This is the worst form of democracy imaginable

Regarding Cllr Charlotte Haitham Taylor’s defiant speech to her group defending her leadership for being just and fair:

The present day problems in the borough are there, but she clearly preaches that residents must be involved in decision making. That is a complete farce.

Her total disregard with Cllr Pollock and her group to oppose the views of 97% of respondents to the closure of the school crossing patrol service, to remove these dedicated people, was immoral, disgraceful and is just another instance of the council completely destroying the will of the people and the community in Wokingham.

If there had been a case of health and safety, or cost, fair enough, but it has this mania for automation at all costs.

This is sacrosanct to them and putting their own views first instead of the residents.

We now in Wokingham have the worst dictatorship in the country, the electorate have got to know what is going on with council debt of £600 million of spending. This is the worst form of democracy imaginable.

They have to be removed from office in the council elections in 2019/20.

We want future councillors who support the residents, not the wicket party line system in existence.

This also applies to overpaid officers who fail to return phone calls, emails, giving rudeness and unhelpful advice.

Why are they building on every bit of green space? This is well above the Government target. Of course more houses are needed but they should not be built until the infrastructure is in place.

Staff cannot cope with the massive increase of people in schools and health centres. Many are leaving due to the pressures of the jobs they are in.

The council are destroying the basics of living in Wokingham and the way they treated Clive Chafer’s working group was undemocratic.

Councillors are being appointed to head these outdated committees with no experience and when they enter the council chambers they lose all their consciences to the community.

The residents in our street have been trying for over two years to get a meeting with the council. Despite lengthy correspondence with the Prime Minister, the matter is still not resolved.

We have trippable surfaces just left as they are. They were previously filled in by their workmen. It at the entrance of a street on a busy main road and on a school run.

No councillor would accept this sort of standard in their homes, so why do residents have to put up to this standard of workmanship?

The Prime Minister told us to contact our local councillor, which I did, making three telephone calls which has not produced any attention or a meeting.

What are local residents supposed to do with this sort of attitude and service?

It is high time that Woodley was independent of Wokingham

as it receives less funding and they cannot even get safe road surfaces for residents on our roads.

Officers and councillors just don’t care, they are left to deteriorate.

So perhaps Charlotte Haitham Taylor, the new council leader, might consider our case a priority as she previously promised residents should be involved. CM Lander, Woodley