More investment into CCTV for Woodley has been promised after an opposition councillor accused Wokingham Borough leaders of ‘getting cold feet’.
Councillor Alex Freeney has called for surveillance outside Woodley Library and Headley Road car park after staff said they were ‘disruputed by persistent antisocial behaviour’.
The member for Loddon said staff regularly face verbal abuse and people playing loud music, with one incident where teenage boys ‘wearing ski masks threw eggs at the windows’.
He said a colleague had recently seen two teenagers cycling down the aisle of a supermarket ‘with satsumas raining down on customers, like a scene from Braveheart’.
Wokingham Borough Council accepted an amendment in last year’s budget to invest £15,000 in CCTV for the Woodley precinct. This would match the amount of money put forward by the Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley, totalling £30,000.
At the time, leader of the council Stephen Conway accepted the amendment, saying the money would make ‘a big difference’.
But nearly a year later, Cllr Freeney said the money promised has ‘failed to materialise’.
He asked leader of the council Stephen Conway whether he remained committed to the scheme on Thursday, January 23.
In response, Cllr Conway said ‘the money was no longer needed’, as the quotes sent by the Woodley Town Partnership were ‘lower than anticipated’.
Because of this, the project proceeded in November 2024 with funding from the grants already obtained, meaning the money from the council was ‘no longer required’.
Mr Barber’s project saw £10,000 come from money raised from selling stolen goods from criminals, while the other £5,000 was taken through the Chief Constable’s community fund.
But Cllr Freeney said the money was still needed to improve to ensure children using the Woodley Library were not disadvantaged by the antisocial behaviour.
The Labour member said: “The Wokingham Borough historically boasts some of the best exam results in the country, but one of the greatest barriers for less affluent students is the availability of quiet study space.”
Cllr Conway said that if Woodley required the funds ‘they will of course be made available and offered a meeting with Cllr Freeney.
