Redlands Liberal Democrats

Bus Shelters and Anti-social Behaviour

First of all congratulations to Glenn who joins Daisy and I as Councillor for Redlands, and thanks to everyone who gave him their help and support!

Bus stops and shelters in the ward seem to be a real focus of anti-social behaviour. We have reported repeated vandalism on Erleigh Rd, Addington Rd and Redlands Rd. This vandalism often takes the form of graffiti, sometimes it involves the destruction of parts of the shelter (e.g. smashed glass or burnt litter bins). Sorry to say I reported another incident yesterday.

What is also now happening is that young people are drinking before they head into town, which means that when they wait at bus stops to travel in, they can be very noisy. This intimidates passers-by and annoys local residents. I myself have been shouted at while passing the bus stop in Craven Road after dark.

At the upcoming Redlands and University Neighbourhood Action Group, we will be studying a bus stop problem in a nearby ward, which has been highlighted by the Police, and coming up with a plan of action. I will commit to following up with the learnings from this to other stops in Redlands, to start to bring this problem to an end.

Mini-motos around Hexham estate and Longbarn Lane Rec

Youngsters riding mini-motos and full size motorbikes are becoming a real nuisance at the southern end of Redlands and into Whitley. Residents on Bede Walk contacted me totally fed up with the bikes whizzing past their doorsteps on the footpath.

I was in the Northumberland Avenue area over the weekend and I saw a number of teenagers riding bikes on Longbarn Lane Recreation ground. Worringly, at least one child I saw was not wearing a helmet.

Apart from being a real danger tothemselves, youngsters riding mini-motos are a massive danger to pedestrians. For this reason it is illegal to ride mini-motos on roads, pavements or public parks. You can find out more about the law regarding mini-motos on the Thames Valley Police website.

There have been some very sad deaths connected to mini-motos in South Reading in recent years . A few weeks ago I met the mother of young person who was killed riding a motorbike on Shinfield Road. She was adamant that more needed to be done to education children in schools about the risks.

Katesgrove Councillor, Gareth Epps and have contacted the Council and the North Whitley Police Team about this problem asking them to take action urgently. I would like to see Reading Borough Council re-launch it's campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of mini-motos amongst children and adults.

Part of the problem I think is that parents are buying these machines for their children and condoning their use. If parents knew the risks attached to riding these bikes I can't believe they would encourage their kids to ride them.

The Police are keen to try and find out the names and addresses of youngsters riding the bikes, which is obviously easier said than done! Residents can help by reporting any sightings of mini-motos being ridden via the asb hotline: 0845 8 505. Please also contact me if this issue is a problem in your area.

We will certainly be raising this at the next meeting of the North Whitley Neighbourhood Action Group in April.

Action to tackle anti-social behaviour on Bede Walk

This evening I attended the Safer Reading Forum covering South Reading (and part of Redlands ward) with two local residents. I have campaigned to make these Forums more representative and more open to the public. It made a real difference having more local residents in attendance as they were able to explain to officers and councilors what the real issues are whether it be crime, anti-social behaviour or road-safety concerns.

Local residents and myself explained to the Chair of the Committee, PCSOs and one of RBC's community safety officers that better lighting was needed to make residents feel safer on Bede Walk. We raised the ongoing problems of abandoned cars, drug-dealing and car crime in the area. The Forum agreed to have a look about what can be done about these issues. Better lighting and possible cctv surveillance are two possible options. Let's hope something happens soon.

In the news: Peeps Kebabs and 46 Redlands Road Planning Application

Today's Evening Post details Kirsten's comments to the Licensing Committee on behalf of local residents and bus users requesting that Peeps' kebabs move to a more appropriate location .

My campaign to stop Hicks' developments plans to demolish 46 Redlands Road and replace it with 14 luxury flats is also featured.

Update: Allcroft Rd, Neighbourhood Action Group, University Forum...

Well, it has been a busy two or three weeks since the election.

In reverse order:

Allcroft Rd
The Allcroft Road application mentioned previously was turned down by the planning committee for among other reasons being out of keeping with the area. Thankyou to everyone who wrote regarding this application, or who came to the planning committee meeting tonight

Upper Redlands Rd
The results of the informal consultations at each end of Upper Redlands Rd have been reported back to residents on the road. If you did not see these, please contact Kirsten.

Redlands and University Neighbourhood Action Group
The NAG met on 10 May: the Police and Council brought a significant amount of data that confirmed where the key problems area are, in terms of graffiti and antisocial behaviour. There were no real surprises, but this data will support our requests for targeted resources to deal with graffiti across Redlands and anti-social behaviour in key parts of the ward.

University Forum
The University Forum discussed two main issues with local residents: anti-social behaviour from students,  and potential future development plans. The University has a policy of restorative justice with regard to the small minority of students who cause a nuisance, and certain cases were discussed, involving gnomes and hospital signs  (with a follow up of donations to hospitals and cleaning up mess...!). The plans for the Whiteknights site are at any early stage but some fairly big changes are envisaged: we will make sure they keep residents in touch with this.

And, finally, thank you to everyone who contacted us with good wishes, or with requests to deal with particular problems: we will make sure nothing is forgotten.