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News Archive - Week Beginning 16th May 2010
The editors say: We welcome the new Tory-LibDem coalition on the local council - it should open the way for much needed change. There have been too many bad decisons made here under 'New' Labour. However, and it's a big 'however', the coalition now must live up to the expectation that it will do better.
Caversham People
Caversham Primary School’s Lollipop lady, Suzanne Dore is profiled in the ‘Chronicle’. She helps pupils to cross at the busy junction of Oakley Road and Kidmore Road, having been appointed after a car crash at the crossroads resulted in a 760-signature petition being sent to the RBC for improvements to make the roads safer. The profile is run in conjunction with the school’s marking the national ‘Walk to School Week’. (Reading Chronicle 20/05/10 p9)
Planning – Reading Station
A question and answer session organised by Network Rail on the proposals for Reading Station was attended by MP for Reading East (and Caversham resident) Rob Wilson last Wednesday. He commented on the lack of an ‘iconic design’ for the station’s redevelopment plans, and was told that it was not possible to find the money for such a design on top of the £400m already being spent on the revamp. The redevelopment of the station will include two new entrances, a new footbridge, the widening of the Cow Lane bridges, the building of four new platforms and a 1.2km viaduct to realign tracks west of the station to vastly increase its capacity to deal with passengers and freight. (Reading Post 19/05/10 pp1,3,12, Reading Chronicle 20/05/10 p12, Get Reading 21/05/10 p2)
Sackville Developments, part of Sir John Madejski’s Sackville Properties empire, has denied a report in The Times (17/05/10) that it has debt problems. The company says that it is pressing on with its £400m Station Hill redevelopment and is close to signing a deal with another firm to get the project moving. (Reading Post 19/05/10 pp1,3, Reading Chronicle 20/05/10 p12)
Politics
The Liberal Democrats on the RBC have joined the Conservatives to from a coalition to run the Council. The make-up of the RBC following the local elections on May 6 th is 19 Labour, 17 Conservatives, nine Liberal Democrats and one Green councillor – the coalition will give the Tories / LibDems a clear majority on the Council. Andrew Cumpsty, leader of the Conservatives (and a councillor in Caversham Ward) becomes the new RBC leader - he joins forces with the LibDem leader Cllr Kirsten Bayes. The leader of the ousted Labour RBC administration, Cllr Jo Lovelock, was understandably cross, saying: “the people of Reading did not vote for this Con / Dem coalition and I am sure will take an early opportunity to say so at the ballot box”. (Reading Chronicle 20/05/10 p3, Get Reading 21/05/10 pp1,3)
A letter from three Liberal Democrat candidates in the Caversham area, Guy Penman, Chris Burden and Pauline Callow, comments on a ‘groundswell… …for change’ that they noticed whilst campaigning recently – which they say was not reflected in the actual numbers of seats won by the LibDems in either the national or local elections. (Reading Chronicle 20/05/10 p14)
Shops
The opening of the True Food Co-op on Saturday, May 15th in Grove Road, Emmer Green, is described in the ‘Reading Post’. The not-for-profit store specialises in local and ethically sourced organic food – it is open on Monday from noon to 8pm, Tuesday to Friday from 11am to 5.30pm and Saturday from 10am to 4pm. The shop uses volunteers to help run it, and is looking for more. (Reading Post 19/05/10 p6)
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