Local News
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 […]
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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 […]
2 October 2022 / 17 April 2024 by robseymour
If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance that you wasted a few hours this weekend sitting in your stationary car as the traffic jams built up around you. Tailbacks from the closed M4 snaked through Reading town centre, hitting all the roadworks and causing hours of delays through Saturday and Sunday. There are complex, […]
13 September 2022 / 17 April 2024 by robseymour
We have many difficulties ahead this winter so it’s unfortunate to see that Reading is facing major cuts to our bus service at a time when better public transport is needed (https://www.reading-buses.co.uk/changes-fares-and-timetables). But does it have to be like this? Why are the services we depend on so poorly funded? Greens think well-funded public transport […]
13 September 2022 / 17 April 2024 by robwhite
Reading Sewage Works run by Thames water dumped raw sewage into the Foundry Brook six times in 2021 for a total of 50 hours. Green councillor for Katesgrove Ward Doug Cresswell said: “We have had residents on Elgar Road, which backs onto the River Kennet, complaining about the smell in the river behind their houses. […]
5 July 2022 / 17 April 2024 by robseymour
New Uni Community staff and extra bin collection 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 […]
According to a recent Sunday Times Article, Reading is one of the ten best places to live in southeast England! It’s our inclusive, vibrant culture and great parks (not to mention a surging Green Party movement) that makes Reading great. That’s the good news! But there’s a big issue in Reading that nobody seems keen […]
3 July 2022 / 17 April 2024 by robseymour
LET US KNOW WHERE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE TREES 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, […]
As your bills soar, Labour Council returns money for insulating homes 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 […]
16 June 2022 / 17 April 2024 by robseymour
Green councillors will hold Labour to account 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 […]
7 May 2022 / 17 April 2024 by robwhite
Amazing news, we have elected more Green councillors and overtaken the Conservatives on Reading Council. We are now the main opposition party. A massive thank you to everyone who voted Green and helped. If you are not already a Green Party member you can join here and help us make the local area fairer, greener […]
4 May 2022 / 17 April 2024 by robseymour
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 […]
3 May 2022 / 17 April 2024 by robseymour
Astonishingly, as another budget passes us by in Reading, Council Tax rising, cuts running into millions, the Council still hasn’t brought its own accounts under control. 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 […]
2 May 2022 / 17 April 2024 by robseymour
We all know what’s happening with our energy and gas bills and many of us fear what will happen this autumn and winter. There is an answer – insulate, insulate, insulate – but why do Labour in Reading have a blind spot when it comes to this? Greens have repeatedly called on the Council to […]
30 April 2022 / 17 April 2024 by robseymour
With Labour apparently just abandoning Reading to its fate, 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. With no plan at […]
29 April 2022 / 17 April 2024 by robseymour
As we come towards an ‘all-out’ local election, people have a very rare chance to really change Reading for the better. Greens know that the first word in front of any new development should be sustainable. Whether it’s business or housing, leisure or community, it must be sustainable for the future. A lot of the […]
13 April 2022 / 17 April 2024 by robseymour
With graffiti, a broken light, and residents saying they feel unsafe using it, the Katesgrove Lane IDR underpass needs to be improved. Green campaigner Louise Keane says, “We should all feel safe to walk our streets, and that includes the Katesgrove Lane IDR underpass. We’ve raised concerns with the council and hope for action. If […]
Greens welcome new PostOffice on Christchurch Rd Greens welcome the recent announcement that a new Post Office branch is opening in Redlands. From 16th May, residents will be able get Post Office services at 72 Christchurch Road. Green councillor Jamie Whitham says, “With a Labour council keen on big development and big business we need […]
The Hexham Road area has been neglected by the Labour council, but Greens have been working for improvements: Tell us what issues are impacting you at www.bit.ly/topissue
Redlands elected a second Green councillor last year. With every seat on the council up for election, Cllr David McElroy, Cllr Jamie Whitham and campaigner Kathryn McCann are proud to be Redlands candidates this May. David says, “We’ve had incredible support from across the ward including the new St. Johns and University areas. It would […]
8 April 2022 / 17 April 2024 by robwhite
– Council elections on Thursday 5 May 2022 – Vote Green three times in Park, Redlands and Katesgrove – You have up until midnight on Thursday 14 April to register to vote: https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote – You have up until 5 PM on Tuesday 19 April to register for a postal vote: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter/apply-vote-post Reading Green Party is […]
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 […]
