Full council and vote now for allotments

Firstly a quick plug for Reading Grow-a-lot they need votes today to get the allotment funding the number is 0871 626 88 68.

Secondly I want to publish my answers to one of the questions I received at full council.  The first two are from members of the public, one concerned about the issues around Northumberland Avenue shops and the second asking about ways to improve HMOs (Houses in Multiple Occupancy).   I will publish these later on, for completeness.

The third was from Councillor Benson and was phrased in such a way as to really just be an attack on the Labour party.  I've been told that on twitter someone has claimed that I said we weren't going to build any council houses and Councillor Benson's 'supplementary' question certainly seemed to suggest that she had misunderstood my answer (incidentally that was the theme of last night's meeting, Conservatives and Libdems being 'confused').  I've highlighted in bold for clarity where I say the council plans to build houses and to continue to own them, which is the definition of a council house. 

"What steps does the Lead Councillor plan to take to address housing need in the Borough after 23 years of failure by Labour to build new Council homes in Reading?"

"It is unfortunate that Councillor Benson has chosen to phrase her question in such a way, on such an important issue for all of us in Reading. 

Councillor Benson may wish to rephrase her question given the data in the following graph which shows that affordable housing built under the Conservative-led administration that she was a part of in 2010-2011 built less than a third of the average achieved by the Labour administration in the previous 5 years (78 compared with the previous average of 254).

To address the substance of her question

Reading has a high level of housing need based on the fact that it is a popular place to live and work and we are a geographically small borough.  Therefore I plan to look at all options for ensuring that a child born today in Reading can both afford to and want to live in our town in the future.  We also need to be aware of the likely changing demographics of Reading.  Our actions will include:

-          The development of affordable housing where we will subsequently retain full ownership (as part of our Housing Revenue Account). The first of these is an extra care housing scheme of 40 units at the former Avenue School site on Basingstoke Rd/Northumberland Avenue, which will complete in Spring 2012. This was initially agreed in 2009, but unfortunately delayed by being frozen following the election in 2010 enabling a start on site in Winter 2010. A further small block of apartments for adults with disabilities is also being developed on the same site.

-          Recognising the important role of the private rented sector in meeting housing needs for those who choose not to buy or are unable to.  I have asked officers to work on options for ensuring that private rental properties are good homes for Reading’s residents, this includes Houses in Multiple Occupancy which I have discussed in more detail in my answer to a question from a member of the public earlier.

-          Improving the condition of homes across all tenures. The Council’s  Greener, Warmer, Safer homes scheme improves the sustainability of homes across tenures through undertaking home audits and arranging small scale, low-cost upgrades to improve safety, security and energy, waste and water efficiency. The premise of the project is that making a difference to homes and lifestyles need not be costly. Many minor changes can bring about lasting change if delivered with a multi-agency approach and when tied in to other improvements, initiatives and bids. This innovative scheme has helped improve 1,154 Reading homes.  Unfortunately the funding for this scheme ends after this financial year but I will be exploring options to continue it.

-          Continuing to bring empty homes back into use, prioritising interventions on those that bringing back into use will bring the most benefits.

-          Addressing under-occupation - one of the biggest pressures on social housing is in relation to large family units of accommodation. This need cannot be met only via the delivery of new build units.  I have asked officers to review how we can reduce under-occupation and encourage people to move where appropriate.

-          New building of properties in partnership with our registered social landlord partners.

Details of these will be coming forward to cabinet and council as appropriate over the coming months.

0871 626 88 680

0871 626 88 68

0871 626 88 68

Are you a small business who wants solar panels?

Lets face it it's a difficult time for small businesses at the moment - cautious consumers, inflation, fuel bills and big businesses more able to access cash.  The council can't deal with all of that, but we are doing what we can to help, and we're also my colleague, Paul Gittings has just announced a scheme for small businesses to benefit from solar panels.
Get your skates on though because you need to express interest by 22nd July

Full info including contact details are below.  




Small businesses in Reading can get free solar panels from Reading Borough Council.


The electricity generated by the panels will be provided free to the businesses, reducing their bills and their impact on the environment.

LoCus is using funding received through Reading's Local Strategic Partnership to offer the solar panels as part of a free package of support.

LoCus - themselves a project funded by the European Regional Development Fund - is able to give free advice and practical support to small and medium sized businesses on energy and money-saving measures.

The project helps all small businesses but specialises in rented commercial properties where both tenant and owner need to agree on changes to the building. That makes it the perfect opportunity for small business premises in rented premises to take advantage.

LoCus, which is based at Reading Borough Council, is actively looking for small businesses with south facing roofs who can take advantage of this offer. Expressions of Interest for the free solar panels need to be received by July 22nd.

Small and medium sized businesses who would like to know more can contact enquiries@locusproject.org.uk

or visit www.locusproject.org.uk

Councillor Paul Gittings, Lead Councillor for Environment and Climate Change, said 'Reading Borough Council takes tackling climate change seriously and that means reaching out and assisting all sectors of our community. LoCus is a great resource for Reading businesses looking for hands-on help to lower costs and realise revenues from carbon reduction.'

F1 Bahrain Campaign, an example of how politics is changing

Sometimes it's nice just to think 'hurray' about something. But the wider implication is that this is just one example of how politics is changing and will continue to change. It won't always be easy for politicians to deal with, but the trends to me appear to be:
1. People will get involved on a particular issue and act if they can see a specific outcome they want, rather than necessarily signing up to a particular political party or pressure group
2. It's easier to co-ordinate in order to put pressure on decision makers than ever before
3. If you depend on being popular, or at least not unpopular, it's now easier for people to make you change what you are planning to do or else you will have to suffer the consequences of bad press*
4. 24 hour news cycle? Forget it!
5. There is an increasing divide between the highly motivated groups participating in this sort of thing and those who are not. One of the jobs of politics is to reach everyone and of politicians to reach everybody not just the twittering classes (yes I am one- @racheleden, although I heard on BBC Berkshire this morning that the average age on twitter is 54!)

* the problem is how to deal with those who don't care about this...

Your community your cash!

People have been asking me what it means in practice when Labour in Reading talks about giving residents more say and being a council that works with people not just for people.

Well below is a press release that the council has just put out.  It's an example of the kind of thing we plan to do more of.  This year it's £30K in two pilot areas.  Next year if it works it could be the entire decent neighbourhoods fund - £400,000.   This is about Labour and Co-operative values, people working together to do more than they could by themselves.

"Residents in Whitley Wood and Coley have the chance to make a big difference in their neighbourhoods by making a bid to Reading Borough Council for new community facilities.  The Council has launched a pilot scheme 'Your Community, Your Cash' under its Decent Neighbourhoods initiative. 

Residents in these areas are being given the opportunity to put forward their ideas on what can be done to improve their neighbourhoods, whether raising community spirit, improving the appearance of the area where they live or reducing anti-social behaviour.  Over the next few weeks, people living in Whitley Wood and Coley will be asked to put their thinking caps on and come up with ideas. The best ideas will then be presented by the bidders at events taking place within each community. Residents will be able to then vote for the project they think will have the most positive impact in their neighbourhood.

The Council will invest £15,000 into each neighbourhood, which will come from the housing department's Decent Neighbourhood Fund, which goes into improving estates and neighbourhoods all over Reading.  Voting for the best community project will take place on Sunday, July 31st at the Coley Park Street Party and in Whitley on Saturday, August 20th, at the Whitley Wood Community Centre Event.  The chance to decide how the funding is spent in Whitley Wood and Coley are a pilot. If successful, as part of the administration's plans to give residents a chance and a real say in how the council is run, the scheme will be introduced in other parts of Reading.

Rachel Eden, Lead Councillor for Housing and Neighbourhoods, said: 'I believe that local people know what is best for their own area and we all know a small change can make a big difference to a neighbourhood. Tenants' rent pays for this programme so it's time we started giving local residents the chance to make the decisions as a community. I look forward to seeing what they are."

Residents in Whitley Wood who would like to discuss their ideas and get advice on how to put a bid together, can contact Julie Burnett, the Council's neighbourhood officer, on (0118) 937 2685. Julie will be also be at Whitley Wood Community Centre coffee morning between 11am-midday on Tuesday, June 28th and Tuesday, July 12th.  Coley residents can go along to the Council's neighbourhood office at 205 Wensley Road, on Wednesday, June 29th, 5pm-7pm. Call Joe on (0118) 937 2298.

Examples of projects provided thanks to Decent Neighbourhoods Funding, include landscaping – planting of trees, bulbs – and also seating at several public open spaces including Foxhays Road and Wensley Road, installing an older people's gym area in Southcote and funding for a Portakabin extension at South Whitley Youth and Community Centre.  Groups that have been working with Reading Borough Council on Decent Neighbourhoods Projects include; Coley Park Towers Residents' & Tenants' Association and Coley Park Community Association."

Northumberland Avenue Shops - sorting it out.

I will have more to say about the Northumberland Avenue shops area soon, but in the meantime if you are affected by the problems that have been bringing the neighbourhood down over the last year or so you might be interested in the information the police have issued today:

"On Wednesday 22^nd June Thames Valley Police have carried out a number of drug warrants in your neighbourhood.

The operation is as a result of community concerns surrounding drug-related and anti-social behaviour in the area that has been having an impact on people’s quality of life.

A number of arrests have been made and we have seized significant evidence in relation to several different criminal offences, including the possession and supply of Class A drugs.

Your local neighbourhood officers will be patrolling the area in the coming weeks. Please take the opportunity to raise any issues you may have.

We will also be holding two public meetings to update you on our actions

Tues 5^th July 2011 – 7pm (Youth & Community Centre)

Weds 20^th July 2011 – 7pm outside the library

Please come and meet the team and some of the people we work with to make this area a better and safer place to live.

If you have any information you think may be relevant to this investigation, or any other criminal activity in the area, please contact the Thames Valley Police Enquiry Centre on 0845 8 505 505 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            0845 8 505 505      end_of_the_skype_highlighting.

If you don’t wish to speak to police and don’t want to leave your name contact the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111."

Fathers' Day

Because it was Fathers Day yesterday I missed the news about David Cameron's latest demonstration of just how out of touch this government is.

I'm going to stick my neck out and say I agree a dad who "runs out" on his kids and deliberately takes no responsibility or interest in them is someone I would look on as shameful.  But really is that much of a shock?  I would have thought that it's not really something we need the Prime Minister to tell us (why not tell us what you're going to do to make life easier for Dads?) and far more importantly doesn't reflect the vast majority of the situations where one parent is not at home.

So it's not particularly helpful to suggest that somehow a collective 'shunning' of runaway dads will make a big difference to children's lives, which is presumably the intention.  I and probably everyone reading this will have friends or family members where the relationship didn't work out and that it ended up being better for everyone that there was a split and the dad has stayed involved with the kids maybe as the 'weekend dad'.  Or we know of families where the mum has decided to prevent access by the dad - sometimes for no good reason, sometimes for very good reasons.  Or we know of dads who are the main carer for the kids and it's the mum that has gone "AWOL" (nice phrasing Dave...). 

Instead of preaching I'd like to see this government improving support for simgle parents (including dads) and finding ways of making it easier for the non-resident parent to stay involved, rather than harder for single parents to get support and penalising single parents who can't get an amicable settlement.

Out and about tomorrow - say hello

I've inevitably been in the Civic Centre more than usual the last couple of weeks, to make sure I'm both up to date with what is happening in my new portfolio and also to ensure that council staff know what my priorities are.

We're working on some really important stuff which I will blog about more over the next couple of weeks.

However I'm making sure I get out and about in Whitley as well.  We're doing a formal version of that with our next "roving surgery/walk about" tomorrow if you live on: Callington Road, Helston Gardens, Redruth Gardens, Merton Road (north or south), Newlyn Gardens, Padstow Gardens, Camelford Close or Chagford Road you should have seen a red leaflet from us.  We'll be knocking on a sample of doors to see what is happening in your neighbourhood but if you particularly want a councillor's visit please put the red leaflet up in your window and we'll make sure we knock on the door.

I'll also be calling in at the revamped youth centre on  Northumberland Avenue tomorrow afternoon.

And don't forget if you see me walking around the ward, on the bus or where-ever please do say hello!

Politics and religion part 2

My earlier blog post was about the role that faith plays (or doesn't play) in my own politics.  I didn't have a full answer on the specifics of Archbishop Rowan Williams comments, apart from tentatively suggesting that it's OK for bishops to make political points.

However this blog post is a very good summary of the case for the Bishop getting involved and in passing points out the contradiction at the heard of Cameron's Big Society:  those who he praises as the heart of the Big Society are in many cases extremely unhappy with what he's doing:

"If Christian groups are to be expected to help fill the gap left by state withdrawal, then Archbishop Rowan clearly has a right and a responsibility to question Government initiatives...

 ...the Prime Minister and his party cannot promote the idea of a cohesive, communal ‘Big Society’, and simultaneously dismiss the views of the leader of a group which helps maintain that society as ‘plain wrong’, ‘unacceptable’, and even according to Roger Gale, ‘offensive’.  The Prime Minister cannot have his cake and eat it too."

It's well worth reading in full.


Note - I don't think it's a good idea for faith groups to be replacing state services for a wide range of reasons.

Inflation

We're all feeling the pinch at the moment, but increasingly I'm hearing from people who can't make ends meet and I believe other councillors are too.  The high inflation and squeeze on wages is affecting everyone but for some it can mean choosing between food and fuel.  This radio report puts it very starkly "I've gone to bed crying because I was hungry but I made sure that there was food in the kids lunch boxes."  - this from a working mum.

It's time for the government under George Osborne to take responsibility for sorting this out.  Isn't it basic incompetence to let inflation outpace wages so much and to govern in a way that forces mums and dads (who often have jobs for goodness sake) to go to bed hungry so their kids can eat or pensioners to turn the heating off so they can afford to eat.  I don't think even the most ardent supporter of the Conservatives wants this to happen. 

As I've said before though not wanting something to happen isn't the same as having a plan to stop it.  I'm asking council staff to come up with options to reduce fuel poverty in Reading where we can, but ultimately it's the national government that has the big levers on this - whether it's to reconsider their cuts to tax credits or to sort out inflation.  Sadly the Conservatives/Libdems have just voted down a Labour amendment to the energy bill that would have required improvements in energy efficiency in the private rented sector over the next few years.  This is a real blow for Reading, since about a quarter of residents are in private rented homes and some of them are really hard to keep warm.

Let's hope we get some serious alternatives from the government - I'd like to see a plan not just a hope.

Dee Park launches!

With members of CRAG

Today was the official launch of the Dee Park show homes (although apparently they've already sold 3 properties!).  Below is a copy of my speech

"As Reading’s lead councillor for housing and neighbourhoods it’s a real pleasure to be here today to celebrate the next step towards the regeneration of Dee Park and as a neighbouring resident who uses the children’s centre at Ranikhet School and the Lyon Square facilities I know first hand some of the benefits that this project will bring.

This regeneration is not just about bricks and mortar.  It’s also become a focus for a strong, more connected community.  The work that CRAG have done has been hugely valuable for the project but it’s also part of something even more important – a neighbourhood where we don’t just feel safe but also connected to our neighbours.  Ward councillors have over many years worked so hard on this and so has the Mayor in her previous role, so I want to say thank you to them. 

However more than that it’s become a project about the whole community.  Michael has spoken about the close partnership of the council and Catalyst: residents have also been part of this.  It’s a great achievement and a great moment to see the first homes for real.  I look forward to working with you as the project turns into a reality!"

Politics and religion

The 'unholy row' between the Archbishop and the Prime Minister had me musing on the role religion has played in my own political views.  I've never made a secret of the fact that I have a faith - brought up in a very Church of England family I have more recently been sharing worship in the Methodist Church - Emmanuel on the Oxford Road to be specific.

However it's certainly not something I shout from the rooftops either, my public profile is first and foremost as a Labour councillor.  I don't feel it is right for me to bring religion in to that.

My view is that my faith informs my values and therefore the approach I take to politics and thus indirectly my Labour and Co-operative politics.  However I fully accept that many of the same faith, even the same part of the Church as me could well feel called to serve in a different party.  I may not agree with them but then they won't agree with mine either - and in the family of the Church, like other families, we can disagree about politics without losing sight of an essential truth: we are brothers and sisters. 

Of course many of my close comrades in the Labour party are not religious at all, or from a different faith:  you don't have to 'do God' to have the same views about the way the world is.  I think where some Labour people also have concerns about the idea that religion, or rather religious leaders, could influence a politician away from the values of a party.

The row regarding Nadine Dorris and her crazy plan for girl's only US-style abstinence training is an example of this.  It's not just about the impracticality and sexism of what she's suggesting.  After all I can't think of many people who think it would be a bad idea for young people under the age of 16 to feel able to say 'no' to sex.  I think many people believe it is strongly motivated by the church background she is from and has a further, decidedly more authoritarian motivation behind it.   They are probably right in my view.  However her views are not out of place in some wings of the Conservative party and that's why I think that a more general concern regarding religious people in politics is mis-placed.  If you think God is more interested in when young people have sex than in 'good news for the poor' it will probably be obvious from the outset.  After all we all have strong personal views in politics, otherwise we wouldn't be in politics!  At least with religious people we have am early clue what their personal opinions are likely to be.  The key thing in my is to exercise your own judgement and if you are an elected politician not join a party that is contrary to your religious faith!


Where does that leave my faith?  Informing my values and therefore my politics, yes, something that is fundamentally part of who I am, yes that too.  But I'm not going to find the answer to dealing with Housing Association rents in the Bible or even from the preacher at church.

As for the Arch Bishop, I agree with a lot of what he says.  Was he the right person to say it?  I don't know is the honest answer.  On the one hand it's not going to do the church a lot of good with the establishment and the press, but on the other hand church leaders should speak the truth as they see it and stand up for the widow and the orphan, after all the church is not there to be popular with the establishment!

Here's a thought experiment:  If an Archbishop saw a brutal dictator in another country refusing to recognise democratic election results, murdering political opponents and through appalling incompetence bankrupting a country: would it be right for him to publicly cut up his dog collar on national television and say he would refuse to wear it again until that dictator had left power?

If you think that action was right then really it all comes down to a matter of degree - to what extent should religious leaders get involved in politics?

I don't have the answer to that one.  It's a serious subject full of pitfalls.

Priorities for Housing and Neighbourhoods and tonight's cabinet

This evening at cabinet we approved our priorities for this year.  You can see the full document here but the priorities from my portfolio are reproduced below.

I was shocked by some of the things said by opposition speakers at tonight's meeting. In particular I found Cllr Ralph's comments about the Avenue school (apparently rebuilding it was 'excessive') extremely worrying, since he is still their spokesperson for Education.  As I said in the debate his views do not reflect that of the council, we put the highest priority on the education and welfare of Reading's children with complex special educational needs.  It was also clear that they had either regardless misunderstood or were deliberately muddying the waters regarding last years accounts.  Under their Conservative-led administration several million pounds worth of capital expenditure on schools, housing etc had been delayed and carried over to this year.  We chose not to attack them on this as it is the sort of things that can happen.  However what it means is that some borrowing was moved from the accounts in the financial year in 2010-2011 to the accounts in 2011-2012. The same money being spent on the same things, just a couple of months later (and approved by their administration I should add!),

So what is the response?  To say they are 'disgusted' and to try to imply that the Labour administration had somehow managed to increase the councils borrowing by millions of pounds in 6 working days!  It's one thing to look at a budget and disagree with policy priorities, it's quite another to completely fail to understand it.  We need an opposition who will hold us to account, not misread the accounts.

Anyway back to the positive agenda that we are bringing forward here are our priorities in my cabinet area:

Council housing: Labour remains committed to retaining Council housing in Council ownership and to maintain it at the “Decent Homes” standard. We plan to work with tenants on improving homes and neighbourhoods still further. We are also committed to keeping secure tenancies and reject the government’s proposals to change that. We will also ensure that the carbon footprint of our housing stock is further reduced which will help to prevent fuel poverty. We will consider new ways to involve tenants through RFTRA and through new structures.

Housing Associations: The government has created a confused policy environment and incentives for housing associations to increase rents to up to 80% of private sector levels through their funding regime. The previous administration took little action on this and we need to ensue that we work with Housing Associations to influence their decisions quickly, so that rents are not put beyond the means of many families in Reading. We will continue to work with partner Housing Associations to ensure that inward investment for more affordable housing in Reading is achieved.

Private rented: We will continue to work with responsible landlords to improve the quality of private rented accommodation. We believe that every home in Reading should be a decent home and we will work with private tenants and landlords to drive up standards. We will also work with students, other tenants and their neighbours to ensure that Houses in Multiple Occupancy do not become a problem in the wider community and instead can contribute positively to their neighbourhoods.

Safer Reading and Neighbourhood Action Groups: There is still some way to go in ensuring that all the NAGS are effective ways for the Council and the Police to engage with local residents in ways that work for them. This will mean using a range of different communication methods to ensure that all residents of all backgrounds and ages understand how to influence local initiatives involved in improving their neighbourhood. In particular we will be focusing on recruiting effective chairs where there are vacancies; using social media to engage younger people, busy parents and others; and encouraging mentoring between successful NAGs and those still developing.

Anti Social Behaviour: While a number of areas have seen a reduction in ASB due to the closer working between the community, the police and the council, we will ensure that good practice is shared between communities and we will encourage communities to problem solve and find ways to overcome this blight on our neighbourhoods. We are very aware that the police are also facing cuts and that this is likely to affect what they can do in the future to support communities in tackling anti-social behaviour. We will work with our neighbourhood police teams and with residents to find ways to minimise the impact of this.

                         

Community spirit: There is already wonderful community spirit in Reading with volunteers giving hours of time to improve their local community and help their neighbours. We want to celebrate that but also encourage all residents to feel connected to their neighbours. We will work for more cross-generational and local involvement so that young and old and neighbours from different cultures don’t just respect each other but can help each other and enjoy spending time together. We will work with the established voluntary sector, new community groups and bands of neighbours to support their activities.

Neighbourhood events: We will be exploring how we can use the Jubilee celebrations, the bid for city status and the upcoming Olympics and other events such as the Big Lunch to help neighbours come together for both special events and regular community events. We will also look at how our cultural and arts life can be part of the local community and how we can foster local grassroots initiatives such as community gardening.

Domestic Violence: It is fundamentally important for residents to feel safe in their own homes. We will re-focus the council’s work in this area and make it a priority and work with the police and the voluntary sector to prevent and tackle domestic violence throughout our borough.

Mummy councillor - guest post for BabyRambles

I've written a guest post for the excellent, Reading based 'BabyRambles' blog.  I deliberately don't talk about my family that much here, so it was a nice opportunity to talk a bit about my personal life.  This picture goes with it well.