One of the exciting changes since July 4th has been a new Labour MP for Earley and Woodley, a constituency which includes large parts of Wokingham Borough. For many areas, such as Shinfield and Earley, this is the first Labour MP to represent the area.
One of Yuan’s key commitments as a candidate was to engage with all members of the community across the constituency and to continue to do so throughout her time as MP. Yuan is holding regular MP surgeries in the heart of our communities, and on Saturday, Councillor Sarah Bell and I were delighted to join her for the surgery in Shinfield. There was a real buzz at the event; the new model of MP surgeries aims to combine the traditional format of individual appointments about specific issues, with a community social event where there is a chance to meet and chat with your MP without having to have an ‘issue’ to bring. Residents have already commented on how refreshing it is to have an MP who is visible and accessible- this is one of the changes that Labour is committed to bringing to our area.
These surgeries are an important forum for residents to raise specific issues or to simply share their views on current matters in the area affecting them. I was pleased to talk to residents about a range of issues from specific road maintenance problems that needed to be fixed, to wider issues of infrastructure delivery in our growing community, an issue of growing concern in recent weeks.
My ward of Shinfield has seen a great deal of development in recent years; further building can be cause for optimism but also concern.
One of the positives of new development is the community benefits it can bring. I was fortunate enough to see this first hand on Friday, at the opening of the Shinfield Cinema room at the School Green community centre. The cinema room has been provided by Shinfield Studios as part of the completion of the studios in recent months. After negotiation with the Parish Council on how this facility would have the most impact in the community, it was decided that it would be built into one of the rooms in the School Green centre. This new community asset will bring lots of opportunities to local film clubs and youth groups while providing a valuable connection to the film industry in Shinfield. This shows how with strong partnership working, new development can provide real benefit to our communities.
Development can also be a cause for concern in communities, and in the most recent full council meeting, I set out my concerns on the local plan update and the effect it would have on families in Shinfield. The local plan sets out where new housing will be built over the next period of 15-20 years, and one of the key sites set out, was the Loddon Garden Village. My concerns were primarily around the timing of delivery of infrastructure on this site; a new secondary school would be built, but only by 2036, by which time the majority of the almost 4,000 homes would be completed. This delayed delivery of much-needed secondary and sixth form provision in the area could cause residents in Shinfield many issues over the next decade, with children in Shinfield being pushed further to the back of the queue for school places in Wokingham.
Now that the local plan has been approved, it is important as your councillors and MPs that we engage positively with the ensuing consultation to make sure infrastructure in these new areas is completed in a way that benefits existing residents as well as those moving to the area. That is why it is more important than ever to have councillors and an MP that are visible and accessible to everyone in the area, so that residents can raise their concerns and points of view so we can help influence improved implementation of these big projects.
Sarah and I hold regular surgeries for Shinfield on the first Saturday of each month in the School Green Centre and Yuan holds monthly surgeries in all corners of the constituency. Labour elected representatives at all levels work hard for you and we will continue to do so by making ourselves available and listening to residents all year round.
Andrew Gray is councillor for Shinfield
