Welcome to this week’s constituency newsletter for residents in Reading West and Mid Berkshire. It has been a busy week in the constituency, which kicked off last Sunday with my Meet Your MP event in Aldermaston. On Wednesday I popped into the Atrium Health Club on Scours Lane in Tilehurst. And on Friday, I met with residents at the drop-in at Norcot Mission Church and visited St Paul’s Primary School in Tilehurst, to see the damage to their playing field caused by flooding from the Thames Water reservoir. Following on from my rural mobile coverage survey, I have also written to the mobile providers calling on them to improve signal coverage in Beenham and surrounding areas.
In Parliament, I honoured Holocaust Memorial Day on Tuesday by signing the Holocaust Educational Trust Book of Commitment on behalf of Reading West and Mid Berkshire residents.
To keep up to date with what I am doing in Parliament and in the constituency, you can follow me on Facebook or Instagram.
Aldermaston Meet Your MP
Last Sunday, I held one of my regular Meet Your MP events in Aldermaston. It was great to chat with local residents about a range of topics, including issues with the planning system, education and support for the defence sector. Thank you to everyone taking the time to come along.
Details of my next Meet Your MP event in Tilehurst are at the bottom of the newsletter.
Atrium Health Club
The Atrium Health Club on Scours Lane is such a brilliant example of a locally-run business bringing the whole community together, and I was delighted to meet with the team on Wednesday. So, I was really sorry to hear about the break in and fire at the Health Club on Friday.
One issue we discussed on Wednesday was the lack of lighting on Scours Lane, something that was also raised by the fantastic young women I met at Gals FC, who use Atrium’s pitches.
I am working hard to find a solution, as I saw first-hand yesterday how dark that road can get in the evenings. If you are a regular user of facilities in Scours Lane please do share your experiences. (LINK)
Norcot Mission Church
It was great on Friday morning to be able to chat with residents at the Oasis Café drop-in at Norcot Mission Church. I also met with the fantastic staff and volunteers at the Norcot Food Pantry which is run in partnership with Faith Christian Group. You can find out more details about the Oasis Café here (LINK – https://norcot.org/whats-on/) and how to support Norcot Food Pantry here. – https://fcg.org.uk/support-us/
St Paul’s Primary School, Tilehurst
Also on Friday morning, I visited St Paul’s Primary School in Tilehurst to see the damage to their playing field caused by flooding from the Thames Water reservoir which is adjacent to the school. It is disappointing that despite the school having contacted Thames Water multiple times the problem remains unresolved. I have now written to Thames Water to call for urgent action and for proper engagement with the school.
Proposed development site in Mortimer West End
On Friday afternoon, I met with members of Stratfield Mortimer Parish Council to hear from them about the proposal for a site for 350 houses in Mortimer West End within the Basingstoke and Deane Council Local Plan Draft.
If you live in Mortimer and would like to share any thoughts that you have about the proposed development, please do get in touch (LINK).
Rural mobile coverage survey update
Thank you to everyone who responded to my survey to share their experiences of dealing with limited or no mobile signal coverage in rural areas of Reading West and Mid Berkshire. Among other issues:
- People were worried about not being able to stay in touch, particularly during power cuts when Wi-Fi calling was unavailable
- Residents said that they were unable to use smart metering for utilities
- Businesses struggled to take payments because of lack of mobile coverage
So, I have contacted the mobile providers calling on them to put in place measures that will improve coverage in Beenham, Stanford Dingley, Bradfield, Chapel Row and nearby areas.
If you have not yet had the chance to complete my survey, you can do so here.
Holocaust Memorial Day
On Holocaust Memorial Day on Tuesday I was proud to sign the Holocaust Educational Trust (UK) Book of Commitment on behalf of Reading West and Mid Berkshire residents, pledging to ensure the lessons of the Holocaust are never forgotten.
Holocaust Memorial Day is a reminder to continue to honour the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, all victims of Nazi persecution, and victims of other genocides throughout history. And, as time moves on, we must redouble our efforts to stamp out antisemitism, hatred and prejudice when we see it in today’s world.
Tackling rising vet bills
I know that vet bills have been rising and rising – putting families under financial strain and adding to the cost of living crisis.
Labour are cracking down on rip-off vet bills and improving access to quality care with the biggest reforms to the vet sector for more than sixty years with:
- Clearer pricing
- Greater transparency from large chains
- Fairer complaints process
- Recognition for vet nurses.
Flood alerts
This week, the Environment Agency have issued a flood alerts for both the River Kennet and the River Pang. At this time of year, the risk of flooding is higher. So, if you live in an area that is prone to flooding you can check for alerts here – https://www.gov.uk/check-flooding
West Berkshire Planning Enforcement Plan Consultation
Lots of people get in touch with me with concerns around how planning rules are enforced. West Berkshire Council are currently consulting on their new Planning Enforcement Plan. You can have your say here https://www.westberks.gov.uk/draft-planning-enforcement-plan
Date for your diary
Meet Your MP, Tilehurst, 2.00pm to 3.00pm on Sunday 22 February If you live in Tilehurst and would like to come along for a chat with tea and biscuits between 2.00pm and 3.00pm, you can register here https://oliviabailey.co.uk/tilehurst-meet-your-mp/
Best wishes for the week ahead.
Olivia