September

AS August turned into September, work on block laying in the Market Place dragged on.

And on.

An exposé in the weekly commentary questioned the veracity of Borough press releases, although until this fine distinction had been pointed out to one town councillor, there was a distinctly litigious atmosphere around the place.

Continuing political divisions came to light when the deputy leader of Wokingham Borough Council resigned.

It was a public indication as to the level of strife as splits (plural) as well as differences between public policy and private secrecy showed that all wasn’t well among WBC’s ruling group.

The plague of rats continued as a long-term Gorse Ride resident confessed that they simply didn’t have the money to get rid of the blighters. (Rats, not politicians).

Finally, after many, many months of delay, obfuscation and common-or-garden civic blundering, Wokingham’s Market Place reopened.

Initially with a few stalls on the Thursday, followed by a much bigger celebration 10 days later.

Work starting on the socalled ‘smart M4’ saw Winnersh residents protesting the up to 10-times increase in noise levels after trees and shrubs on the motorway embankment were blitzed in advance of widening the hard shoulder to become a fourth lane.

Lib Dem councillors reported Wokingham Borough Council to the Secretary of State for local government following concerns over the running of the borough’s finances.