Council leader insults councillors and officers
I and many Earley Town councillors have been very disappointed with the unnecessary attack on Earley Town Council from the Borough Conservative Leader, Cllr John Halsall at a recent Executive meeting at Wokingham Borough Council and in last week’s Wokingham Today.
The suggestion that Earley and Wokingham Town Councils have been “asleep” during the pandemic betrays a surprising degree of ignorance of what Town and Parish Councils do and how they are organised.
Officers and councillors from Earley Town Council have worked extremely hard during the pandemic, keeping all of the services provided by the Town Council in operation.
This includes keeping our parks and our nature reserve at Maiden Erlegh Lake open in a Covid safe way, providing an important amenity for residents to use during lockdown to maintain their mental health and physical wellbeing while observing Covid rules and guidance regarding exercising and/or working from home.
The help shop which helps to provide access to Borough Council and other services has also remained open through most of the pandemic.
Many councillors and officers have also, personally been putting a lot of time and energy into volunteering in addition to their normal roles as councillors and employment responsibilities rendering Cllr Halsall’s comments even more inappropriate, dding insult to injury.
The council have furloughed staff where this has been legal to do so, Cllr Halsall has shown by his suggestion that more people should have been furloughed that he clearly doesn’t understand the furlough rules; although in his position he should.
You might ask why Cllr Halsall has singled out Earley and Wokingham Town Council and not included Woodley Town Council in his rant.
The answer is simple, Earley Town Council is run by the Liberal Democrats who have 21 of the 25 seats and Wokingham Town Council is in no overall control and has a Liberal Democrat leader so, unlike Woodley, these two councils are not Conservative-led.
This inappropriate rant from the Borough Council leader is no more than a political stunt.
In recent months officers at Wokingham Borough have been suggesting the Borough and the Town and Parish Councils try to work more closely together and we have been actively looking at ways that this could be achieved.
This political attack by Cllr Halsall potentially damages the relationship between the Councils which had been improving.
Cllr Halsall should withdraw his unfounded criticism of Earley and Wokingham Town councils and apologise to the officers and councillors of all parties on those councils for his remarks.
Cllr Clive Jones, Lib Dem Leader of Earley Town Council
If there’s money, why can the roads be repaired?
After numerous calls to councillors John Halsall and Pauline Jorgensen about the state of roads in Woodley,
I finally received a visit from Graham Wiseman from Asset Management the company that runs highways for Wokingham Borough Council (WBC).
He was the person who came three years ago with a can of white paint and marked potholes in Radcot Close. He told me that the work would be done and I asked him what would happen if the work was unsatisfactory?
He told me that he would personally check it when finished. That did not happen and after six months the tarmac had all come out.
We have waited over two years for the council to return to site. It has now been decided that the surface is not dangerous and doesn’t need repairing. Does this council have any standards in their workmanship?
This also applies to other roads in Woodley and in particular Reading Road from Headley Road to Western Avenue. I was told that there was a year’s wait for this to be looked at. I was told that there had been no reported deaths or injuries and that people should drive more carefully.
Perhaps he should have spoken to the person who knocked on my door after spending a month in RBH with a badly broken leg after falling on an uneven surface.
I rang our councillor, Michael Firmanger, to ask if he could attend the meeting with Mr Wiseman.
He told me that he had a full-time job and was working all day. He has no experience with roads and he was watching football (not the England match).
Will somebody explain to me what the duties of a councillor are?
We helped this man become a councillor in 2019 because his priority was ROADS, so we thought we could have confidence in him.
How wrong we were.
This is the attitude of the party under Cllr Halsall who just don’t care.
He has massive assets, so we are told, and he refuses to lend against them. We are told by Asset Management that they only have £5.8m to spend on roads in Wokingham.
This is crazy and councillors are at fault for just allocating this sum of money. This could be spent in Woodley alone as we have some of the worst roads in the borough.
So when are the roads I mentioned to Gary Wiseman going to be done?
Reading Road in particular is a disgrace.
All this makes a mockery of what Cllr Jorgensen writes in this paper that residents should have a smooth even surface to walk, drive or cycle on. We cannot do any of these things on many roads in Woodley
It is criminal to hear Cllr Halsall boasting about having so much money in assets. This should be spent on repairing the roads and dealing with the needs of the people instead of future plans to spend £15m on future traffic schemes.
I refer to the brilliant letters from Gary Cowan, Paul Bray and Jim Frewin in Wokingham Today on July 1. They sum up what is really happening in our council, which is clearly the opposite view of Cllr Halsall who is out of touch and living in cloud cuckoo land.
The ideology of his party is crucifying and misleading residents. There is no such thing as working together with opposition parties or an alternative opinion. There is no community any more.
Wokingham is about to change with 400-600 houses being built each year all to be decided by a new Developer’s Charter.
We will lose more of our green fields. Why hasn’t our council employed solicitors and barristers to oppose these numbers.
We are told that Wokingham is a wealthy borough which is why we don’t get a grant from Westminster. If the council is so short of money in Highways and other departments perhaps these supposedly wealthy people should be asked to help.
Cedric Lander, Woodley
What’s the road map?
Just what are the plans for the junction between Easthampstead Road and the South Wokingham Distributor Road (SWDR)?
Back at the time of the so-called “consultation” over the route of the SWDR, I raised a concern about the location of the roundabout where the SWDR was to meet Easthampstead Road.
I pointed out that if the roundabout was too close to Star Lane level crossing, there would be a risk of Wokingham-bound traffic tailing back and blocking the roundabout.
Now, about three years later, I’m starting to hear rumours that the planners have realised this, and now plan to close the section of Easthampstead Road from Star Lane crossing to Heathlands Road.
This section would be replaced by a Link Road from Heathlands Road to the SWDR and another short road from the SWDR to Star Lane Crossing.
This all seemed to make sense until the rumour mill told me that the short road from the SWDR to Star Lane Crossing would be one-way, taking traffic out of Wokingham but adding a huge detour via London Road for traffic entering the Easthampstead Road area of Wokingham.
I don’t know if this rumour is true.
I tried to find clarification in the SWDR pages on the council’s web site.
I tried writing to our Westcott Ward councillor. So far I’ve found nothing that confirms whether this link road will be one-way or not.
It would be really useful if the council and Wokingham.Today could publish the latest plans with sufficient detail to give South Wokingham residents a clear picture of future routes to the south.
Colin & Christine Charman, Wokingham
Planning ahead
Wokingham Council have excelled themselves again with their usual lack of planning and incompetence.
After at least a decade of lack of maintenance and horrendous potholes. it was with great joy and relief that we learnt that Barkham Road and Barkham Street were to be resurfaced this Spring.
However, after only a couple of months both have now been closed to enable some utilities to be laid.
With Nile Mile Ride also closed this means that to drive towards Reading, Finchampstead residents have to travel up to and through the traffic in Wokingham or alternatively down to Eversley and along the A327. Both are considerable detours.
I understand that this will last for a month and we shall not have a bus service.
All essential work on these roads must have been known in advance of the resurfacing so why was it not re-scheduled.
Many years ago, I understood that there was a legal requirement for all councils to schedule all imminent and future works before resurfacing.
This is a disgraceful waste of our money.
Christine Godin, Finchampstead
Traffic woes
How ironic that the increase in traffic caused by the explosion of new houses that have been built, are being complained about by the people living in the new houses (Eldridge Park).
The noisy cars they are hearing at all hours is most likely from the A329M and not Bell Foundry Lane.
Juliet, via email
Busy doing nothing
Well the silly season is well and truly upon us.
The story headlined ‘Town councils are asleep’ once again shows Cllr John Halsall has run off at the mouth without engaging his brain. Or perhaps he did engage his brain and this is what he truly thinks which is disturbing that someone with this mindset is Leader of WBC.
His outburst demeans himself, the office he holds while demonstrating his lack of accuracy, integrity and judgment.
Cllrs Jones and Shepherd-DuBey provided reasonable and accurate replies demonstrating who the competent people are within our council system and where the problems lay.
Cllr Halsall‘s absurd claims have been shown to be totally inaccurate and he should make a full apology to the councillors, those who work at the councils and withdraw his comments without reservation.
It’s the very least he should do.
Let’s see whether he has the decency and dignity to do the right thing.
R Owen, via email
Democracy? Que?
What a terrific piece from John Redwood last week (Westminster Diary, July 1). It’s great to see that he feels comfortable talking about democracy after his government lied to the Queen about proroguing parliament, and had to be dragged through the courts so that our sovereign parliament could have a say on Brexit.
And what a Brexit.
As Redwood reminds us,
“A government with no doubts about its policy is arrogant or foolish”.
Of course, anyone in his party who dared express any doubts in the extremist Brexit pursued was punished (apart from Boris’s brother, who is now Baron Johnson).
The country is losing billions from fishing, the arts, farming and financial services, and the promises to look after EU citizens have gone the same way as the £350m of NHS funding each week.
Redwood should spend less time in pretend outrage at the EU and BBC, and more time making the deal his party negotiated and claimed to the British public was a great deal actually deliver.
Maybe then they will start to rebuild the trust in this country that has been so badly damaged by his party’s unwillingness to respect international law.
Dr Peter Hornsby, Wokingham
Praise for Berkshire Women’s Aid
I read, with interest Wokingham Today’s report, ‘Council ditches Berkshire’s Women’s Aid for new provider’, (June 24), and the letter from Louise Timlin, Reading and Wokingham Women’s Equality Party (July 1).
I have only ever, once, had occasion, to ask Berkshire’s Women’s Aid for help.
A mentally ill lady, staying in the crisis house, was under physical threat from a violent boyfriend, who knew that she was staying here.
What did I think of their service? Brilliant.
They came out, immediately, and provided her with a safe refuge place, immediately. I am conservative to the soul. If something is working well, I leave it alone, and never change anything – unless it is, demonstrably, a change for the better – so our local, elected, Conservatives, with this decision for change, intrigue me.
Louise Timlin says, ‘Cranstoun has very limited experience of providing refuge support and, indeed, does not currently, have refuge places available locally.’
This is most concerning – since the women are in danger now, and need immediate intervention to ensure their safeguarding.
Furthermore, there is no substitute for experience.
As I tell young volunteers at the crisis house, ‘The reason that I know what will happen in a situation, is that having run my mental health charities for over 42 years, I have seen that situation before’.
I am also most sceptical about programmes aimed at changing behaviours. You never change behaviours. You can change people’s circumstances, for the better, yes,
but changing the people, themselves, no.
I invite readers to look at the tragedy at Fishmongers’ Hall.
There, bright young lives were snuffed out, because the young people believed that their rehabilitation programme would change the behaviour of offenders.
Such offenders, and in the case of radicalised fanatics, particularly, will tell officialdom what they think officialdom wants to hear, and pretend to change – while their violent, and murderous, intent, remains unchanged.
So violent men will continue to be violent, and abused women will continue to need same-sex refuges.
Pam Jenkinson, The Wokingham Crisis House
Help our heroes
The awarding of the George Cross by Her Majesty the Queen and the inspirational efforts of Captain Sir Tom have shown us how to recognise our NHS heroes.
The vast majority of us stood on our doorsteps to clap when we really needed them. We have been regularly told we must follow the rules to save our NHS. All of these are absolutely the right things to do.
So, what has happened locally to recognise our many NHS heroes?
Following closely on the Government 1% pay rise decision, the Royal Berks Hospital management and charity leaders have decided to spend some of Sir Tom’s wonderful allocation of funds on toys, water bottles and badges.
Professional medical heroes on the edge of exhaustion have been given a badge and a plastic water bottle and in some cases one of the toys below, as recognition of their efforts over the Pandemic period.
It is difficult to see how this is meant to lift morale at a time where the NHS continues to find itself under so much pressure.
A&E and ambulance staff have been at the forefront of the Pandemic battle and their welfare facilities at the RBH are at best in need of ‘significant care’.
Should we except NHS staff to use work place facilities that most of us would be appalled by?
The RBH leaders have chosen to spend on toys, water bottles and badges rather than something meaningful, such as improving staff facilities.
Why?
On top of this staff are being told that staff parking is likely to be moving to Green Park and staff will need to use the park and ride to get to and from work, adding hours onto their weekly commute.
Can you imagine after an intensive and stressful 12-hour shift having to stand and wait at a bus stop, on a winters night just to get back to your car?
Imagine how you would feel if you had to drive pass the RBH to get to Green Park and then wait for the bus to take you back along the same route.
NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens said the George Cross award recognised the “skill and fortitude” of NHS staff, who had responded to “the worst pandemic in a century and the greatest challenge this country has faced since the Second World War.
Is this really how we should be recognising our local NHS heroes? Will these actions help stressed and exhausted staff? Will they lift morale?
Is this really the way to treat our local NHS heroes?
Name and address supplied
Bobbies on the beat, now
It is time that the police started walking the streets like before and keeping in touch with the community and stopping the killings going on with youngsters with knives.
Also ban all guns and do not give out any licence to anyone to shoot animals or people.
The elderly are living in fear and will not even go out night or day because the police have lost their way.
Victor Rones, Bracknell
Time to volunteer
The UK’s leading heart charity, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) wants to say thank you to all its fantastic shop volunteers, ahead of Thank You Day (4th July 2021).
Our shop volunteers play a vital role in raising funds for life saving research – without their passion and drive we wouldn’t have been able to fund scientific breakthroughs for 60 years.
The last year has been extremely difficult for the BHF, with the temporary shop closures and we have been truly humbled by the continued support of our volunteers. However, we have 20% less volunteering support than we did before the Covid-19 pandemic and are urging the local community to volunteer in their nearest BHF shop.
The charity has plenty of exciting volunteering roles available, which not only provide crucial support to the BHF retail operation, but it can also help boost CVs, increase wellbeing, and provide a social network within the local community.
Volunteers can get involved in a range of tasks, such as telephone and logistical administration, merchandising on the shop floor and answering customer queries. We also offer online roles for those keen to hone their tech skills, by helping to research, photographer and list items for the BHF’s online shops.
Each year, heart and circulatory diseases kill more than 1 in 4 people in the South East and currently 970,000 people in the region are living with them. In the BHF’s 60th year, the support of volunteers in our local shops is more vital than ever – whether it is just a few hours a week or more.
As we approach our milestone birthday, help us fund the next 60 years of scientific breakthroughs by giving us the gift of time, to save and improve lives in the South East.
For more details on how you can volunteer at the BHF please visit www.bhf.org.uk/volunteer
Sarah Boardman, Retail Volunteering Operations Manager at the British Heart Foundation
Beauty
I happened to be walking past a patch of St John’s Wort on Reading Road, near Woosehill Roundabout. The blossom attracts many pollinators.
The flower is a very attractive shade of Yellow with many thin Stamens.
It is invasive and can be used as a Ground covering plant but can coexist with other plants, as seen here.
Harry Atkinson, Wokingham
