SHOPPERS LOVE FOR THE MALL

Love is in the air as shoppers are serenaded at Broad St Mall

Clive Waterman conducts the Reading Male Voice Choir

A violinist and a cellist performed as part of Saturday afternoon’s entertainment

By PHIL CREIGHTON news@rdg.today

LOVE has been in the air at Broad St Mall, with songs, seats and sketches combining to make it a memorable February.

The popular shopping centre in Reading’s town centre has been running a romantic event in the run-up to Monday’s Valentine’s Day. LOVE TIME: A bride-to-be with her friends gather on the love seat for a selfie Pictures: Dijana Capan / DV Vision

A special Love Bench was available so that loved-up people could snap a selfie and be in with a chance of winning one of two £50 gift vouchers for F Hinds The Jewellers.

And on Saturday, a day of celebration was held.

There were performances from the Reading Male Voice Choir and a duo of supremely talented string musicians, while a caricature artist was on hand to capture the moment.

Now, the Mall is preparing to lend a hand to the Broad Street pancake race held in aid of Launchpad.

The event takes place on Tuesday, March 1, from 11.30am. n For more details, log on to: www.broadstreetmall.com

A young family pose for a free caricature session, part of the Valentine’s treats at the mall Members of the Reading Male Voice Choir sang their hearts out for shoppers at the Broad St Mall on Saturday

Two men jailed after police find £320,000 worth of cannabis

TWO men have been jailed for a year after being caught running a cannabis factory in Charvil. Police found with plants worth £320,000 during their raid.

Twenty nine-year-old Juljan Xhika, of Kennet Walk in Reading, and 31-year-old Erjon Bardhi, of no fixed abode, were sentenced to a year in prison by judges sitting as Reading Crown Court on Wednesday, February 9.

The pair pleaded guilty to one count of producing the controlled class B drug.

The factory was discovered when police carried out a raid on a home in Charvil on Friday, October 1 last year. Officers achieved the search warrant after being tipped off about suspicious activity at the property.

Xhika and Bardhi were arrested, and a large quantity of cannabis plants were seized in varying stages of growth.

The total street value of the cannabis seized was in the region of £320,000.

Investigating officer PC Darin Stone, based at Loddon Valley police station, said: “The amount of cannabis seized in this operation and the successful prosecution of two individuals is testament to the importance of the public in reporting this type of crime and the positive outcomes we can achieve.

“We continue to need the support of the public in this, and we would ask them to report any information that they have about drug dealing.

“This can be shared with Thames Valley Police on our website or by calling 101.

“You can also report information anonymously by calling independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

Two charged after alleged Wokingham and Reading thefts

TWO MEN, including one from Woodley, have been charged with conspiracy to commit burglary and other offences in Oxfordshire and Berkshire.

John Smith, 35, of Bruce Road, Woodley has been charged with one count each of conspiracy to commit burglary with intent to steal, conspiracy to steal from another and theft from a motor vehicle.

Jonathan Marney, 33, of no fixed abode, has been charged with one count each of conspiracy to commit burglary with intent to steal, conspiracy to steal from another, driving while disqualified, theft from a motor vehicle and conceal/disguise/ convert/transfer/remove criminal property.

The charges are in connection with a number of incidents that happened between Wednesday, September 1, 2021 and Saturday, February 12, this year.

They happened in Reading, Newbury, Wokingham, Abingdon and Basingstoke.

Smith has been remanded in custody to appear at Reading Crown Court on Tuesday, February 22.

Marney has been remanded in custody to appear at Reading Crown Court on Monday, March 14. Free daily newsletter

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VENUE: Zerodegrees in Gun Street is the place to go for the latest Cafe Theologique meeting Picture Dijana Capan / DV Vision Faith in a pluralistic society explored in town centre bar

AN EXPLORATION of pluralism will be the focus for a meeting taking place in a Reading town centre bar on Monday night.

The Café Théologique group will be welcoming Alan Race, an executive member of the World Council of Faiths, to speak on the topic Religious Pluralism as a Sign of Religious Hope.

In it, he will discuss the value of a multi-faith society.

His talk will last for 45 minutes and will be followed by a question and answer session.

Co-organised by the University of Reading’s chaplaincy department, it will be possible to log in to the event via Zoom, as well as attending in person at Zero Degrees in Bridge Street.

Attendees can order food from 6pm, with the event starting at 7.30pm, on Monday, February 21.

For more details, email: chaplaincy@reading.ac.uk, or log on to: https://www. reading.ac.uk/chaplaincy/cafetheologique

Council tax rise to be below inflation, but still 2.99%

By PHIL CREIGHTOn news@rdg.today

READING BOROUGH COUNCIL’S council tax is to rise by 91p a week for Band C homes, while more than 63,000 households are expected to receive a £150 rebate to help with the cost of fuel bills.

Later this month, the council is expected to approve a threeyear budget which will see more than 430 residential roads refurbished under its biggestever repair programme.

And there will also be the introduction of a free doorstep collection of bulky waste.

The council tax rise will be 1.99% plus a 1% adult social care precept and does not include fire and police precepts, which are both increasing.

In recognition of the huge additional demands on adult social care services which have been exacerbated by the pandemic, an additional £5 million is being built into the adult social care budget in Reading next year.

The Council says it will also invest more into Reading’s voluntary sector to help the Council reach some of the people TO THE FUTURE: Reading Borough Council has published its budget which is expected to be approved at a meeting next week

in our communities who need the most support. The Council’s commissioning budget for the voluntary and community sector totals £1.375m for each of the next three years, with a variety of additional bidding opportunities for groups.

The small grants pot, which has been oversubscribed since its inception, doubles in size to £200,000 a year as the Council looks to support smaller-scale, grassroots organisations across Reading.

Total savings and increased income of £19.940m are built into the Council’s Medium Terms Financial plan. This is in addition to £41.2 million in savings successfully delivered between 2017/18 and 2020/21.

The budget will be debated in detail at a meeting of Full Council on Wednesday, February 23.

Jason Brock, Reading Council Leader, said: “This is a budget which once again demonstrates our ambitions for Reading in the face of some of the biggest financial challenges local councils have ever faced.

“More than 430 residential roads will have been resurfaced when we complete Reading’s largest ever road repair programme later this year and we are now going further with an additional

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RUN DRY: Rivermead’s swimming pool will be closed for three weeks for essential works Picture: Phil Creighton Rivermead pool to close for three weeks

A READING swimming pool is to be closed for three weeks to allow for essential maintenance works.

Rivermead, off Richfield Avenue, will be shut from Friday through to Monday, March 14.

A spokesperson for GLL which runs the pool under its Better branding said that the pool had to be drained to enable the works to take place.

“All swimming activities – including swimming lessons and school swimming – are being temporarily relocated to Meadway Sports Centre or South Reading Leisure Centre,” they said.

“Customers have been informed by email and there is an updated message on the Better website.

“We expect to reopen at Rivermead on Monday, March 14.

“We apologise to customers for any inconvenience caused by the temporary closure.” n For more details, log on to: https://www.better.org. uk/leisure-centre/reading/ rivermead-leisure-complex £8 million investment, meaning hundreds more local roads will be resurfaced.

“In the next year or so, modern new swimming pools and leisure facilities will open to the public at both Palmer Park and the new Rivermead. The Council has built a brandnew train station for Reading at Green Park, which also opens this year, and is refurbishing an older one at Reading West.

“£88 million is being invested in desperately needed affordable Council homes – the largest council house building programme in a generation - as well as many millions more on low carbon measures across the Council and the town as we drive towards a 2030 net-zero target.

“Residents have told us that they want easier access to curbside bulky waste collections, so we’re providing funding to make this service freely available.

“We are responding to the huge challenges of the pandemic by investing £5 million extra in caring for the adults most in need, investing over £1 million more money in children’s services, and we are making more funding available for Reading’s incredible voluntary sector who have the skills and experience to reach and support people in our communities – they’ve been a lifeline for many residents during the pandemic, and we want their good work to continue to flourish.” n Reaction to this will be in next week’s paper and online

Call to run half for homeless

A CHARITY tackling homelessness in Reading borough is inviting runners to support its work.

Launchpad has spaces available on its team for this year’s Reading half marathon, which takes place on Sunday, April 3.

With six weeks to go until the big day, there is still time for people to train for the 13.1 mile race.

Those who sign up to run for the charity will not have to pay the usual £45 registration fee.

Instead, there is a fundraising target of £250.

Team Launchpad runners will receive a free technical t-shirt and a pack filled with ideas to help meet their sponsorship goal.

The deadline for signing up to Reading half marathon using a charity code is Friday, March 4.

The event is not the only fundraiser for the charity. Its Shrove Tuesday pancake race takes place in the town centre on Tuesday, March 1. The closing date for entries was yesterday. n For more information, email: fundraising@launchpadreading. org.uk