Maiden Erlegh decision

I just got the following from the Parents' Campaign. Bad news! The 600 m rule that they have brought in smells to me like discrimination -- as it effectively stops people in Reading getting in. The challenge now is can we convince the coalition in Reading to get further legal advice and possibly take Wokingham to court:

WBC executive voted tonight. They voted for for the alternative tie-breaker with the amendment of a 600m catchment of the school (up to the Wokingham Road).

The detail is as below:

"For Maiden Erlegh School only, within criteria C and D, first priority will be given to applicants whose permanent home address is south of the centre line of the A329 and within 600m radius of Maiden Erlegh School, after which priority will be given to the applicants whose permanent home address is the greatest additional radial distance to the alternative designated area school (Bulmershe)."

So what does this mean? Well we have to look at the detail. But this is what we have understood.

(1) Those children who live closest to the school will get priority (ie those within 600m). NB this is not a circle - so won't include the north side of Wokingham road (and Mays Lane) - which was not in ME catchment previously.

(2) Then priority will be for those children who live furthest away from Bulmershe.

The consequences are:

- Children who live in Reading Borough will not get a place at Maiden Erlegh (unless they have siblings).

- Some Earley/WBC residents who live too close to Bulmershe but not close enough to Maiden Erlegh ie not within 600m may not get a place (Unless they have siblings).

As per rumours before the meeting, there was also talk of financial investment in Bulmershe. No figures were mentioned or committed to. But a report to come back to WBC in June.

Also much talk of the proposed new school for East Reading. Called here a UTC (University Technical College) in East Reading (just on "the borders between Reading and Earley. Age range of 11-19. Talked with reference of giving more choice for children in WBC too.

The changes to Wokingham school catchments - to go for one big one for all four schools on radial distance were also passed.

Maiden Erlegh Wokingham decision looms

I got this from the Parents' Campaign:

The WBC Executive will make their decision at their meeting tomorrow
evening. If you are interested in reading the papers the agenda is
available online (see below). The recommendations include a possibility of an inner catchment. We have included the detail direct from the agenda below:

"that in doing so, the Executive considers whether or not to amend the
proposed designated area tiebreaker for Maiden Erlegh School (page 21 of the proposed admission arrangements)

The tiebreak, if so amended, would read -

"For Maiden Erlegh School only, within criteria C and D, first priority
will be given to applicants whose permanent home address is south of the centre line of the A329 and within 600m radius of Maiden Erlegh School, after which priority will be given to the applicants whose permanent home address is the greatest additional radial distance to the alternative designated area school(Bulmershe)."

There is more detail on WBC's website.

As soon as we know the decision we will let you know.

Sent on behalf of the Parents Campaign

Newsletters, letters and election expenses

Notice of the local elections was published on Friday just gone. Any newsletters, letters etc from political parties from Friday onwards now have to be counted in a candidate's election expenses -- and there is a maximum spend. I am therefore very interested in anything you have received in Park Ward from Friday, March 25 through to Thursday, May 5. So please hang on to stuff for me.

The Big Lunch

This annual event is coming round again on Sunday, June 5. The idea from the Eden Project is very simple it is to get as many as possible of the 61 million people living in the UK to have lunch with their neighbours.

From the Reading map I see that the Kennet and Brunel Residents' Association are organising an event in Newtown. It would be great to get more events going across Park Ward and the wider Reading area. Please spread the word.

Banning estate agent boards

There is currently a forest of to let/let by signs in Park Ward. Not only does this have a negative impact on the look of an area, but it can be an advert to burglars.

Redlands and University NAG -- of which I am a member -- have started a petition to ban these signs in the area. Other local authorities have been successful with this in the past.

Reading RESCUE -- willow, litter and coffee

Last weekend was Reading RESCUE -- Rivers and Environmental Spaces Cleanup Event. I organised a litter pick and willow hedge maintenance session down at Kennet Mouth. I thought the morning went well, the sun was shining, we finished all the work on the hedge and we litter picked about five bags of rubbish and recycling.

Tesco also provided us with some coffee and pastries.

If you want to get involved with Newtown GLOBE -- Go Local on a Better Environment -- or find out if there is a similar local group in your part of Reading please get in contact.

More progress on 20 mph speed limits

Having been campaigning for 20 mph speed limits in residential areas for about five years now I am delighted to announce that we have had some more progress. Officers are now looking into making: Talfourd Avenue, Melrose Avenue, Belle Avenue, Earley Hill Road and Holmes Road all 20 mph!

This is another big success for Melanie Eastwood and myself following on from getting the Council to start looking into producing a policy on 20 mph speed limits in Reading at the end of 2010.

Greens are the real opposition

I couldn't put it any better than Green MP Caroline Lucas:

Ms Lucas, who became her party's first MP when she was elected to Brighton Pavilion at last May's General Election, accused Labour of suffering "a heroic amnesia" as it tried to block the Conservative and Lib Dems' policies.

Speaking from her party's spring conference in Cardiff, she said: "How can they oppose the market in the NHS when they first introduced it?

"How are they opposing tuition fees when they first introduced it? How do they oppose the selling off of the Royal Mail? That was (former business secretary) (Lord) Peter Mandelson (Labour)."

Ms Lucas added: "I've always been a bit ambitious, but I do think the Green Party is the real opposition.

"The Lib Dems are part of the Government - they can't speak out about proper constitutional reform or nuclear weapons or nuclear power or many of the things they stood for.

"Labour is utterly contaminated by the fact they pursued many of the policies which now the coalition Government is simply taking to their logical conclusions, so I think people are looking for a genuine opposition - and you won't be surprised to know I think that's the Green Party."