Reading Green Party news

For news about Reading Green Party and the local area please see our website here: https://reading.greenparty.org.uk/

How to get a resident's 30% discount at council leisure centres

See below for how to get a resident's 30% discount at Palmer Park, South Reading, Rivermead and Meadway leisure centres (now run by GLL/Better). We are sharing this information because unfortunately the council and GLL haven't made it easy to find.

You can get the discount by having a "Better Adult/Junior Resident" membership from the website. It costs £0.00.

1. Go to the website https://memberships.better.org.uk/centre/palmer-park

2. Select Palmer Park Stadium as your location (if it's not already selected)

3. Select "Single Payment" as your payment type (this is the important step, otherwise the resident membership doesn't come up!).

4. Select your appropriate resident membership for £0.00 "Better Adult Resident", "Better Adult Concessionary" or "Better Junior".

5. Follow the rest of the steps on the website to confirm your order and you should be emailed your resident membership details. 

Thanks to the resident who wrote this about how we can get a resident's discount of 30%. 

M4 closures near Reading...

Following the chaos on our roads last weekend with the M4 closed Green councillors raised this. We got the following from the Reading Council on this coming weekend – summary it will be closed at night and open in the day to lessen the impact.

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Further to my email below regarding the closures of the M4 as part of National Highways smart motorway project, National Highways has reviewed their roadworks plan for this coming weekend and given the national rail strike and the Reading Football Club match taking place at the Select Car Leasing Stadium on Saturday 1st October, has amended the closure so that the M4 is open during that day.

The M4 between Junctions 12 and 11 will be closed overnight eastbound only from 22:00 on Friday 30th September, reopening at 06:00 on Saturday 1st October. Lane 1 of this section of the M4 will remain closed for minor work on Saturday but will be leaving 3 lanes open for traffic.

The M4 between Junctions 12 and 11 will then be closed overnight eastbound only from 22:00 on Saturday 1st October, all day on Sunday 2nd October, reopening at 06:00 on Monday 3rd October. The diversion route, as agreed as part of the strategic route, will be signed accordingly via A4 and the A33

The work taking place during these weekend closures is the final stages of the upgrade to the M4 between junctions 3 and 12. This particular closure is for work to improve the bridge that carries the M4 over the River Kennet. Further information regarding their works can be found on their website here: M4 junctions 3-12: smart motorway - National Highways https://nationalhighways.co.uk/.../m4-junctions-3-12.../

Please note their closures, as detailed below, between junction 11 and junction 10 will be going ahead as planned but will be lifted on Saturday 15th October from 0600hrs – 2200hrs to ensure no disruption with Reading Football Clubs match day traffic.

Palmer Park Stadium after school cycling dates

Well done to Green councillor Josh Williams for getting the council run after-school cycling club going again at Palmer Park sports Stadium. The first session was fully booked!

More information from Josh below:

"Thanks so much to everyone who came with their children to the first session back at Palmer Park velo for the after-school cycling!

It was fully booked, and it was fantastic to see so many kids back out on the track learning to ride and develop their cycling with Coach Gary after such a long break. Don't forget to book in advance if you want a place: http://www.readingleisure.co.uk/

Some updates - attached is a list of the after-school cycling sessions the Council is running - Thursdays are sporadic because of some athletics sessions taking place. They can't let children borrow bikes at the moment, but all being well they will be able to this summer. Next session is Monday 26th, and already filling up fast!

If you have an older child keen to develop their cycling, the Council isn't yet bringing back the Wednesday after-school sessions which were for 6 to 16 year olds. But you could contact Palmer Park Velo https://palmerparkvelo.net/ and see if they have any junior sessions, or Avanti freewheelers https://www.cyclinguk.org/group/page/avanti-freewheelers-reading who are just starting up as a community cycling club for juniors. Check them out.

Best wishes to everyone as lockdown eases, stay safe and happy cycling!

Cllr Josh Williams"

Reading Green Party

AFTER SCHOOL CYCLING DATES

Monday 19th of April- 4:00pm-5:00pm

Monday 26th of April- 4:00pm-5:00pm

Monday 10th of May- 4:00pm-5:00pm

Thursday 13th of May- 4:00pm-5:00pm

Monday 17th of May- 4:00pm-5:00pm

Thursday 20th of May- 4:00pm-5:00pm

Monday 24th of May- 4:00pm-5:00pm

Thursday 27th of May- 4:00pm-5:00pm

Monday 7th of June- 4:00pm-5:00pm

Thursday 3rd of June- 4:00pm-5:00pm

Monday 14th of June- 4:00pm-5:00pm

Wokingham Road cycling scheme update

On the Wokingham Road cycle scheme, Reading Council has admitted that it has run out of money and won’t be doing any more of the works related to this scheme. We are letting you know as the council doesn’t appear to have told anyone. There are both pluses and minuses to the remaining elements of this scheme not being taken forward.

Green councillors obviously support measures to boost walking and cycling, but we have shared the concerns of residents about some elements of this scheme. We have been critical of the Tiger crossing by Palmer Park as well as measures which have put cyclists onto narrow pavements – this is especially problematic outside Alfred Sutton primary school. We think this scheme has been a wasted opportunity for more decent on road cycling facilities.

One of the measures which the council disappointingly will not be able to implement because they ran out of money is changing the angle of the entrance to side roads from Wokingham Road. They were due to be made more severe – which would have slowed cars down. This is true for the junctions of Wokingham Road and Holme Road, Regis Park Road, Belle Avenue, Grange Avenue, Pitcroft Avenue which were due to also have similar changes to slow down cars.

Sadly, the Herringbone crossing markings designed to improve things for pedestrians by slowing cars down will not be done at the junctions of Wokingham Road and Belle Avenue, Regis Park Road, Early Hill Road and Holmes Road.

None of the road safety works will be done at the junction of Hamilton Road and Whiteknights Road. This is particularly disappointing with the increased school traffic at this junction which will only increase when Hamilton School which is being built now opens.

However, the council running out of money also means that thankfully the pushbutton pedestrian crossing across Wokingham Road, near Pitcroft Avenue over to the Alfred Sutton school will stay. It will not be replaced with another Tiger crossing like the unpopular one near Palmer Park.

Also, we are pleased that the small pedestrian traffic island in the middle of the Wokingham Road, which residents campaigned for, in between the junctions with Talfourd Avenue and Melrose Avenue will now stay. It will continue to do a good job of helping people cross the road.

The original plans for the scheme can be found on the council’s website here: https://www.reading.gov.uk/council/policies-finance-and-legal-information/transport-schemes-and-projects/ncn-cycle-route-422/

We care about the area and will keep working with you to make it easier and safer to get around especially on foot and by bike.

If you want to get emails on street issues like this for your road let us know.

Kennet Side closure update – reopening may be further delayed

We just sent this update to people who signed the petition over the poorly coordinated closure of the Kennet Side by SGN at the same time that the Napier Road tunnel has been closed by Network Rail. Unfortunately it looks like the reopening of the Kennet Side may be further delayed. If you want to get further updates on when the Kennet Side will be reopened sign the petition here: https://bit.ly/rdghorseshoe

Subject: Kennet Side closure update – reopening may be further delayed

Dear resident

Your Green councillors have been working hard trying to get SGN to either accelerate the works to upgrade the gas main on the Kennet Side or provide a path around them. We know how frustrating it is to have to walk the long way around! Unfortunately it looks as though the works and closure are further delayed.

Following Cllr Brenda McGonigle’s petition I met with the person in charge of the contractors. He said they can’t work any quicker and a path can’t go through the school car park because of the extent of the works. He also said they don’t want to use a floating path or a ferry because of the expense and now the high level of the Thames. 

We have just heard that due to the high level of the Thames the works may be further delayed. SGN say they are bringing over extra resources this week to try to finish the works, but if they are unable they will need to extend the closure up until the end of March. We have asked that the out-of-date signage be updated.

This is clearly disappointing and we will keep up the pressure for the works to be completed as quickly as possible so the Kennet Side can be reopened.

Having said all of that we do obviously support works to upgrade the gas main, it is just frustrating about the timing and lack of coordination with Network Rail over the Napier Road tunnel closure at the same time.

On a related note it looks like one of the contractors working on this site has taken down a large tree without the correct permission as part of the works near the gas main site – well done Cllr  Josh Williams for spotting this. The council is currently pursuing this with them. Also locally you may have seen that SGN have delayed works to demolish the gas tower because excitingly the Peregrine Falcons are breeding (good work campaigners).

We think it is important that residents are kept informed. 

Please forward this on to anyone – especially new people - who you think might be interested. If you receive a forwarded email let us know if you would like to be added to the list for future updates about your road.

We care about the area and will keep working with you to improve it.

Best wishes,

Rob White 

Green Party councillor for Park Ward

PS If you need a helping hand to get through the Covid-19 crisis, the Council’s One Reading Community Hub is here to help. If they can’t do anything let us know https://www.reading.gov.uk/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-one-reading-community-hub-support

https://www.facebook.com/rdggreenparty

http://twitter.com/reading_greens

You are receiving this street email about an issue in or near your road because you signed the petition on this issue. If you no longer want to receive these emails, please let us know and we will remove you from the list. 

Green budget consultation

Green councillors want people and planet put first in the council’s budget.

Over 160,000 people live in Reading but there were just 114 responses to the vague Labour Council budget consultation. Only 21 people agreed with Labour’s proposals.

Green councillors support some measures in the budget such as the one-off grant to help those on low incomes manage the council tax increase. However we are concerned about other elements of the budget.

Complete our brief 4 budget questions survey here to let us know what you think.

We are concerned about the £50,000 cut proposed to the drugs and alcohol service (business case here on page 75) with the UK drug related deaths at an all-time high.

The council needs to do more on climate change. We estimate that the council has been properly insulating less than 50 properties per year (ones which are not currently well insulated). In Reading we need to be insulating 4000 homes per year to cut carbon emissions, tackle poverty and create jobs.

We oppose the cuts to the pay, terms and conditions of Reading Council staff including some care workers (business case here on page 99) and the impact this will have on staff morale, recruiting and retaining staff.

The council’s full budget papers can be found here: https://democracy.reading.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=136&MId=4503

The business cases that go with the budget papers can be found below. Disappointingly these have not been published by the council making it impossible for members of the public to understand the budget.

Directorate of Adult Care and Health Services business cases https://www.dropbox.com/s/6pcnzxptqwj7p4f/Directorate%20of%20Adult%20Care%20and%20Health%20Services%20Business%20Cases%20February%202021.pdf?dl=0

Directorate of Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services business cases https://www.dropbox.com/s/uhrej0gwqq4mvyz/Directorate%20of%20Economic%20Growth%20and%20Neighbourhood%20Services%20Business%20Cases%20February%202021.pdf?dl=0

Directorate of Chief Executive and Corporate Business Cases https://www.dropbox.com/s/iqu1xqorp5mud9g/Directorate%20of%20Chief%20Executive%20and%20Corporate%20Business%20Cases%20February%202021.pdf?dl=0

Remember to complete our brief 4 budget questions survey here to let us know what you think.