Reading Liberal Democrats

Lib Dem Transport Spokesperson in Reading and veteran commuter, Cllr Ricky Duveen, welcomed the government’s decision to approve funding for the rebuilding of Reading Station.

Ricky commented on the decision – “For decades under the Tories our railway system was neglected, and it was privatised with decidedly patchy results. Only now after 10 years in power has this government woken up to the fact that huge public investment is vital to update our aging infrastructure but it is imperative if we are not to choke our roads or suffer from the pollution of more and more aircraft flights.

This massive £515m represents a huge investment in a vital transport interchange that sits at the heart of the country’s railway network. However, we should also remember that we already have the most expensive railways in Europe and it will be hugely disappointing if passengers end up footing the bills for these works through even higher fares.

For those thousands who commute through Reading station as I do every day, this is a long overdue scheme that will significantly increase the capacity to run trains through Reading. We look forward to the increased services to London and a lessening of the overcrowding.

For car users coming from Tilehurst and the west of Reading there is a real bonus to this station rebuilding scheme – it includes a solution for the Cow Lane bridges bottleneck, a new road that bypasses Oxford Road and leads up to Norcot roundabout.

One disappointing note is that the Government seems determined to terminate Crossrail at Maidenhead rather than Reading.

The new station development, alongside the all the planned buildings around it, will change the face of Reading for those arriving by train. With good planning we have the opportunity to rebuild a relatively rundown part of town and turn it in to a modern transport hub that sits within a bright new development of flats, shops and offices, and that welcomes commuters and travellers to our vibrant town.”

Local Liberal Democrat campaigner Cllr Gareth Epps has already put Reading’s controversial new waste collection under the microscope at the first Council environment meeting of the new year. This contrasts with Reading’s Tories who have broken their election promise to ‘review’ the scheme and then said nothing.

Now a new report issued by the all-party House of Commons Local Government Select Committee has issued a report critical of the scheme. The report can be read online by following this link: Online Report

You can sign the Lib Dem petition for more recycling in Reading which can be found here: Glass Recycling Petition

Commenting on the all-party Local Government Select Committee’s report which criticises alternate weekly waste collection, Cllr Gareth Epps said,

“This report shows Reading residents were right when they said that fortnightly collections were less appropriate for the more built-up parts of town.

We want the Council to invest in recycling, pick up food and glass waste from the kerbside, and sort out collections in the most crowded areas.

Recycling is our top priority. We want to see further investment in recycling, not the Labour approach of just expanding kerbside collection to residents who should have had it in the first place.

Lib Dem-led Oxford City Council has shown how it should be done. The report from MPs shows that Reading Borough Council must do better. I will be keeping this issue high on the Council agenda until it is sorted.”

Cllr Gareth Epps is the Liberal Democrat Environment spokesperson on Reading Borough Council and Parliamentary campaigner for Reading East.