Concerns over plans to remove lollipop staff
I am extremely concerned about the proposal to remove the school crossing patroller (SCP) from Murray Road in Wokingham.
Our “Lollipop Lady” does far more than stop the traffic for children and their carers to safely cross the road, she manages traffic flow, enforces parking restrictions and teaches our children important lessons about road safety.
While I understand that it is not the responsibility of a SCP to maintain traffic flow, as a result of the traffic chaos across Wokingham a significant number of motorists use Oxford Road, Murray Road and Meadow Road as an alternative route. This frequently leads to gridlock and dangerous parking around our schools.
Councillors recently voted for a pay rise and a £100 annual payment to cover their elevated parking costs.
While this sum may seem insignificant this increase in salary and benefits would surely cover the cost of our invaluable “lollipop lady”.
It saddens me that the safety of the children in our communities does not appear to be a priority.
I would urge concerned residents to sign our petition asking Wokingham Borough Council (WBC) to reconsider their proposal It can be found on the ePetitions section of the WBC website.
The petition runs until Wednesday, May 9, so we need to gain as many signatories as soon as possible!
I believe that school crossing patrollers are vital members of our school communities who help keep our children safe. I hope that the local authority sees sense and puts the safety and well being of our children before a negligible cost saving from the withdrawal of this service.
Anne e Medhurst, Chair – Meadow Nursery School Murray Road, Wokingham
Downsizing of Wokingham Library
Frankly this just smacks of profiteering from a centrally located valuable land site.
The Library was custom designed in 96 by architects, so what is wrong with it? Having experienced the Council’s attempt at the disaster of a multi-story car park (which a bunch of fifth formers from a local school could have done a better job). It would be better for all concerned to leave well alone
R M Clarke, Wokingham
Potholes
Potholes!! What potholes?
I’ve just seen contractors to Wokingham Borough Council filling in water filled holes with hot tarmac and compacting it with the back of a shovel. No wonder we have recurring problems!
John Hull, Winnersh
Tra c and the Trump
Returning from the Continent on Wednesday, it was natural that the M20 was blocked at Maidstone – as is typical in this country, no one JUST when you thought things couldn’t get any worse, a letter lands on the doormat advising that Old Woosehill Lane and Reading Road will, for the next year at least, be undergoing yet more “essential” work to replace existing gas pipes.
The most chilling part of the correspondence from SGN is to be found in its second paragraph.
“We have planned this work in close collaboration with Wokingham Borough Council to ensure we minimise disruption to the local
understands how to stop traffic queuing/exiting at a major junction, from blocking three lanes of traffic for a mile or more behind it!
Then the return to the disfigured and ruined Wokingham. Who is getting benefits from all the contracts being placed?
However, nationally more importantly, we are entertained by the young whippersnapper Macron, trying to influence The Donald.
Macron, who I believe before winning the Presidency, stated that he thought that Brussels needed ‘sorting’. Perhaps he then thought that might benefit the UK, so decided against any action.
Having just travelled through a great part of France, let me advise him that he has major problems in his country, e.g. from motorcycle gangs, hooligan drivers, lack of Law enforcement and very few active Police around – but worse is the immigrant problem.
My thanks to Angela Merkel for helping to ruin Europe.
Some French towns appear unsafe to walk around after dark – this a country that when my wife and I used to visit almost every year in the 1960s, it was a pleasure and lovely to walk about after dinner.
Also in those days, French drivers seemed intent on driving madly community. This is an extensive programme of work – we will start this project on Monday 30 April 2018 ( with a bit of luck) and will complete work ( with, based on previous experiences, an even greater bit of luck) June 2019.
Now we all know what this will mean: the kiss of death, adding even more traffic chaos and confusion to that already being suffered throughout the rest of the borough.
Spare a thought if you will for crews of the emergency services, particularly those of ambulances who frequently
around blind corners, resulting in many fatalities.
Now, with modern more powerful cars they try to get anyone in their way, out of it by threatening behaviour such as driving close to one’s rear to almost bumper touching (even well above speed limits), then overtaking very close and cutting in front dangerously.
Italy is also similar, with Range Rovers one of the worst drivers to get in the way of, closely followed by Audis.
Lastly, I am extremely concerned at the sale of any or all of our national assets, the latest proposal being Wembley Stadium. Is there a conspiracy afoot? At the present rate, we UK residents will own little or nothing of this country. Vital assets, industries, part of the NHS, companies and the vast amount of the infrastructure of the country, etc already sold.
Considering the run down of our great Services and their arms, are the anti UK politicians in power saying to themselves “if we sell all our assets then the country is safe from attack, because most likely enemies own assets in the UK”?
Think about it! But also do consider the young and the legacy being left by the governments of the past decade or so.
Reg Clion, Wokingham use Reading Road day and night as the speediest and most direct route to Royal Berkshire Hospital, and whose lives are being made stressful enough by other traffic mayhem caused by the disastrous confusion of regeneration.
Wokingham Borough councillors have indeed a lot to answer for – let us pray all they will finish up having on their conscience is nothing more than a degree of inconvenience and non-life threatening delays.
J W Blaney, Wokingham
Town centre is a maze
What with the Crisis House being close by the station, and I being a believer in that wise old saying, ‘Let the train take the strain!’ I rarely go into Wokingham Town Centre, but for those who have to do so, and park there on a regular basis, it must be a strain, if not a nightmare!
On 24th April, I made a rare visit there – to attend Lady Elizabeth Godsal’s Retirement Tea. Incidentally, we are delighted, that, though now retired as High Steward, Lady Elizabeth is to continue as our Association’s Patron.
We have always valued her involvement, and that of her late husband, most highly – as do so many of our local charities. But in Wokingham Town Centre – chaos reigns.
Getting to the Town Hall was like struggling through Hampton Court Maze. I went through some impasses – coming up against orange barriers – before I finally worked out my way to my destination – the Town Hall entrance!
Recently, we received a newsletter from the local Bracknell MP, Dr Philip Lee, in which he commended the regeneration of both Bracknell, and of Wokingham.
I don’t agree with him.
The 20th century centre of Bracknell, was dispirited, ugly, grey, and