Redlands Liberal Democrats

Double standards?

I was contacted earlier this week by a constituent frustrated by the fact a skip had been "parked" on a section of double-yellow line on Granby Gardens for two weeks.

As he pointed out to me in an email:

"if I'd parked my car in the same spot two weeks ago and left it there, the windscreen would now be festooned with parking tickets, & I'd be facing hefty fines...what's different about xx skip company? why are they exempt from the law?"

He's absolutely right.

The law says that skips should not be left on 'restricted' areas at any time.So why no enforcement action from RBC? On which subject, more later.

Residents in Granby Gardens have been having difficulty parking in their own street for a number of years due to barmy waiting restrictions - which I'm glad to say we recently managed to get the Council to change. Skips taking up spaces was the last straw.

I've been campaigning for better regulation of skips by Reading Borough Council for a couple of years - last year I got the Council to review it's policies regarding skip licences (in an effort to reduce nuisance to residents).

I got in touch with the Council yesterday to find out why two calls and one email from my constituent about the offending skip did not result in action.

The answer I got was depressingly familiar: officers had got the messages and had contacted the skip company asking them to remove it several times.

So why did nothing then happen?

It seems to me that the absence of regular enforcement action i.e. fines when skip licences are breached has left the Council looking toothless: companies don't feel the need to obey the law because they do not fear action will be taken by the Council.

I'm pleased to say that due to my intervention the skip company concerned has been told to move the skip and has been made to pay a second licence fee - which will have the affect of being an informal fine.

The powers to stop this type of nuisance are there, however, for the Council to take swift, effective action.

I mentioned this issue to my Lib Dem colleagues from other councils and I was made aware by Cllr Tim Prater of action by Kent County Council, which recently announced a clamp down on skip nuisance.

This is what Labour-run RBC needs to start doing, and fast.

It's not fair that residents should face fines if they park illegally, but skip companies do not.

Earlier this year, the Lib Dem members of the Environment Scrutiny Panel got officers to work towards more effective enforcement action, including the establishment of a cross-Council 'Environmental Enforcement Group'. 

Last year the Redlands & University Neighbourhood Action Group backed my campaign for action. I'm aware the Neighbourhood Police team support a tougher line too.

I have written to officers concerned asking them to review their policies as regards skip regulation - it's no good threatening enforcement action if it is never actually taken.

Empty Homes campaign: August update

It may be the height of Summer but our campaign to reduce the number of empty homes in Redlands continues.

The bad news is that the impact of the recession on housing in Reading has resulted in an increase of 10% in the overall number of private properties empty for 6 months or longer across Reading.

At the same time, as officers revealed at the July meeting of the HHCC Scrutiny Panel the number of people seeking affordable housing and claiming housing benefit in Reading has also risen.

To my mind this means the need for Labour-controlled Reading Borough Council to take active steps to reduce the number of empty homes in the Borough even more important and urgent.

I recently successfully campaigned for updates on empty homes work to be brought to scrutiny ever quarter.

Below is a detailed update on what is happening regarding several prominent empty homes in the ward:

35 Christchurch Road

We have not forgotten about this property and are aware of the concern that it’s empty, dilapidated state causes residents as well as the harm its appearance is doing to the character of the local area.

I have kept in touch regularly with the empty homes officer (who was appointed after a successful campaign by the Lib Dems for action to reduce the hundreds of empty homes in the Borough) about this property.

The owner is currently carrying out major internal renovations to the property – we hope with a view to bringing it back into use this year (!)

It was disappointing to see an increase in the build up of waste and building materials at this property recently: I brought this to the officers’ attention.

Officers contacted the owner to point out that though No 35 is currently a building site, he must get his builders to tidy the site up. Officers also warned him that enforcement teams are on standby to take legal action if the site is not tidied up soon.

As a result of this a good deal of the rubbish at the site has been removed, which is good news.

Please let me know if waste builds up again and I will contact the Council.

8 Allcroft Road

A number of residents contacted us recently with concerns about the deterioration of this property which has been empty for several month after a change in ownership. We raised this with the Council’s empty homes’ officer, environmental health and planning enforcement departments.

Three site visits were subsequently carried out and planning enforcement officers confirmed that although no action can be taken with regard to the undergrowth, there is a degree of rubbish on site which the Council can require the owner to remove. 

The builder’s rubble on site is actually the hard-core base for a hard standing which the owner started towards the end of last year but did not finish due to lack of finances. Officers pledged to write to the owner requiring him to clear the site of rubbish and to let officers know how he intends to proceed vis a vis the hard standing.  Depending on his response, officers will then consider formal enforcement action as appropriate.

We are pleased to say that this property was recently let (at long last) so is no longer technically empty. Please let us know if you notice further deterioration of this property and we will chase the Council for action.

Alexandra House, London Road

This property has been an eyesore as well as a known anti-social behaviour hotspot for a number of years. Drug dealing and arson were two of the problems associated with this empty house which caused residents a lot of anxiety.

I have been chasing officers for a long time to put pressure on the developers to bring this house back into use.

The latest news I have is that the owner thinks there could be about 6 months work to go to completion which it is hope will be by Christmas. Fingers crossed! 

I would like to thank Nick Pritchard-Gordon, empty homes officer, and all the enforcement officers at Reading Borough Council who have helped us make real progress on this issue since 2006.

Thanks also to all the local residents who have supported our campaign - it's really helped us get the Council to take this problem seriously.

Here's to more homes being brought back into use soon!

Kendrick Road Conservation area - HMO concerns raised

I've been receiving calls this week from constituents concerned about plans to convert a hotel on Kendrick Road in to an house of multiple occupation (HMO).

Residents are concerned about the impact that this change will have on the unique character of the Kendrick Road Conservation area.

Increasing numbers of private properties being turned into HMOs is a major issue in Redlands.

Residents associate it with the decline of the neighbourhood and many feel powerless to stop this deterioration from happening.

It also angers residents that development in Conservation areas (like the one on Kendrick Road) is not more tightly controlled by the Council.

In other boroughs such as Lib-Dem controlled Camden local residents living within Conservation areas have more chance to input to the planning process through Conservation area committees.

Glenn, Kirsten and I have helped focus the Labour-run Council's attention on this problem (which previously had been neglected for years) by campaigning for more effective regulation of HMOs and through our recent scrutiny review into private rented housing.

Residents have also expressed fears about the way the property will be managed - nearby long-term empty property 35 Christchurch Road (which I have campaigned for three years to be brought back into use) is managed by the same landlord.

And with good reason: residents are fearful the property on Kendrick Road will be left to get into a similarly poor state of repair.

A planning application for change of use has been submitted to Reading Borough Council. Any residents wishing to object to the application have until 3 September to submit objections in writing to the Council.

This application can be viewed online on the Council's planning website - the application reference number is: 09/01205/FUL.‏

Objections should be emailed or posted to Louisa Johnson c/o Planning Department, Civic Offices, Reading. Email: louisa.johnson@reading.gov.uk . Residents should focus their comments on planning reasons to refuse this application, namely:

• Design and appearance

• Overbearing
• Overlooking
• Overshadowing
• Impact on the character of the original building / area (this may include assessing how appropriate a use is for a site / in a area)
• Disturbance / detrimental impact on the amenity of neighbouring residents – this could include matters such as noise, air quality etc.
• Impact on the surrounding area in terms of air quality, increasing trips on the highways etc.

Residents can also request that certain conditions are attached to any planning consent to minimise the impact of the change of use on the local area.

Ordinarily these sorts of applications are decided by officers under so-called 'delegated powers'.

But I think this decision needs closer scrutiny by councillors.

In light of this I have written to the Chair of the Council's Planning Applications Committee, Cllr Jim Hanley, to request that the application be called in to give residents and myself opportunity to raise our concerns directly with Members and to help ensure as far as possible that what is proposed fits in with the local area.

South Reading Community Fun Day 2009

This morning I went along to the South Reading Community Fun Day in Cintra Park in Redlands.

This event was the brainchild of my fantastic constituent, Tiffany Argent (pictured). Tiffany lives in North Whitley and is actively involved in Sure Start Whitley.

Tiffany masterminded the whole event from start to finish - with support from other mums, the Council, Police and others.

We need more low-cost activities for children and families in North Whitley so I was pleased to support this event.

The aim of the totally-free event was to to increase the awareness of Sure Start Whitley and other local community groups in the South Reading area.

The fun day was also about raising money for Daisy's Dream - a Berkshire-based charity which supports bereaved families and their children.

The event was opened by the Mayor, Cllr Fred Pugh, and it was a great way of promoting the work of Sure Start Whitley which offers services and support to around 1500 families in South Reading.

I met some of the Sure Start Whitley team and will be arranging a visit to the Centre (which is based at the South Reading Youth and Community Centre on Northumberland Avenue) soon to find out more.

Sure Start Whitley provide some excellent and much-needed services aimed at improving the quality of life of local children and providing hands-on support for parents in South Reading. Any family living in South Reading can access the Sure Start Centre and make use of the many free services, classes and activities there.

There was a good range of stalls and activities at the fun day designed to appeal to both adults and children including a climbing wall, bric-a-brac stall and a bouncy castle. A 'mini farm' which contained ducks,chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs proved very popular with local tots!

Amongst the fun and games there were also stalls promoting the Whitley Library, recycing and composting, healthy eating, and support for carers.

It was great to catch up with PCSO Becky Wrigley who was joined by PCSO Kelly Gosney at the event. They had brought with them the Mobile Police Unit which has proved so useful to the North Whitley Neighbourhood Police team in their work reducing crime in the area.

Becky told me that burglary in South Reading had fallen by 20% which is good news. The Police team has been focussing on reducing drug-related problems and anti-social behaviour around the shops on Northumberland Avenue. Becky told me that local people living in the area had reported a reduction in problems due to the increased Police presence and targetted use of CCTV. 

I'm pictured with local resident, Harry Belcher, Vice-Chair of the North Whitley Neighbourhood Action Group. The Group which I have worked closely with over the past couple of years has a new website which Harry told me about.

The next meeting of the North Whitley NAG will be held on 17 September - I would encourage any local residents living between Cintra Avenue and Northumberland Avenue to attend, including residents from Hexham Road area. Meetings of the NAG are held at the Hexham Community Centre.

I'm really pleased that it didn't rain (given the poor weather we've had this Summer!) and that all Tiffany and her team's hard work preparing for the fun day paid off. Let's hope this event is not a one off and will take place again next year.

 

Action pledged on mini-motos... at long last

 Cllr Glenn Goodall, local residents, and myself collecting petition signatures calling for action to tackle mini-moto nuisance, Bede Walk, 2008

Mini-motos being ridden recklessly by youngsters on roads and pavements have long been a real nuisance in parts of Reading.

These bikes and larger motorbikes present a real danger to both the youngsters riding them and pedestrians - as has been proved by the accidents - some fatal - that have sadly taken place in South Reading in recent years.

Here in Redlands we have received a number of complaints over the years about kids on mini-motos riding around Hexham Rd estate to and from Longbarn Lane and Staverton Road.

I have seen them being ridden with my own eyes. I've sometimes seen parents encouraging youngsters to ride these bikes which is pretty shocking. I have reported problems like this to the Police whenever I have seen them.

I first blogged about the need for a better response from the Police and the Council last March.

My Lib Dem colleagues in Katesgrove have also lobbied for more action to deal with this problem.

Bede Walk off Northumberland Avenue was a particular hot-spot for mini-moto-related nuisance - partly due to the layout of the footpath which enabled youngsters to whizz up and down unseen from the Police etc.

Residents from this area contacted me out of desperation.

They told me they were reporting problems but getting nowhere. 

Police refused to attend the scene and it is TVP policy not to pursue kids riding these bikes for fear of accidetnts.

it seemed to me, when I pursued the issue with the authorities that neither the Police nor the Council wanted to take responsibility for doing something about this problem, as is often the case with anti-social behaviour.

Anyway, after initial reports we continued to get complaints about problems with motorbikes from residents throughout last year.

I sent countless emails and asked questions to Council and still nothing seemed to happen.

So, last year we launched a petition...

As a result we suceeded in winning funding for anti-cycle barriers last June to stop people speeding down the footpath on Bede Walk. It took a while for the Council to get the barriers installed in the right location etc but residents have since reported that the barriers has significantly reduced the number of bikes using the Walk.

However, mini-motos are still being ridden around Whitley and those riding them have managed to evade the Police and the Council's ASB teams.

One of the main problems has been that local residents have given up reporting sightings of mini-motos and motrobikes in many areas due to the lack of response they got from the authorities.

Residents did report the issue and tried to give as much information as they could to officers.

However, residents felt they were not being taken seriously or being listened to by the Council or the Police, so they gradually stopped reporting.

 In addition to raising a petition, I got a group of residents who were angry about this from Bede Walk to join me in raising the problem of mini-motos directly with officers at Neighbourhood Action Group and Safer Reading Campaign meetings.

This resulted in press coverage too.

This campaign culminated with us raising this issue with senior Police officers on a visit to one of the Thames Valley Police call centres in January of this year.

During the visit we discovered that part of the problem was that the Council and the Police were collecting different data, via different phone numbers: the result was chaos - calls by residents were not being properly tracked or responded too.

Well, I'm pleased to say that after years of campaigning by the Lib Dems the Labour-run Council has today announced a new initiative to tackle this nuisance.

Apparently this problem is now the "top priority" of the Council's Anti-Social Behaviour team this summer.

This is surely an admission that it really wasn't a priority before (!)

(From the Council's press release):

"These reckless drivers can cause misery to local residents through noise nuisance and cause havoc by driving them in parks and on footpaths.

The Safer Reading Partnership would encourage anyone suffering antisocial behaviour to ring the Police non-emergency number – 0845 8 505 505 – to report any incidents, giving as much detail as possible.

They will work with residents and Neighbourhood Police teams to gather evidence and then use a range of powers to curb the behaviour. These antisocial drivers could receive points on their licence (even if they haven't yet got one), face a driving ban, a fine or even have their vehicles crushed.

If the nuisance continues Safer Reading can also apply for an Antisocial Behaviour Order (ASBO) to prevent the offenders from entering an area or riding the vehicle.

The law is clear and these vehicles must not be driven on footpaths, cycle routes or public land and parks.

The rider must hold an appropriate and valid driving licence, and be insured for the vehicle. An appropriate helmet must also be worn (quad bikes are exempt but it is advisable to wear one)."

 

All good stuff, but we have been saying this for ages. 

It saddens me that it took the Labour-run Council so long to listen to residents affected and to prioritise this issue.

Residents have been putting up with this problem in parts of Reading for years and the response from the Council and the Police has not inspired confidence.

I asked the Council's press office when the last time such an initiative was undertaken by the Council and I got the reply "2006".

Once again the response from Reading's Labour-run Council is too little too late.

To all residents reading this: please do report any sightings of motorbikes to the Police on the non-emergency number: 0845 8 505 505. 

I would be very interested in the response you receive to reports: send me an email and let me know how you get on.

Local police back Lib Dem call for action to clean up University area

Regular readers of this blog will be aware of our local campaign for more action by the Council, University and Police to tackle the problem of the build up of rubbish in and around the University area.

There has been a potentially positive development today with news that the local Neighbourhood Police team is set to start issuing fixed penalty notices of £75 against those who despoil the local environment.

My Lib Dem colleagues and I have been campaigning for several years for a better response from local public bodies and we have regularly highlighted the problems of overflowing bins, skips and bulky waste dumped in gardens around the University area.

It's good to see the local media continue to report this issue which is of major concern to our residents.

Many local residents we have spoken to have backed our call for action and have helped get the message across to those who need to hear it.

The Conservative MP for Reading East and local Labour activists have both belatedly backed our call for action. It's good to have them on board.

Our lobbying has resulted in a number of significant wins for local residents which will help make the area cleaner and greener.

We recognise, however, that there is a lot more to be done before local people will be satisfied by the efforts of the local Council and the University to get on top of this problem.

We have specifically requested on several occasions over the years that the Council and the Police use the legal powers available to them to make sure that our local streets and public areas are not used as a dumping ground.

For this reason, today's news about fixed penalty notices is most welcome. These notices will need to be used sparingly and carefully by the Police but they will help get the message across to landlords and others that failing to deal with waste at rented (or privately owned) properties is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

Election success

 On the campaign trail in Hornsey and Wood Green in July with Lynne Featherstone MP

I found out yesterday evening that I've been elected to the Safer Communities Board of the Local Government Association. The electorate was all Lib Dem councillors with over 80 Lib Dem Councillors putting their names forward for roles in the LGA Group this year.

I got the second highest number first preference votes for the SCB which I was pretty amazed about as I've only been a councillor since 2006 and I was up against more experienced and established councillors.

You can download the results in full here.

It was great to have support of Lib Dem councillors all over the country as well as our fantastic team here in Reading.

Thanks especially to Glenn for this lovely endorsement a couple of months ago.

I was particularly pleased to see a number of people, who were, like me, standing for the first time, get elected.

It was also really good to see a number of young councillors being given the chance to make their mark on the LGA and wider Lib Dem policy. My friends Cllr Abi Bell and Cllr Sarita Bush - Deputy Leader and Group Whip on Kingston upon Hull Council - being two of them.

I got to know them on Next Generation Three - a course for talented councillors run by the LGA and the Leadership Centre for Local Government which I partipated in this year.

LGA 'Boards' co-ordinate policy and direct lobbying activities in their areas of responsibility.

The boards of the LGA also commission and provide strategic direction for the high priority projects in the LGA Business Plan.

The Safer Communities Board has responsibility for LGA activity in the promotion of the health and safety of local communities, including issues of crime and anti-social behaviour, police liaison, community safety, public protection; the fire service and emergency planning, and licensing and other regulatory activities.

Regular readers of this blog will know I have a record of actively campaigning on many of these issues in Reading. I look forward to having more opportunities to raise these important issues on the national stage and to help councils respond more effectively by these challenges for the benefit of their residents.

Find out more on our local campaigns on the crime ,licensing and nuisance behaviour pages on the blog.

I am really looking forward to working with other councillors (including those from the other Parties) on the Board and sharing best practice ideas.

The LGA is primarily a campaigning organisation - lobbying central government on behalf of local government.

I am particularly looking forward to working with the new Lib Dem Chair of the Safer Communities Board: Cllr Duwayne Brooks.

Duwayne was elected to Lewisham Borough Council in a by-election in February - an election which was covered in the Evening Standard due to it's high-profile nature:

"Cllr Brooks says he decided to become a councillor because of the high profile he has had since his friend was murdered in Eltham in 1993.

He said: "I'm a very well known person in the borough because of what happened. So many people trust me and always came to me for help and information.

"But it came to a point where I thought I need to do a bit more, and one way was to become a councillor.

"As a councillor I would have a much stronger voice that would be amplified in the council.

My new role will also enable me to meet regularly with our parliamentary home affairs team, led by Chris Huhne MP (pictured below on a visit to Reading in 2007) to discuss policy and our campaigns in relation to safer communities. I can't wait to get stuck in!

Long overdue action to help tenants at risk from eviction

Five days in it seems August, like July, could be another busy month in housing.

Back in February I highlighted the fact that a potentially large number of tenants in private properties in Reading could be facing eviction - through no fault of their own.

Local Conservatives and Labour politicians were silent about the problem.

Shelter were warning government months ago that hundreds of thousands who rented properties could be evicted if their landlords failed to keep up mortgage repayments. The shocking reality at that time was that there virtually no legal protection or safeguards for tenants in this situation.

Buy-to-let landlords and sub-prime borrowers were highlighted as being particularly at risk of falling behind with repayments. This was a concern to me as obviously there are a large number of BTL landlords in the Reading area.

Regular readers of this blog will know I have been actively campaigning for some time to raise the profile of issues affecting the private rented sector in Reading, where we have double the national average of privately-rented properties.

I wrote to the Council's Chief Executive and senior officers of the Council to seek Council emergency support for any families or individuals who could be facing eviction if their landlords got into difficulties.

In response a Council spokesperson acknowledged the number of people in Reading facing eviction in this way had gone up.

I also raised the issue during the March meeting of the HHCC Scrutiny Panel.

The Reading Chronicle  covered my campaign and I took it one step further by calling on Sarah Teather MP, Lib Dem housing spokesperson to sign a cross-Party Early Day Motion on the issue (tabled in March) and asking her to take the issue up in Parliament and I was pleased to get the following response:

"Thank you for your email to Sarah Teather MP.  Sarah and the parliamentary Lib Dems will be strongly supporting this Early Day Motion, and have been pushing the government to change the law to protect private tenants."

Well it seems at last that Labour ministers have finally got the message after a huge amount of campaigning by Shelter, the Lib Dems and other campaign groups.

The government has announced plans today to help tenants at risk from eviction from properties they private rent.

They include ensuring landlords give tenants a minimum of two months notice before eviction. The consultation paper also considers for giving tenants for the first time the opportunity to be heard at a repossession hearing.

It could however still take months for this help to reach the tenants who need it most as the new proposals are out to consultation until October.

If Labour ministers had got stuck into this problem earlier thousands of tenants and many people in Reading could avoided real hardship.

If you want to have your say on these important proposals the link to the consultation is here.

Neglected and dangerous trees to be felled in the Addington road area

On one of our regular ward walkabouts I noticed one of the Lime trees on Addington Road was very diseased and posed a danger to the public.

This Lime tree in particular (on the corner of Alexandra Road) has a large hollow at the bottom and is very likely to eventually either fall into the road or onto a house. I was worried this would cause a risk to local residents, passing pedestrians and passing traffic.

I wrote to the Council a few weeks ago to bring thi s matter to their attention. The Council’s trees officer subsequently visited the area and identified further trees that could cause a serious risk to the public.

Following this inspection the Council has advised us that there is a need to fell around 18 trees in this area. The reason given for this removal is that the trees are diseased and consequently unsafe.

Responding to an RBC press release, and as Liberal Democrat Environment spokesperson on Reading Council I said,

"It's very unfortunate these trees need to be removed. We have been campaigning to ensure the Council replaces every tree it cuts down: trees play a vital role in making Reading a pleasant and healthy place to live."

While accepting the need to preserve public safety, my colleagues Cllr Kirsten Bayes, Cllr Daisy Benson and I are very concerned to make sure that the Council replaces the trees it is planning to remove - and chooses the right type of tree to match the local environment.

Over the last 12 months, I have been leading a campaign to preserve the few trees we have in Redlands and to campaign for additional trees to be planted - especially after years of Labour neglect.

I have also campaigned to ensure that trees are replaced when they are removed but also to ensure that they are not removed in the first place: making sure that prominent trees have tree protection orders, and are taken into consideration during planning discussions.