Katesgrove Lib Dems

The Credit Crunch, Reading and Vince Cable

While local councils do not directly have so much to do with the credit crunch, they certainly suffer from many of its effects.

Later this month the Council is to decide if and (if yes) how to proceed with the plans for the new Civic Offices, against a backdrop of a very difficult budget in which it will be hard to avoid cuts.

The Council had a 'summit' last week (invited guests only at short notice) about how to tackle this.  I think the voluntary organisations Reading CAB, Welfare Rights and Reading Credit Union should be at the forefront of offering the advice people need and (in the case of the Credit Union) secure and good value loans and savings.

Meanwhile Vince Cable is visiting the University on Thursday - please do come along (his talk starts at 7.30pm), and as someone said recently, when you're scrambling for the lifeboats, you don't stop to work out who hit the iceberg, do you, Mr Brown?

Polling Station Success

Notice came today of another little success that will make it easier for plenty of Katesgrove residents to vote.

Until now, voters in Katesgrove voting at Katesgrove Primary School - that's more than half the ward - were only able to access the polling station via the main Dorothy Street entrance.  This was raised with us by residents living in Katesgrove Lane, who - not unreasonably - didn't want to go up the hill and all the way around the school premises.  (It probably didn't make polling day much fun for people living in Dorothy Street). 

Now they won't have to!  We raised it with the Council, who have just got back to us.

The Council has agreed with the school that on polling day, the entrances via the playground (not accessible step-free) and via the Yellow Portakabin (which is step-free) will be open as well as Dorothy Street.  Hopefully it's another step that will enable more people to vote in elections.

Fly Tipping Update

Our ongoing efforts to deal with the flytipping behind the Whitley Street shops has been met with an odd response from the environmental protection team who tell me that all they can do with regard to fly tipping on private land is to send the landowner a letter to clean it up, but it isn't enforceable!

Rest assured, that isn't the end of the matter.

Hamble Court's new Computer Suite

 

To Hamble Court on Southampton Street this Thursday.  This centre providing supported housing to a range of vulnerable people was having an Open Day, with representatives from English Churches Housing Association who run the centre.

It was particularly good to see the newest introduction of a Computer Centre, so residents can get online and access (in particular) job information.  Talking to residents it was clear that the facility was very popular and much-needed.  The Centre was opened by the Mayor of Reading, Cllr Peter Beard.

Hamble Court now has its own Residents' Association (chaired by John in the centre) which is organising trips out and dealing with issues in the area.  It was good to talk to John, his colleagues and the staff about a few local issues we've been pursuing.