Welcome to this week’s constituency newsletter for residents in Reading West and Mid Berkshire. It was a busy day in the constituency on Friday. To begin it was fantastic to be back at Little Heath School to address the Student Voice Conference on the importance of making your voice heard in politics, followed up with some tough questioning from students. I then spoke with the Chief Executive of Reading Buses and the Head Teacher at Theale Green School to discuss school transport, and then met with members of the Nepalese community in Tilehurst. Finally, this afternoon I held my regular constituency surgery in Tilehurst.
To keep up to date with what I am doing in Parliament and in the constituency, you can follow me on Facebook, Instagram or Bluesky.
Pangbourne Meadows Public Spaces Protection Order
Last August, I met with local residents and Parish Councillors in Pangbourne, along with the staff and trustees of the Adventure Dolphin Centre who were concerned about repeated incidents of antisocial behaviour on Pangbourne Meadows. Having pushed for action, I am really pleased that the public consultation for a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) for Pangbourne Meadows went live this week.
I would like to thank all of those involved for all of their hard work, including Thames Valley Police, Pangbourne Parish Council, and West Berkshire Council. I would urge local residents to have their say, to get measures in place so that everyone will be able to enjoy the Meadows this spring and summer.
Burghfield Bridge Flooding
I am delighted that in response to my question in Parliament earlier this week, Emma Hardy MP, the Minister for Water and Flooding has agreed to meet to discuss flood resilience in Burghfield Bridge and across Reading West and Mid Berkshire.
Residents in Burghfield Bridge have suffered devastating effects from flooding that has impacted their properties, livelihoods, and their mental and physical health.
Having recently met with residents along with West Berkshire Council, the Environment Agency, and the Canal and River Trust, I am determined to make sure that there is a joined-up approach to tackle residents’ immediate concerns around flooding as well as deliver a long-term solution.
Support for youth clubs
Also, in Parliament this week, I had the opportunity to celebrate the Youth Club run by Berkshire Youth at the Calcot Centre, and highlight how Labour’s plan for Young Futures Hubs across the country will mean that even more children and young people in our community will have a safe space out side of school to learn, play, and socialise.
Having visited the youth club at the Calcot Centre, I am even more convinced that we need more places like this that give our young people the support that they need to thrive.
A34 slip roads
Earlier this week in Parliament, I was pleased to be able to meet with the South East Regional Director from National Highways, as part of my campaign to make the East Ilsley and Beedon slip roads safer for residents.
I shared local people’s concerns about using these junctions and highlighted specific testimonies from my survey to make the case for action. It was encouraging to hear that National Highways are aware of the problems with the A34, and that they are hoping to conduct a full review of its safety. As a next step, I am looking forward to my upcoming site visit to show National Highways the issues first-hand and will also shortly be meeting with the Roads Minister.
No 15 Bus Service
Thank you to everyone who has completed my survey on changes to the number 15 bus service. I have written to Reading Buses asking for them to review the change, and a member of my team along with Tilehurst Parish Councillors Pippa and Nigel Furlong-King has recently met with Cllr John Ennis, the Lead Member for Transport on Reading Borough Council.
Along with Pippa, Nigel and West Berkshire Councillor Clive Taylor, I will continue to push for Royal Avenue and Garston Crescent to be reinstated on the number 15 route. If you haven’t yet had a chance to complete the survey, you can do so here.
NHS waiting lists now fallen five months in a row
It’s been really heartening to hear from people locally that they are getting a date for an operation that they have been waiting for. And this is something that we are seeing, not just in Reading West and Mid Berkshire, but across the country with the news this week that NHS waiting lists have now fallen for five months in a row.
We said we would bring down the waiting lists with more appointments – and that’s what we’re doing. By securing a new deal for GPs, ending bureaucracy and putting in place record funding, we’re fixing the foundations of our NHS and making it work for patients in Reading West and Mid Berkshire.
This week in Parliament
I was pleased earlier this week to be able to vote again for the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. This is the single biggest piece of child protection legislation in generation and will give children in Reading West and Mid Berkshire the best start in life: driving up standards in schools; making sure that there are qualified teachers in every classroom; free breakfast clubs; cheaper school uniforms; measures to keep children safe. You can find out more about the Bill here.
On Tuesday, the government announced reforms to fix our broken welfare system and put it on a more sustainable footing – meaning that it will always be there in the future for the people who most need it. I am pleased to see the government investing in support for people seeking work, including a record £1bn investment in providing pathways for sick and disabled people and the biggest ever permanent increase to the Universal Credit standard allowance – boosting the income of the lowest paid working families in Reading West and Mid Berkshire. The government is also looking at ways to ensure that those who will never be able to work are afforded confidence and dignity by never having to go through reassessments and proposing an additional Universal Credit premium to offer them the support they need.
Dates for your diary
Sunday 30th March, Community Drop-in, Tilehurst – If you live in Tilehurst and would like to come along for a chat with tea and biscuits between 3.00pm and 4.00pm, please email with the subject line ‘Tilehurst Community Drop-in’ and my team will confirm the venue a few days in advance of the event.
Best wishes for the week ahead
Olivia