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News Archive - Week Beginning 17th January 2010

The editors say: The Council's claim that they're working hard to clear the backlog of bins that need emptying runs totally counter to the experience of most or all Caversham residents. What's even more depressing than the resulting and entirely predictable litter is the fact that they expect us to believe what seems to amount to no more than a bare-faced lie. Read more.

Crime

The murder of 18-year old Highdown pupil Asha Muneer on the evening of Monday, 18th January, received extensive attention from national media sources. The schoolgirl, who was walking from her part-time shop assistant’s job at Laura Ashley in Brunel Park, Rose Kiln Lane in order to join friends nearby, was stabbed in an underpass next to the Foundry Brook. A former boyfriend of the dead girl was later arrested by police, and was being questioned in connection with her murder. (Reading Post 20/01/10 pp1-3, Reading Chronicle 21/01/1- p1,3 Get Reading 22/01/10 pp22-24)

Thieves armed with a screwdriver stole more than £200 from the Total garage on George Street just after 7pm on the evening of Sunday, 17th January. The two raiders, one of whom referred to the other as ‘Johnny’ had their faces covered, and hit the garage’s cashier with the screwdriver. Anyone with information can call the Thames Valley Police on Tel: 01865 841148. (Reading Post 20/01/2010 p9)

Environment

A research body, ‘Centre for Cities’, has singled Reading out in its 2010 ‘Outlook’ report as one of five UK towns and cities with the ideal characteristics to spearhead national economic recovery. Reading is deemed to have the third highest average weekly earnings of any comparable town or city, and the fifth most skilled workforce. (Reading Post 20/01/2010 pp1,3)

Housing

As part of an RBC programme (the ‘Empty Homes Strategy’) to trace the owners of private properties empty for six months or more, a family home in Caversham empty for more than 10 years was recently sold after the Council contacted the owners. The exact location of the property is not specified. (Reading Post 20/01/10 p21)

Planning

A developer, Gainskill Ltd, has submitted a planning application to the RBC to turn the office block Caversham House in Church Street into 14 flats. The application was made late last year, and a consultation document was sent to nearby residents and businesses on January 11th. The application is to be considered by an RBC planning committee at a later date. (Reading Post 20/01/2010 p21)

Police

Local police and the RBC are said be considering the possibility of installing CCTV in Caversham’s Ardler Road in order to combat anti-sociable activity by young people congregating there. (Reading Chronicle 21/01/2010 p27)

Rubbish

Most (or all?) residents of Caversham can't have helped but notice that the Council's claim to be working hard to clear the backlog of rubbish caused by the recent snow was, well, just rubbish. It seems that they've instead adopted a policy of letting it rot and simply reverting to the regular bin collection cycle. Of course, this wouldn't be anything like the problem it is, if the fortnightly collection rotation hadn't been foisted on us years ago. As it is, pretty well all family households have been struggling to deal with waste piling up (since before Christmas in many cases), and the consequences in terms of litter-strewn streets etc are as grim as they are predictable.

Perhaps the most depressing thing about the whole episode is the Council's resorting to what seems to amount to little more than a bare-faced lie, and expecting us all to believe it. We don't.

Schools

The RBC has given the Hill Primary in Peppard Road planning permission to build a new pond in a woodland area at the school, on the grounds that the proposal will not result in any detrimental impact to the local area. (Reading Post 20/01/10 p27)

Traffic

The RBC cabinet at its meeting on Monday, January 18th decided to rethink proposals (announced last week) to raise car park charges south of the river and in Caversham. The Council’s transport leader, Labour Cllr Tony Page admitted that it was wrong to try to force through the price hikes at its car parks without consultation or debate, but said an increase was due after four years without one. There will be what is described as ‘consultation’ on the rises over the next few weeks. (Reading Post 20/01/2010 p4, Reading Chronicle 21/01/2010 p9)