There are complex, national public-policy issues at the heart of this but, let’s be clear, much of this is basic common sense that can and should be managed locally. For example do we really need road closures for non-urgent works across the town at the same time as motorway closures? What discussions have gone on between the Labour-run council and companies carrying out roadworks to coordinate them?

Green councillor Doug Cresswell is standing up for Reading’s health

If you’ve lived in Reading for any length of time, you’ll know all about the traffic. What you might not know is that the air outside your front door exceeds not one, but three World Health Organisation air-pollution limits (PM2.5, PM10 and NO2)! Green councillor Doug Cresswell highlighted this at a recent council meeting. In parts of central Reading you’re breathing in more double the World Health Organisation restrictions for Nitrogen Dioxide and taking in dangerous levels of lots of other unpleasant particles.

The traffic in Reading is more than an inconvenience. It’s an urgent health risk to Reading’s residents.

Greens working hard to tackle congestion and improve air quality

We need a transport revolution in Reading to give us air we can breathe and rid us of traffic gridlock. The first thing we think about should not be how do we get more cars on our roads, it should be less. We desperately need a real shift towards walking, cycling and public transport that goes where we need at a price we can afford.

Greens say yes to quicker response times for pedestrians at crossings to encourage more people to walk.

Yes to decent segregated cycle lanes in the right places. Greens support allowing cycling carefully through the Reading Station underpass – which is going to be consulted on soon.

Yes to more affordable buses. In Newbury Reading Buses didn’t charge on World Car Free Day. Why don’t we try this in Reading.

And finally yes to a strategy for charging electric vehicles. The Labour-run council has been dragging its feet on this for too long.

Its time for change, and it needs to happen now before our air becomes too thick with indecision and inaction to breathe.

Greens are working for a fairer, greener and cleaner town

As the second largest party on Reading Borough Council your seven Green Party councillors will keep working hard for a fairer, greener and cleaner town. Get involved and help us make a difference:

reading.greenparty.org.uk/get-involved

By Green councillor Rob White

Leader of the main opposition group on Reading Borough Council

The post Traffic gridlock in Reading again this weekend. Green councillors ask “What’s the plan?” appeared first on Reading & Wokingham Green Party.

But does it have to be like this? Why are the services we depend on so poorly funded? Greens think well-funded public transport is essential.

Boris Johnson and the bus. There’s a lot going on there…

Boris Johnson has a thing about buses.  He killed off the bendy bus in London (spoiler… it was rubbish). He told a big lie down the side of one during his Brexit leave campaign. He’s even got one named after him – the new Routemaster. Transport for London are considering taking these out of service much earlier than planned, so fittingly the ‘Boris Bus’ looks likely to be another expensive failure.

You might not know that Johnson also promised a ‘bus revolution’. You’ve probably guessed how this is turning out. Local authorities requested a budget of £10bn to deliver on the ambitious plan – the Tories promised £3bn, then delivered £1.2bn. It was underfunded, badly conceived, and carried out with the Tories’ typical disdain for our essential services.

Greens think well-funded joined up public transport is essential

Green councillors take public transport very seriously.

Getting cars off our streets is imperative if we’re to meet carbon reduction goals and improve Reading’s poor air quality. Everyone benefits from good public transport, and we need huge investment in an expanded, high-frequency bus service across the UK. It won’t turn a huge profit, but it’s the cost of a properly functioning society.

It’s time to think differently and vote differently

We’ve lived under 12 years of the most callous, incompetent government we’ve ever had and our essential services are collapsing.  Meanwhile, the Labour leader prevents his colleagues from openly supporting strikes!

If we are to navigate the challenges of the next few years, we need effective Green policies led by Green politicians. Get involved and help us make Reading fairer, greener and cleaner.

https://reading.greenparty.org.uk/get-involved/ or 07985 923 938

By Green councillor Rob White

Leader of the main opposition group on Reading Borough Council

The post Cuts are coming to Reading Bus services – be prepared for changes appeared first on Reading & Wokingham Green Party.

Green councillor Kathryn McCann says,

“We’re happy that the university has increased its Community Liaison team, following our campaign. They’re already doing great work to encourage students to be good neighbours and will be funding an extra bin collection at the end of term.” If you have any university-related concerns you can contact the team at community@reading.ac.uk
or on 0118 378 3279.

UPDATE: The end of term collection has now happened. Let us know how things are in your road: kathryn@readinggreenparty.org.uk

The post Green success on boosting university community liaison team appeared first on Reading & Wokingham Green Party.

That’s the good news! But there’s a big issue in Reading that nobody seems keen to discuss and it’s one of the most important issues we face as a community, the quality of the air we breathe.

Our air exceeds three different international standards for air quality and safety

If you live in Reading, there’s a very good chance that the air outside your front door exceeds not one, but three World Health Organisation air-pollution limits (PM2.5, PM10 and NO2)! In parts of central Reading you’re breathing in more double the World Health Organisation restrictions for Nitrogen Dioxide and taking in dangerous levels of lots of other unpleasant particles.

If you’re on the fence about air pollution and how it might be affecting you and your family – take a visit to www.addresspollution.org and enter your postcode…

Sadly, Labour-run Reading Council don’t really have a joined-up plan. They refer to vague ‘ambitions’ but crucially they don’t seem to have a firm grip on improving air-quality.

Newly elected Green councillor Doug Cresswell prepares some difficult questions

Councillor Doug Cresswell is one of Katesgrove’s new Green councillors (one of two new councillors we gained in May, making us the official opposition in Reading) and he’s already bringing pressure to bear on the council to clean up the town’s air. Doug has a question scheduled for Full Council this week to request urgent action on improving Reading’s air quality. Stay in contact to see the response: https://reading.greenparty.org.uk

The Green Party has a plan for clean air

Improving air quality is a challenge we can’t postpone any longer, the long-term health effects of breathing highly polluted air are significant – so we need action. We must:

1. Make walking, cycling, and public transport the main forms of urban transport.
2. Improve people’s health by improving walking and cycling infrastructure.
3. Make public transport cleaner, more affordable and more joined up.
4. Make it easier to charge electric cars.
5. Make our streets safe and friendly places where people choose to spend time.

We have a right to breathable air – and we expect the Labour-run council to work harder to deliver on air quality in Reading. If you’d like to help the Green Party campaign for a fairer, greener, cleaner town then please get in contact rob@readinggreenparty.org.uk

Green councillor Rob White

Leader of the main opposition group on Reading Borough Council

The post Reading is one of the best places to live in the South East so why are we breathing some of the dirtiest air in the UK? appeared first on Reading & Wokingham Green Party.

New Katesgrove Green councillor Doug Cresswell says,

“You may have noticed tree planting around the Katesgrove Ward, like on Clent Road, Charndon Close, Spring Terrace, Home Farm Close and Bourne Avenue. Greens have been pushing for more tree planting to improve the local area, tackle pollution and help wildlife.

Green councillor for Park Ward Josh Williams said:  “Trees have also gone in across the town. We will keep pushing for a greener, cleaner and fairer town. Let us know how the trees get on and do suggest other locations for tree planting.”

Tree planting locations: Addington Rd, south side betw. Alexandra Rd and Malvern Crt
Allcroft Rd, o/s 32
Alexander Rd, close to 83
Beech Rd jn Sycamore Rd
Beech Rd jn Linden Rd
Beech Rd jn Shinfield Rd
Blagdon Rd jn Hazel Cres
Blagdon Rd jn Linden Rd
Brockley Cl jn Links Dr
Berkeley Ave o/s 93/95
Birdhill Ave north end
Birdhill Ave corners
Birdhill Ave o/s 82/83
Clent Road
Charndon Close
Spring Terrrace end of Charndon Cl
Hemdean Rd jn Brill Cl
Hemdean Rd, various locations
Hemdean Rd jn Victoria Rd
Church Rd opp. Cav Crt
Cressingham Rd jn Barnsdale Rd
Downshire Square
Granville Rd o/s 38 entrance
Hilltop Rd jn Woodcote Way
Canal Way replacements
Silverthorne Drive o/s 39
St Mary’s Butts, o/s Burger King
St Peter’s Ave. o/s 164
Southcote Lane cnr Frilsham Rd
Overdown Road o/s 133
Western Elms Ave opp. 13
Woodcote Way: cnr Fernbrook 1; cnr Geoffreyson 2
Woodcote Way, cnr Westdene Cres 1: cnr Hilltop Rd 2; o/s newsagent 1
Woodcote Way: cnr Shepherds Lane
Wrenfield Dr o/s 2 (replacement); o/s 3
Sheridan Avenue: o/s 24, 28, 33, 42, 60, 62, 87
Henley Road layby
A33 roundabout
J11
Heath Rd
Kingsbridge Rd, o/s 15
Kidmore End Road, o/s 19
Ennerdale Road
Fulmead Rd/Sherwood St cut through
Westdene Cres o/s 7 opp exg tree
Warwick Road, o/s 7/9
Sheridan Avenue: o/s 35
Silchester Road
Hatford Road, o/s 55
Brooklyn Dr, o/s 11
Home Farm Close
cnr Faircross and Southcote Lane
planter o/s Evans Cycles
Bennet Road
Bourne Avenue
Heath Road
cnr Parkside Rd and Tilehurst Rd
Chatham Street
Granville Rd o/s 42
Frogmore Way, side of 44 Granville Rd
Gainsborough Rd, rear of 42 Granville Rd (opp 85/87)
Falmouth Road
Bourne Avenue/Foxhays
Marlborough Road
County Lock (behind BDB Pitman offices, nr Oracle roundabout)
25 Deveron Dr, side of Ballantre Hse
Gillette Way
Civic (Queen’s Jubilee)
Reading Station

The post Greens support tree planting across Katesgrove Ward and town appeared first on Reading & Wokingham Green Party.

As Green councillor Louise Keane says,

“We are all tightening our belts and worrying about the next energy bill increase. It’s frustrating to see that the Labour council has failed to spend £0.5 million of grant money for insulating homes and has returned it unspent. Greens would invest in decent affordable housing.”

If you need help contact Citizen’s Advice: www.rcab.org.uk/

The post Labour Council loses £0.5 million appeared first on Reading & Wokingham Green Party.

Astonishingly, another budget has passed us by in Reading, elections have come and gone, your Council Tax is rising again, cuts to services are running into the millions of pounds, and the council still hasn’t brought its own accounts under control.

Council finance failures “unusual” say auditors

It may be the only council in the country that hasn’t gone bust where Ernst & Young, the council’s external auditors said, “This is unusual. It’s not usual at all to get to the stage where the accounts get to a state where you can’t pin down most of the balance sheet…and also where we get to the stage where there are some quite significant control weaknesses across the council. There are very, very few organisations that would get to this position.”

And yet that is what Labour councillors did with our finances.

They’ve cared so little about our money that they’ve spent £1.6 million pounds on legal fees blocking equal pay claims, hundreds of thousands of pounds on wasted vanity schemes like a road by the River Thames, on the doomed ‘Readybike’ scheme, and well over a million pounds wasted on simply not being able to file its own accounts. What a fiasco.

Blank cheques and no ideas

That money, your money, could have been spent supporting people.

The latest budget was passed in March with the Conservatives supporting Labour (and only Green Councillors standing up for residents and voting against) and containing millions of pounds of poorly thought out cuts to our local services. 

Greens now official opposition in Reading

Greens want to fight austerity not submit to it, fight waste not create it, and invest in people and the planet. As a group, we’re delighted that Thursday 5^th May made a real difference and we increased our councillors, becoming the official opposition to Labour’s mismanagement and waste.

With the cost-of-living crisis hitting us hard, and bills going through the (poorly insulated) roof, now more than ever we need Labour councillors to be responsible for their spending, file their accounts, and spend on what matters – supporting people, not increasing their own allowances.

Greens are now there to represent you on every major committee on the Council, and we now have the first-ever Green Party chair of Reading Council’s Audit and Governance Committee. Councillor Josh Williams will take on that position for the first meeting of the committee in July.

As we move from strength to strength, we will keep up the argument for change. Reading deserves better.

Councillor Rob White,

Green Party Group Leader on Reading Borough Council Join the Green Party

The post Reading needs better financial management, now more than ever appeared first on Reading & Wokingham Green Party.

No, not the half-marathon! Or the Santa run! Who is in control of Reading Council, and who really scrutinises them, and holds them to account?

The real answer is that there are just a few Labour Councillors in the ruling clique, and there isn’t really any really governance or scrutiny.

Lead members do as they see fit, and ‘backbenchers’ vote as they’re told to.

There is even an Audit & Governance committee that has been nodding things through for years with a Conservative Chair who has now joined … the Labour Party!

And yet, scrutiny and governance have never been more needed as cuts hurt, costs rise, and Reading suffers under a one-party-state.

The truth is, with an acquiescent Tory Party, and only a tiny LibDem presence in Reading, the only real scrutiny is the Greens.

It is Green Councillors who for years have stood up for residents in meetings, and spoken truth to power.

The more Greens in the room, the better.

On Thursday 5^th May, we can make a difference.

The post Who runs Reading? appeared first on Reading & Wokingham Green Party.

It may be the only the Council in the Country where the external auditors said

“This is unusual. It’s not usual at all to get to the stage where the accounts get to a state where you can’t pin down most of the balance sheet, let alone the I and E, and also where we get to the stage where there are some quite significant control weaknesses across the Council. There are very, very few organisations that would get to this position.”

And yet that is what Labour Councillors did with our finances.

They’ve cared so little about our money that they’ve spent £1.6 million pounds on legal fees blocking equal pay claims, hundreds of thousands of pounds on wasted vanity schemes like the East Reading MRT, on the doomed ‘Readybike’ scheme, and well over a million pounds wasted on simply not being able to file its own accounts. What a fiasco.

That money, your money, could have been spent supporting people.

The latest budget was passed by the Conservatives supporting Labour (with only the Green Councillors standing up for residents and voting against) and containing millions of pounds of cuts to services with no plans to deliver them. Labour are writing blank cheques with our money and no idea how to pay for them.

We need to fight austerity not submit to it, fight waste not create it, and invest in people and the planet.

On Thursday 5^th May, we can make a difference.

The post Show me the money! appeared first on Reading & Wokingham Green Party.

Greens have repeatedly called on the Council to not only tap into Government grants for its own properties, but to help us all to insulate our own homes in Reading. They’ve refused at every turn, saying they are doing plenty thanks. We will all know if they’ve done enough come winter.

And as the cost of living bites, we have Labour Councillors telling us their ‘corporate plan’ fulfils all their ambitions for Reading.

We have record levels of child poverty in Reading, Children’s Services taken out of the Council’s hands by the Government, youth clubs and children’s centres closed, and we’re told Labour’s plans have been working for years, and should be trusted with years more.

Reading now has five areas in the most deprived in the Country, up from just two a few years ago. Labour are failing us, whilst at the same time telling us we’ve never had it so good

A vote for a Green Councillor is a vote to properly support people in Reading.

On Thursday 5^th May, we can make a difference.

The post Insulate, insulate, insulate. appeared first on Reading & Wokingham Green Party.