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News Archive - Week Beginning 17th Nov 2008

Buses

Caversham residents have until Sunday, November 30th to share their views on Reading Buses' proposals for local bus routes. A through service from Caversham Heights to the Royal Berkshire Hospital is proposed, running every 30 minutes, on route number 22. The other service will run from Caversham Heights to Central Reading every 15 minutes, on route number 22A. Full details of the proposals are available on the bus company's website - you can pass on your views via consultation@reading-buses.co.uk.

Business

A Caversham organic food company, Ella's Kitchen, has been shortlisted for the title of Best New Exporter - sponsored by UK Trade and Investment - at the Food From Britain Export Awards 2008. The award is to be made in London on Wednesday, December 10th. (Reading Evening Post 18/11/08 p21)

Crime

A Vietnamese man from Katesgrove has been charged with cannabis cultivation following a recent police drugs raid in Chiltern Road, Caversham. Officers had found more than 300 cannabis plants in the house after a tip off from neighbours. (Reading Evening Post 17/11/08 p3)

Planning

Residents of All Hallows Road are claiming that the housing developers T A Fisher, together with utility companies working on their behalf, have broached planning restrictions to protect the roots of mature lime trees in the road as they build nine new houses there. Local councillor Richard Willis is backing the residents' campaign to protect the trees - the RBC has said in response that the issue will be dealt with via its formal complaints procedures. All Hallows Road resident Kaitlin Bradford said: "Everybody in the road is disgusted at what's happening and it is almost as if the developers are having a laugh now". (Reading Evening Post 18/11/09 p9)

The RBC Planning Committee has refused an application from Omer Yucel, the owner of the Island Bar Restaurant on Piper's Island, to store rubbish on a 72-foot barge behind the restaurant. The Committee said the new barge (which would replace one already at the site) would have a 'significantly detrimental impact on the visual amenity and character of the surrounding area' - there had also been protests from residents living in nearby Riverside Court. RBC councillor Richard Stainthorp said in reference to the matter: "this is a long and sorry saga". (Reading Chronicle 20/11/08 p14)

The Government has approved the Reading Central Area Action Plan (RCAAP) following the recent RBC consultation exercise. The RCAAP identifies three development zones, labelled 'major opportunity areas', to the north, east and west of Reading town centre. A DCLG inspector has removed a reference in the RCAAP that would have restricted the heights of buildings - meaning that new tall buildings can be now be built in the town centre (without consideration for the effects on the Caversham skyline?) (Reading Chronicle 20//1/08 p5)