Giving out false impressions

There are two issues that I have always found unacceptable, whether it was in the work environment, or in the public service area.

The first is where someone takes credit for something they either had little or nothing to do with the topic in question.

IN Wokingham, our MP Sir John Redwood is claiming credit for the delivery of the two SEND Schools.

The reason the Council has two SEND schools is a result of the hard work and dedication of the Officers in the WBC Children’s Services department.

I saw the amount of work and effort that was put into achieve the successful bids made by the Council. I heard nothing from our MP at that time.

When the SEND Schools were announced, all we got from the Conservatives was a grumble that the two schools were to be co-located on Rooks Nest Farm. We heard nothing from our MP until now, nearly a year later. I wonder why now. Is there something on the horizon?

The second area, which the Conservatives are now adopting is where they are now distancing themselves from decisions they made when they were in control of the Council.

Examples of this action are where the Conservatives are attempting to suggest that the California Crossing roads scheme is nothing to do with them (what I call “Not us Guv, Honest”).

Well, it is their scheme, it was first proposed in 2015 when the Conservatives were in control of the Council.

A second example of this action, at least in Shinfield, where the Conservatives there are opposing the current draft Local Plan (dating from 2021) that their own Party drew up and until recently told us was ready to go forward without any alterations, “oven-ready” was Cllr Pauline Jorgensen’s phrase, I believe.

The conclusion of all this – you can’t trust a word they say.

Cllr Lindsay Ferris, WBC Exec Member for Planning & Local Plan and proud Member for Twyford

Cali compensation

The California crossroads saga is a disaster and the full responsibility of the present Council as reported in Wokingham Today, March 14.

This is not a political issue and it is downright incompetence of the people who passed this crazy development putting residents and businesses in this position.

William Brown in Wokingham

Today is right when he says the council should compensate the affected businesses and the Finchampstead residents.

This crazy development should be stopped now and new plans drawn up giving priority to the businesses and residents.

It is more damaging than Covid and the loss to businesses is horrendous.

Local ratepayers have to pay for council mistakes and the opposition party is no better.

We have got the wrong type of councillors in office today for the present circumstances.

Their first priority should be to

protect businesses and residents who elected them. Local businesses and residents are being crucified on decisions made in council meetings. The councillors are anti-resident which we read about in the paper each week and it is a total disgrace. They are just feathering their nests under a political party which comes first.

This is not what local government should be and it is wrong in every direction.

One takes the farcical situation of the model they are using to measure a pothole.

What on earth is the depth or position in the road?

We can’t even get a decent surface on Radcot Close or Western Avenue. Both roads are crumbling and are dangerous for cars, cyclists and pedestrians. Nobody cares and we can’t even get anyone to look at it. Ratepayers are being asked to pay up to £3,000 for this type of service.

At Council meetings, there is no working together to solve a problem and residents have no say. It’s a dictatorship.

Unless somebody takes the points raised in this letter and does something practical and sensible, nothing is going to change.

Whoever is elected on May 2, the attitude of councillors needs to change and residents should come first in any decisions made. Residents and businesses should be protected by the council not destroyed like the garage and pharmacy in Finchampstead suffering a 75% drop in trade.

Cedric Lander, Woodley

Winds of change

The wind of change is coming, you sense it when talking to local people in Woodley.

The cost of living crisis has hit families hard and the Conservative Government’s incompetence is just adding to the problem all the time. The budget was a failure and they can’t succeed at anything.

I genuinely feel sorry for Rishi Sunak as every time he tries to make progress it all goes wrong and he’s two steps back. The ‘Plan’ as he refers to it just is not working and the Conservative party is dysfunctional with many MPs jumping ship.

I believe he is an honourable man compared to Boris Johnson and intelligent compared to the failed Liz Truss. I don’t know why his party didn’t choose him in the beginning.

The wind of change is coming when families are faced with increased mortgages, council tax is going up again because the government refused to help councils enough to stop the increase and prices are still going up. Wages have stagnated and people don’t have spare cash so local shops and pubs are closing.

All our public services are broken. We badly need to get the economy growing again.

There is hope though, change is coming.

We need it to come soon but we have to wait until Rishi Sunak makes the big decision. The British people now want that change and have got to the point that they will vote for it.

I feel positive we can all make progress and feel better once we have voted for it. I want people to feel good again and be proud of our country.

How do we get there? By voting for it and by coming up with a real plan for us to make real progress. I want us to forge ahead as a proud nation with happy British people feeling good again.

I will be working hard with my colleagues in the Labour Party to get where we all want to be over the coming six months and prepared to work hard in the coming years.

I, like the many people I talk to want the change I refer to and believe we can get there.

Greg Bello, Labour councillor,

Woodley Town Council.

Council fiances

It’s that time of year again and the Council Tax demands have started being delivered.

The Moana Lot Party, known as the Liberal Democrats, along with their Whinging Labour pals, have chosen not to put forward a Council Tax increase of more than 4.99%, which is the cap set by the Central Government.

Continually they whine about a shortage of WBC funds. Yet, they could have proposed an increase of more than 4.99% and put it forward in a local referendum. This as a means of increasing and securing Wokingham Borough finances for the future.

A democratic Yes/No vote would have been a good indication as to whether residents were prepared to pay more to keep Wokingham Borough Council on a sound financial footing. After all, since May 2022, the Lib Dems and their Labour mates have been screaming from the Shute End rooftops about a claimed WBC dire financial position.

An enhanced Council Tax has not been put forward by the Lib Dems, or proposed by Labour, so the following conclusions could perhaps be made:

a. Wokingham Borough Council has more than enough funds available for the present and future. No cuts or price rises are therefore necessary.

b. The Lib Dems and Labour, since May 2022, have been exaggerating the WBC financial position in the most negative way for political gain.

c. The Lib Dems and Labour just want to be able to continue to blame the Central Government for their own inability to manage WBC finances responsibly, efficiently and effectively.

d. If WBC finances are as bad as they claim, they are frightened of the local electorate. This by not putting forward an enhanced Council Tax rise in a local referendum.

The Lib Dems and Labour have cried financial wolf far too often.

It’s called Dereliction Of Duty.

I see that the shameless Lib Dem national leader, Sir Ed The Limpet Davey, has been wittering on about the NHS.

After what he did for the Postmasters, I wouldn’t want him anywhere near my Life Support Machine.

Paul Clarke, Wokingham

Promised made, not kept

Victor (letters, March 14) offers us the choice between financial support for Ukraine or ending child poverty.

Perhaps he might like to discuss his ideas with my neighbour, a Ukrainian health worker forced to flee from the Russian invasion? Perhaps she might remind him of a similar-sounding false choice.

Does he recall the £350 million for the NHS on the side of the Brexit bus?

Ian F, via email

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