Whilst the Council [albeit reluctantly and thanks largely to the efforts of The Wokingham Paper and the shopkeepers in the town], introduced free parking from 3pm to 8am which is a start, will it honour the traditions in the council owned car parks of going further and making Saturdays free to park at all times in December?
In previous years, except 2016, I believe they had all four Saturdays in the run-up to Christmas as being free to park, but last year they only did three Saturdays as Christmas Eve fell on a Saturday last year and, if my memory serves me correctly, the free parking did not include the busiest shopping day of the year.
It would make a world of difference to the struggling shopkeepers and market stall traders to have at least the four Saturdays in the run-up to Christmas as being totally free parking as Christmas for many could be the make or break time for them.
So come on Wokingham Borough Councillors please after all the chaotic disruption in the regeneration, roadworks and so on, give us all whom shop and visit Wokingham and the traders and shopkeepers, an early Christmas present and make it free to park on Saturdays at all times.
We want to encourage more people to visit Wokingham during the regeneration and spend their money in the shops and with the market stall traders. Making it free to park Saturdays would greatly help.
Ian Hydon, Wokingham
Editor’s note: It was announced at the Wokingham Borough Council meeting on Thursday, November 23 – after we had hit the newsstands – that parking will be free on Saturdays and Sundays.
asd
I refer to the letter from Cllr Whittle in last week’s paper (letters, page 19).
The response by Cllr Whittle is really no more than Smoke and Mirrors. He has chosen to selectively use figures to prove a point without taking others into account.
There has been a lot of discussion & some confusion about the £4,200 figure. Wokingham Borough Council’s forecast borrowing (or debt) for 2019/20 is calculated to be £271 million (even Cllr Whittle acknowledges this).
This is the total debt of the Council and includes the Wokingham Town regeneration borrowing requirement.
There are approximately 65,000 properties in Wokingham Borough who pay council tax, if you divide £271 million by 65,000 you get a figure that is close to £4,200.
This is the exposure that residents in Wokingham have towards the total borrowing of the Council.
Everyone reading this letter should understand the massive increase in debt the Council is exposing you to as residents and council tax payers in Wokingham. Should anything go wrong, or income is delayed for any reason, it is you the council tax payer who is the last resort for the Council.
Cllr Whittle can talk about commercial deals etc, but in Wokingham it is the Council (i.e. you) that are taking the risks, not big business. They have contracts to hide behind.
Cllr Whittle also makes reference to my comment about the Council’s overspend of nearly £1 million. Over the past year, WBC had to move £700k overspend into this years budget as well as incurring a further £159k overspend in this financial year.
They have also taken over £1 million out of reserves to cover this year’s budget! So I stand by my comments.
Cllr Lindsay Ferris,
Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Wokingham Borough Council & Member for Twyford
Representation, that’s what you need…
I was intrigued by the letter from Anthea West and the various postings by others on Facebook about the principle of representing voters views over the EU referendum. In her last paragraph she indicates quite clearly that since Wokingham voted for remain then he should be pushing the remain agenda.
Well a distinguished professor has completed a comprehensive analysis on parliamentary constituencies on whether they voted leave or remain and it makes interesting reading.
In the referendum, 403 constituencies voted to leave with only 229 voting to remain. So the principle of MP’s pushing the appropriate agenda based on their voters’ preference for leave or remain would make the Brexit process a lot easier.
It also throws up some interesting anomalies. For example, senior labour politicians like John McDonnell (Shadow Chancellor) and Tom Watson (Deputy Leader), would have to push the leave agenda whilst Theresa May would have to push the remain agenda!
Sounds like a topic for a future Tony Johnson article doesn’t it!
Cllr Keith Baker
Coronation Ward, Woodley
What the panel thinks
I found it interesting to read the Comments of the present Wokingham Conservative Council Leader and the previous one Keith Baker who are tut-tutting over comments from Cllr Andy Croy.
One has to look back at the past and think the Conservatives forced the resignation of two previous Independent remuneration panels (IRP) plus my own resignation due entirely to the extraordinary secretive ways the Conservatives have of doing business backed by the three line whip bullying methods they employ to keep their party members in line.
These bullying tactics and total secrecy makes our most secret of societies seems very open and transparent by comparison.
There are many examples too numerous to mention but Wokingham Borough Council being run by the Conservatives for nearly 20 years now have moved away from the old smoke filled rooms and now practice their secret businesses in non-smoke filled rooms.
With the exception of the smoke nothing has changed except the residents and business have to pay the price for their follies.
So far it’s 2-0 to the Conservative Council Vs the IRP.
I wonder if the three-line whip will be in place tonight? I also wonder will the Conservative beneficiaries of more that one allowance vote to squeeze a bit more out of the trough? I wonder if common sense will prevail. Just saw a pig fly past.
Finally I wonder will it be Conservative Council 3 and IRP 0 and then watch out for new IRP applicants. When secrecy and greed becomes one political ambition with the big three line stick whip I feel very sorry for Wokingham’s residents and businesses. Roll on next May.
Cllr Gary Cowan, Independent Borough Councillor for Arborfield
A load of baloney
I should like to clear up a statement made by Cllr Holton in your paper last week (Page 15) regarding his comment “If Lindsay really wanted to speak then all he needed to do was to give evidence ……. as he wasn’t on the list of speakers he (Tim) was given immediately prior to the meeting”.
To explain.
I approached Wokingham Borough Council (WBC) Democratic Services on Monday 6th November to indicate that I wished to speak on the Carnival Pool planning application at the November 8 Planning Committee.
I had previously as Leader of the Liberal Democrats provided a submission on the planning application raising a number of concerns. I was even written to by WBC to advise that as someone who had submitted views I was entitled to speak.
I was made aware by Democratic Services that my request had been submitted to the Chairman of Planning in the section “Broadly support, but had some issues” (especially about disability access to the site).
About three hours later, I was advised by Democratic Services that the Chairman (i.e. Cllr Holton) had advised them that I was not eligible to speak and as a result was duly removed from the list.
My only comment to what you reported Cllr Holton said is “it is a load of old baloney”.
Cllr Lindsay Ferris, Liberal Democrat leader of Wokingham Borough Council
Fit for purpose
I am afraid I am going to have to add the design of the Carnival Pool Car park and new Carnival Pool/Library to the list of poor decisions for disabled people in Wokingham.
I really would have thought that in the 21st Century we should be automatically designing buildings with accessible features for disabled residents. This should certainly be applied in areas where public services are provided, such as a pool, library and car park.
In response to Cllr Stuart Munro’s comments in last week’s article on disabled access at Carnival Pool – he needs to actually check with our British Standards on disabled parking, because what is being suggested is very selective and grossly incomplete.
While you may think that it is appropriate to get away with just providing an outdoor bench to break up the more that 70m distance from the disabled parking in Carnival Pool Car Park to the front door of the pool, you are missing some vital points from the very same British Standard.
Where is the required disabled pickup and drop off point near to the entrance? Where is the variable levels of seating at the rest point? Where are power assisted doors on the Carnival Pool Car Park, so that people with walking aids or wheelchairs can open them?
Also do you really think it acceptable for disabled people to sit outside in the cold and rain because of the need to occasionally park a second coach right outside the front door of the pool?
The current library has disabled parking, right outside the door, but if the Library moves to Carnival Pool the situation becomes much worse. Surely this is in breach of the Equalities Act? These new buildings are 21st Century buildings for which there should be NO need for such poor solutions?
What is more appalling is that there appears to have been no disabled people or groups included in the consultation on these changes. When asked, nothing has been produced and their needs do not seem to have been properly judged as part of the process.
So, do not think for a minute that Wokingham Borough Council has built this car park and produced the design of the new pool/library with the best needs of its residents in mind, especially if they have mobility problems. I leave it to the reader to judge whose interests this new design serves.
Cllr Imogen Shepherd-Dubey,
Liberal Democrat councillor for Emmbrook Ward
On Sheeplands
A letter I’ve sent to Wokingham Borough Council:
I am writing to you to express my disgust at the way Wokingham Borough Council (WBC) Planning Department have treated Hare Hatch Sheeplands.
Several months ago Sheeplands were taken to Court by the Council and as a result they had to change their operation from essentially a ‘garden centre’ to a plant nursery with a cafe and farm shop. As a result the business was deemed then to be fully compliant with the Enforcement conditions BUT approximately 30 people were made redundant.
In order to rebuild a sustainable business Sheeplands recently applied for planning permission to sell, on a temporary basis, Christmas items and Christmas trees. This would provide vital financial income to allow Sheeplands to meet their obligations during the next few months.
These plans were drawn up for Sheeplands by a very reputable and well respected planning company with years of experience in these matters who saw foresaw no problem whatsoever with these plans being accepted. They were fully supported by legal planning specialists.
To the amazement of all concerned WBC Planning Department refused to even consider the application. After a legal challenge WBC issued an apology and indicated they would consider the application. A few days later, I understand, WBC again changed its mind and said it wished for advice from ‘Senior Counsel’ on a technical issue relating to the application.
Just what is going on in my Council? Does some individual have a major grudge against Mr Scott and his company in that they want to close him down? The costs that are involved seeking counsel’s opinion on a technical issue are simply a waste of taxpayers’ money.
I would like to know please why the Council Planning Department initially refused to consider the application, then changed its mind, with an apology, only to change its mind again?
As I said previously it would appear the Council, or someone in the Council, is carrying out a vendetta against Sheeplands to put them out of business, OR is there some ulterior motive for the Council to get their hands on the land for future development purposes?
Many people in the Ruscombe, Twyford, Charvil and surrounding areas have continually supported Sheeplands but that support is not being acknowledged by their Council. Across the road from Sheeplands is another well-known garden centre that appears to get planning permission for anything they put on the site including hot-tubs and a car wash. How is this allowed to happen considering the action you have taken against Sheeplands?
I would ask you please to look into this matter and provide Sheeplands with the necessary temporary permission they require to allow the business to stay afloat and build for the future.
Frank Moore, via email
Bullies for you
I read, with interest, your recent article in the November 16 issue on the current issues with Sheeplands.
I was dismayed at the way in which the garden centre had been treated.
Yes, the owner had pushed the boundaries and he has now complied, but the Wokingham Council have been total bullies over the matter. Mind you, I should not be surprised as the Council ride rough-shod over everything.
There was another article about how, yet again, the Council have been uncaring bullies with regard to the Winnersh Allotments. I have a plot there and hope that I am not going to find that it has been one of the plots that have been damaged!
It seems that Wokingham Council is run by a group of people with their own agenda who look after themselves and who have zero care about the impact their decisions have on local rate payers.
I have been up to the offices at Shute End on two occasions so far to discuss the new parking enforcement. We have yet to see the new ‘parking enforcement’ actually being effectively used in our area!
A very disgruntled local rate payer resident.
Ric Tilbe, via email
John is the man for me
I don’t agree with the views expressed in The Wokingham Paper –(Viewpoints – November 16) – that John Redwood is not a good Constituency MP.
We are worlds apart! His world is the world of business, of high finance, of multi-millionaires – the world so loved by Wokingham – the world of success!
My world is the world of mental illness, of addiction, of social inadequacy, of people dependent upon food-banks, and scraping along at the very bottom of society – the world of disadvantage!
This is the world that Wokingham so often denies having. I agree that we do not have it to the same extent as some of our neighbouring towns, but everywhere, nevertheless, has its underbelly!
It is, therefore, remarkable, that – in the 30 years that we have both served Wokingham – John Redwood has proved unfailingly kind, helpful, and always willing to give the time to listen to any concerns that I have about mental health provision – both locally – and with regard to national policy. He has taken the issues to Parliament, when necessary.
He has always shown interest in our work – though it is not his personal field of endeavour – and this is the hallmark of a good Constituency MP.
Pam Jenkinson,
The Wokingham Crisis House
Cllrs’ car parking perk – we’re all in it together…
Re: Cllr Andy Croy’s letter “Councillors should vote against parking plan” (The Wokingham Paper, November 9). Now there’s a surprise – it seems they’re at it again.
Wokingham Borough councillors, not content without consultation, forming in-house companies, appointing their own directors, setting their own remuneration and awarding themselves regular increases in allowances, are now, it would appear, considering paying themselves an additional £100 a year car parking bonus, increasing their yearly basic allowances by £600 to £7,100, paid for in part, although it will, of course, be denied, by the £1 overnight parking fee in all council car parks and imposed on others.
We are contintually being told by politicians in both central and local government that we are “all in it together”. Some it would appear more so than others.
Snouts and troughs spring to mind.
J W Blaney, Wokingham
Gullible – moi?
If I worked in total isolation and silence for six months, I doubt I could think-up the number of rackets and scams that exist in this country! (Records indicate many people suffer loss/financial problems.)
Two recent examples.
The first concerns a neighbour, 97-years-old, active and clear headed (totally a remarkable lady), who was telephoned two weeks ago, by ‘a nice man’. He told her that roof insulation regulations have changed – could he visit her to check her roof and advise if anything needed to be done.
Wisely she told him she did not want a visit.
The second is yet another call from a company who wanted to talk to me about an accident in my car that I had not had!
It is obvious to me that the Data Protection Act does not work for “the man in the street” when lawyers and other racketeers in society can obtain any information they need to attack the public.
That being the case, referring back to my letter about Neighbourhood Watch Groups of two weeks ago, I would like to see that two things happen immediately;
(i) Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinators to be able to act on behalf of Members where appropriate, in contacts with police or Trading Standards. That is not currently allowed.
(ii) The appointment of local Co-ordinators should be made with care, requiring maybe some basic knowledge of Common law, the telephone Preference Service, Sale of Goods Act. Trades Descriptions Act., simple contract law, and the Citizen’s Advice Bureau, (viz) be known to them as a contact point for example.
Reg Clifton, Wokingham
Hemp is the answer
Hemp is the answer to our Plastics Problem as well as many other issues!
And no, it is not cannabis… Please don’t confuse the two!
Hemp is a brilliant crop which could save the oceans, trees (as it makes excellent, high quality paper) and lead to less pesticide use as it needs far less pesticide (and water) compared to cotton. Win Win Win!
We need to get away from plastics. They don’t just kill ocean life, they kill us too, creating hormonal imbalances and leading to cancer.
Recycling is just a plaster on the wound, re-use and Hemp are far better!
With regards to Light Pollution, it is high time for the Media to devote more time to Blue-Rich White Light (BRWL) Pollution.
This is a recent form of pollution which is harmful to human and circadian rhythms (as it mimics daylight at night) road safety and sky glow (due to glare) and it is high time that it is highlighted.
Also, many people are being made ill by LED lighting, kindly see: http://www.lightaware.org
Tanja Rebel, via email
