We’ve also been caught out by Aldi’s eye
Regarding your main letter in Wokingham Today of August 12: I too was caught out in Aldi at Wokingham. In fact I could have written that letter.
I haven’t been out shopping in two years and generally have my shopping delivered by Tesco, but as lockdown was easing I thought, ‘Here goes’, and parked in the disabled bay (legitimately) and masked up, having a lovely shop, spending £76.
A few days later to my horror a notice came through the door with a penalty charge of £40 or £70 as
I hadn’t registered my car (what on earth is all that about?)
Like your letter writer I hadn’t seen a notice I was just so excited to get into a shop, staying one hour and eight minutes
So Aldi and Parking Eye see you in court.
Gill House, Wokingham
What about the silent majority?
Re: Developer’s plans for Swallows Meadows has support from 650 people (see page 27).
Given that the developers leafleted every household in Lower Earley (to the best of my understanding), I don’t believe that it’s as positive a response as their PR department would have everyone believe, given the volume of residents in Lower Earley.
The leaflets sent to garner responses were massively biased towards the positive and did not include any area for any negative response; many local people I have interacted with both personally and online did not even bother returning their forms for that exact reason.
I wonder what the story and numbers would have been, had the question leaflet sent given the opportunity to allow a balanced response?
Ian Blower, Wokingham
Housing hypocrisy
Jim Frewin’s excellent column (From The Chamber, August 12), sums it all up about John Halsall’s campaign to get residents opinions on where they want the houses to be built in the new plan.
This clearly is hypocrisy as far as Halsall is concerned.
He doesn’t realise that the residents DON’T WANT ANY MORE HOUSES as we are already over-developed in Wokingham.
It is his party that is encouraging developers and landowners to put in planning applications.
In all, 50,000 residents have already objected to the loss of green spaces.
The Council have already decided where they are going to put the houses in the southern part of the Borough. The poor residents in Shinfield will have their area decimated.
Interestingly many councillors live in the northern part of the Borough.
Councillor Halsall was too weak in dealing with Westminster.
No legal opposition to the plans was put up on behalf of the residents.
The only development that should take place is on brownfield sites.
Residents should not respond to Halsall’s request as they have already been let down.
As for the infrastructure – where are the supermarkets, schools, doctor’s surgeries and the promised village centre?
So much of the area is also liable to flood.
Once the planning application has been passed they then have no more responsibility leaving it to residents to fight their own cause.
Don’t fall into the trap of commenting and contributing to the decimation of the Borough.
Cedric Lander, Woodley
Planning time
It’s good that Councillor Halsall wants people to be involved in Wokingham’s draft Local Plan – expected to be published this autumn.
But housing numbers and local policies are tightly constrained by central government targets and standards so our opinions may not have much effect.
When the council produces a draft – ideally with proposals to reduce development pressures, improve affordability, and address the climate and ecological emergencies – the plans have to be approved by a government inspector.
When it gets to that stage it’s no longer about local politics but becomes a very complex process of evidence and legal argument in which well-funded developers are likely to prevail and local people can’t compete.
But it’s going to get worse – the government’s Planning for the Future white paper proposes to divide the country into ‘Growth’, ‘Renewal’ and ‘Protected’ areas – with ‘a statutory presumption in favour of development being granted’ (with limited local control or involvement) in the first two categories.
Councillor Halsall and his fellow Conservative Councillors should now persuade the government to adopt measures that have the long-term public interest at heart – addressing population growth and distribution, stopping greenfield development, increasing local influence, and creating a legal duty to secure sustainable development incorporating the concept of environmental limits, tackling climate change, and improving the health and well-being of all citizens.
John Booth, Earley
Offering refuge
I refer to the Report – ‘Cranstoun has no refuges yet’, and to the letter – ‘Why is there no refuge for abuse victims?’ in Wokingham.Today of August 5.
I also submitted the following question to the Wokingham Borough Council Executive: “Would you please confirm that Cranstoun, who are to replace Berkshire Women’s Aid’s refuges for abused women, actually have refuges available in Wokingham, ready for the changeover of funding and services, in order to ensure the safeguarding of the vulnerable women, concerned?”
I received a, most detailed, written reply.
It confirmed that three local refuge places remain, unchanged, and also stated that – ‘The increase in financial funding has also, in turn, allowed the Council to offer an enhanced local 24/7 offer for victims to access support.’
There is, obviously, here, a great deal of commitment, and a great deal of money, involved.
However, one must differentiate between the long-term goals of, through therapy, achieving behavioural changes in violent men, and getting abused woman back, their self-worth, and self confidence, so that they no longer fall into abusive relationships, and the immediate goal – where do they run to, tonight?
Judging by our own experience, Berkshire Women’s Aid’s ability to provide refuge places, entirely from their own fund-raising, will be short-lived.
The funding for our own crisis beds was axed, late in 2007, and we had to close them early in 2008, because we could not, from our own fund-raising, pay the bills for a residential facility.
Referring to the point about the 24/7 offer for victims to access support, reminds me of the occasion when a member of the Wokingham Mental Health Team wanted to refer a homeless, mentally-ill man, to one of our crisis beds. I explained that, since the funding had ceased, we no longer accepted their referrals.
She then asked whether people could self-refer, and I explained that we no longer accepted residents, at all.
To do so, would be like my going into Sainsbury’s and saying, “I am not paying for my shopping any more, but can I have it all anyway, for free?”
There are, of course, tax-payers who do not believe that their money should fund charities, because they can choose to donate to these, themselves, but, in practice, there
are literally hundreds of worthy causes, and most people can afford only to donate to two or three of their choice.
During the years in which we have been totally self-funding, we have been able, only, to raise just enough cash to pay the daily expenses of our drop-in centre – leaving the reserves in the bank – to which a few generous people make regular, monthly donations – to pay the big bills – such as Business Rates, and Public Liability Insurance.
Neither Mental Health, nor Domestic Abuse, are particularly popular causes, and, without Council funding, I fear that Berkshire Women’s Aid will struggle to continue the provision of major services.
Pam Jenkinson, The Wokingham Crisis House
Ban guns
We must ban people having guns, also Kit Malthouse should step down.
He has let the people of this country down he must go he is no good and turns his back on violent crime growing on our streets in Britain – the events of mass violence.
In a few days, the politicians will forget these killings until the next time – it’s the road to US violence.
The people must come out of their homes and say enough is enough.
The police are giving out licences like Smarties to have guns violence in the country and towns.
The US has no creditability now it is a country of shame.
Joe Biden has created a terrorist country and blames everyone except his self – the man is a liar and a fake.
He will go down in history: this man will have one term in the White House, he has blood on his hands and stood by his firm excuse and knew that children at the age of 12 and single ladies will be raped and live in hell. If their fathers protest they will be shot in front of the girls and women these creatures will never change they are scum that Biden let in with an open door.
The world must wake up, especially UK, that the USA have no friends. They only love themselves and America comes first.
Wake up British government – I am ashamed of this country now it has fallen in the sewer with the rats.
Johnson, Raab and Patel are in the sewer.
Victor Rones, Bracknell
Get ready for Grief Awareness
With National Grief Awareness Day on Monday, August 30, I’d like to highlight Cats Protection’s grief support service for cat owners.
Now in its fifth year, Paws to Listen is there for anyone facing the heartbreak of losing their cat, struggling with issues like euthanasia, or whose cat has gone missing.
It is a free and confidential service, connecting callers with a volunteer listener over the telephone or via email.
Pet loss is not always fully recognised in society as a significant loss, causing many to be reluctant to talk about their grief.
Additionally, covid restrictions in the past year or so have often meant that people could not be with their pets at the point of euthanasia, which has compounded people’s grief.
We feel it is important to normalise pet grief and let people know that they’re not alone and it’s OK to talk about it.
This year, our Paws to Listen service is being supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery. I’d like to say a huge thank you to them for their continued support, which is also helping us to take care of cats at our centres and speak up for cats through our campaigning work.
The Paws to Listen phone line is open 9am-5pm Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays) and can be reached on 0800 024 94 94. Alternatively, people can get in touch via an online form at: www.cats.org.uk/grief
Catherine Joyce, Paws to Listen Team Leader, Cats Protection
Relisience of teenagers
Last week’s GCSE results highlight the resilience and determination of our country’s young people, who, on average, have missed 14 weeks of learning.
At Nacro, our Further Education and Skills Centres teach some of the most disadvantaged 16–19-year-olds.
Around 50% of our students started the pandemic without a digital device or Wi-Fi to study on.
Yet today, despite coming to us without GCSEs in English and maths, they have gone to achieve great re-sit results, with an increase of high passes 4 and above. For them this is the golden ticket to a good job or further education.
This success has been a result of the hard work and determination of our learners, with support from our staff. But it has been bolstered by the use of the Government’s recovery tuition funding.
Early analysis of our data shows that those who took part in the scheme achieved 15% higher pass rates compared to those who did not participate.
We now need this funding boost to become permanent for those who need to fill gaps in learning or faced multiple barriers to education and skills.
Well done to all those who celebrating their achievements last week, in a year to remember.
Lisa Capper MBE, Director of Skills and Education, Nacro
