Put your specs on
You’d have to pretty unobservant if you failed to notice that the so-called Lib Dem “newspaper” was a party political publication.
Where do we usually start reading? Top left of the page. Where did it state that it was a Lib Dem publication? Top left of the page.
Michael Storey, Wokingham
Alternatives to driving
I read Cllr Jorgensens’ piece, ‘From the Chamber’ (July 14) with interest.
I am glad she enjoys cycling, I have only seen her twice in the past few years on her electric bike, I hope to see more of her cycling.
I was sad she said there was no funding gap for the buses, when you arrive in power and on the first day are shown a paper saying there was no budget for the buses from September when the real truth becomes a reality, we have had to work quickly to save bus services by using S106 funding as a temporary measure until we set a new budget.
As a partnership (NOT a coalition) running Wokingham Borough Council we are NOT forcing people out of their cars.
We are giving people good alternative choices to cycle, walk (both good for mental and physical health) or take the bus, and investing in these options.
If people still need/want to use their cars this is their choice, what we are doing is making the choice wider for the sake of our health and the health of the environment.
Indeed as more people walk, cycle, or use the bus there will be more room on the roads and a win for drivers as well.
Cllr David Hare, Councillor for Hawkedon Ward, Executive member for Adult Services
A clear message
The letters in the issue of July 7 ‘Drop the nasty act’ and ‘Divide and rule’ would, on the surface, seem to be unrelated and perhaps even polar opposites.
Yet if you read carefully they both contain the same message. A clear message to all Wokingham Councillors.
That message being we need to put aside party politics and political point scoring games, it is time to work together.
In recent weeks much is being made of the local plan and what has not been done in the past few weeks. Nothing however seems to be mentioned about the past few years.
The pains resulting from the local over development of the Shinfield area, the (in my opinion) unfair 97% to 3% split of previous local plans or the breaking of the agreed local plan (Executive decision with no consultation) to bring forwards the significant development (South of Cutbush) well before the agreed planned date, have been and continue to be, by far the biggest cause of resident complaints to me as a Shinfield councillor is resident issues directly related to previous local plan developments.
We are, however, where we are and no amount of complaining will bring back our green fields.
Scattering blame but at the same time taking no responsibility, will not bring back those green fields.
Perhaps, just perhaps, we might save some green fields going forwards, if we spent as much time and effort in working together as we do playing party politics.
Cllr Jim Frewin, Independent councillor for Shinfield South
Summer of discontent
Now that Heathrow has announced a curtailing of passenger numbers as it struggles to cope with demand, residents around the airport are wondering when a reduction in night flights will occur?
The past few weeks have seen too many flights operating past midnight, with some even past 1am.
This is unacceptable, particularly as flights begin to arrive again over some parts of London from as early at 4.15am.
The many hundreds of thousands of people under Heathrow’s flight paths must not continue paying the price for Heathrow’s recruitment backlog – staff they were keen to fire at the beginning of the pandemic but have struggled to re-hire and train quickly enough to cope with demand.
As London and the Thames Valley suffer record-breaking temperatures, we hope that the airport will reduce flights at these most disruptive times – when the heat means we are already having difficulty getting a decent night’s sleep.
Heathrow’s summer of discontent cannot be allowed to continue to impact such large swathes of the population.
Justine Bayley, Chair, Stop Heathrow Expansion
Sermon in the parliament
Did a sermon by the Revd Les Isaac at a Parliamentary prayer meeting move Sajid Javid to resign as Health Secretary?
Saint Luke writes how the Apostle Paul preached at a centre of power in ancient Athens-‘The Areopagus’-almost 2,000 years ago.
Some listeners laughed at Paul while others reserved judgment on the resurrection. A senior official called Dionysus responded to Paul’s message.
The penetrating power of the preacher is not a new phenomenon by any stretch of the imagination.
We should not be surprised at all on hearing media stories about how a sermon appears to have impacted the timing of Sajid Javid’s resignation. Do more MPs need to heed the spiritual or moral message delivered by preachers?
J T Hardy, by email
Time to tackle NEETS
Data from the Department of Education showed that the proportion of 16-year-olds who are NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) is at its highest level since 2012.
This is a devastating indication of the effect that years of interrupted education and the pandemic has had on our young people, on their ambitions, on their mental health. In our education centres we are aware of these missing young people, the ones that were already vulnerable, already struggling but because of the pandemic this wasn’t picked up. Unfortunately, many of those young people have now slipped through the net. We need a reunited effort to find these young people and to engage them back in education, training or employment. Once we had a national Connexions service which could do this exact task. Now we have a patchy, postcode lottery of provision to support and engage NEET young people. They deserve better than this. We need more focus and more funding for those young people who are disengaged from education and we need this funding to be extended to cover 16-18 year olds through a Pupil Premium Plus.
Elise Temple, Director of Education and Skills, Nacro (one of the country’s largest independent providers of further education and skills)
Join fight against breast cancer
People with breast cancer need you. And they need you now. Every year, around 55,000 women and 370 men in the UK have their lives turned upside down by a breast cancer diagnosis. In 2007 I experienced this first hand when I was told I had the disease.
Nearly five years after I finished treatment I was diagnosed with secondary (metastatic) breast cancer which had spread to my liver. Secondary breast cancer can be treated but cannot be cured.
I’ve worked with the charity Breast Cancer Now for a long time because they’ve been with me right from the start. That’s why I’m calling on readers join me this August by hosting an Afternoon Tea. Afternoon Tea is Breast Cancer Now’s annual fundraising event, that gives you a chance to get together with friends, family or colleagues over a cake in the garden, or a picnic in the park, to raise money for charity.
Money raised will help Breast Cancer Now continue to provide award-winning health information, fund cutting-edge research projects, and give someone much-needed reassurance on their Helpline, which I know from calling the team myself, can make all the difference.
Research into finding new treatments is incredibly important and everyday Breast Cancer Now’s research in the lab brings us closer to a future where everyone with breast cancer lives and is supported to live well. By hosting an Afternoon Tea, you can raise vital funds to help researchers get there faster.
I’ve hosted an Afternoon Tea this year and loved being able to invite friends over to share in my passion with food, whilst raising money for a cause close to my heart.
This year’s Afternoon Tea fundraising kit includes a whole host of exciting decorations and games to make your event special, including beautiful bespoke bunting designed by iconic British brand Cath Kidston.
Join thousands of people across the UK and host an Afternoon Tea at any point throughout August, sign up for your fundraising kit at breastcancernow.org/cuppa
Jane Devonshire, 2016 MasterChef winner and Breast Cancer Now supporter
