Reading Liberal Democrats

Following the council’s moves to consult local people on the Reading Station development, Cllr Ricky Duveen, the Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson on the Council said: “We very much welcome the opportunity for people to learn about and comment on the planned development. Reading needs an effective public transport interchange.”

Ricky continued by saying “What appears to be taking shape is a series of bus stops along Blagrave Street rather than any terminus with facilities for passengers such as loos, a tea shop or an information desk. I just think Reading deserves better.”

Cllr Gareth Epps, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary campaigner for Reading East said: “Labour are making many promises, but the truth is that this project relies on getting a huge injection of funds from a Government already running out of cash.

The Station Hill development should be providing much, much more to this area. But like the space for the integrated transport interchange the town really needs, it looks like our Labour bosses are letting the town down with Station Hill’s contribution to the wider Station project.”

Cllr Gareth Epps, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary campaigner for Reading East, has launched a survey of pubs in Reading East, as doubts continue to grow over the fate of many local community pubs in the area.

Produced with help from a professional in the trade, the survey focuses in particular on the influence of “pubcos” attacked by the cross-party Business & Enterprise Select Committee. Companies such as Enterprise Inns, riddled with debt, have come under criticism after pubs such as the Jolly Anglers in Newtown, the Red Cow in Caversham, and the Whitley Tavern have all shut. Other publicans have found themselves forced to leave pubs as breweries and pubcos imposed rent rises that at times have left publicans under threat of bankruptcy.

Other issues covered include licensing matters, issues of beer tax levels and community safety.

The survey was posted to all known publicans in Reading East last week – not as a result of last week’s sudden closure of the Jolly Anglers. It is entirely anonymous although Cllr Epps will publish aggregate findings later in the year.

Gareth says:-

“Publicans tell me that they face issues ranging from fighting crime to being forced to buy beer at costs way above those paid by the customers of some supermarkets.

Fundamentally, the pub is a part of the glue that binds communities together. We know, though, that many local publicans are treated poorly by the companies that own our local community pubs. Forced to pay over the odds for beer, even before tax, they often face financial penalties for success in the form of steepling rent rises. That is why community pubs are closing at an alarming rate.

I want to see action at Government level to curb the abuses of power of some pubcos. I also want to hear from landlords how they see Reading town centre’s concentration of ‘vertical drinking’ bars and clubs – some of which could be better run and contribute to late-night disorder. Local residents wanting to go to a pub deserve choice and diversity and current policies are not working.

Most of all, I want to hear from publicans in Reading East and find out what they think.”

Reading’s Liberal Democrats have welcomed the news that Reading Borough Council has belatedly joined the group of local authorities representing over 5 million residents of the Thames Valley and west London who are campaigning to oppose Heathrow Airport expansion.

Liberal Democrat councillors in Reading have signed up to Greenpeace’s Airplot campaign, becoming owners of a plot of land earmarked to be concreted over for the third runway. The campaign is an attempt to frustrate the compulsory purchase process and demonstrate the strength of opposition to the third runway.

Welcoming the news that Reading Borough Council has formally joined the 2M Group of 24 local authorities campaigning against Heathrow airport expansion, Cllr Gareth Epps, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary campaigner, said:

“This is positive news for the people of Reading who already suffer aircraft noise from Heathrow, and for the thousands of local residents who oppose a Government scheme that makes a mockery of Labour’s commitment to tackle climate change.

It is a pity it took the Labour Party in Reading so long to face up to their responsibilities on this matter. I would urge Reading residents, including councillors like my Liberal Democrat colleagues, to sign up to a campaign backed by the overwhelming majority of local people.”

Editor’s Note: Cllr Gareth Epps has campaigned for the Council to formally oppose Heathrow expansion since 2007 when he asked a formal question to then Labour transport spokesperson Cllr Tom Crisp. At that time the position of the Labour council administration was that the Council should not oppose expansion; however, it supported the cross-party motion passed earlier in 2009 which formally signed the Council up to 2M.