From the Chamber

Cllr Rob White

of the modern new Palmer Park Leisure Centre and pool, a second new flagship pool and leisure centre for Reading, this time at Rivermead, is due to open this year. Both Reading’s first new railway station for 117 years at Green Park and the modernisation of Reading West Station are now only weeks away from completion.

Other major investments which make up our proposed new threeyear budget include a continuation of Reading’s largest ever road repair programme and the expansion of the town’s biggest Council house building programme for a generation.

New segregated cycle lanes, improvements for local bus services, new playgrounds and major investments in carbon-cutting technologies are all included.

Maybe smaller in size, but just as important, are the proposed investments in our local communities. And this Labour Council is delivering on residents’ priorities, whether that’s our ongoing refresh of playgrounds across town, further funding for our new pilot projects to tackle economic inequalities in the town, or the extension of our successful graffiticleaning project.

It also means specific local investments, like improvement works at the ever-popular Christchurch Paddling Pool to improve reliability and extend its lifespan, or a major retrofitting of Council homes to make them more energy efficient and cheaper to heat for existing tenants, with major improvements to homes coming at Wensley Road, Hexham Road and Granville Road.

We also maintain our financial support for Reading’s incredible voluntary sector, whose role in helping us to reach and support those living on low incomes, as well as tackling widening inequality, becomes all the more essential in these difficult times.

This time of year is also when councils announce their local Council Tax increases, and that naturally grabs attention too.

The Government last week announced it would give special dispensation for 10% Council Tax increases in nearby Slough and in Thurrock, and a 15% increase in Croydon. These are three councils struggling with massive debts, and it has understandably made the headlines.

Maybe the bigger story, though, should be the percentage of local authorities who will almost inevitably have to increase rates up to the referendum limit, which is a 2.99% Council Tax rise and an additional £2% rise in the Adult Social Care precept.

It is what we are proposing in Reading, alongside the vast majority of councils.

Cast your mind back a few months and you will remember the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement (even if four Chancellors in four months mean you don’t necessarily remember which one of them read it out).

When the Government talked does not come from Ukraine then they currently lose their single person’s council tax discount.

Green councillors believe we should support refugees wherever they come from.