Category: Wokingham and West Berkshire Issues

I  now have comments from both unitaries on the proposed local government settlement. They make the good point that the government assumes a 2% increase in Council Tax and a further 2% for care costs, when Councils wish to help keep down the cost of living by avoiding tax rises. The government also proposes a substantial reduction in rate support grant whilst not allowing our Councils to keep sufficient of the large business rates revenues collected in our area.

I am taking these matters up with Ministers, as I wish to see a fair settlement with Wokingham and West Berkshire keeping enough of their business rate revenue to avoid Council tax rises and to provide a decent level of service.

I have asked the Secretary of State to explain the financial settlements for Wokingham and West Berkshire. The Councils think they have a bad settlement and I will publish their critique of these proposals and take this matter up as soon as I have their response. I reproduce below the analysis from the government  letter:

 

Wokingham will have total resources available of £108.9 million in 2016/17, £107.6 million in 2017/18, £107.4 million in 2018/19 and £109 million in 2019/20 compared with £111.4 million in the current year (on a like for like basis).

This represents a change of -2.3% by 2016/17 and -2.1% by 2019/20.  This includes an increase of £7.4 million by 2019/20 in funding for Adult Social Care from the package announced at the Spending Review (assuming the council takes up the full 2% precept).  The 2016/17 figure includes a New Homes Bonus allocation of £4.8 million, of which £61,950 comprises an affordable homes premium.

As of 31 March 2015, £39.5 million was held in unringfenced reserves.

West Berkshire will have total resources available of £112.6 million in 2016/17, £111.8 million in 2017/18, £112.3 million in 2018/19 and £114.5 million in 2019/20 compared with £115.1 million in the current year (on a like for like basis).

This represents a change of -2.2% by 2016/17 and -0.5% by 2019/20.  This includes an increase of £7.3 million by 2019/20 in funding for Adult Social Care from the package announced at the Spending Review (assuming the council takes up the full 2% precept).  The 2016/17 figure includes a New Homes Bonus allocation of £4 million, of which £26,950 comprises an affordable homes premium.

As of 31 March 2015, £14.6 million was held in unringfenced reserves.

Berkshire Fire Authority will have total resources available of £32.5 million in 2016/17, £31.9 million in 2017/18, £32.2 million in 2018/19 and £32.8 million in 2019/20 compared with £32.9 million in the current year (on a like for like basis).

This represents a change of -1.3% by 2016/17 and -0.2% by 2019/20.

As of 31 March 2015, £8.4 million was held in unringfenced reserves.

I set out below the text of my most recent letter to Highways England about their project to ease the congestion at the junction of the M4 and A329(M).

Dear Mr O’Sullivan

M4 Junction 10 with the A329(M)

The project to ease congestion and improve traffic flows at the above junction has resulted in regular complaints to me by my constituents. The most serious complaint concerns safety, and I understand that there have been three accidents while the work has been in progress.

The other complaints are about congestion and the time it now takes to complete a journey trying to use the A329(M).

In a letter to me of 20 October, Mr Yandell confirmed that the junction had not performed in accordance with the traffic model. A road safety audit was to be carried out on 21 October and Highways England would review any further measures that needed to be taken.

As a matter of some urgency, I should be grateful to know what action Highways England is now taking to ensure the safety of those using junction 10 and those who are driving north/south on the A329(M). I should also like to know what plans are now in hand to ease the congestion on the A329(M) that has been caused as a direct result of the changes made to the junction.

I understand that officers from Wokingham Borough Council are seeking a meeting with Highway England officials. I hope that this meeting takes place soon.

Yours sincerely

I have received the following news from the Treasury.

Help to Buy has helped over 130,000 people achieve their aspiration of buying their own home.  Since the launch of the Help to Buy: Equity Loan and Mortgage Guarantee schemes:

• 80% of scheme completions have been made by first-time buyers, with more expected following the launch of the government’s Help to Buy: ISA scheme on 1 December;
• average house price was £186,000, significantly below the national average;
• over 130,000 housing completions through the Help to Buy scheme;
• 94% of Help to Buy completions took place outside of London;
• almost half of Help to Buy completions have been for new-build schemes.

First-time buyers

Help to Buy is helping people who need it most, with 100,000 households having bought their first home thanks to the scheme.  This is 80% of overall Help to Buy buyers, demonstrating that the scheme is successfully targeting those who need help getting on the housing ladder.

First-time buyers will have a further boost from the Help to Buy: ISA, which banks and building societies across the UK are now offering.  Under this scheme, first-time buyers can save up to £200 a month towards their first home and the government will boost their savings by 25%, or £50 for every £200, up to a £3,000 bonus.

Getting Britain building

Help to Buy is also supporting the country’s economy by getting Britain building again.  Almost half of homes bought under the scheme were new-build properties, contributing to the sharpest rise in house building orders since 2003.

This has supported new housing construction output, which has been growing for 30 consecutive months.  Both annual housing starts and planning approvals are at a seven year high, with 660,000 new homes being built since 2010.

 

I recently attended a reception about the new South Western Franchise. I raised concerns expressed to me by constituents about trackside debris and parking capacity at Wokingham station.

I have since received the enclosed letter from South West Trains:

John Redwood MP
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA

11 December 2015

Dear John

Wokingham Station

Thank you for coming to talk to us about the new South Western Franchise at our Parliamentary Reception on 7 December.

Firstly, you fed back on some flooding and trackside debris issues at Wokingham station. We do have a water-pooling issue adjacent to the footbridge. Our property team have attended to it and Network Rail has further work planned so that the issue is fully rectified within the next month. In respect of the trackside debris, I have requested Network Rail to inspect the site, so arrangements can be made for the debris to be removed.

Secondly, it was good to understand your aspiration for faster journey times from Wokingham. Achieving faster journeys will require a reduction in the number of stops at other stations. Those stations affected as a result would likely need additional services to back-fill so that their train frequency could be maintained. This will depend on the DfT specification for the new franchise, so it is certainly worth reflecting this aspiration in response to the DfT.

Finally, we will shortly be starting the project to increase the size of the car park at Wokingham station. This will create an additional 210 spaces and should be completed by September 2016.

Thank you again for your feedback. I enclose our brochure for your information.

Yours sincerely

James Vickers
Commercial & Business Development Director

On Sunday evening the sounds of several hundred primary school choristers filled the hall at the Loddon Valley Leisure Centre. Proud parents and civic guests enjoyed the rousing singing of traditional Christmas carols and songs. The Berkshire Maestros Corelli Orchestra gave strong backing to the singers and excelled with their own musical treats.

For me the Christmas period truly begins as I hear the haunting music of Leroy’s Sleigh Ride. The Orchestra captured perfectly the coming and going of the sleigh with its jingling bells.

I wish to pass on my thanks and congratulations to all involved in a memorable evening. The choirs sang well. The orchestra played  with spirit. The organisers got us in and got us out and provided a platform for a great event.

I recently wrote to the Roads Minister about the need for additional noise barriers to be installed on the M4:

Mr Andrew Jones MP
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
Department for Transport
Great Minster House
33 Horseferry Road
London SW1P 4DR

9 December 2015

Dear Andrew

M4 Junctions 3 – 12 Smart Motorway : Noise Barriers

We had a brief discussion last week about the opportunity presented by the M4 Smart Motorway project to install additional noise barriers to alleviate the noise nuisance for my constituents living close to the M4 between junctions 10 and 12. I promised to send you maps giving details of where the additional barriers should be.

I have used the maps provided to me earlier in the year by the then Highways Agency. The maps are out of date in respect of low noise carriageway surfacing (the blue line). It has since been agreed that all carriageways between junctions 3 and 12 will be resurfaced using low noise materials. This makes sense.

The existing noise barriers are shown in red on the maps. The only new noise barrier currently proposed by Highways England is shown in orange on map sheet 5. While this proposal is welcome it does nothing to protect more densely areas or to counter the noise being bounced back to residents where barriers are installed on one side of the motorway only.

I have marked in green the places where additional barriers are needed. I very much hope that the installation of additional barriers can be agreed as part of the M4 Smart Motorway project.

Yours ever

I have sent the enclosed letter to the Aviation Minister on the subject of aircraft noise, following my recent meeting with NATS:

Mr Robert Goodwill MP
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
Department for Transport
Great Minister House, 33 Horseferry Road
London SW1P 4DR

9 December 2015

Dear Robert

Yesterday, I had a meeting with Jane Johnston, Head of Corporate Affairs at NATS to discuss the impact of aircraft noise from Heathrow Airport. I understand you also had a meeting with her.

NATS is currently obligated to consult on airspace changes but not on procedural changes to routes under their current terms of reference.

As you are aware, NATS previously decided to narrow the Compton gate from 13 miles to 8 miles which has led to a higher concentration of flights through the Compton route, many of which pass through my constituency. Many of my constituents feel aggrieved that they were not consulted about this change.

The main issues of substance which we discussed to resolve the problem of increased noise were:

1. Instruct arriving panes to slow down so they arrive for a slot time and do not need to join a stack
2. Require planes to take off to reach a greater height sooner
3. Require planes landing to descend at a greater angle so they stay higher for longer
4. Resume dispersal of planes on easterly operations to avoid the new motorways in the sky phenomenon.

I would be grateful if you could reinforce these messages to NATS.

Yours ever

The Department of Health is now consulting on extending charging of overseas visitors and migrants who use the NHS. I enclose a copy of a Ministerial Statement that has been issued by Lord Prior of Brampton, the Minister responsible for this area of policy:

Charging of overseas visitors and migrants who use the National Health Service

The visitor and migrant National Health Service cost recovery programme was established in July 2014 to design and implement improvements in the systems for charging patients who are not resident of the United Kingdom. The programme has focused so far on improving identification and cost recovery from chargeable patients in hospitals.

I am pleased to announce the Department of Health will now be seeking the public’s views on extending charging of overseas visitors and migrants who use the National Health Service. We have proposed a number of changes to enable overseas visitors and migrants to be charged for NHS healthcare they receive, in addition to the existing system for cost recovery for hospital treatment. The proposed extension of charging will not affect free healthcare at the point of use for permanent residents of the UK.

The consultation seeks opinions on proposals affecting:

– Primary Medical Care
– NHS Prescriptions
– Primary NHS Dental Care
– Primary NHS Ophthalmic Services (Eye Care)
– Accident and Emergency (A&E)
– Ambulance Services
– Assisted Reproduction
– Non-NHS providers of NHS Care and Out-of-Hospital Care
– NHS Continuing Healthcare
– EEA National’s residency definition
– Overseas visitors working on UK-registered ships

The consultation also seeks views on any further areas that could be considered for charging.

The proposals explored within the consultation aim to support the principle of fairness by ensuring those not resident of the United Kingdom who can pay for National Health Service care do so. The proposals we are consulting on do not intend to restrict access, but aim to ensure everyone makes a fair contribution for the care they receive.

We propose that the most vulnerable people, including refugees, remain exempt from charging. Furthermore, the National Health Service will not deny urgent and immediately necessary healthcare to those in need, regardless of residency. We also propose that exemptions from charging will also remain in place for illnesses that pose a risk to public health.

The potential income generated through the extension of charging will contribute towards the Department of Health’s aim of recovering up to £500 million per year from overseas migrants and visitors by the middle of this Parliament (2017/18). The recovery of up to £500 million per year will contribute to the £22 billion savings required to ensure the long-term sustainability of the National Health Service.

I attended the Westminster Hall debate on bees on Monday. A number of constituents sent me an email expressing concern about the decline of the bee population and the issue of chemical sprays on crops. I intervened during the debate to tell the Minister and the others present of the worries of my constituents and to press for measures which could help rebuild the bee population in the UK.