In the last six months many of our roads and pavements in Reading have been dug up not once by an Internet company but twice.
In my area and much of Reading we have had Grain come down the road and lay their cables. This has been followed only a few months later by City Fibre laying theirs.
This is ridiculous and we have been lobbying for the council to do everything it can to coordinate these companies and minimise disruption.
The council could become a ‘permitting’ authority which would give it more control over these companies. Green councillors will keep lobbying on this to minimise the disruption.
Greens working hard on Wokingham Road waste
Following Green councillor Sarah Magon’s petition for the council to tidy up the Wokingham Road shopping area Greens have been keeping up the pressure.
Despite some initial action from the council overflowing bins are still piling up around one of the pedestrian crossings making it harder for children to see and be seen as they cross the road.
We have been continuing to lobby on this issue to improve road safety and tidy up the shopping area. The council plans to create more bin stores to spread out the bins and allocate spaces to particular shops.
Please keep reporting issues here and across town using the Love Clean Streets smartphone app.
Green councillors will keep pushing for decent local shopping areas and services so everyone has access without having to travel too far.
Greens standing up for residents on loud, antisocial car meet-ups
Unfortunately, antisocial and noisy car meet-ups have been happening on and around the Thames Valley park-and-ride. The sound of revving engines, screeching tyres and loud exhausts has become too common in east Reading disturbing residents’ sleep.
Green councillors have raised this with Thames Valley police on 101 and Wokingham Borough Council’s antisocial behaviour team (asb@wokingham.gov.uk).
Some fines have been issued but the more intelligence the council and police have the better they can use their resources. Please keep reporting these issues.
Greens are the second-largest party in Reading
Fortunately, there’s now real, constructive opposition on Reading Council. Following the local elections in May the Green Party has consolidated its position as the second-largest party on Labour-run Reading Council. There are seven Green Party councillors and we are now two councillors ahead of the Conservatives. There is a growing team of hard-working Green councillors standing up for residents across the town.
If you’re keen on being part of the change in Reading, get involved and help us make Reading fairer, greener and cleaner: reading.greenparty.org.uk/get-involved
By Green Party councillor Rob White, leader of the main opposition group on Reading Borough Council, and Park ward councillor
