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• Archive Index 2009

News Archive - Week Beginning 1st Feb 2009

BBC

Nine activists from the Buckinghamshire and Berkshire Palestine Solidarity campaign stood outside the gates of the BBC Monitoring building in Peppard Road from midday on Friday, January 30th where staff were showing BBC Director General Mark Thompson the centre's newly revamped monitoring room. The activists, who were joined by Reading West MP Martin Salter, were protesting at the BBC's refusal to air an humanitarian aid appeal for Gaza. (Reading Evening Post, 04/02/09 p10, Reading Chronicle 05/02/09 p10)

Buses

A letter from two elderly Emmer Green residents comments on the recent news that Reading Buses intends to replace the 137 bus service from Reading town centre to Peppard Common and the 138 to Sonning Common with a new bus route - the Route 2. The new route will miss out several Emmer Green roads covered by the old service, and the letter asks Reading Buses "do you not realise the anguish and loneliness you will cause by not allowing the existing route to take place for us older generation who cannot walk the length of Kiln Road and Tower Close?". (Reading Evening Post 04/02/09 p6)

Council Tax

RBC Labour leader Jo Lovelock has revealed that the Council's minority Labour administration intends to increase council tax in Reading by 4.24% for the financial year 2008-09. However, it is reported that the RBC's Liberal Democrats and Conservatives have the power to vote down anything in the budget they do not like, so there will be no certainties until a final vote is taken on Tuesday, February 24th. (Reading Evening Post 06/02/09 p2)

Crime

It is reported that burglary numbers have increased across Reading. Between April 1st, 2007 and February 1st 2008, there were 1,378 burglaries committed in the Reading local policing area - however, between April 1st, 2008 and February 1st, 2009 there have been 1,487 burglaries, with the worst affected areas being Tilehurst, West Reading, Whitley - and Caversham. In response to the statistics, local police recently conducted a three-day 'burglary busting' operation - Operation Overpass - aimed at cracking down on offenders in Reading. (Reading Evening Post 04/02/09 pp1,3)

Two teenagers threatened a security guard with a hammer on the evening of Wednesday, January 28th when they were disturbed trying to rob the unoccupied site where the new community centre in the Amersham Road is currently being built. Anyone with information concerning the teenagers, who are described as being white and aged between 14 and 16, is asked to call police on 08458 505 505. (Reading Evening Post 05/02/09 p9)

A 42-year old man was surrounded and attacked by a gang of five individuals on the evening of Saturday, January 31st whilst walking near Caversham Lock and was then thrown off the metal footbridge into the Thames. The man suffered a minor eye injury and shock, but was otherwise unhurt. Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact PC Pauline Cameron on 0845 505 505. (Reading Chronicle 05/02/09 p3)

Environment - Caversham

A joint letter from local Green party activists and politicians draws attention to the Labour Government's proposals to build a third runway at Heathrow. The writers say that they are "appalled" at the proposals - "residents in the Heathrow flight path, including Caversham… …are already blighted by the noise and disturbance of aircraft, and it is both thoughtless and unreasonable to expect them to put up with yet more noise pollution". (Reading Evening Post 03/02/09 p6)

An 'Evening Post' feature says that aeroplanes could be flying as low as 5,000 feet above Reading if plans for a third runway at Heathrow go ahead. Maps produced by the National Air Traffic Service (NATS) show possible new flight paths over Caversham, but the BAA is said to insist these are "purely illustrative" and not conclusive. Yeah. (Reading Evening Post 02/02/09 p2)

Police

Local police have issued two press notices concerning the recent work of PCSOs in the Lower Caversham and North and West Caversham neighbourhood policing areas - both of which contain useful information. (Thames Valley Police, January 2009)

Shops - Caversham Traders

The Caversham Traders Association is to be resurrected - initially being limited to shops in the central Caversham business district. If you represent a central Caversham trader and have not been contacted, please email them with your email address and your view of local key issues. The email address is cavershamtraders@googlemail.com (Caversham Bridge, February 2009)

Pubs

Under the headline "pubs pull their last pints as the crisis deepens", the 'Evening Post' reports on the closure of two local pubs - the Red Cow in Star Road and the Gardeners Arms in Surley Row. Both pubs are the victims of poor trading and the credit crunch - the Gardeners Arms closed on January 13th, and the Red Cow held a farewell party on Friday, January 30th. The two closures follow on from the recent news ('Evening Post', January 23rd) that Gary Taylor, the landlord of the Prince of Wales pub in Caversham for five years, revealed he will be leaving next month blaming price demands from brewery Brakspear for his lack of profit. (Reading Evening Post 03/02/09 p4)

Schools

The RBC is seeking feedback from local residents with regards school admission procedures in the Reading borough for the 2010-2011 academic year. The Council plans to change the admissions process, while Tory opposition has been highlighting both "inconsistencies" in the current system and issues with the proposed changes. The proposed changes include introducing a shared catchment for the Hill and Emmer Green primary schools. As well as the general proposals, parents can also comment on proposed admission arrangements for a number of individual schools that organise their own admissions - including Highdown in Emmer Green. The consultation proposals are available for viewing via this link. Responses should be sent back to the RBC by Saturday, February 28th - when the consultation closes. (Reading Chronicle 05/02/09 p6)

Shops - Caversham

Local politicians in Caversham have been lobbying for the Marks & Spencer 'Simply Food' branch in St Martin's Precinct to remain open - the shop was earmarked by M&S recently as part of a national package of store closures. Hundreds of residents are said to have signed a petition (reprinted in the 'Chronicle') urging the retention of the store, and the councillors said they were "overwhelmed" by the response. However, it was announced last Thursday that the store is to close for good on Saturday, March 12th. (Reading Evening Post 05/02/09 p5, Reading Evening Post 06/02/09 p9)

A photo of the staff of the Marks & Spencer branch in St Martin's Precinct shows them with a cheque for £2,612 raised by both themselves and customers on behalf of Reading and District Cancer care. The charity's chairwoman Pauline Hollick said "the staff worked their socks off……it's such a shame the shop might be closing". (Reading Chronicle 05/02/09 p14)

Streets - Caversham

The RBC was expected on the evening of Wednesday, February 4 to confirm that a new development off Kidmore Road in Caversham is to be called Hornbeam Close, named because existing Hornbeam trees have been preserved on the site. (Reading Evening Post 04/02/09 p8)

Tree Preservation Orders

The actions of RBC TPO officers are reported on in the 'Chronicle' in relation to a TPO being placed on a tree in Chazey Road. A Chazey Road resident had originally contacted the Council to ask about felling the tree, owing to its roots "digging up" her driveway. But the Council responded to the resident's actions by placing a TPO on the tree - a measure that it is unlikely to rescind, despite the objections of the resident. (Reading Evening Post 04/02/09 p25)

Planning - Mapledurham