Redlands Liberal Democrats

Labour cave into Lib Dem pressure for action on empty homes

Daisy and Glenn Christchurch Road, originally uploaded by cllrdaisybenson.

Last month I blogged about how we were still waiting for action on empty homes by Reading Borough Council. The motion we put forward was passed in October 2007, so as you can imagine we were getting a bit fed up of waiting and constituents were starting to question further the Council's comittment to doing something about this problem.

As recently as last July,Yvette Cooper, then Labour Housing Minister said in the House of Commons:

"Local councils should think carefully about using some of their empty homes powers to bring some of those properties back into use. They have the powers to do so, but we are looking at more incentives as part of the Green Paper to support that."

You wonder why then the government saw fit to remove the duty on Councils to be judged on the number of empty homes it brings back into use as part of the national indicator set by which local authority performance is assessed. There is no doubt that where there is no duty to report to Whitehall or target to be reached local councils will focus their attentions elsewhere - because their funding largely depends on meeting nationally-set targets, rightly or wrongly. You can see this in social housing sector where the number of 'void' properties is measured by government inspectors every year as part of the Council's overall performance.

Key facts and figures on empty homes in Reading

• There are an estimated 91 empty private sector properties in Reading (source: RBC)
• The majority of such properties are to be found in the town centre (29 in Abbey ward)
• There are currently 5 properties which are considered long-term empty properties in Redlands ward i.e. unoccupied for more than 6 months
• Other wards with high levels of empty properties include Minister (11) and Katesgrove (9)

An Empty Homes Strategy for Reading

Today the Council has got round to launching it's long-awaited empty homes strategy. The new strategy will be debated next month at Cabinet and It will be on the Council's website shortly. I'll post a link when I find one.

I had a meeting with one of the Council's lead officers a few weeks ago to discuss the Council's new draft empty homes strategy. Under the new policy, empty properties which are reported to the Council will be assesssed against the 'Empty Homes Matrix. The matrix takes into account specific factors about the property including the location e.g. situated on a gateway route to Reading or area of significant depravation in the Town Centre; engagement with the owner; management standard; impact upon neighbouring properties. I suggested to officers that empty properties in or on the edge of Conservation areas (like Christchurch Road which borders two!)should also be given priority.

As part of the strategy an officer will have responsiblity for co-ordinating the Council's work on empty homes. We lobbied for this as it is officer time to devote to these often time-consuming issues which has been so lacking recent years.

Also, bringing empty properties back into use requires liaison with various Council departments such as planning, environmental health and housing so it will need someone with the time to join the dots. My campaign to get Alexandra House on London Road brought back into use was a case in point as this project involved several different agencies including the Police, the Council and the Fire Service.

Why private sector housing matters

In Reading, Owner-occupied i.e. private housing accounts for 62% of all housing stock in the town, with private rented accomodation comprising a whopping 20% (which is well above average compared to other towns).

Although Reading Borough Council is denerally well regarded as a social landlord overall, it's worth remembering that local authority-controlled social housing in Reading only accounts for a mere 12 % of housing stock. The Lib Dems in Reading would like to see the Council do more to tackle issues in the private sector such as "buy to leave" properties, HMOs, empty homes and fuel poverty.

A survey of the sector carried out last year found that housing the highest levels of non-decency (disrepair) in housing in Reading are in the pre 1919 properties, the private rented sector and self-contained converted flats. The government's decent homes agenda which aims to ensure that all social housing is brought up to a good standard by 2010 is to be welcomed, but I would like to see Council's powers extended to ensure that tenants and residents in private homes are also helped to live in decent homes.

Sadly the problem of empty homes does not only affect the private housing market. As Gareth's campaign to help residents of Townsend House in Katesgrove showed, registered social landlords can be even more difficult to press into action.

What next  for the Lib Dem campaign on empty homes?

Well that's more than enough on the policy background. The proof in the strategy is in the action that comes out of it, and if it doesn't work we will investigate why and take this up directly with Council officers. No strategy is a panacea for all ills, after all.

he Lib Dems in Reading will continue to focus on highlighting those empty homes that are attracting anti-social behaviour, or that are an eyesore and doing our best to get the Council should bring back into use.

On a ward level I will be pressing the Council to put words into action and get the landlord of 35 Christchurch Road to bring his property back into use as I know this issue is very important to my constituents living in this area.

Please let me know of any longstanding empty properties in your area and we will happily investigate what can be done about them.

Success as low floor buses arrive on Routes 63 and 64

IMG_0556, originally uploaded by cllrdaisybenson.

Great news this week as Reading Buses brought in the first ever accessible buses on Route 63 and 64 which link Reading and Woodley Town Centres. This follows campaigns by Lib Dems in Woodley and Reading.

I became aware of this issue after I was contacted last summer by a young mum from the London Road area who explained to me her difficulties getting on and off buses on Routes 63 and 64 with a young child and push chair. She was frustrated that the Woodley-Reading bus routes didn't have accessible buses when other bus service by Reading Buses did.

I got in touch with Tony Jones, Chairman of Reading Buses, about the problem and to his credit he and his new Chief Executive, James Freeman looked into the issue straight away.

I'm pleased to say that a few months on they have delivered on their promise to  me to get low floor buses on the road on Routes 63 and 64 as soon as possible. Very nice of them to paint the new buses Lib Dem orange too!

Beth Rowland, Lib Dem Leader of Woodley Town Council , has been campaigning for improvements to bus services between Woodley and Reading for many years and as a regular bus user she was as happy as I was to see the buses finally arrive.

Now to lobby Tony and James to improve the timetable on Route 19  so my constituents travelling home from the centre of Reading can get a bus after 18:45pm in the evening - not too much to ask is it?!

An evening of NAGing in Newtown...

Yesterday evening Gareth and I attended the Newtown Neighbourhood Action Group meeting which was set up  last year to engage local residents and local bodies in tackling crime in East Reading.

It's exactly a year since the Newtown NAG was set up and the meeting was a chance to review progress against the Group's three priorities: drugs, anti-social behaviour and environmental issues.

Progress had clearly been made in tackling the first two issues; progress against the third priority seemed more mixed. If anything this priority is connected with RBC's success at dealing with environmental crimes such as flytipping and graffiti. Yet again I heard evidence of the failure of the Council's bulky waste policy.

Gareth and I live in the Newtown Neighbourhood and both our wards (Katesgrove and Redlands) include chunks in the neighbourhood .

Despite it's title, the following streets in Redlands ward lie within the Newtown Neighbourhood: London Road, Fatherson Road, Eldon Street, Victoria Street, Montague Street, Eldon Square, Town  Place,  Eldon Terrace, Muirfield Close and Kings Road. You can see a map here

Redlands ward is also part of the Redlands, University and North Whitley Police Neighbourhoods. This is because Police neighbourhood boundaries and RBC boundaries are helpfully not coterminous.

The meeting could have done with more ocal residents attending, which was a shame since the meeting was well-advertised and  members of the Newtown NAG had clearly put a lot of effort into scanning local problems and getting local agencies to take action. 

You can read more about the NAG's successes in this article in yesterday's Evening Post.The Chair of the NAG was very impressive - all the more so because he was a local resident rather than an officer or a councillor. This clearly goes down well with senior Police officers who view local politicians and local politics with some trepidation.

I do find this quite sad. It's not as though the attendance of local councillors at public meetings is a bad thing (although I always feel as though the term 'local councillor' or even 'local politician' comes across as a form of abuse at these kind of meetings in Reading). It's certainly something which the local MP and local Police have said at meetings I've been at. This is unnecessary - its not as if local councillors are not local residents, or that they do not perform a basic function of representing their communities - and it hardly encourages local residents to become councillors ;-(

On the subject of local councillors, I didn't see any Park Labour or Tory ward councillors at the meeting. Maybe they were attending Trish Haines' send off.

Funnily enough, for all his talk in the local press of solving all anti-social behaviour in Redlands before Christmas, there was no sign of our local MP at the meeting either. 

Anyway, graffiti, flytipping and anti-social behaviour were amongst the issues raised by members of the public that attended. A call was put out for new NAG members (I can't join as I'm already a member of the North Whitley NAG) Anyone interested in joining the Newtown NAG group from the Redlands area should email the Chair.

Next Thursday (6 March) is the Redlands & University NAG meeting. It's taking place at 7pm @ St Luke's Church in  Erleigh Road. It's your chance to speak to members of the Group and find out what they have been doing to tackle crime issues in Redlands ward. Hope to see you there!

What now for Peeps Kebabs?

Kebabs have been in the news a bit recently not just nationally but here in Redlands.

Yesterday evening, the Council's obscurely titled Licensing Applications Sub Committee 3 came to its decision about the long-running saga of the Peeps Kebab van.  It's taken a while for this issue to be resolved as the decision was deferred last month.

The kebab van operator received a 2 month extension to his street trading consent but he will have to move from the bus-stop site at the end of the period (i.e. by April 30th).

This is a positive step.

Kirsten and I have been unhappy that the van has been parking in the bus stop and causing an obstruction on Shinfield Road for some time. We have also received a number of complaints from constituents about Peeps and the van has been linked to an increase in litter and anti-social behaviour in the neighbouring streets.

Residents, Reading Buses and the Redlands & University Neighbourhood Action Group all objected to the renewal of Peeps' license. On the other side of the fence, some students leapt to the defence of Peeps' kebab van and a petition was circulated.

I genuinely hope a more suitable site can be found for Peeps - I don't see why the van, local residents and students can't happily coexist. Indeed, somewhere on the University Campus would seem sensible as this would be convenient for students and have less impact on the local community and bus users.

Perhaps the University and the Reading University Students' Union could get together to come up with a solution to suit all sides? I have emailed the University's community relations manager to see if something can be worked out.

Staying on the subject of kebab sellers, I received a complaint last week about the kebab shop on Christchurch Green. Late night noise on week nights is already a problem around Christchurch Road and Redlands Road. Trading hours do need to be got right to balance the needs of customers and local residents.

I have passed the resident's concerns on to licensing so they are aware. Litter can also be a problem where there are lots of take aways next to each other: Whitley St is a case in point.

The Licensing Act 2003 (associated with the 'liberalisation' of the licensing laws i.e 24 hour licenses etc) gave the power to any person who is unhappy with the operation of particular licensed premises i.e. bar, restaurant etc can seek a review of that premise's license. This is then heard by the councillors on the licensing committee. You can read the Council's local licensing policy here.

On a positive note, when threatened with a potential review of its premises license after reports of anti-social behaviour,the management of  local pub the Upin Arms on London Road (formerly the Jack of Both Sides) made significant changes to its operations and managed to turn its bad reputation around. This was after I held meetings with the Pub's managment, licensing officers and a group of local residents to discuss the problems . As a result of pressure from this group the pub installed CCTV and generally took a more responsible attitude. The recent makeover has impressed people too.

Please contact me if you have any concerns about any licensed premises in Redlands.

Changes to councils' parking powers

It has been announced today by the Department for Transport that the new powers given to local councils under the new Traffic Management Act (2004) will come into force at the end of March.  I don't know all of the detail, but my general impression is this is good news.

Under the new Act local councils will have to:

* Publish and promote their parking enforcement policies, including penalty charge levels, openly and clearly.

* Regularly appraise their parking policies and consult drivers and businesses to ensure the system is working.

* Ensure that parking attendants have clear evidence that vehicle was parked in contravention before issuing a penalty charge notice.

* Make sure parking attendants and back office staff have the proper skills, training and resources to give the public a fair, consistent and professional service.

* Only use CCTV to enforce parking rules - which will be allowed for the first time outside London from 31 March - where it is impractical or dangerous for a parking attendant to operate.

I hope that this law will have a positive effect on RBC's parking service and improve the Council's poor record on successful parking appeals.

I don't think many people realise how constrained the Council has been in terms of determining own traffic management policies and that some regulations were only applicable in London which is crazy.

Rustic bollards...

What on earth are they? and why do they matter? (you must be wondering).

Well, this picture should hopefully help. It shows me and Glenn by a grass verge on Newcastle Road which has got badly churned up due to cars parking on it.

As I've said before, parking or lack of it, is increasingly becoming a problem on Hexham Road estate. Damaged verges are merely a symptom of the problem.

What is needed in the medium to long-term is a review of parking provision on the estate,

As part of a short term solution we have succeeded in getting the Council to install bollards on the grass verges to prevent further damage. The fact the Council calls them rustic is quite funny given Reading isn't exactly countryfied!

Anyhow, the grass verge in this picture should be getting its own rustic bollards shortly.

Better news on FGW

First Great Western Trains has announced today that it is to pay for more trains and better passenger compensation. This follows the paltry amount offered to season ticket holders in January.

We'll have to look at the detail, but I do hope that Reading passengers will get a fair deal. What everyone really wants (inlcluding me!) is a more reliable train service, and to a certain extent pledging 'jam tomorrow' by way of financial compensation will only go a small way to appeasing FGW customers.

The Reading Lib Dems kickstarted the local debate on FGW's performance last week.

I'd like to think we did our bit to add more pressure on this poor performing train operator to up it's game.

The public meeting the Council is now organising following our motion will give Reading's rail users their first real chance to hold FGW to account.

46 Redlands Road: Officers recommend refusal

This morning I received an email to say that RBC planning officers have recommended the plan by Hicks Developments to redevelop 46 Redlands Road and build 14 flats, for refusal, on the following grounds:

(From the Officers' Report: Planning Application No 07/01533/FUL)

1. By virtue of its cumulative scale and massing, contrived design and close proximity to the plot boundaries, the proposed buildings would represent a disjointed, incongruous and cramped form of development that would be out of keeping with the Allcroft Road and Redlands Road streetscene, and detract from the character and appearance of the area including the nearby conservation areas. This is harmful to visual amenity and symptomatic of overdevelopment, which conflicts with Planning Policy Statements PPS1 (Delivering Sustainable Development) and PPS3 (Housing), Policies HSG5 (Residential Design Standards), HSG9 (Location of Residential Development) and CUD14 (Standards of Design in Development) of the Reading Borough Local Plan (1998), and Policy CS7 (Design and the Public Realm) of the LDF Core Strategy (2008).

2. The design and layout of the proposed development would be detrimental to the residential amenity of the potential occupants by virtue of its form and relationship between the three blocks that would result in an overshadowing structure and limited outlook to bedroom 2 to the north of the Allcroft Road block on all floors, and bedroom 2 to the east of the internal block on all floors. Furthermore, the relationship of a pedestrian entrance to the window to bedroom 1 and 2 of the ground floor flat to the north of the Allcroft Road block would result in a potential lack of privacy and noise and disturbance to these habitable rooms. This would be contrary to Planning Policy Statements PPS1 and PPS 3, Manual for Streets, Policies HSG 5, HSG9 and CUD 14 of the Reading Borough Local Plan (1998), and Policy CS15: Location, Accessibility, Density and Housing Mix of the Local Development Framework Core Strategy Submission Draft (2008).

3. The proposal would materially harm the residential amenities of no. 58 Allcroft Road by reason of the number, size and location of windows in the western elevation, which would result in the perception of overlooking into the private garden of no. 58 Allcroft Road, and the bulk and massing of the internal block, which would appear dominant and overbearing when seen from the rear garden of 58 Allcroft Road. The proposal is therefore contrary with Policies HSG5 (Residential Design Standards), HSG9 (Location of Residential Development) and CUD14 (Standards of Design in Development) of the Reading Borough Local Plan (1998), and Policies CS7 (Design and the Public Realm) and CS15 (Location, Accessibility, Density and Housing Mix) of the LDF Core Strategy (2008).

4. The applicant has failed to demonstrate that the development would protect and maintain a protected tree on the site contrary to PPS3 (Housing), PPS9 (Biodiversity and Geological Conservation), Policies HSG9 (Location of Residential Development), and NE6 (Protecting Wildlife Habitats and Natural Features on or Adjoining Development Sites) of the Reading Borough Local Plan (1998), and Polices CS38 (Trees, Hedges and Woodlands) of the LDF Core Strategy (2008).

5. Contrary with the Local Planning Authority’s Design Guidance for Residential Accesses on to Classified Roads, the retention of the two southern accesses onto Redlands Road would not reduce the number of accesses onto Redlands Road and the proposal fails to demonstrate that any of the proposed accesses incorporate adequate sightlines. This would have an adverse effect on road safety and the flow of traffic, in conflict with policy HSG5 (Residential Design Standards) and TRN11B (Development and Traffic) of the Reading Borough Local Plan (1998).

6. The proposal fails to demonstrate that the development can accommodate secure cycle storage provision in the interest of sustainable transport facilities, contrary with Policies HSG5 (Residential Design Standards) f the Reading Borough Local Plan (1998) and Policy CS24 (Car/Cycle Parking) of the LDF Core Strategy (2008).

7. It has not been demonstrated that the development has been designed to fully take account of the sustainability requirements contained in the 'Sustainable Design and Construction' SPD, including, including on-site renewable energy generation to reduced carbon emissions. As such, the development is contrary to Policies HSG5 (Residential Design Standards) and CUD14 (Standards of Design in Development), and Policy CS1 (Sustainable Construction and Design) of the LDF Core Strategy (2008).

8. In the absence of a completed S.106 agreement to secure contributions towards education, leisure and transport infrastructure improvements to offset the impact of the development, the proposal is contrary to policy TRN11B (Development in Traffic) of the Reading Local Plan (1998) and policies CS9 (Infrastructure, Services, Resources and Amenities) and CS32 (Impacts on Community Facilities) of the LDF Core Strategy (2008).

I am very pleased to see that planning officers have heavily criticised this application in their report. The plan had very little to recommend it and local residents (particularly those living nearby) were justifably anxious about the impact it could have on the local area.

The report points out that 30 letters of objection were received from local residents in relation to this application. I would like to thank all residents who took time out to raise their concerns with planning officers.

The Planning Applications Committee will determine the final decision on this application on 5 March. I hope they will support the officers' overwhelming and detailed case against this plan.

Hexham estate walkabout with the North Whitley NAG

On Friday I joined other members of the North Whitley Neighbourhood Action Group (NAG) to do an Environmental Visual Audit (EVA) of the Hexham Road Estate.

The North Whitley NAG comprises local residents, councillors, council officers and officers from the North Whitley Neighbourhood Police Team.

I was really pleased that Hexham estate was one of the first to receive attention. Due to Police shortages in the Thames Valley in recent years crime issues in South Reading have been neglected over the years.

EVAs are basically a posh title for what Kirsten, Gareth and Lib Dem councillors do all the time, namely walking around a neighbourhood and the identifying problems and picking up issues large and small.

On Friday, we covered Hexham Road and all the roads round and about, including flat blocks and Cintra Park. EVAs are best done on foot so that you don't miss anything. It was useful that officers from Streetcare attended as grafitti and fly tipping was one of the main problems we came across. As I've said before, I feel sure that the Council's policy of charging for bulky waste collection has led to a rise in dumping around Reading.

There is no doubt that the whole estate is in need of urgent regeneration. With the Council's focus on meeting the government's target on decent homes, it's hard to know where the investment will come from. It's certainly something I will continue to campaign for as much as I can, as I think decent neighbourhoods are as important as decent homes.

As we we walked round we noticed that there was evidence of vandalism inside the flat blocks on Hexham Road, but thankfully less of the graffiti that had been a problem last year. It seems too easy for yobs to get into the flats, break glass and do damage inside the blocks. The Council's attitude seems to be "there's no point repairing things as they will just get damaged again' I don't think this is the right thing to do by local residents who have to live in the blocks. Everyone deserves to live in a pleasant environment - particularly if the accommodation is owned by the local council.

It was handy to have Nuisance officers from RBC with us on the EVA. The Nuisance Team at RBC has worked wonders identifying trouble makers and working with their families to reduce problems for them and their neighbours. Residents have told me that they have noticed a definite reduction in the amount of asb on the estate, and a lot of this is down to the work of Nuisance officers.    

Local residents who attended told me afterwards they really appreciated being able to talk to Inspector Kevin Sinfield and his team directly about crime issues such as drug dealing and car crime.   

Issues that were highlighted will now be written up and given to members of the NAG for action. I hope the NAG will put pressure on the Council and the Police to deal with all matters raised promptly.

The NAG does need more members so if you want to get involved please contact me

The next meeting of the North Whitley NAG is 3 March. Meetings are held at monthly the South Reading Youth & Community Centre @ 7pm.

Erleigh Road Post Office to close

One word: gutted!

We learned the awful news today that the Post Office Ltd is to close Erleigh Road Post Office. This is terrible news and shows that the consultation process carried out by Post Office Ltd was a complete sham.

We would like to thank everyone who signed our petition and wrote to Post Office Ltd to protest against this pointless closure.

As part of our campaign to Save Reading's Post Offices , Kirsten, Glenn, Gareth and I collected thousands of petition signatures from local residents all around Erleigh Road and across Reading desperate not to see their local Post Office closed.

It seems that the views of local residents who use these Post Office were totally disregarded.

As Gareth Epps warned earlier this year, there is a price to be paid for post office closures and the closure  of the Erleigh Road Post Office will hit the elderly and vulnerable hardest. Many of these residents do not have access to the internet and are not able to walk further to the London Road branch.

There are few banks outside the town centre, and those forced to use the Post Office in  the town will have to wait in even longer queues. Residents living around Christchurch Rd who lost their local Post Office branch a few years ago) will now be in in an even worst position.

As Kirsten has pointed out, the loss of the Post Office on Erleigh Road will threaten the survival of other local shops.  The chemist could now potentially be at risk. Do we really want our local shopping areas to become dominated by estate agents and take aways?

I am very sorry to see that the four other Post Offices earmarked for closure will also close. The closures leave a number of neighbourhoods in Reading worse off.

The closure of Basingstoke Road Post Office, another busy and popular Post Office, will badly effect residents in Whitley and in Katesgrove.

The 'consultation' by Post Office Ltd was flawed and failed to take account of local people's views. Click here or see below what Post Office Ltd concluded about the future Erleigh Road Post Office:

"The main concern raised by the respondents was the impact on the local community, in particular on the elderly and disabled. Local transport and the impact on the environment were also raised.

Post Office Ltd has considered all responses received and a review of this proposal has been
undertaken. Although there is no direct bus service, there are two alternative branches within approximately 1 mile, the nearest being less than half a mile away, along mainly level terrain. Thesebranches offer additional services and access for customers with mobility difficulties. Taking these and all other relevant factors into account the decision is to proceed with the closure of Post Office® Erleigh Road branch."

Commenting on the closure announcement, Cllr Gareth Epps, Parliamentary Campaigner for Reading East said:

"This is a disgrace.  It is a direct attack on Reading's communities by the Labour Government that forced this closure programme through against overwhelming public opinion.

"Liberal Democrats and local residents deplore these closures.  They have been railroaded by a Government which is continuing to destroy the Post Office Network and does not care about our communities.

"The most vulnerable in our communities will be hit hardest when these much-loved institutions are forced to close.  All the evidence that some of Reading's most vulnerable communities will be disadvantaged by the closures has been ignored - not just by Post Office Ltd but by Reading Borough Council and indeed by Postwatch.  It is clear that the consultation exercise was riddled with errors and was beneath contempt.

"Labour's crocodile tears on the closures are hard to take. Labour politicians appeared in photos 'opposing' the closures locally and doing nothing in Parliament to save the Post Office network from their own Government.

"The Tories emerge with no credit, either, after they sided with Labour at the Council in blocking our move for the Council to clearly oppose Post Office closures in Reading.  Labour and the Tories on Reading Borough Council pulled the rug from under these Post Offices by failing to formally oppose their closure.

"I am actively looking into commencing Judicial Review proceedings regarding Basingstoke Road.  The closure process in this case was clearly based on false premises regarding access to other branches.  There may be grounds for action to be taken against other closures.

"It was left to the Lib Dems to send a message to the Post Office: stop the closures!  I will not stop until I am certain that all possible avenues have been exhausted to prevent Labour's attack on Reading's communities."

So what next for Erleigh Road Post Office? Kirsten and I will be speaking to the staff in the coming weeks to offer support.  You can help by supporting the staff at Erleigh Road as much as possible during this difficult time.

The formal process is as follows...

"All affected branches will now display a poster informing their customers about the decision that has
been reached. Further information will be provided shortly afterwards in branch to confirm the actual
date that the change will take place. This will be not less than four weeks from the date on which the
decision is announced and the poster displayed. Where appropriate, information will also be provided
in each branch to help customers choose an alternative branch that is suitable for them. We expect to
complete all changes in the West Berkshire and Wiltshire area by Spring 2008."

Thousands or Post Offices closed under the Tories, and thousands more are closing under Labour.

Find out more about the national Lib Dem campaign to Save Our Post Offices.

We will be sending in our petitions to Downing Street along with thousands of others signed by people across the UK, to protest against these needless closures.