Tuesday 26 November 2013

Distance markers installed around the perimeter of Palmer Park #rdguk

Runners, walkers and other Palmer Park users may be interested to know that some distance markers have been installed. See below:

"I am pleased to be able to inform you that the stainless steel distance markers have now been set into the path following an anti-clockwise route around the perimeter of the park every 100m.  The total distance of the route which starts close to the play area is 1633m.

We have recently installed identical markers in the path at Cintra Park and these are already proving to be very popular."

Monday 18 November 2013

Find out if your road is part of the additional pothole repair scheme #rdguk

The Council is prioritising some roads for pothole repairs. These include roads used a lot by buses and cyclists.

In Park Ward roads which are getting potholes repaired above and beyond the normal cycle are:

London Road
Wokingham Road
Eastern Avenue
Whiteknights Road
St Peter's Road
Wykeham Road
Cholmeley Road
Liverpool Road
Radstock Road

The full report and list of roads across Reading is here. Item 17, Highways Maintenance Update.

Friday 15 November 2013

Kings Meadow lido, London Road improvements, and a samurai sword all in Reading Green News

Below is our latest monthly email newsletter. Sign up here: http://greenparty.org.uk/signup

Hello all

You might have seen Melanie on the front page of Get Reading. This was following her principled stand for councillors on the planning committee to listen to residents to make sure that projects such as the cycle bridge are as good as possible.

Or you might have heard that Jamie found a samurai sword while litter picking in Newtown as part of Reading RESCUE!

In short we’ve been keeping busy on a local ward issues like litter and the bigger issues like cycling infrastructure.

As a small political party the Internet is a great way for us to get our message on these issues and our values – fairness, integrity and the environment – across to people. So please ‘like’ our Facebook page, and share stories on our website with the ‘like’ and retweet buttons.

Here is a brief update on other things Reading Green Party has up to recently:

Blog post on the future of the Kings Meadow lido by Rob White

Council moves to speed up A4 journey times

Green councillor cuts through litter

Letter on slippery pavements

Reading’s bike hire scheme

A new cycle strategy for Reading

Greens propose supermarket tax

If you've got any feedback, ideas or want to get more involved please get in touch.

Please feel free to forward this on to other interested people and as always, for more recent news from the Green Party, to join us, or to find out more about our policies, go to:

http://reading.greenparty.org.uk

Best wishes

Rob White, Melanie Eastwood and Jamie Whitham

Green Party councillors

PS the Green Party is a democratic membership led organisation. The more members we have the more we can get done. Please consider joining:

http://join.greenparty.org.uk

More cycle parking for the Wokingham Road and Cemetery Junction #rdguk

On the Wokingham Road outside PFC people kept locking their bikes to the bin store meaning it was hard to keep a bin there. We now have some more bike parking coming to this area as well as the South side of Cemetery Junction. See below:

“We have reviewed your request for additional cycle parking outside PFC on Wokingham Road. As a result, we will aim to install two new Sheffield stands in this location shortly.

In addition, Andrew Wood requested an update on your inquiry regarding the installation of cycle planters outside Crown Colonnade. There are plans to install three cycle stands in this area as part of the Eastern Area Study.”

Wednesday 13 November 2013

Poppies in Palmer Park #rdguk

The keen eyed amongst you will have noticed that a couple of strips of land have been rotovated in Palmer Park and elsewhere around Reading. This is following a request from a resident which I passed on. See below for more information.

"In response to a request to commemorate the start of WWI 100 years ago next year, the Parks Department was asked to arrange the sowing of poppies at appropriate locations across the Borough.

Our first idea was to sow poppies around or near war memorials in parks (Forbury Gardens and Christchurch Meadows), and at Tilehurst Triangle. To supplement this, we bought sufficient to include some other prominent locations.

For poppies to come back year after year, the ground needs to be disturbed annually (as with annual ploughing of farmland).  We are not intending to do this.  This will be a one-year project, specifically for the centenary.  After flowering next year, we will simply re-commence mowing, and allow the grass to come back.

The ground has been mechanically rotovated, and the seeds broadcast by hand spreader.

The sites that have been sown are:

- behind the war memorial at the Victoria Gate at Forbury Gardens

- around the war memorial at Christchurch Meadows (leaving mown access to the ‘front’ for wreath-laying on 11 November)

- in front of the war memorial on Tilehurst Triangle

- on the large roundabout at the corner of Tilehurst and Liebenrood Roads

- on the Wokingham Road frontage of Palmer Park near the library and children’s playground

- in some of the large area of conservation grass at Balmore Walk

- outside the Whitley Advice Shop

Kind regards"

Friday 8 November 2013

Crescent Road to be resurfaced #rdguk

It proved a bit trickier than initially thought to get Crescent Road resurfaced, but Mel, Jamie and I have kept up the pressure on this through thick and thin and it is now going to happen. See below:

"Dear Councillor,

I am writing to notify you with regards to arrangements that have been made to resurface the existing highway on Crescent Road, between the junctions with Eastern Avenue and Hamilton Road from Tuesday 12th November to Wednesday 13th November.

In order to keep the duration of the works to a minimum and to ensure that workers and members of the public are kept safe it has been deemed necessary to close the road whilst the work is carried out which will be between the hours of 08.00 – 18.00h."

Thursday 7 November 2013

Cumberland Road to Amity Road cut through to be brightened up

Just got a response from our request to brighten up the cut through between Cumberland Road and Amity Road:

"Thank you for the above enquiry, regarding, Trees in the  cut though between Amity Road and Cumberland Road

The bulbs and machinery have arrived from Holland in October 2013 and the planting have started.  Daffodils bulbs will be planted in the cut though in November 2013 the trees are on order and two cherry trees will also be planted later in November 2013.

Thank you for your concern and for drawing this case to my attention, and I will update you once the works have been completed."

Friday 1 November 2013

Help needed with a final push for a Reading wide 20 mph zone ahead of the #rdguk Traffic Committee

The agenda for the Traffic Committee is out and the small example 20 mph area proposed a few meetings ago has grown to a good sized area taking in a lot of East Reading and including all of Park Ward – item 11 on the agenda.

The map below shows the proposed area within the solid red and blue lines. The green areas are existing 20 mph zones.

We have been lobbying for 20 mph for a number of years to calm our roads down and create a safer or pleasant environment for walking and cycling – with some successes like the recent Talfourd to Holmes scheme.

But we would like to see a town wide approach in all residential areas. There is still time, ahead of the meeting on Tuesday, November 5, to sign our petition to encourage the Council to go for a town wide "big bang" approach.

We are also going to have a push collecting signatures on paper outside schools early next week. If you can help let me know – rob@readinggreenparty.org.uk or 07985923938.

Please spread the word.

20 mph map-page-001