.

The third is aircraft noise from light planes out of White Waltham. I will also take this up with the airport.

Published and promoted by Fraser Mc Farland on behalf of John Redwood, both at 30 Rose Street Wokingham RG40 1XU

I think an MP should be easily contactable and personally interested in constituents’ views and problems.

I wrote a daily diary piece seven days a week all year setting out my views and actions on national matters, and often a second piece on local issues where I was involved or urging the Council to take action. I encouraged constituents to logon and write back if they wished.

I provided an email answering and problem handling service seven days a week 51 weeks a year myself, with the other week covered during the working week by my staff.

I participated in more debates and votes than the average MP, and made sure I was always in Westminster when there was business on that mattered to my constituents. I did not undertake any foreign trips when Parliament was in session.

I held regular surgeries with appointment times that suited my constituents.

I kept my office costs charged to the taxpayer to well below the average MP office costs, by doing more of the work myself.

Published and promoted by Fraser Mc Farland on behalf of John Redwood, both at 30 Rose Street Wokingham RG40 1XU

The main issues that have dominated in Wokingham Borough in recent years are all related to one thing – the fast growth rate in new homes and in the numbers of people living in our community. Wokingham is a welcoming place to newcomers. Some growth is helpful to all. The problems occur if the growth is too sudden or too large.

It leads to strains on roads, public transport, NHS facilities, school places and other parts of our infrastructure.

The Council has difficult decisions to make about when and how to expand their local services. Put in school places too early, and the bills go up. Established schools lose pupils and money as the new schools open. Forest has lost pupil numbers thanks to the opening of the new Bohunt school.Leave it too late, and there are insufficient places. There is a scramble to find somewhere in the area, with longer travel times for pupils and a strain on school resources.

We are short of space on the roads, and up against limits on some public transport. I worked away to get a new station at Wokingham.  Reading station has now been given much needed extra train capacity. Crossrail will soon provide a better service into central and east London.  The Council is building the Shinfield, Arborfield and Winnersh by passes, and putting in two new link roads and a new railway bridge in Wokingham. The sooner this is done the better. The roadworks themselves compound difficulties, and current capacity is far below what is needed.

The government is promising some control over the pace of welcoming new migrants to the UK in future.I wish to work with the Council to come up with a fairer number of new homes the area can take to persuade the government we need a sustainable and realistic growth figure. The Council and MP in the next Parliament also need to make common cause and to put enough investment in so the developments improve the provision of transport and public service.

We need to keep enough green spaces and areas to absorb water run off, as too much development increases flood risk and removes too many countryside areas. We also wish to keep green spaces and gaps between settlements to keep the best of our local landscape.

Promoted and published by Fraser Mc Farland  on behalf of John Redwood, both of 30 Rose Street Wokingham RG40 1XU

West Berkshire has needed better funding for schools and for social care, like Wokingham Borough.

I have taken up the issue of why West Berkshire and Wokingham have been at the low end of the table for the amount of money per pupil and for the payments for social care relative to the population. The government did increase its social care payments recently, but will need to do so again for our local area.

I was part of the Fairer funding group that lobbied the government to increase the per pupil sums for our schools. Some better funded schools elsewhere in the country receive more than twice as much for each pupil, which makes the gap too large. The government has agreed to narrow the gap and give fairer grants to West Berkshire and Wokingham. I am pressing for improvements over the proposed formula.

I wish to work with West Berkshire Council on proper funding of local services. I also wish to continue to help on matters like flooding and transport, where the Council needs help or has to work in partnership with the national government and quangos.

Published and Promoted by Fraser McFarland on behalf of John Redwood, both of 30 Rose Street Wokingham RG40 1XU

Yesterday I visited Marks and Spencer to talk to the Manager, members of staff and some of the shoppers.

I was told of the Company’s consultation about possible closure. I understand employees have not yet been offered jobs in nearby Marks stores, as the closure is still under consideration.

The shoppers I met were pleased with the store and keen to see it stay open. There were plenty of people in it on a Friday morning. The Company will not share its trading figures for the store. It is possible in the weeks during the demolition of the central area of Wokingham between Peach Street and Rose Street and the construction of new shops there will be some adverse short term impact on town centre  footfall. It is highly likely that as soon as the new shops are available more people will come to the town centre to shop, have a coffee or have a meal.

I will let you know the Company’s response and my follow up. I will stress the support for the shop from many Wokingham town centre regulars.

Wokingham Borough Council now has new legal powers to help prevent flooding across the borough, following its successful application to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to make land drainage byelaws.

Wokingham Borough Council has published the following press release:

New Legal Powers to Help Prevent Flooding

The Flood and Water Management Act 2010 allows local authorities to make land drainage byelaws to help regulate changes to flows in watercourses, manage obstructions and vegetation, and repair damage to river banks, among others.

Failure to adhere to these bylaws in the Wokingham Borough is now a criminal offence which can be prosecuted in magistrates’ courts. This will help the borough council carry out its duties as a highway authority and also as the lead local flood authority.

“The risk of flooding and the impact of new major developments are matters of concern to very many residents and businesses in our borough,” said Josie Wragg, interim director of environment at Wokingham Borough Council.

“Although we always try to persuade those who don’t act responsibly to rectify problems, it will be useful to have these powers if action is ignored.”

Wokingham Borough’s specific byelaws give the borough council control over land within eight metres either side from the bank of a ditch. This will prevent development, or any features and structures, from being put too close to the ditch. This will allow the council to protect the natural flood plain, create a ‘buffer zone’ for biodiversity, and stop properties from flooding.

A six-week public consultation was held last year before the council’s application to DEFRA to make sure the views of residents were taken into account.

A copy of the confirmed byelaws can be found on the flooding webpage, under ‘useful information and websites’ section, on the borough council’s website: www.wokingham.gov.uk/community-and-safety/emergencies/drainage-and-flooding/

I am following up my questions to you about the possible closure of the Wokingham store after hearing the views of more of my constituents.

 There is a general feeling amongst those interested in the issue that we would like Marks and Spencer to stay in the town. The Town Centre as you know is currently undergoing a substantial redevelopment to make it a more attractive retail centre with more floorspace. Wokingham Borough is expanding with four major new sites for additional housing, including two nearby in Wokingham itself. New residents will need good shops.  The Borough expects these changes to generate more footfall in Wokingham centre. The area around the Marketplace is a great setting for shopping, with a rich diversity of places to have a coffee or buy a meal. The Town actively promotes itself with a calendar of events designed to bring more people into the centre.

 Your sales figures and market research will of course inform your judgements about the retail offer that would work best for your business. There does seem to be more direct competition on food than on some of your standard textile lines which might have a bearing on how best to trade your current unit.

 I  would be happy to help find a way to keep it open to serve future Wokingham customers.