Welcome to this week’s constituency newsletter for residents in Reading West and Mid Berkshire. I was pleased that sense has prevailed and at the West Berkshire Council Executive meeting this week, the Leader of the Council announced a U-turn on the closure of Greenfield House Resource Centre. Earlier in the week I met with members of the team from the NHS Integrated Care Board to discuss GP capacity across Reading West and Mid Berkshire and I am looking forward to working with them to develop community health services. There was great news this week that over half a million children are now benefitting from the Government’s expansion of funded childcare. And, I was really pleased with the announcement today that the Government is rolling out free digital ID by the end of the Parliament – something that will make all of our lives easier and more secure.
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West Berkshire Council U-turn on Greenfield House Resource Centre closure
I am pleased that West Berkshire Council have seen sense and rightly decided not to close or outsource the fantastic services that are provided at Greenfield House Resource Centre in Calcot along with the Resource Centres in Newbury and Hungerford. Many individuals and their families across Reading West and Mid Berkshire rely on Greenfield House for their daily well-being, social interaction, and specialist care.
I particularly want to pay tribute to West Berkshire Labour Councillor Clive Taylor and UNISON for their campaigning against the closure of Greenfield House.
However, while I am pleased with this decision, it is shameful that users and their families have had months of uncertainty and worry while the Council considered alternative arrangements following their initial announcement.
Delivering community healthcare
Earlier this week I met with members of the team from Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB) to discuss GP capacity across Reading West and Mid Berkshire. It was a really useful discussion, and I was pleased to hear that the ICB are proactively engaging with councils to make sure going forward that there is enough GP capacity when new housing is being developed.
I look forward to working with the team from the ICB to develop community health services across Reading West and Mid Berkshire.
Supporting small businesses to grow our economy
Business owners that I met with during my Summer Small Business Roadshow told me that they would welcome help from local councils with support and advice on how to grow their business, providing opportunities for networking, and with marketing and advertising their businesses
Supporting small businesses helps grow our local economy and promotes sustainability. So earlier this week, I wrote to to the Leaders of Reading Borough Council and West Berkshire Council asking for them look at how they can help our fantastic local small businesses thrive and continue to serve our communities.
West Berks bin bodge latest
The fact that West Berkshire Council are advising residents how to deal with maggots following their move to three weekly black bin collections from this week is really concerning.
Residents are right to be worried about the impact of these changes and I will continue to press West Berkshire Council to think again.
Digital ID roll out by end of this Parliament
I was really pleased with the announcement today that the Government will be introducing free digital ID by the end of this Parliament – something that has the potential to make all of our lives easier and more secure – from managing taxes or applying for benefits online to proving your age or opening bank accounts.
Digital ID has the potential to transform the UK’s public services and how citizens interact with them, putting more power and control in people’s hands.
More than half a million children benefitting from funded childcare
There was great news this week that 530,000 children are now benefitting from this Labour government’s expansion of funded childcare, meaning that we have far exceeded our original target.
That’s hundreds of thousands of families saving up to £7,500 per child per year, parents across Reading West and Mid Berkshire being able to take on more hours, and over half a million children receiving high-quality care in those crucial early years.
We want to build on this success and continue delivering new places for families, and from today, schools can apply to be part of the next wave of 300 school-based nurseries. The rollout has already delivered 5,000 new places and we want to deliver 7,000 more. Local schools can apply here.
Date for your diary
West Reading Safer Community Forum, 6.00pm to 8.00pm on Thursday 2 October. If you live in West Reading and would like to talk to me, local councillors and the local police team about crime or anti-social behaviour, please email my office. Details of the event will be sent to people who have registered a few days in advance.