Redlands Liberal Democrats

Unimpressed: Residents in Hexham Rd give their verdict on Labour in Reading

I was out and about talking to residents on Bede Walk and Hexham Road yesterday finding out what issues matter to local people and picking up bits and pieces of casework. On Bede Walk the two big issues on the doorstep were dog fouling and the state of Reading Girls School's fence. This is frustrating for me as these are two issues I've been nagging the Council and the School about for the last four years. Glenn, Kirsten and I have put a lot of effort into getting the Labour-run Council to spruce up Hexham Road estate and we are making real progress. But we know there is still a long way to go. Over on my other blog I revealed earlier this week how Labour are not using the powers available to councils to clamp down on dog fouling. Talking to residents yesterday there was real anger on the doorsteps about this issue. They are fed up with the amount of dog mess on the pavements just outside their houses. As one resident commented "what's the point of having a dog warden if he can't do anything?" Labour's new service charges for RBC tenants were also deeply unpopular with many tenants I talked to yesterday - particularly those who are not receiving benefits. They were non too pleased when I told them about Labour's Council Tax hike of 2.2%  As my colleague Kirsten has pointed out these will hit those on low and fixed incomes very hard in our ward. Anyway, we'll keep battling on on residents' behalf on all these issues. Vote Lib Dem in Redlands in the coming elections if you want to elect councillors that will work hard for you, whatever the weather, on the issues that matter!

Check out this video we made on Bede Walk last year to see us in action:

Council Tax

Council tax meetings are always tense, as they involve important decisions: how much to cut, where to invest a bit more, and in the end how much residents have to pay for their services.

Even more challenging is that the poorest and most vulnerable rely on Council services, and yet it these people and those just getting by who tend to pay the most, as a proportion of their income.

This year, we were absolutely opposed to Labour's 2.2% rise, and came prepared to have all the discussions needed to get a lower number. My own view was like Liberal Democrat Hull, that Reading should be able to set a zero % rise this year, and colleagues from that city gave us alot of support in identifying how that could be done.

Unfortunately, during the discussions, it was clear that the Conservatives were really unprepared - and when a crucial vote came, they weren't in the room. So the Labour budget was forced through, against Liberal Democrat votes.

Really disappointing that it happened this way: I genuinely think the rise did not have to be as big this year, and I'm afraid that it reflects badly on both the other Parties in the town, both Conservative disorganisation and Labour's financial management. Nevertheless, I am glad we were able to stand up for our residents in what are very difficult times, and we will keep working to make the Council as efficient and effective as possible.

- Kirsten

NAG-ing on Newcastle Road

Earlier today I spent a productive couple of hours in the sunshine knocking on doors and speaking to constituents in Newcastle and Corbridge Road with my lovely ward colleagues Glenn and Kirsten. I picked up quite a bit of casework relating to RBC housing, I'm sorry to say. Some tenants living in flats on Newcastle Road reported long waits for central heating upgrades - a problem residents in Hadrians Walk East also reported to me back in December. I nagged the Council to sort this out with some success and it looks like I'll need to do it again. With the freezing weather continuing the Council's housing department really must make sure all tenants in RBC properties have access to central heating.

The other issue that kept cropping up was damp. Damp in kitchens, bathrooms and living rooms. This is not pleasant for people. One tenant pointed out huge cracks in his ceiling. I reported all of these issues to the Council for attention - I was just sad that some tenants have been living with these problems for many years.

I asked one tenant on Newcastle Road what they thought about RBC cleaning services and their response was: "what cleaning service?". As Lib Dem housing spokesperso on RBC I am campaigning to ensure RBC tenants get value for money, good quality cleaning services - particularly as Labour are planning to charge tenants extra for the service later this year. The feedback I am getting from tenants is that RBC needs to do much better.

On Thursday evening I attended a meeting of the Whitley North Neighbourhood Action Group which covers part of Redlands ward. It was good to meet Inspector Rob Murray (who has taken over from Kevin Sinfield) and other members of the North Whitley Police team at the NAG meeting. We discussed anti-social behaviour problems that are recurring on Northumberland Avenue and what can be done to tackle this.

Issues raised by residents at the meeting included motorbikes being ridden on the estate (an ongoing issue), parking and burglaries. There appears to be a problem of some tenants not locking alleygates. I have asked RBC to write to residents reminding them to secure gates to help keep their properties safe. A couple of years ago I campaigned to make sure all the alleygates on the estate had working locks.

We'll be chasing the Council and Police for action and getting back to residents in relation to all these issues - because we care deeply about improving the quality of life of all the people who live in our ward.

Keeping an eye on highways and verges around Redlands

Out and about in the ward wih my colleagues Glenn and Kirsten last weekend I noticed that the entrance to Reading University halls on Upper Redlands Road was pretty untidy. The University is currently redeveloping its halls. There was a lot of mud on the pavement and highway - not very pleasant for residents and visitors.I noticed as well that grass verges on Upper Redlands Road were damaged. I'm not sure if this is connected. 

I wrote to Reading Borough Council and officers are now organising a visit with the site manager to discuss the University's responsibilities during construction and to ask them to tidy the entrance up if necessary.

Some other other housekeeping - I noticed one of the litter bins by the bus stop on Upper Redlands Road was overflowing so I've requested a larger bin from the Council.

While I was out and about I spotted a number of potholes - on Craven Road, Eldon Road and Corbridge Road following the recent severe weather. I reported these to the Council for action and hope they will be fixed soon. Please get in touch if you notice any problems or issues with our local road network and we will do our best to help.

Spring-ing into action: Lib Dem campaign to improve Hexham estate continues

We are very lucky in Redlands to have some really dedicated Council officers working with us to improve the local environment. And Ashley Blackwood is one of them. He is the Neighbourhood Officer for Redlands which means he is the first point of contact for Council tenants. What's great about Ashley is that he doesn't just do what is in his job description - he goes the extra mile. We keep in close touch about things going on in the estate - in order to get the best for our residents.

For example, Ashley wrote to us a few weeks ago to say that mini-motos were becoming a problem again on the estate. It's useful to know this so we can encourage residents to report issues.

Ashley has been one of the officers we have worked closely with as part of our campaign to make Hexham estate a nicer place for local residents to live. Charlotte Roberts and Tom Martin from the Neighbourhood Team have also been amazing.

Before I was elected in 2006 the estate had been neglected for years by the Labour councillors for the area and has been allowed to get very run down due to lack of investment. We have been working hard over the years to get the Council to tackle anti-social behaviour and smarten the place up - thanks to the Decent Neighbourhoods Fund which we campaigned for this is now happening.

'Mini-Farm' Day to be held at Easter

Before Christmas Ashely organised a 'Hawk Day' on the estate as part of RBC's efforts to tackle pidgeon nuisance. This week Ashley wrote to us with another great idea: he is organising a 'mini-farm' day on the estate to take place on Easter weekend- on Easter Saturday between 12 and 4pm. The plan is that there will be lambs, pigs and goats for the kids and hopefully stalls too. Neighbourhood Warden Carol Shepherd - another community stalwart - will be helping out on the day and sorting out hot food. If you live in the area and would like to get involved please drop Ashley a line: ashley.blackwood@reading.gov.uk

Improving parking and road safety

We have been campaigning for years to get Reading Borough Council to sort out parking problems on the estate. Progress has been frustratingly slow as the size of the estate means options for improvement are limited.

A recent survey carried out by RBC found parking to be one of the top three issues for residents living on the estate. There is little or no parking enforcement and no residents' parking so the Council needs to be creative to tackle problems related to parking. Road safety and speeding is also a major issue and we are keen to see speeds reduced.

You may remember a few months back we went on an estate walkabout with senior officers from RBC Housing and Highways to see what could be done to tackle parking problems residents were facing.  We heard from Ashley this week that following our meeting focus groups with residents on the estate have been held and the following next steps have been provisionally agreed:

• In order to reduce parking problems for residents around Hexham Community Centre, double yellow lines around the Hexham Road Community Centre, starting on the Hexham Road wrapping round up towards Bamburgh Close are planned. A small break in double yellow lines will be placed on Bamburgh Close outside the Community Centre to allow limited parking for staff and visitors.
• In order to allow buses to turn more easily, double yellow lines are to be installed at the top of Corbridge Road by the junction with Newcastle Road outside number 34-28 Corbridge Road. (Residents have been parking on the path here and any parking on the road is preventing the bus from turning into the road). A residents car park is situated to the rear of these properties and all have a garage or car port.
• Double yellow lines to be installed on Newcastle Road where the road bends to the right outside number 62. All of these properties have a driveway and garage. The parking that is done on the path and road here obstructs the view and could cause an accident with oncoming vehicles. 
   

Residents have been telling us that parking on pavements and cars blocking driveways is a major problem on parts of the estate. To help provide better parking across the estate the Housing Department will be paying for the following areas to be re-lined so that clear parking bays can be provided:

• Car park by 199-211 Newcastle Road
• Car park by 109-145 Newcastle Road
• Car park area rear of 127-133 Hadrians Walk East
• Car park by 16-22 Morpeth Close
• Car park top of Bamburgh Close by 56-90 Bamburgh Close

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We hope these plans will help residents - they are currently only in draft form. If you live on the estate please contact Glenn, Kirsten or myself and tell us what you think about them. These plans will be going to the March 18 meeting of the Traffic Management Advisory Panel for approval before going ahead.

Daisy talks to TweetyHall

Here in Redlands we work hard to keep in touch with our constituents, residents and supporters all year round. In recent years we have been using Facebook, Twitter and blogs to supplement our traditional output of Focus leaflets and streetletters to campaign on a range of local issues.

I've been shortlisted for two awards for my use of social media over the past year. On the back of this I was interviewed by the people behind TweetyHall, a website which connects tweeting councillors with the public last week. Check out the video here

Latest news from Redlands & University Police Teams

We are very lucky in Redlands to have some very dedicated Police Officers and PCSOs supporting the community in our patch. We work closely with them to help improve community safety - my colleague Kirsten Bayes is actively involved in the Redlands & University Neighbourhood Action Group (NAG) and Glenn and I cover the Newtown and North Whitley NAGs.

If you have any concerns about community safety in your neighbourhood please do get in touch with us.

You can find out which Police "neighbourhood" you live in by visiting the Thames Valley Police website and entering your postcode. You can also find out more about neighbourhood action groups here.

The "neighbourhood priorities" identified by the Redlands and University NAG are currently: 1)Parking and Traffic, 2)Anti-social behaviour and 3)Environmental issues.

As I pointed out on this blog last October he Council and the Police are set to change the structure of community safety groups in Reading. The new structure is set to be unveiled soon - we hope it will be an improvement on what's gone before and that it helps local people feel more involved and able to have their say on what happens in their area.

Burglary - a concern

Burglary is a particular concern at the moment as the latest information we have received from our Police teams is that The number of burglaries in the neighbourhood has increased slightly in recent months.

The latest figures show that the average monthly number of burglaries has increased from 18 per month to 21.3.

The Police are advising residents to lock their windows and doors as they are saying that the "overriding factors" in burglaries at the moment are insecure windows and doors. Before Christmas TVP worked with the University of Reading to offer home security advice to residents.

If you would like advice about ways to make your home more secure please contact TVP Crime Reduction Adviser John McNicholas on 0118 953 6171 or via email john.mcnicholas@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk

Anyway, back to Policing and we have just received the latest news updates from our local Police teams for Redlands and the University area - from Steve Vaughan (Redlands) and Alan Hunt (University). 

I have pulled out some of the key information and attached it below:

REDLANDS

• The whole team worked on night shifts during the times of heavy snow at the Royal Berkshire Hospital. The Police team made sure that the traffic kept moving and cleared the road for the ambulance service to get in and out of the hospital. 
• The Police team also dealt with a number of vehicles that had broken down in the bad weather and officers from the east team pushed them to safety, again doing their best in keeping the roads in the east of Reading moving.
• The latest crime figures available through the Thames Valley Police website show that between October to December 2009, compared to the same three months in 2008, crime in the area has decreased from an average of 46 incidents a month to 45.3, which is a reduction of 1.4 per cent.
• During the same period, burglary has shown a slight increase of 3.8 per cent but ant-social behaviour has fallen by more than 11 per cent.
• On 26 January a 36-year-old man from Reading was arrested in connection with a burglary that had occurred in Emmer Green. He has since been charged with a burglary in Alexandra road, which occured on 26 January. He appeared at court on 30 January and was remanded in custody

Our local Police Teams hold regular "Street Briefings" where local residents can go along and raise issues of concern. The next briefings are being held on the following dates and locations:

12 February, New Road, 5pm, 27 February, Donnington Road, 5pm, 12 March, Upper Redlands Rd, 5pm, 10 April, Marlborough Avenue, 5pm.

The Redlands Police Team are also holding surgeries for residents to raise issues:

Co-op, Erleigh Road 4-6pm - 15 February, 1 March, 15 March, 29 March and 12 April

Royal Berkshire Hospital front entrance, Craven Road, 12-2pm - 8 February, 8 March and 6 April

UNIVERSITY

• The neighbourhood Police team has continued to meet, greet and teach parents who drop off children in outside schools on our area. We know that there have been concerns around safety outside schools and around the pedestrian crossings in Addington Road and it’s hoped that more regular patrols around the busiest periods will allay any concerns.
• We continue to target our patrols in the early hours of the weekend in an effort to speak to groups causing anti social behaviour. This also includes giving advice to residents if the noise from their property is excessive.
• On 23 January a 39-year-old man from Reading was involved in a disturbance at Reading University. He was issued with an £80 fine for disorder. 
• The latest crime figures available through the Thames Valley Police website show that the average monthly number of anti-social behaviour incidents in this area has fallen from 42.3 to 29.7 – a reduction of 29.9 per cent.

The University Police Team will be holding surgeries at Reading University Students’ Union on Monday 8 February 11.30am – 1.30pm and Monday 8 March 11.30am – 1.30pm. They will also be holding surgeries at Subway on Wokingham Road: Tuesday 23 February 3pm – 4.30pm and Tuesday 23 March 3pm – 4.30pm.

Hardworking PC Alan Hunt leaving Police team

We are very sorry to report that PC Alan Hunt who has played a leading role in the University Neighbourhood Police Team is leaving. This is very sad news for the community. Alan commented in an email to us:

"I have somewhat lived and breathed the role over the past two and a half years. Every burglary, robbery, assault and theft has left me feeling that it was up to my team to assist in the investigation and find ways to stop further offences. The figures and response from residents indicate that anti-social behaviour is falling in the area and this is in no small part due to the hard work of my PCSOs who brave all conditions to make our neighbourhood a safe place. My thanks go to them and the partners I have worked with and for."

We are aware that a replacement for Alan is currently being sought. Alan will be much missed - we wish him all the best for the future and hope a dedicated officer will be found to continue his good work.

If you witness any crime or anti-social behaviour in Redlands please report it to Thames Valley Police so action can be taken on 0845 8 505 505. Please also get in touch with Kirsten, Glenn or I and we will do our best to help.

A shocking 80% of crimes go unreported which makes it very difficult for the Police to take action. Please do keep reporting issues and if you feel it is an emergency ring 999.

Licensed to ill: Police join Lib Dem fight against nuisance skips

Over the past four years I have received a number of complaints from residents in the wards about skips - skips taking up parking spaces for weeks and full-to-the-brim skips have become a nuisance or an eyesore. My (unscientific) study of the problem over the past few years based on what I've seen whilst out and about in the ward and from emails I've received from constituents has led me to conclude that the worst affected streets in Redlands are Donnington Road, Donnington Gardens, Granby Gardens and Blenheim Road.

Yes, you guessed it - areas of Redlands and other parts of Town with high numbers of HMOs and student lets. Waste and parking are already problems in these areas without skips to add to the list. Skips must be licensed by the Council and they must not be left on streets indefintely.

Every overfull skip we see we report but we are concerned that RBC enforcement of skip licenses is not as good as it could be.

So I was pleased to see I'm not the only person who gets het up about this problem as I read on GetReading today that local PCSOs are taking a proactive approach to tackling overfull skips. My guess is we have Kevin Sinfield - until recently the longstanding Thames Valley Police Inspector for South and East Reading to thank for this Police initiative.

Kevin, an incredible, community-minded Police Officer who I have got to know very well over the past few years and who won TVP's Neighbourhood Bobby of the Year Award in 2009 often commented to me how the high number of skips in central Reading made the Town look.

Athough managing skip licenses and problems is technically a Council responsibility Kevin instructed his officers to report any skips they saw to the Council to be sorted out. We need more Police officers like Kevin and Katie! Kevin recently moved to work in Wokingham - he will be much missed by councillors and residents in Redlands alike.

As soon as I mentioned the subject of skips on Twitter a constituent got in touch to say that there are currently two overfilled skips on Blenheim Road are causing a nuisance to residents. It appears that one of them might have been in situ since the Summer! I have instructed officers to investigate the status of the skip's licence. With luck these blights on our area should be moved soon.

If skips are a problem in your street please get in touch and we will be happy to help.

In the meantime, check out this video that Glenn and I made last year with the help of Lib Dem Councillor for Katesgrove, Warren Swaine:

Bike Theft

At the last full council I asked how many bicycles had been reported stolen in the last 2 years. This issue is very dear to me as I have had 3 bikes stolen from various locations in Reading since I first moved here. I also continually hear about friends and constituents who have their bikes stolen. One friend had his bike locked to a Sheffield-post near the stadium. He returned a day later to find that not only had the bike gone, but so had the post!

From 2007/08 to 2008/09 there was a minimal increase of 5 reports, but from 2008/09 to 2009/10 it looks like there could be an increase of between 50 and 100 reports (estimated figures for Jan, Feb and March based on the previous years trends). On average, around 70 bikes are reported as stolen each month across Reading. In 2007 Reading Post reported that 1 bike a day was stolen from the station, this new data suggests about 3 bikes are stolen per day throughout Reading.

The monthly breakdown is shown below:

Clearly, there are surges in the numbers reported during University term time, and these report numbers drop off during the major University holidays (but on average remain above 50 reports a month).

In the answer to my question, the Labour lead councillor says that neither Reading's Crime & Disorder Partnership or any of the NAG's have set bicycle theft as a priority. But despite this RBC works with its partners to offer "generic crime reduction advice", and they talk about the 'motherhood and apple pie' detailed in the cycle strategy.

There is clearly no appetite to tackle this issue because it is a difficult one to fix. Stop and postcode checks of suspected stolen bikes by the police/PCSO's might be a start. Better quality, well lit bike racks is another.

I'm concerned that people are not reporting stolen bikes because they feel, quite rightly, that nothing serious is being don't to tackle these issues. This is only reported thefts, after all. Also I know of no-one who has ever had their bike returned to them by the police, despite having a postcode etched or UV-inked onto the frame.

If you have had your bike stolen, I would urge you to report it - otherwise this issue will always be not be seen as a serious issue or a priority.