Fine cancelled, thanks to my Wokingham Paper
Further to my letter in your January 3 edition and your subsequent article the following week, I am pleased to report a happy outcome.
I followed this up with an email to Councillor Pauline Jorgansen who is responsible for Highways and she replied very promptly.
She advised that she had a great deal of sympathy with my position.
Though the Council did remind most people that their blue badge was about to expire, I was not reminded this time and it didn’t seem entirely fair and that in my situation, she would have been a bit disgruntled.
She had therefore already asked the parking team to cancel my ticket [given after parking in a disabled bay with an out-of-date permit] as an act of goodwill.
They had confirmed that they would be in contact with me to do this.
A week later, I am still waiting for this confirmation so it seems that they are able to issue penalties on the spot but drag their feet when cancelling them.
All credit to Wokingham Borough Council for their all-round prompt and understanding reaction.
I should add that I have had numerous emails of support.
There have been one or two who feel that I was defrauding the system but it would be a boring old world without them!
A thank you to your excellent paper for your support – it just proves that it is worth fighting the system. Ray Hill, Arborfield
Standing up for residents
I found Paul Clark’s letter in last week’s Wokingham Paper very interesting.
Yes he is 100% correct when he says I have no affiliation to any political party but I most certainly do have an affiliation to the residents of Arborfield who I represent at Wokingham Borough Council.
Personally speaking if other councillors especially the Councils Conservative-ruling Executive put their political affiliations aside and put their residents first Wokingham Borough Council would be a better run place.
I am sorry if my actions to fight the corner of an 80-year-old disabled resident and blue badge holder, who made a genuine error offended him but it was not my intention but having said that if called for I would do it again.
I do agree though that the Council pursues fraudulent use of the Blue Badge but as my residents fine was cancelled he was therefore not considered at fault.
I would add it was not a way of scoring political points as he puts but one of standing up for ones constituents and most importantly common sense. I am very pleased that common sense prevailed. Cllr Gary Cowan, Independent Borough Councillor for Arborfield
Not all youngsters are yobs
The story calling the youths causing
anti-social behaviour yobs is a fair enough remark – they are, but not all young people deserve to be targeted with the same brush.
Also the residents especially on Woosehill should remember there is nowhere on Woosehill where young people can meet up with there friends in a safe environment like a youth club.
It would not take much effort for a hall to be hired where the youth could meet one or two evenings a week with equipment such as a pool table, tennis table, sports equipment etc.
I wonder what has happened to this, I suppose in storage somewhere gathering dust.
So come on you parents get a committee together, involve young people ask them what they want before the good kids decide no-one cares and join the antisocial youths.
Wokingham Borough Council should support this and get the equipment out from storage.
Give young people a sense of pride not the community they live in.
I would be willing to help parents set up a club as I ran the youth club for more than 30 years on Woosehill.
Yyoung people deserve to be heard
and supported BUT also learn that antisocial behaviour will not be accepted as a way of being heard. Peggy Priest, via email
Where are the toilets?
Considering how much money has been spent on the Wokingham town centre regeneration, it is hard to believe that the planners of this project did not have the sense to allow for the provision of public toilets.
They should be ashamed that a town the size of Wokingham does not have this facility. Doreen and Cyril Renham, Wokingham
Picking up parcels?
Re: Consultation opens on plan to move Post Office into WH Smith ( The
Wokingham Paper, January 17). Where will Parcel Force be? They seem to have their own separate counter in the Post Office. Pam, via website
Why complete consultation?
Would there be any point?
The Post Office have already made what they say is a “commercial” decision. The queues are out of the door some days now.
What’s it going to be like with just one or two windows open in WH Smith? Sandy Sweet, via Facebook
Thoughts on Sheeplands
Well done Sheeplands. Wokingham Council should spend time and money and way more important things like trying to fill our new ghost town. Craig Orrick, via Facebook
So, people are quite happy with development on the Green Belt in this area then? I am sure all the national housebuilders will be pleased know. William Luck, via Facebook
That used to be such a great place. Such a shame it was destroyed. It must have bought in so much revenue to the Borough. We always used to go to a local pub for lunch after. Tristan Waite, via Facbeook
Oh boo-hoo. Three complaints and 260 letters of support (plus a multithousand signature petition WBC managed to reject on a technicality)
for Hare Hatch only serves to show the level of public interest in continuing their efforts, let alone the outrageous nonsense the council have come out with in regard to the costs of this. “21st Century Council”, pfft. Liz Johns, via Facebook
n The council should spend their time, effort and cash fighting the developers not Sheeplands which has been there for ages.
Yes they should follow proper planning laws but to drag this out for so long and in such a poorly managed way the councils got what it deserved. Rhianna Rawlins, via Facebook
n Yet again, the only winners are the lawyers. Council tax payers will fund the council legal fees and I guess Sheeplands too. A pox on both their houses. John Weblin, via Facebook
n So a small independent retailer dares to expand on Green belt and WBC come down with full might.
WBC on other hand approve 1,000s of new homes and effectively annihilate the town centre for 18 months to build a largely empty new shopping area. Nice work. Mark Bradford, via Facebook
n Executive member for planning Cllr Simon Weeks said: “The Council has been fighting for many years to successfully preserve the integrity of the Green Belt at Hare Hatch.”
It’s a shame they haven’t done the same in all the housing development sites in the area! Jon Macey, via Facebook Education and Brexit I would like to address the subject of education – triggered by the truly beautifully planned and presented BBC Four 2018 Christmas Lectures.
Before I go on about the matter, I would start by trying to persuade all readers, especially those with children, to view the three lectures.
My interest in education is not just methods of teaching, but the fact that I preach the simple philosophy – never stop learning.
Take an interest in all subjects – including geography, other cultures, other countries, etc – if only to help you understand better, our now increasingly mixed populations and how can we all live together.
The Christmas Lectures year by year enhance every subject they present, and use just about every teaching aid available.
They use child and audience friendly, highly qualified presenters, whose aim is clearly to help all to understand a subject.
They involve audience participation, ask questions to seek views of youngsters, use practical aids, and in the case of the recent lectures, many types of live animals.
It is such a treat to watch the interested and excited faces of the audience, from girls and boys to teenagers. That is real education – even given the number of attendees in the large Royal Institution theatre.
The relevance of education in the guise of breadth of knowledge and experience outside just our country’s borders, is being tested on the political stage right now – Brexit.
The way our society has changed over the past 50 years is very worrying for anyone concerned about the word “democracy” and the fact that it does not appear to exist in real life.
My sincere wish that we leave the EU is based on the fact that we must have a democratic UK for future generations, let alone the young of today.
Hence I have concerns over the educational standards of those dealing with Brexit – or have I got it totally wrong and policies are based on benefits, personal rewards or social climbing?
It is possible to conclude the terms of our leaving, but it does require negotiating skills, interaction and understanding on both sides. Reg Clifton, Wokingham Out to lunch Jeremy Corbyn’s refusal to discuss Brexit with the Prime Minister unless No Deal is taken off the table reminds me of the vegan who refuses to partake from a buffet table groaning with vegetable delights where the sole meat item is a plate of inferior sausages only included to nominally cater for another dietary minority and which no sensible diner will actually touch! John Eoin Douglas, address supplied
TV Licensing scams
In common with other large organisations like HMRC, TV Licensing has seen fraudsters sending scam emails to the public posing as genuine TV Licensing communications.
Readers should be aware that TV Licensing will never email customers, unprompted, to ask for bank details, personal information or tell you that you may be entitled to a refund.
Anyone who has provided their details as a result of a fraudulent email should report it via ActionFraud at www.actionfraud. police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.
For advice on how to spot these fake emails and more information, readers should visit our website at the following link: www. tvlicensing.co.uk/faqs/FAQ288. Cody Want, TV Licensing London and South East
Diverse opinions
I read Peter Dennis’ letter [January 17th] with interest.
It is always good to have differences of opinion, and we have a wide diversity of it within our association. Our lively interchanges cause great hilarity.
On the first subject, of knighthoods, and who should receive them, one of our members firmly believes that it is not the person’s merit, but who puts him up for the honour, that determines whether or not he receives one. So ‘It’s not what you know; it’s who you know!’
By contrast, I am always delighted to see Wokingham people flourishing and successful – probably because I spend most of my time with people who do not have such good fortune.
On the second subject, of Theresa May, some of our members are her constituents, and she is, indeed, a very popular, and respected, local MP.
I admire her resilience.
She rushes off to Brussels, and then rushes back to Westminster. She sees this faction, and then sees that faction, and stays cool. Such circumstances would drive most people round the bend!
I have never, previously, known of a situation where all the political parties were divided within themselves over a major issue. How can she possibly satisfy everyone?
Some of the ‘Remain’ arguments over Brexit are, indeed, specious – for instance, that we are dependent upon Portugal for our strawberries. Very good strawberries are grown, right here, in Wokingham.
Is not Kent renowned as being the Garden of England, and East Anglia renowned for its root crops? Surely we are capable of producing our own fruit and vegetables – without dependence upon Europe.
On the third subject, that of who should provide welfare services – the State, or individuals and charities – this is absolutely a question of political belief.
Here, Robert Griffiths’ letter (January 17) is relevant, as well. I believe that welfare should be provided by volunteers in charities, and that charitable service should be genuinely voluntary, and not paid. By contrast, some people believe that welfare should be from paid staff in statutory services, and some a mixture of both.
One of our members feels that the whole idea of ‘charity’ was thought up by a clever capitalist – so that the State could avoid paying for any services at all. Despite all the hilarity, I am, nevertheless, relieved that this member is, at least, happy to avail himself of our own charity.
However, even if all the work that charities do, is voluntary, buildings still need to be provided, and maintained, and bills still have to be paid, so on the fourth subject, that of the inadequacy of services, all our members are agreed.
Mental health services, and provision for the homeless, are woefully deficient, and money needs to be put into better facilities for both. Pam Jenkinson, The Wokingham Crisis House
Adventure time
We’d like to invite any of your readers looking for an adventure to join the Meningitis Now team on a trek in the beautiful Atlas mountains of Morocco.
By taking on this challenge, you will not only have an exciting trip to a stunning region of the world but also help fight meningitis and move us ever nearer to our vision of a future where no one dies from the disease and everyone affected gets the support they need.
Sadly, meningitis and septicaemia continue to affect thousands of people in the UK each year and kill more under-fives than any other infectious disease.
Help us fight back by funding research, raising awareness and supporting survivors.
The four-day Morocco trek will require a reasonable degree of fitness and determination and will include summiting Mount Toubkal, which is the highest peak in the Atlas Mountains. Toubkal is easily reached from Marrakesh and offers striking high-altitude mountain scenery, lush valleys and untouched Berber communities.
Fancy joining us? The trek is scheduled for 7-9 September and you can find out more by emailing me at michaelai@meningitisnow. org or call me on 01453 769024. Michaela Ilfill, Events Fundraiser, Meningitis Now, Stroud, Gloucestershire GL5 3TJ
Mental health
The national Government’s recent pledges to increase the number of under 16s referred to NHS CAMH (child and adolescent mental health) services who actually get to receive any
(to 35% by the end of 2020) and to inject an extra £800,000 a year in these services over the next three years in area where the need is greatest, which thankfully includes West Berkshire, are obviously welcome even if it’s far too little too late.
Perhaps this £800,000 a year could be best spent providing acute NHS CAMH services at source – that is within West Berkshire’s schools et al, rather than continuing to expect the schools to provide mental health first aid (MHFA) without the necessary funding.
The majority trying to access such services – 75% nationwide – do not receive such help when referred to these services by schools and even GPs. Paul Farmer, Reading