Consultation on putting a destructive park-and-ride by the Thames in East Reading

Wokingham have started the consultation process for putting a destructive car park by the Thames in East Reading. Details here: http://www.myjourneywokingham.com/park-and-ride

It is worrying that both of the consultation meetings are daytime/early evening making it hard for residents to attend and that on the website there are no detailed plans.

The beautiful Thamesside area is much loved by the local community who walk and play their often. Many people have concerns about the impact of putting a large car park, a link road into Reading town centre and a bridge over Kennet Mouth on it. There is already a petition against this project: https://www.change.org/p/no-park-and-ride-on-the-thamesside

This scheme was known as the Cross Town Route previously, Reading and Wokingham councils don’t want people to think of the park-and-ride, link road and bridge as one scheme. However, if the park-and-ride gets the go-ahead they will then put in for planning permission for the link road and bridge over the Kennet Mouth.

Given that the government is predicting road transport to increase by 46% by 2040 claims that this scheme, a car park for more cars, will do anything to reduce pollution and congestion are laughable. We need more radical measures to improve and make cheaper alternatives to the car to reduce car usage.

If Wokingham and Reading councils insist on building a park-and-ride, why not put another level on top of the new Winnersh one, which has been designed to allow this. It is on the same route into Reading and would mean we didn’t have to tarmac over yet more green space? I urge people to consider the impact of the car park, link road and bridge when responding to this consultation, and say no. Please also consider signing the petition against this scheme.

https://www.change.org/p/no-park-and-ride-on-the-thamesside

Reading Council moves forward with fossil fuel divestment campaign

Last Night at full Council Green councillors asked the council to lobby Berkshire Pension Fund to sell its fossil fuel investments, £66.5 million, and invest in an ethical, sustainable future. Councillors agreed, across all parties, that we should look at this in more detail and broaden it to other ethical considerations.

Still time to sign the Reading Divest from Fossil Fuels petition, we are approaching 200 signatures: https://campaigns.gofossilfree.org/petitions/reading-divest-from-fossil-fuels

Globally 200,000 individuals and 400 institutions have already committed to pulling their investments out of fossil fuel companies totalling a whopping $2.6 trillion.

Berkshire Pension Fund’s investments in fossil fuels are contributing to climate change rather than helping tackle it.

We only have one world and one chance. I’m pleased that councillors have followed the Green Party’s lead, and chose to be courageous ahead of the Paris climate change conference. There is still much work to do, but Reading has taken the first step towards becoming part of the fossil fuel divestment movement.

The report on fossil fuel divestment and other ethical matters relating to the Berkshire Pension Fund will come back to the Policy Committee on November 30, 2015.

Tidying up the Thames side and the Kennet side for Reading RESCUE

This week is Reading RESCUE community litter pick. Whether you live in Reading or Wokingham get involved and help tidy up your local area.

Newtown GLOBE have organised an event in east Reading.

Where: meeting outside the Jolly Anglers 314-316 Kennetside, Reading, RG1 3EA

When: 4 PM up to 5:30 PM on Saturday, October 10

If you don't live near Newtown details of other events can be found here: http://readingrescue.org.uk/

In Wokingham the big community litter pick happens in March, but you can adopt a street any time of the year. Details here: http://www.wokingham.gov.uk/transport/streets/adoptastreet

With the Newtown  GLOBE, east Reading event, the council will provide litter pickers, bags and gloves. We will litter pick the Kennetside, Thamesside and the Coal woods.

Come along, wearing some sturdy shoes and clothes and bring a friend. Let me know (bobby.blanc@gmail.com) if you are coming to make sure we have enough equipment.

Find out if your road is in the small electrical items recycling collections trial in Reading

Details about the trial below. Click here for a list of roads included in the trial.

Small Electrical Items Recycling – Collections Trial

A trial scheme has been launched to collect and recycle residents’ broken or unwanted small electrical items free of charge on their recycling collection day.

About the trial

Collections start week commencing 5th October 2015.

17,000 properties which are on two collection rounds will take part. Please see list of roads on pdf doc.

After the six month trial we plan to extend collections of small electrical items to the whole borough in March 2016.

Which properties can take part in the trial?

Only properties with a red recycling bin or box in these roads can take part in the trial. Residents whose properties are part of the trial will receive a special bin hanger leaflet on their bin with information about the trial. The bin hanger leaflets will be delivered from Friday 25th September on their recycling collection day.

How will residents on the trial recycle their small electrical items?

Residents are asked to put their electrical items in an untied carrier bag (not black sacks) and put them next to their red recycling bin or box by 7am on their recycling collection day.

How will the crews collect the items?

The crew will collect the electrical items and put them in special cages on the collection vehicles.

During the first month of the trial we will have an additional ‘mop up’ crew who will go out and collect any items the crews weren’t able to collect should the cages on the collection vehicles become full.

If residents put out the wrong sort of electrical items or electrical items which are too big we will leave a sticker on the item to let the resident know and which advises them to take the items to the Household Waste Recycling Centre (the tip) for free or to arrange a bulky waste collection for a fee.

Residents with electrical items which are still working are encouraged to think about re-using them by giving them to someone who could use them, selling it, advertising it on Freecycle or Freegle or donating them to charity.

Which electrical items can be put out for collection?

We can collect small electrical and electronic items that have a plug or use batteries. The maximum size item we can collect is 30cm x 24cm (about the size of a standard jug kettle or a 2 slice toaster) as items larger than this will not fit into the storage cages on the collection vehicles.

Residents are advised to recycle larger electrical items by taking them to Household Waste Recycling Centre (the tip) for free or to arrange a bulky waste collection for a fee.

Examples of items we can collect:

· Kettles

· Toasters (2 slice size only)

· Irons

· Hair dryers

· Straighteners

· Clippers

· Clocks

· Calculators

· Torches

· Remote controls

· Cameras

· Chargers

· Radios

· CD and MP3 players

· Small electronic toys

· Power tools

This list is by no means definitive.

The items do not need to be in working order. Residents are advised to leave any cables and plugs attached, remove any batteries and remove any personal data.

Which electrical items should not be put out for collection?

We can’t collect electrical items larger than 30cm x 24cm (about the size of a standard jug kettle or a 2 slice toaster) as they won’t fit into the storage cage on the collection vehicle.

We also cannot take:

· TVs

· computer monitors

· items with screens (laptops, notebooks, tablets…etc)

· fluorescent tubes

· light bulbs

Residents are advised to recycle larger electrical items by taking them to Household Waste Recycling Centre (the tip) for free or to arrange a bulky waste collection for a fee.

How can residents not taking part in the trial recycle their electrical items?

Residents can take electrical and electronic items to the Household Waste Recycling Centre (the tip) to be recycled. It is planned to extend the collections to all properties in the borough with wheeled bins in March 2016.

Why do we want residents to recycle their electrical items?

Unwanted electrical and electronic items contain really valuable raw materials which can be recycled and used to make new products

How will the small electrical items be recycled?

The items are taken to a reprocessor where they are broken up and the different metals and plastics recycled and used to make new products.

How are the collections being funded?

The scheme is funded by the Distributor Takeback Scheme. This is a scheme which retailers can join to meet their obligations under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations to ensure that their customers can reuse or recycle their broken or unwanted electrical items and reduce the amount of waste going to landfill.