Local News
17 April 2024 / 27 April 2024 by niallsomerville
The local Green Party has unveiled its plans to create a fairer, greener and cleaner Reading ahead of the local elections this year. As usual, the Green Party is a standing candidates in every ward across the town. Priorities in their local manifesto include: The Green Party are currently the main opposition party on Reading […]
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15 March 2024 / 17 April 2024 by niallsomerville
The Green Party’s candidate for the new Reading Central Parliamentary constituency is local Councillor Dave McElroy (Redlands Ward). Dave is a scientist, a dad, and a sports lover. He has lived in Reading since 2017 and works for an international organisation dedicated to protecting land and farmers. As a hardworking councillor, Dave is a tireless […]
29 February 2024 / 17 April 2024 by niallsomerville
Greens have lobbied for action on renewables and insulation The Labour Party ditching its plan to spend £28 billion a year on green investments is a big step backward. It’s bad for Reading’s environment, Reading’s economy, and for creating good jobs in the town. Protecting our planet for the future and making sure the UK […]
26 February 2024 / 27 April 2024 by niallsomerville
Councillor Dave McElroy (Green Party, Redlands) has welcomed council investment in emptying bins as part of the council’s budget. This is following much Green Party campaigning on missed and delayed bin collections. Green councillors have for some time been campaigning on Labour-run Reading Council’s poor record on delayed and missed bin collections. At the peak […]
12 February 2024 / 17 April 2024 by niallsomerville
Reading Council have delivered just a third of the affordable housing needed in Reading. According to the Berkshire Strategic Housing Market Assessment Reading needs 406 new affordable homes delivered every year for residents in need, but the council have managed just 135 last year. This is down from 178 the previous year. Councillor Dave McElroy […]
5 January 2024 / 17 April 2024 by niallsomerville
Many roads have experienced delays with collecting their bins recently adding to wider litter and fly tipping problems. For the week commencing Monday 13 November: Councillor Dave McElroy (Green Party, Redlands Ward) said: “For the week commencing Monday 13 November, 24% of roads had a delay with their bin collection. Overflowing bins leads to problems […]
24 October 2023 / 23 October 2023 by niallsomerville
Unfortunately, many of Reading’s roads are plagued with potholes. Council figures show that the condition of major roads is getting worse. Greens have continued to report individual potholes and push for roads to be properly resurfaced. Councillor Dave McElroy (Green Party, Redlands Ward) said: “After years of underinvestment in our roads from Labour, it is […]
5 October 2023 / 17 April 2024 by niallsomerville
More schemes planned after over 1000 Reading residents register for solar panel group auction Last year, Green councillors Doug Cresswell (Katesgrove) and Dave McElroy (Redlands) campaigned for the council to run a group solar panel buying scheme – giving a discount for residents on the cost of installing solar panels. This has now become reality, […]
1 August 2023 / 1 August 2023 by niallsomerville
Green councillor and leader of the main opposition party on Reading Council Rob White raised concerns about food safety in Reading at a meeting of the Policy Committee recently. Speaking after the meeting he said: “I was very concerned when the council published the figures on the backlog for food hygiene and food standards inspections. […]
24 July 2023 / 17 April 2024 by niallsomerville
Companies such as Grain and CityFibre have been digging up pavements and roads across the town to install Internet cables. Often one company has dug up a road and then another company has come back a few months later to do the same thing to install another cable. Greens have been working to try and […]
19 July 2023 / 18 July 2023 by niallsomerville
Labour-run Reading Council is producing a new transport plan for the town. Green councillors have slammed Labour’s poor track record at tackling congestion and air pollution, and called for the council to do better. Green councillor for Redlands Ward Dave McElroy said: “Under Labour’s previous transport plans, congestion has got worse and air pollution is […]
3 July 2023 / 17 April 2024 by niallsomerville
Two years ago the Local Democracy reporter was reporting on Labour’s late accounts costing the Reading taxpayer over £1 million. The 2019/20 accounts have only just been signed off. This is 2 years late. Councillor Rob White (Green Party, leader of the main opposition group on Reading Council) said: “Labour councillors failed the people of […]
28 June 2023 / 17 April 2024 by niallsomerville
Green Party research has shown that no dentist is taking on new NHS patients in Reading. Green campaigner Kate Nikulina is petitioning Reading Council to lobby the Integrated Care Board, government and come up with a plan to address this issue. The petition can be signed here. The shortage of NHS dentists is being made […]
4 April 2023 / 4 April 2023 by niallsomerville
Greens thank Councillor Brenda McGonigle for 7 years of hard work in Park Ward With elections coming up on Thursday 4 May, Green Party Councillor Josh Williams is standing for re-election. Green Party Councillor Brenda McGonigle is retiring, but hard-working local campaigner Sarah Magon hopes to be elected in Brenda’s place. Green Party Councillor and […]
30 January 2023 / 17 April 2024 by niallsomerville
Residents will now have to show photographic ID to be able to vote at polling stations in Thursday 4 May council elections. The alternative for people who prefer not to vote at a polling station, is to apply to the Council for a postal vote, or appoint a proxy to vote on their behalf. People can […]
17 November 2022 / 17 November 2022 by niallsomerville
Since 2017 Reading Council has deposited almost £100 million in Qatar’s national banks. Green campaigner for Redlands Ward Kate Nikulina says, “With many of us cheering on our teams in the upcoming football tournament, all eyes will be on Qatar, and sadly on its lamentable human rights record. Reading Labour should end their practice of […]
10 November 2022 / 9 November 2022 by niallsomerville
Site for Gypsy and traveller short-stays approved, but concerns remain Greens on the council have supported building a small site for the travelling community on Island Road, but called on the council to do better. Councillor Doug Cresswell says: “The travelling community deserve a decent place to stop with bins, toilets and water. This will also […]
Help tackling fly-tipping and reducing car usage Green councillors have campaigned against fly-tipping for years. The Labour-run council has now introduced a limited but free bulky waste collection service (www.bit.ly/freebulky, (or phone 0118 937 3787)). Green Party Redlands campaigner Kate Nikulina (above) says: “Fly-tipping is a blight on east Reading. The free bulky waste collection will help […]
3 November 2022 / 3 November 2022 by niallsomerville
Action needed to tackle fuel poverty Greens are petitioning the council to work with others to provide warm spaces for residents in need as other councils are doing. Councillor Rob White says, “We must help anyone who is slipping into fuel poverty. Warm spaces are going to be necessary until this government changes or […]
1 November 2022 / 17 April 2024 by niallsomerville
Labour-run Reading Council have delivered just 27% of affordable housing needed in Reading. According to the Berkshire Strategic Housing Market Assessment Reading needs 406 new affordable homes delivered every year for residents in need, but Labour councillors have managed just 110 a year on average. Doug Cresswell, new Green Party Councillor for Katesgrove, says, “On […]
7 April 2022 / 17 April 2024 by niallsomerville
Green councillor Rob White has campaigned to insulate Reading homes. Reading’s Labour-run council has had to return £495,000 of a government grant which was for insulating more Reading homes. The grant had to be returned because the council overestimated the number of council properties which would be eligible and the council was unable to “generate […]
10 November 2021 / 17 April 2024 by niallsomerville
Local campaigners Louise Keane, Kate Nikulina and Doug Cresswell campaigning for a Warmer Reading. Green campaigner Doug Creswell (pictured right) has launched a petition to get the council to insulate more homes in Reading and create a warmer town. In Reading before the recent fuel price increase already 7290 households couldn’t afford to heat their […]
13 June 2021 / 17 April 2024 by niallsomerville
Cllr Jamie Whitham, Cllr David McElroy and local campaigner Kathryn McCann campaigning to get graffiti cleared. At the council elections in Reading, the Green Party held hard-working Green Councillor Brenda McGonigle’s seat in Park Ward (alongside Cllr Josh Williams and Cllr Rob White). In Redlands Ward, David McElroy had been working all year and was […]
