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Question to council: William Marshal

Richard Stainthorp to ask the Lead Councillor for Culture Heritage and Recreation: William Marshal As I am sure the Lead Councillor is awar...

22 Jun 2011

New community group launched today

The boys and I attended the launch of Our Community today.  This is a community group set up by local resident Ali.  Today she had organised first aid training for local shop keepers and has plans for many other events in the future.  It was well attended, despite to torrential rain, and the Mayor popped in to show her support too.

This is what Ali says about the group:

'What is it? A new community group that aims to help build, grow and support the wonderful people and small businesses that we have here in Reading West by bringing them together'

If you would like to find out more Ali can be contacted on 07796192276 or by email alisonskuse@hotmail.com

15 Jun 2011

Have you seen drug dealing?

I have been hearing that drug dealing is happening in Salisbury Road and around Kensington Park.  Have you witnessed this or drug dealing in another part of Battle ward?

Battle councillors will not accept this behaviour in our ward.  If you have seen something please either get in touch with one of us here or contact the police on the police non emergency number 0845 8 505505 (if your call is an emergency then dial 999).

If you have information about crime or anti-social behaviour in your area but you do not want to speak to the police, please call the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555111.

14 Jun 2011

Weekly bin collections dropped by government - good!

It's a subject that provokes strong feeling - how often should your waste be collected?  In Reading it's been fortnightly for some time - household waste one week, recycling the next.  Recycling rates have gone up and despite fears of a plague of rats, the Pied Piper hasn't had to visit.

In our house we recycle a lot of our waste and it's the recycling bin that is often the most full.  We sort waste as we go along with two swing bins in the kitchen and two small bins in the living room.  It makes it so much easier (although it does give the baby two targets for attack). Using cloth nappies also helps as we don't fill the bin with disposables.

The government had planned to force councils to collect waste weekly (a vote winner?) - this plan has been dropped (see here.)  I am glad.  Why?  Because there are better things to spend your money on.  Weekly collections would likely halt the increase in recycling rates, maybe even reverse them as people would'nt need to be as careful with their waste sorting.  It costs money to dump household waste and, when the government were told they would have to find £100 million centrally, as councils couldn't afford the costs, the idea was dumped - good!

7 Jun 2011

Peat free please

I was watching the One Show today and it had an interesting piece on peat used for compost.  Peat bog is a fragile and precious ecosystem.  It takes many hundreds of year to form and is made of layers and layers of vegetation preserved in an wet, acidic environment. 

Archaeologists learn a lot about past climates and vegetation from peat bogs  They can take core samples that reach back many hundreds of years and look at the vegetation, insects and pollen that was around at the time giving an indication of climate and agricultural use.  Many important archaological finds are discovered in peat bogs ranging from preserved bodies to causeways and offerings.

This precious peat is dug up and used in our grow bags and compost.  It isn't replaced, nor can it be.  Only nature can create peat.  You can now easily buy peat-free compost, which is something I make sure I do.  If we all made the effort to buy peat-free we could make a real difference as shops aren't going to stock what they can't sell.