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News Archive - Week Beginning 5th Apr 2009
Buses
Reading Buses is introducing a 20-minute service on its new Premier Route 22 to Caversham Heights and an hourly service on its new Route 2 service to Peppard Common via Peppard Road. The 22 will replace the Premier Route 9 in Caversham Heights, with the Number 2 replacing the 137 and 138 services to Peppard Common. The changes come into operation from Monday, April 20th. (Reading Evening Post 09/04/09 p15)
Children
The final closure of Caversham Nursery School on April 3rd is described in a feature which comments on the 63-year history of the Nursery School at it Gosbrook Road site. The School will reopen shortly as the Caversham Children's Centre in Amersham Road - the £1.9m Centre will offer a wider range of services, including day-long childcare. (Reading Chronicle 09/04/09 p8)
Environment
What the 'Post' describes as "a dynamic avenue of ornamental trees" has been planted in the Albert Road recreation ground. The 13 trees are said to include walnuts, amelanchiers and liquidambars - a photo shows local councillors Isobel Ballsdon, Jeanette Skeats and Graeme Hoskin at the site, with shovels at the ready. (Reading Evening Post 09/04/09 p27)
Planning - King's Meadow
The King's Meadow Campaign (KMC) held a meeting at Mapledurham Pavilion on Wednesday 8th April to declare their support for proposals to redevelop the King's Meadow Baths as a family pool with associated sports facilities. Bob O'Neill of the KMC said: "it's an area of rural nature and parkland, but it is gradually becoming a built-up area with a series of developments going on. The KMC plan is to keep the baths for the community and provide a resource for people in the area which is what most people pay their council tax for". The RBC cabinet discusses the Askett Hawk proposals for the site on Tuesday, April 14th. (Reading Evening Post 08/04/09 p4)
A short letter from Bob O'Neill asks "is it not true that bad history repeats itself, especially in Reading?" He refers to a former proposal to build a fresh water aquarium at King's Meadow - the plan being rejected by the RBC in 2004 on financial grounds. (Reading Evening Post 09/04/09 p9)
Several letters provide broad opposition to the Askett Hawk proposals to build a hotel at King's Meadow - the plans having won support at a recent meeting of the RBC sports and leisure scrutiny panel on March 25th. One letter accuses the RBC of having "strung along" the KMC group (which has campaigned to redevelop the King's Meadow baths) in order to give a sense of community involvement in the bids and planning. Another letter, urging "keep the meadow green", says that "building a hotel, shops and restaurants in King's Meadow, destroying our Thameside, for dubious gain, is surely irresponsible ... " (Reading Evening Post 08/04/09 p9)
Melinda Webb in her 'Post' column says that "plans to redevelop King's Meadow and Caversham Lock Island are being pushed ahead and it looks likely that a brand new 50-bed hotel will be built on the site". She then goes on to ask two (eminently sensible) questions: "is this really what Reading needs? Will anyone actually want to stay there?" (Reading Evening Post 06/04/09 p7)
Planning - Westdene Crescent
Vodafone has said that it will ignore opposition to its controversial plans to build a mobile phone mast in Westdene Crescent - "we are still intending to implement our valid consent and build on this site which will ensure our customers receive an improved service" (oh, hurrah). Campaigner Parveen Whitehead, whose house the mast is being built behind, said "I think Vodafone and the Council need to realise that we won't take this lying down. If it means going to the local authority ombudsman then that's what we will do". The mast has been given planning permission as the result of an RBC "blunder" that delayed the return of paperwork to Vodafone. (Reading Evening Post 09/04/09 p17)
A letter commenting on Vodafone's plans to build a phone mast in Westdene Crescent says that "in this age of instant communication ... ... (the RBC's) excuse that the letter did not get there in time beggars belief and would raise suspicions among many members of the public". The letter goes on to say that Vodafone has used this reason before and that it is one of their standard excuses - "a very thorough and swift investigation is needed to make sure peoples' objections are considered". (Reading Chronicle 09/04/09 p10)
Planning - All Hallows Road
According to the 'Chronicle', another house is to be "squeezed in" by the developer T A Fisher onto its existing development in All Hallows Road. The RBC Planning Committee has given permission for another four-bedroom detached house at the site, where five houses and four flats are already being built. (Reading Chronicle 09/04/09 p32)
Pubs
The brewer Brakspear is refurbishing its Prince of Wales pub in Prospect Street prior to the pub hopefully being reopened before the end of April. The former landlord of the pub resigned recently, and Brakspear is seeking a new one. (Reading Evening Post 07/04/09 p10)
Schools
In what is billed as an 'Exclusive' the 'Post' says that the failure of the government's Learning and Skills Council (LSC) to provide sufficient funding to cater for an influx of sixth form pupils to Highdown School in Emmer Green has left the school with a £250,000 budget shortfall. There is funding for only 252 sixth formers, despite the allocation of 283 places. Headteacher Tim Royle has described the issue as "a crisis", and said that staff cuts may now take place. He added: "we are an improving school and growing rapidly. I've complained like mad but got nowhere". (Reading Evening Post, 07/04/09 pp1, 5, 6)
Restaurants / Bars
The (heavily trailed and publicised) Alto Lounge café / bar opened in Church Street on April 8th - the café is on the site of the former Chinese restaurant Le Shanghai, and is part of the Loungers chain. A less publicised venue, the Thelis café / bistro opens further along Church Street on April 17th. (Reading Evening Post 08/04/09 p2)
Retailers
Terry Woods, the founder and proprietor of (the excellent) Terry's Discount Shop in St Martin's Precinct is profiled in a feature. Terry's in Caversham opened in 1989 - Mr Woods says "times aren't great at the moment but ... ... I absolutely love my job". There is a separate branch of Terry's in Tilehurst. (Reading Chronicle 09/04/09 p32)
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