Eid Mubarak!

Eid Mubarak to all our Muslim friends, family and residents.

Sarah,  Gul and Chris

Into Battle Spring 2014 - read it here......

Here is the latest edition of Into Battle, our ward newsletter.  They should be dropping through Battle resident's doors over the next couple of weeks.  If you haven't had one, let us know or just read it here!  Just click on the image for the full edition:

Heading to the West Village: street surgery special!

This Saturday (19 October) Battle councillors will be holding a special advice surgery in the West Village. We'll be setting up our red gazebo at 10.30 and we'll be there until 12.  We'd love to hear residents views so please come and see us. 

West Village

Saturday 19 October

10.30-12

Red gazebo in the park

 

Campaigning in West Village on the £1.5 million developers contribution for Battle ward earlier this year

Battle Street Surgeries: we come to you!

Tomorrow (17 August) we are holding a street surgery in Battle Ward.  Rather than come to us in Battle Library, you didsplay a card in your window and we come to you. 

The cards have gone through letter boxes in Sherwood Street, Alma Street and Dorset Street today.  If you would like one of your Battle councillors to call by, please pop the card in your window by 9.30 am tomorrow.  We will then call by between 10 am and 1 pm.

To save trees please keep hold of your card for future street surgeries.  I will let you know where we will be next, soon.  We will still be holding our monthly surgeries in Battle Library on the first Saturday of the month.  Dates are on the left.

Into Battle Spring 2013: What have Battle Councillors been doing?

As Battle residents elected Cllr Chris Maskell, Cllr Gul Khan and I, they have every right to know what we have been doing for them.  We publish a newsletter 3-4 times a year and deliver it to every household in the ward.  Here's the latest edition on Into Battle.  Click on the picture for the full pdf:

I am proud about what Labour councillors have achieved for Battle Ward.  You can see more of what we've been up to in the In The Press tab above.

Teeyan Exhibition: a morning of dance and colour!

I was delighted when a local resident invited me to the opening of the Teeyan exhibition at the Indian Community Centre.  Teeyan in a traditional Punjabi festival for women.  I was also joined by Cllr Chris Maskell, Mayor Marian Livingston & our parliamentary candidate Victoria Groulef.

The exhibition runs at the Indian Community Centre until 18 June:

Click on the picture for a larger image.

The event started off with dance which was performed with great skill as the dancers were balancing pots on their heads!  I was pleased as punch to be invited up to have a dance.  I had no idea what I was doing but it was lovely to join in.  Here are a few pictures from the event:

Battle Consultation on £1.5 Million Begins!

The consultation on how to allocate the £1.5 million received as a Section 106 contribution from the Battle Hospital re-development starts next week!  Battle councillors started pushing for this consultation in December 2011 when the Primary Care Trust withdrew from the planned medical centre.

Residents in the consultation area will receive a questionnaire by post but you can also complete the survey online (see button on the right).  There is a launch event at Battle Library on 16 April where Battle councillors and council officer will be available to discuss how the money can be spent and any ideas you may have.  I have to admit I am really looking forward to seeing what you, the residents, think is important and the ideas you have.

Battle 106 Consultation Launches 16 April - £1.5 Million For Battle Community

I am so pleased to be able to announce the timetable of the Battle 106 consultation.  Battle councillors have been working hard with Reading Borough Council for the past year paving the way for a meaningful consultation with residents about how this money should be spent.  Because of Labour Battle councillors Chris Maskell, Gul Khan and me the community will have a say in how £1.5 million is spent in the local area!

The money became available because the Primary Care Trust withdrew from the plans to build a medical centre on the former Battle Hospital site, now West Village.  You can read more about the history here:

February 2013 - Battle 106 - Sharma has missed the point entirely  
Jan 2013 - Medical Centre and 106 Funding Update
December 2011 - Battle medical centre victim of NHS cutbacks 

We have had several meetings over the last few weeks to design the consultation, agree the area being consulted and the questions being asked.  The consultation plan will go to Cabinet for approval on 18 March (see report here) and, if it's approved, will launch on 16 April.

Launch Event

Tuesday 16 April - Battle Library

11am to 1pm & 3pm to 8pm - to discuss options and a further opportunity to complete the questionnaire.

Residents within the consultation area will receive a paper questionnaire which will also be able to be completed online.  The results of the consultation will determine how the £1.5 million is spent locally.

Improving Local Facilities in the Oxford Road area of West Reading – Consultation 

Press Release 

11/03/2013 RESIDENTS in Battle and the neighbouring area are set to be given an opportunity to have their say on how £1.5 million could be used to improve local facilities.

The money is due to be paid to Reading Borough Council by developers David Wilson Homes as part of the 2006 planning permission to build 434 homes on the site of the former Battle Hospital.

Following consultation with the local community by local councillors in 2006, the proposals included a new health centre building for the Primary Care Trust (PCT) on land that the Trust owns. However, the PCT subsequently decided not to go forward with a new Health Centre in this location. This is due to a number of factors, including the provision of a drop-in surgery in the Broad Street Mall.

The 2006 planning agreement says that in the event of the Health Centre not being built, the developer, now David Wilson Homes, would pay the Council £1.5m as a ‘contribution towards community-related benefits’.

That money is now due to be paid to the local authority and Reading Borough Council is proposing to give residents in the area an opportunity to help inform the decision on how it can be spent to ensure it meets the needs of local people and the community.

Jo Lovelock, Reading Borough Council Leader, said: “It was a big disappointment when the Primary Care Trust decided not to go ahead with the Health Centre. The money must be used on community related benefits so we feel it is very important to talk to the local community about how they think that the money should be spent, especially as it is now seven years since the last consultation. I hope as many people as possible will take part so that the decision about the use of the money can be based on the current views of local residents.”

The 2012 Residents’ Survey and the 2011 'Let’s Talk' consultation show that local residents have identified education, green spaces, transport and health services as their main priorities for improvement. These are also in line with the priorities in the Council’s planning policy for infrastructure provision.

A report proposing the launch of the local consultation will now go before a meeting of Reading Borough Council’s Cabinet on March 18 for endorsement.

A questionnaire will then be distributed in the local area, asking people to identify their priorities for which local facilities need improving. Residents will be asked to take a few minutes to tell the Council their preferences and return the questionnaire to: Improving Local Facilities in Battle and the neighbouring area, Reading Borough Council, Civic Centre, Reading, RG1 7AE.

Alternatively, people will also be able to complete the short questionnaire online at http://www.reading.gov.uk/battlesurvey .

There will also be a drop-in event held at Battle Library (420 Oxford Road) on Tuesday April 16, from 11am to 1pm and from 3pm to 8pm, to discuss options and a further opportunity to complete the questionnaire.

Battle Councillors at Building Blocks!

Battle councillors will be at Oxford Road Childrens Centre's Building Blocks toddler group on Wednesday 30 January from 9.30-11.15 at the Salvation Army on Oxford Road.

We want to speak to as many residents as possible this year and we want find out what is important to them.  This is the first of many new things we will be doing this year.

For information on the Oxford Road Children's Centre please see here.  They can also be found on Facebook here.

If you would like us to come long to your community event or group, please contact me on sarah.hacker@reading.gov.uk

Question to Council: School Places in Battle Ward

This evening, at full Council, I asked the following question to the Lead Councillor for Education & Children’s Services John Ennis:

'In recent weeks parents of children starting in Reception in September 2012 have been receiving their offer for school places.  As offers went out if became clear both at the school gate, and through parents contacting me, that a significant number of children in the Battle Ward, and surrounding area, were without a school place.  The pressure on school places this year was known, and ‘bulge’ classes arranged but there were not enough extra places identified in West Reading.  This has caused upset and uncertainty at what is already a stressful time for parents.

I ask the Lead Councillor for Education & Children’s Services to confirm:

•  If all children due to start school in September 2012 now have a place?

• Why so many children, especially in the Battle ward area, were not offered a school during the first wave of allocations?

• What lessons have been learnt from this round of admissions?

• What is being done to prevent this happening next year?

• What are we doing to help parents travel to the schools they have been allocated out of their catchment particularly those with children already in a different school?'

I felt it important to ask these questions publicly.  I am a representative of the residents of Battle ward, and a parent, and understand how stressful the school admissions process can be.  I have been in contact with Cllr Ennis and the Leader of the Council Jo Lovelock since it became clear there was a problem in Battle and have been meeting with officers since April to discuss them, most recently to put in place help with travel.

I have also been supportive of Battle Primary School's parents and staff and made sure I attended the recent meetings regarding their Ofsted report that put them into Special Measures.  Battle Cllrs Chris Maskell and Gul Khan also attended to offer their support and listen to the concerns of parents about the forced academisation of their community school.

I am also governor of Oxford Road Community School and have also been supportive of the proposed expansion of the school and relocation of the nursery unit allowing for an in take of 30 extra children into reception in September.  I was at the exhibition on Monday, again to listen to parents.

It is important to me that, not only am I active in word, but also in action.

The answer to my question can be seen here:

See you at the Oxford Road Community Fun Day!

It's the Oxford Road Community Fun Day on Saturday, 12-4 at Kensington Park.  I have been for the last few years (though I was on my holidays last year) and have always enjoyed it but this year will be different.

Cllr Chris Maskell : Tesco need to act before someone is badly hurt

Posted by Cllr Chris Maskell on June 9, 2012

'What will it take for Tesco to take their responsibilities seriously? That is the question Battle Councillor Sarah Hacker will be asking Reading Borough Council and Tesco.

She said: “In January this year Councillor Maskell emailed the council because of concerns he had about the maintenance and safety of the strip of land at the bottom of Chester Street. He pointed out that there was an accumulation of rubbish and fly tipping and damage to fencing caused by fallen tree parts, which suggested the trees are not safe. He asked if anything could be done to get Tesco to clean the area up, clear the shrubbery and make the area safe. That was nearly six months ago.

Fallen tree could have caused a fatality

“I, like many others, use the connecting footpath from Chester Street to Tesco to do our shopping. It is not a very pleasant walk as thick undergrowth and low tree branches border the path. There the undergrowth is strewn with litter, fly tipping and the occasional Tesco trolley. It really is a thoroughly unpleasant footpath to walk along. What is also a concern is that during the summer the footpath becomes hidden by overgrown trees”.

Tesco are fully aware of their responsibilities yet appear not to be interested in maintaining that strip of land. At the request of Battle councilors Reading Borough Council has attempted to engage with Tesco in an effort to get something done but without success. Young mothers walking to Tesco with their children frequently use the footpath. It is very fortunate that when the tree came down no one was on the path. If the tree had fallen on anyone the consequences could have been tragic.

In January a tree fell into some ones back garden, now a tree has fallen across a pedestrian footpath. What will it take for Tesco to take action and get that area cleaned up and made safe?'

Battle's dog fouling problem being tackled!

You may recall I wrote a blog post last year on the problems residents faced with inconsiderate dog owners failing to clear up their dog's mess: Dog Pooh Problem?

Despite getting new dog waste bins installed, the problem hasn't really got any better.  Dogs can't clear up their own mess so it is strictly down to their owners!  Battle councillors have been asking the Lead Councillor for Environment and Climate Change, Paul Gittings, for action on this horrible problem.

Battle councillors are very pleased to hear that Battle will be the first ward to have a dedicated campaign on dog fouling, starting on13 June in Kensington Park and surrounding areas.  Let's hope this helps educate owners and we see a reduction in the number of fouled pavements.

'Council To Call Foul on Inconsiderate Dog Owners

07/06/2012
Reading Borough Council Press Release

Reading Borough Council's Dog Warden Service and the Street Care Environment team is getting ready to call foul on inconsiderate dog walkers who fail to clean up their pets mess, thanks to a new borough wide campaign.

The Jubilee has finished, bring on half term!

It's been a nice few days.  We visited the Tilehurst Jubilee Festival in Prospect Park on Saturday which was great.  The boys enjoyed the music, animals and rides and I enjoyed tasting the chilli sauces for sale.  I even decorated the house with some flags to complement my Jubilee window box.

Yesterday we watched the Reading Community Carnival pass by with my Dad, Cllr Chris Maskell.  As usual, is was a joyous affair and the youngest bopped along to the music.

We now have 3 days left of half term and the Children's Festival will keep us entertained.  We are going to the Teddy Bears Picnic on Thursday afternoon which, judging by the weather forecast, will be held in the museum.  We will then head into town on Friday for Hullabaloo.  More information on the Children's Festival can be found here.

Battle School Ofsted announced

 The below press release confirms that Battle Primary School has been placed in Special Measures.  Battle councillors are committed to supporting the parents and school and will be attending the forthcoming parents meeting.

New Governance at Battle Primary Vows To Drive Up Standards

31/05/2012
Reading Borough Council Press Release

The new Governors of Battle Primary School and Reading Borough Council have vowed to continue to work closely together to drive up standards following an Ofsted report published last week in which the school was criticised and placed in Special Measures. This means that the school must do considerably more to enhance the education for the children.

The report   published on Thursday May 31st on the Ofsted website   deemed the school needed to be placed in Special Measures to improve standards. It follows an inspection at the school in March this year carried out at two days notice.

Ruth Allen, Chair of the recently constituted Interim Executive Board (IEB) at Battle Primary, said: 'We are determined to give the children at Battle Primary the education they deserve. The IEB has already held a parents meeting to establish a Parents' Council and to listen to the views of parents at the start of our journey of improved communication. Staff meetings have been held and the views of teachers and support staff will help to inform future planning. The School Council will be more directly involved in identifying the needs of the children and ensuring that the school offers exciting challenging lessons in a safe environment.

'We are confident that with the focus this report has given us we will see Battle Primary become a good school, a school of which the children, parents and staff are proud. '

John Ennis, Reading Borough Council's Lead Councillor for Education and Children's Services, said: 'This is obviously a disappointing Ofsted report and there is a real need to urgently address the issues raised. Reading Borough Council will of course continue to offer any support it can to the school and together we will work towards addressing those problems.'

Oxford Rd gaming centre refused #rdg

Just back from planning and I am pleased to say the gaming centre on the Oxford Road was refused planning permission with a unanimous vote.  There were several local residents who spoke against the gaming centre as did a representative from Christian Community Action.  Cllr Khan and I spoke against the centre in our capacity as local residents and elected representatives.  People highlighted their concern that the centre would attract anti-social behaviour and was inappropriate in an area where young families live.

Cllr Maskell, who is on the planning committee, spoke about his concerns that, after many years of hard work from residents, the council, cllrs and police, the problems with drink, drugs, anti-social behaviour and prostitution would start creeping back if developments like the gaming centre were allowed.  He said the application was 'at the wrong time and in the wrong place'.

The refusal has to be based on policy and the following policy was one of the reasons for refusal: developments will be assessed to ensure that they 'create safe and accessible environments where crime and disorder or fear of crime does not undermine quality of life or community cohesion.'

Latest Into Battle and a thank you from Cllr Khan

Here is a copy of our latest Into Battle, at the printers as I type. Paper copies will be delivered to Battle residents shortly.  Click on the picture to read the full newsletter.

Then everything returns to normal

Well the election is over, votes cast, Cllrs elected and things return to normality. 

This morning Cllr Khan and I had our monthly surgery (see box to the left for future dates).  A time to help residents with their concerns and chat about Thursday's results in between..

Tuesday we have our first group meeting, now with 26 Cllrs.  A time to sort out who is on what committee, forum, panel, outside body and group.  Group officers are elected.

Battle Cllrs have a few campaigns already in progress: 

• opposing the proposed gaming centre on the Oxford Road(open 24 hours if they get permission), 
• ensuring the problem with bin bag mountains is tackled on the Oxford Road
• tackling fly-tipping,
• asking some serious questions about the local primary schools allocation and admissions this year and in future years and supporting local parents
• attending the Tesco appeal
• working with the local Neighbourhood Action Group on their campaigns
• making sure dumped trolleys get collected (and Iceland trolley is currently residing round the corner from my house.  A rare site this far away from the store).
• getting potholes filled 

 We are planning a few different things this year so keep an eye out for when they are announced and do get in touch if you need assistance.

UPDATED: Schools admissions - we're here to help

UPDATED: it has been confirmed by Leader of the Council Jo Lovelock that she has asked for ways to ensure transport is available to families. It has also been asked that a special arrangement, outside the usual policy of two miles, be discussed to recognise the problem for families who have been affected by the bulge.  Councillors are also asking if different methods of assessing numbers can be looked at for the future taking location into account.  A further letter is also going out to families currently without a school place.

Just a short post to let residents know that Battle councillors Gul Khan, Chris Maskell and I are taking concerns about school places in the Battle area very seriously.  As soon as it became clear there was a shortage of spaces we asked for an update from officers and we have also asked the plans for next years intake are discussed as soon as this round has finished.  We are also being kept up to date by the Lead Councillor for Education and Children's Service, John Ennis.

Parents are clearly upset that places in the area are short and have not got their first choice school.  We know the council are doing their best and will find places for all children but questions need to be asked to prevent this happening again.

I must admit I was surprised to see the following from Green cllr Melanie Eastwood 'sometimes protecting green space should outweigh other priorities including extending schools.' when talking about the Wilson Primary school application to build school facilities on their own playing field.  I am sure the parents in the area would not agree given the shortages already experienced.

I have also been reminded by Cllr Maskell (my dad) that Battle was due approximately £300,000 from Labour's Building Schools for the Future fund which was scrapped when the Tory/Lib Dem coalition came into power. 

I have offered my help to the parents I see at the school gates but I don't see everyone.  Please contact us if you would like questions answered or if you require representation.

sarah.hacker@reading.gov.uk
chris.maskell@reading.gov.uk
gul.khan@reading.gov.uk

From Cllr John Ennis' blog: This year Reading has received applications for 2,144 children seeking a place at school for September 2012. This is an increase of 197 (10%) from last year, which follows the national trend. However in Reading only 6% fewer families have been offered their first preference at this stage.

“A £20m investment has been made by the Council, over a five year period, to increase capacity in three schools with a further £1.8 million invested this year on temporary measures to cope with high demand in part caused by the economic pressures which are restricting the social mobility that has always been common in the borough. This means as families grow they are having to remain living in the same houses, which in turn puts additional pressure on school places in those areas.

 “The Council is working closely with schools across the Borough and we are confident we will at the end of the process accommodate all of the children who applied for a place. “As always, we have done everything possible to try to meet parents’ aspirations for where their children go to school and we fully understand that some parents will be disappointed. However, in the circumstances, we have done everything we can to distribute places as fairly as possible by following the published admission policies and processes.

Details are as follows:         2012    2011
                   1st Preference   76.2% 82.3%                     
                    2nd Preference 10.7% 8.8%
                    3rd Preference 3.9%    3.9%
                    4th Preference 1.60%  0.92%

Into Battle: Election Special 2012

Battle Ward Labour Party and councillors produce several Into Battles a year.  There are copies of past editions linked in the pages above.

We feel it's important to let residents know what we are doing for them as their elected representatives and that we are working hard for them on the issues that are important to residents of Battle.

So, hot off the press and not even printed yet, the Into Battle Election Special.  Click on the picture for the full edition.

Battle residents should have one delivered to them shortly.  Let me know if you don't.