Chaos? What chaos?

Last week, we reported on Wokingham Borough Council’s meeting on March 22. In it, Cllr Stuart Munro said that he disputed reports of chaos caused by regeneration works. You don’t agree with him …

The issue is that we are just getting our first taste of the greater chaos to come as more and more houses are built and more traffic hits an already strained transport network. Add in to that the issues that we are seeing with aged water and gas pipes (for example) and we are not looking at a very attractive future.

The council may well be ambitious, but that does not mean that they are capable or competent to manage the scale of the change underway. We can see that developers are much better at playing the system, land-banking is rife within the borough, small infill developments are making a mockery of local plans.

Wokingham Borough is showing all the signs of becoming a future case study on how regeneration and rapid development can go horribly wrong. It is very sad to see and it is painful to witness.

Anyone who has to commute to work now faces terrible delays and frustration on a regular basis; this is bad for both the environment and people’s quality of life.

Social and medical services are not increasing in line with population growth. Policing is being reduced and with an influx on new population this is creating the perfect situation for crime, making people feel less safe on the streets and in their own homes.

We have a council and an MP whose ambitions do not match those of the very people they are supposed to represent. Roll on the elections – I hope that all of those who are unhappy actually turnout and vote, the time for apathy is long past. Kate, via website

Do not know who you are kidding, Most of the people I speak too are sick of what is going on and the general feeling is that the Council are ruining what was a nice market town. Call it progress, well let us just see who will occupy these new over large shops.

It’s not a good sign that Marks and Spencer pulled out.

Many of the other local business have been and are still suffering badly due to the situation in the town.

I was in town yesterday with some other local friends and they all plainly consider the situation as disgusting.

So who are you kidding WBC? Time will tell, let us just hope that you are right and most of the residents and others coming, or are trying to get into the town are wrong.

However, for your information there are many very disenchanted people of all ages in the town and that is putting it politely.

So, I and many others seriously wonder who and where are all the thrilled and excited residents and

visitors who are happy. Many of us just wonder what planet those responsible for the redevelopment are from. Anthony Clark, via website

 It would seem that Councillor Munro’s (and the WBC’s?) understanding of the word “chaos” differs just slightly from the people of Wokingham. David Rowland, via website  In a recent edition of The Wokingham

Paper, Cllr Stuart Munro states that ‘Wokingham’s regeneration works have not caused chaos.’

Exactly what planet does he live on! Ian Gillott, via email

 Cllr Stuart Munro thinks that there is no chaos in the town. A view not shared by hundreds of motorists who have had to join long tail backs of traffic for the last six months.

Nor is it shared by the ambulance driver on an emergency call last week who was unable to get through Peach Street because of the traffic hold ups.

Nor is it shared by the shoppers who have to walk round half the town just to cross the road. I have yet to come across anyone who thinks the Market Place work was needed.

The money spent on this would have been better spent on the many

crumbling roads around Wokingham. With the work over running by weeks if not months, who will be paying for all the extra work and time? Joe Pester, Wokingham

 Hopefully Councillor Stuart Monro is one of those facing reelection next month. If there was ever a council seat needing changing, this is it. He sounds typical of the complacent arrogance that Wokingham’s ruling party is suffering. Andrew Butler, via Facebook

 I find it very amusing that a man that lives in Swallowfield surrounded by green open space. He probably doesn’t have to drive through Wokingham to get to work has said this. Maybe he should try getting in and out during rush hour, Then we can take him seriously. Susan Chatterton, via Facebook

 Would have to concur on the “chaos” – 45minutes to get from Tesco to the railway station in a Sunday lunchtime – thank goodness I don’t have to do it during the week.

Bracknell was far more ambitious and with less “chaos”.  Remember this at the local elections. Mark Forrester, via Facebook