Reading Liberal Democrats

Responding to the news that Reading Council has won £5 million pounds funding from the Government’s  Local Sustainable Transport Fund.

Cllr Daisy Benson, Group Leader of the Lib Dems on Reading Borough Council said:

“It is good to see the ambitious plans developed by the previous Lib Dem – Conservative administration including the UK’s second largest bike hire scheme outside London and other  green transport initiatives have been endorsed by the Coalition Government.

“Investing in sustainable transport has long been Liberal Democrat policy and it is good we will feel the benefit of it here in Reading.

“The new Labour administration of the Council must learn from its past transport mistakes including the failed one-way IDR scheme and use this cash to deliver increased cycling and walking opportunities for residents and visitors.”

Lib Dems in Reading have welcomed news that the pledge by the Coalition Government to deliver 50,000 additional apprenticeships has been substantially exceeded, official statistics reveal.

Statistics published by the Coalition Government today show over 103,000 additional adult apprenticeship starts over the 2010-11 financial year.

Reading Borough Council recently confirmed that under Coalition administration Reading led the way on apprenticeships in the South East.

Cllr Daisy Benson, Group Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Reading Borough Council said:

“Expanding the number of apprenticeships was a key component of the Liberal Democrat manifesto at the last General Election and we are delighted to see this longstanding Lib Dem policy now becoming a reality locally as well as nationally.”

“By the end of this Parliament, the Government is committed to supporting an additional 250,000 apprenticeships, compared to the previous Government’s plans – this will be the  biggest increase in UK history.”

“Hundreds of young people in Reading have already benefited from access to an apprenticeships and this news illustrates the real commitment from Business Secretary Vince Cable and the Coalition government to help young people on to the career ladder.”

“The previous coalition administration of the Council helped deliver an addition 310 apprenticeships for local youngsters. We will be calling on the Labour administration maintain and extend these opportunities for young people.”

Reading Lib Dems have welcomed the announcement last week by the Coalition Government of measures to reduce the bureaucracy for councils wanting to implement 20mph schemes.

Lib Dem Transport Minister Norman Lamb said, ‘if councils and local communities want to put in place 20 mph schemes on residential roads or use common-sense measures such as variable speed limits outside schools, then they should be able to do so without spending time and money satisfying unnecessary Whitehall diktats.’

The key changes in the process:

• Many of the current restrictions and obstacles to rolling out 20mph zones are being removed so that residential roads can be implemented with cheaper and less signs.
• Importantly councils will no longer require approval from Government to introduce 20 mph zones.

Locally Lib Dems have campaigned for action on road safety and led calls for the introduction of 20mp zones.

Lib Dem Transport Spokesperson Cllr Ricky Duveen was full of praise for the changes.

‘Thanks to action by Lib Dems in coalition government we can move quickly to implement 20mph zones across many more parts of Reading and I will be calling upon the Lead Councillor to do just that.’

‘This is an important step forward in removing some of the red tape and costs that make putting in 20 mph zones such an onerous task.’

’20 mph zones are one of the key issues in making residential roads safer for all their users, pedestrians, cyclists and motorists alike.’

Responding to the news that the Reading Borough Council is to reinstate end of term waste collections, Cllr Daisy Benson said:

“The reinstatement of extra collections is great news for residents.”

“Thank you to all the residents who signed our petition calling for action against this unnecessary cut.”

“We have campaigned hard over the past four years for the University area to receive extra attention from the Council in view of the waste management problems that can occur and we are delighted that Labour councillors have  responded to public pressure for action”

Commenting on the news Labour-run Reading Borough Council has launched a review of green waste charging Lib Dem spokesperson Cllr Ricky Duveen said:

“Failure to implement these charges will result in a shortfall of £320,000 pounds in this year’s budget.”

“Reviewing the original decision does not cover up the fact Labour have no idea how they are going to balance this year’s budget after promising the earth to residents in the run up to the local election.”

Lib Dem Group Leader, Cllr Daisy Benson said:

“This is terrible news for the people of Reading who will now be facing higher Council Tax bills and unnecessary cuts to services.

“It is also very worrying news for all residents who depend on the Council for help and support.”

“Labour’s pre-election promises were completely unaffordable and will put at risk key services.”

“Lib Dems in administration cut waste and kept Reading’s Libraries,  Children Centres and leisure services open.

“We will be campaigning to ensure they stay that way and to hold Labour to account.”

Commenting, Acting Group Leader Cllr Daisy Benson said:

“Whatever it’s political makeup the Council has a duty to set a legal budget so it is essential local politicians work together for the good of the town.

“Our top priorities are around continuing to protect services to the vulnerable, increasing the supply of affordable housing and increasing opportunities for young people.’

“We are willing to work with any political group that will help us to deliver this.”

Thanks to Reading Borough Council for producing this informative video on postal voting.

Paul Burstow MP, Minister for Care Services has helped launch Reading Lib Dems manifesto for the upcoming local elections.

Launching the Lib Dems to “Six to Fix” Cllr Kirsten Bayes, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Reading Borough Council said:

“This year the Council has been forced to live within its means as a result of Labour’s mismanagement of the public finances both locally and nationally.”

“Despite tough decisions as a result of having to make £19 million pounds worth of savings, unlike many Labour-controlled councils here in Reading we have kept libraries, children’s centres and leisure facilities open and increased funding to the voluntary sector.”

“Letting Labour run the Council again is not worth the risk. Only the Lib Dems can ensure that key services are protected”

Lib Dem Deputy Group Leader Cllr Daisy Benson said:

“The Lib Dems working in coalition have cut Labour’s wasteful spending of Council Tax Payer’s money on schemes that don’t deliver for local people ,and frozen Council Tax for the first time in many years.”

“But we recognise there is still much to do to improve services for people who live in Reading.”

“The Lib Dems will continue to focus resources on delivering better services and better outcomes for residents.”

“Six to Fix” in Reading

1. Cut waste, Protect services and keep taxes low

• We will work to cut waste in the Town Hall to get the best deal for local taxpayers.
• We will continue to promote to increase transparency in decision-making and spending.
• We will focus resources on protecting vital services valued by local people.
• We will continue to consult residents on key budget decisions.
• We will work to keep Council Tax as low as possible.

2. Protect services to the vulnerable

• We will ensure the most vulnerable children and adults in Reading get the support they need.
• We will invest in preventative services and intermediate care to help keep older people stay healthy and independent.
• We will work with the voluntary and community sector to help all residents get the most out of life.
• Carers in Reading are unsung heroes. We will prioritise respite care and services for carers to help them live fulfilling lives.

3. A cleaner & Greener Reading:

• This year 12 local centres will receive a deep clean after years of neglect by Labour. Going forward we will ensure that local shopping areas are not overlooked in favour of the town centre.
• Reducing fly-tipping, litter and graffiti remains a priority for the Lib Dems and we will use the tools and powers available to the Council to keep local areas clean and green.
• We will look to increase the range of materials residents can recycle on the doorstep wherever possible.
• We will promote schemes and initiatives that help residents cut carbon emissions and fuel bills in their own homes.
• We will actively promote walking and cycling to reduce carbon emissions and ease congestion.
• We will work and improve rail transport, including Reading Station upgrade.
• We will fix pot-holes and continue to invest in improving roads and pavements in Reading after years of Labour underinvestment.

4. Cutting crime in Reading

• We will work with local Police teams, Neighbourhood Action Groups and residents to keep cutting crime in our neighbourhoods.
• We will invest in the voluntary and community sector to build capable communities.

5. Giving children and young people the best start in life

• We will increase local apprenticeships to improve the life chances of all young people
• We will work hard to ensure all children achieve their full potential by investing funding via the Pupil Premium.
• 1 in 5 children live in poverty in Reading as a result of Labour’s failed policies while in government and at local level. We will prioritise activities at neighbourhood level which reduce the impact of poverty on children.
• We will protect services to vulnerable children and young people.

6. Better housing and decent neighbourhoods for all

• Increasing the supply of affordable housing, particularly family-sized homes will continue to be a top priority.
• We will maintain lifetime tenancies for Council Tenants and continue to invest in Council-owned homes.
• We will continue to invest in estate areas and neighbourhoods across Reading via our unique Decent Neighbourhoods Fund.
• We will work with landlords to improve standards and tackle poor standard in the private rented sector.
• We will continue to take action to reduce the number of empty homes in Reading.

Reading Borough Council is the only local authority in Britain to benefit from £100,000 worth of funding to develop an approach which will enable more innovative low carbon heating systems to be installed across Europe and save council tax payers money in future years, it has been announced.

‘Geo.Power is a European funded programme which enables partners to work together on the introduction of ‘ground source’ heat pumps.

This innovative low carbon method of heating buildings uses the constant heat which exists below the ground by capturing it, compressing it and distributing it to warm buildings. In Summer the process can be reversed, taking heat from the building and putting it in the ground. Considerable carbon, energy and financial savings can be made as a result.

Reading Borough Council has been selected as the only partner in the UK to benefit and is one of 12 partners spanning eight different countries – England, Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, Hungary, Sweden, Estonia and Belgium.

The funding is worth just over £100,000, and will help further develop Reading’s pro-active approach in playing its own part in tackling Climate Change.

The council already has ambitious targets to reduce carbon emissions while providing value for money for the local council tax payer. Now, over the next two years, it will be playing a leading role in the pioneering project which will eventually help cut carbon emissions across Britain and the Continent.

The innovative low carbon method of heating buildings has already been installed at the state of the art Avenue Centre, some council buildings and one of the buildings at Prospect School.

Reading Borough Council will now be working closely with the other partners on the two-year European funded programme to share technology and experiences of installing and using ground source heat pumps. At the end of the two years all the work will be pulled together to set out a way forward as to how more ground source heat pumps could be installed to help reduce carbon emissions across Europe and benefit from the new Renewable Heat Incentive from the Government to be announced next year.

Warren Swaine, Reading’s Lead Councillor for Environment and Sustainability, said: ‘Winning this bid shows that our Council is prepared to take a lead in developing a sustainable future - not just for Reading but for the rest of the country. Congratulations to the sustainability team for their hard work putting together this successful bid.’

Ben Burfoot, Sustainability Manager at Reading Borough Council, added: ‘This project gives us the opportunity to pave the way for using this technology in new and existing buildings in Reading, as well as enabling us to maximise the use of ground source heat pumps nationally to provide the low carbon heating systems of the future.”